 "Overall - good product/happy" | 2009-10-20 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3U0WZ2QKA040K |
I've had my Solaris for a couple of months now and have been able to mow my St. Augustine grass multiple times. Overall this mower works ok in the stock configuration. I have around 7,000 sq. ft of yard and it was able to mow it all and still have battery life to spare (yellow lights still on). I do have to say that I'm not impressed with the mower's blade. I put on the bagging attachment the other day and it hardly filled it. The stock blade just doesn't have enough suction. I went out and bought a replacement blade and it made a world of a difference. Now it has plenty of suction but it uses up a lot of battery as well. I went through one set of batteries to do just my back yard (just under half of my yard). I guess it's a good thing I bought a spare set of batteries. Even having to use 2 sets of batteries I'm still happy with my purchase, maybe I can find a blade somewhere in the middle. My last mower was a reel mower that was awesome for the grass but it was too time consuming and was too difficult to use if the grass was too long.
If you don't have a large yard this mower is for you. |
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| "Good on the second try." | 2009-07-06 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2KKFFQZD7VW61 |
| We were disappointed that the first mower did not start. after a phone call to trouble shoot, it was decided that returning it was the only option. The return process was easy and the second mower works great. |
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 "Great mower. Power enough for my lawn and my neighbor's too!" | 2009-06-28 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2K01KRTSAEJ48 |
| I was very impressed by this lawn mower. It has plenty of power and seems to go on forever. I have a pretty good sized backyard and this mower will complete the front and back sometimes without even one green light going off. There are 3 green lights, one orange and one red to indicate the level of charge remaining in the batteries. I have never seen more than one light go out for any of my mowing needs. The posters that complain about the mower only going for 20 minutes must have not followed the directions on the first charge to put the power on the charger for 24 hours straight before the first use. I regularly mow over 45 minutes at a stretch without even coming close to discharging the batteries. The mower is very sturdy and seems well built. I just mowed 8 inch tall wet grass today on mulch and of course had to go a little at a time (as you would with a gas mower) but the thing ripped through it all without skipping a beat. I would recommend this mower to anyone. |
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| "Excellent Mower - Needs Next Generation Batteries" | 2009-06-22 |
| - Reviewed By gsws |
I recently decided to fire our lawn service and purchase a mower. I ruled out gasoline-powered models for reasons to do with safety of fuel storage, plus concern about the smell, noise and emissions. Since our yard is a little too big (1/4 acre lot) for either a corded electric mower or a manual push mower to be practical, I focused on finding a suitable rechargeable mower. After comparing all the models available, including those from much better-known companies, I selected the Solaris S21HB.
I've had it for a couple of months, now, and feel I have a good sense for its pros and cons. In general, I'm very pleased with the Solaris, which I've used in both bagging and side-discharge modes so far. It tends to bog down a bit if the grass is high and wet, though I understand that's true for most mowers, even a push-reel. The mower's deck is very rugged, the safety locks well-designed, and the motor much quieter than a gas model's. The biggest challenge is the mower's weight. At about 110 lb. with batteries, it is a beast to push on even a slight grade. My wife jokes that this is saving me one gym workout a week, but if I had it to do again, I'd have bought the self-propelled model, which was only about $50 more.
A big part of the weight is due to the unit's two 24V lead-acid batteries, which contribute about 30 lb. (The only Lithium-ion battery mower I could find, made by Bosch, is not yet sold in the US.) Their combined 40 Amp-hours of storage equate to the energy content of less than 4 ounces of gasoline. Even if it uses its stored energy 3-4 times more efficiently than a gasoline engine, the mower's range is still substantially less than from the typical 1-quart fuel capacity of a gas mower. As a result, I must adapt my lawn mowing to the limitations of my new, green device. Since I can't cut all our grass in one go, I have to split the chore into two sessions at least 8 hours apart, to allow enough time to recharge the batteries. I'm seriously considering investing $100 in a second set of batteries, which are currently out of stock. This unit would really benefit from an upgrade to Lithium ion batteries, which are both lighter and store more energy.
I was torn between a 3- and 4-star rating. The Solaris is a well-built machine, but its weight limits my satisfaction. If I had a smaller, flatter lawn, I'd have no hesitation for 4, which I finally settled on for this reveiw. |
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| "So far, so good...." | 2009-06-13 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2A2WXXPPY7JRQ |
As new house owners, we bought this lawnmower when our grass was already overgrown, so the first cut was a little more painful than with a gas-powered mower. That being said, it's been around a month and we're very happy we purchased this mower so far. The first time we had to cut the overgrown blooming grass, it took 2 or 3 cuts (gradually going shorter). Even so, the charge time has been pretty good and while our lawn is decently large (>10,000sqft), we have been able to do either several cuts on one half or the entire lawn on one charge.
Here is what we like most about it:
-it's more quiet than any of our neighbors' even though we're right there next to it
-you don't smell the gas exhaust, nor do you have to deal with purchasing/mixing/storing/discarding gasoline
-it's presumably more environmental-friendly than a gas powered mower
-it's cordless, so we don't have to worry about going over the cord, and it makes it easy to go around bushes and trees
-the charge time has been pretty good for us so far, so no surprise/disappointment there. It's no gas mower where you can go endlessly, but it's enough for our needs, so it hasn't been a problem
-it's a (very) mild workout to push the mower on the slopes we have around our lawn (think painless workout)
Now to the imperfections:
-when we tried to cut our overgrown grass very short to start with, it would turn off the engine, which is understandable. What's more annoying is that it ended up drying the grass below those patches. Sure we're novices and shouldn't have tried that in the first place...
-we haven't called the company about it yet, since it just started happening, but we do get a spark every time we get the safety key onto the battery now (after every charge basically) which is a little concerning. It might just need a little grease, or it might keep on like that, we just don't know yet.
In summary, after a month use, and provided it keeps working the same, we would purchase this mower again. |
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| "solaris s21hb cordless mower" | 2009-06-12 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2KQI5CK20DMYM |
| great mower - great companies. amazon sent it very quickly even with free shipping. 1 battery was damaged (en route or at delivery) but was replaced by linamar. when batteries are charged for 24 hrs before first use, it makes a big difference in power. mower works great - it's hot and rainy in central fla so grass/weeds are growing fast. approx 1/3 acre yard with very overgrown lawn - mower did great and leaves very little to trim/edge. just remember that this is a 21" mower, not a 48" walker. i'm looking forward (yes, i enjoy mowing the yard)to many years of good service from this little mower. i'll write back next year to update on longevity. really love no smelly gas odor as well as the obvious positive attributes of a battery operated mower. now to get rid of some of that lawn!!!!! |
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