I really allowed it to get bad, too. For weeks I put off buying the mower, searching for the perfect deal on Craigslist. Eventually I just gave up because the lawn had to be mowed and I was out of time. Here's a strip between the lawn and the road that I haven't mowed:

But then I won't be doing the mowing, since I paid for the mower, the trimmer, and most recently a blower (something I didn't realize I would need until I saw the sheer amount of clippings spewed onto the sidewalk and street). A roomie of mine has volunteered, apparently he enjoys doing it. I'm happy to let him.

I bought the blower online without a battery, as I already have two. Even the 2 amp hour batteries are around $80, and the two I have are both 5 amp hour. I'm unsure how the mower and trimmer didn't cost more than they did in light of this, but then again both were on sale.

I learned a great deal while testing these things. For example the blue button on the bottom of the trimmer hub, when bumped, will automatically feed out more nylon cord to replace what is lost to wear and tear. I wish I'd known that before I opened it up, thinking I had to advance the cord manually.

Here's the spool of nylon cord inside. Not understanding the bump advance mechanism, I tried to do it manually and then couldn't get the cap back on until I read the instructions. Lesson learned, I ought to read the instructions beforehand.

It also has a blade built in so that as you advance the cord, it will be cut down to the correct length automatically. I'm impressed by such thoughtful design, but most of all by the cord auto-advance mechanism. I didn't know that was a thing.

How powerful are they? Surprisingly, very powerful. I don't know what I expected. The mower chewed straight through that thick, tall grass without missing a beat. I guess I assumed I would need to go 80 volt for that kind of performance. I'm glad that's not the case.

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^{Stay Cozy!}