I too have been disappointed in the lack of lithium-chemistry battery electric mowers. Many moons ago, we purchased an Ariens Amp electric rider. Twenty tiny VRSLA batteries (4s5p) stuffed under the seat. The mower has been severely criticized in review from past times, although for wrong reasons, in my opinion. In the Florida heat, the pack managed to last three years. The replacement US$600.00 pack lasted about a year and a half. Thanks to a list member, my mower now sports a half-module from a Volt. I'm aware from my lead-acid Xebra days that fifty percent DoD is safest, so the mower got equipped with a CycleAnalyst, high current version. That meant I could baby the lead-acid pack, but it still could not tolerate the heat of the day or the heat of the storage. It turned into a three-charge-cycles-to-mow-a-quarter-acre mower. Having the Volt half-module means I can get two runs, possibly three from a single charge, but I am babying the pack even now by not max-charging it and bringing the battery inside after each use and also no charging it until the day before it is needed. I had to purchase a full module for US$600 but that means I have twice the capacity (but can't fit them both inside) so I alternate the batteries. To further ensure long happy life, I purchased an expensive charger that does individual cell balancing and the Volt battery came with a balancing cable! I expect the modules will outlast me. Any EV owner knows how the quiet is the best part of the vehicle (opinion, of course), but the Amp really screwed that up. They used what I suspect is the technology they knew and put a hydrostatic transmission in this thing. That means the traction motor runs constantly to keep the system pressurized, a complete waste of energy. Hydraulics are not known to be particularly efficient in power transfer. The two systems alone amount for eighty percent of the noise. One neighbor told me that he was surprised I had a fuel powered mower, after hearing me start it. If I had to replace the Amp, I'd look for a lithium version I could afford, or consider immediately to replace the lead pack.
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