Home & Yard
Still Doing Your Own Yard? 6 Ways to Keep It Tidy, Compared Honestly
The gas mower, the lawn crew, the hardware-store battery mower, the $40 Facebook gadget, the name brand, and the one I picked for my mother. What each one costs, what you push or hold, and the catch nobody mentions.
Advertisement from SEESE Tools. Diane Kessler is an illustrative composite narrator drawn from homeowner research, not an individual customer. Lifestyle images illustrate the story.
My mother is 74, lives in Central Florida, and does her own yard. Last spring her gas mower took five pulls to start, and she told me, “It’s probably just me.”
It wasn’t. But it sent me looking at every way a person can keep a small yard tidy without handing it over to someone else. I read store listings, policy pages and hundreds of reviews, and I wrote down what each option really costs and what it asks of your body.
Here they are, from the one most people start with to the one I bought. I’ve kept the downsides in, including for my pick.
Keep pushing the gas mower
- Cost
- Already paid for, plus gas, oil and a spring tune-up
- What you push
- A gas push mower can run 60 pounds
- Starting
- Pull cord
- Edges
- Needs a second machine
If yours starts on the first pull and you push it without thinking about it, keep it. Most people reading this aren’t in that spot anymore, and the reason is usually the cord, not the mowing:
“I can’t pull start a mower to save my life.”
Ask MetaFilter
Hire a lawn service
- Cost
- $56 to $123 a visit; Angi puts a year at $2,000 to $4,000
- What you push
- Nothing
- Starting
- Not your problem
- Edges
- Often billed separately
Plenty of people are happy with this, and I won’t pretend otherwise:
“To me, it is worth $45 per month for someone to mow my corner Villa lot.”
Talk of The Villages forum
Others keep count of what they actually get:
“we had 5 cancelations, 5 reschedule, and 1 skipped.”
Complaint about a lawn service, ComplaintsBoard
A battery push mower from the hardware store
- Cost
- $214.99 to $649 in the listings I checked
- What you push
- A full-size deck; one 21-inch model weighed 62.5 pounds in a hands-on test
- Starting
- No pull cord
- Edges
- Not one of the seven I checked trims or edges
This fixes the cord. It’s a fine choice for a bigger, flat lawn. But you’re still pushing a full-size deck around the yard, and you still need a second tool for the edges and the fence line.
The $40 3-in-1 from a Facebook ad
- Cost
- About $39 to $57
- What you hold
- Listings say around 3 pounds, with a 6-inch head
- Starting
- A button
- Edges
- Yes, on paper
The idea is right. The execution is where it falls apart. Wherever buyers can post freely, this tool sits at 1.8 to 2.9 stars. Many listings that say “2 batteries” default to one at checkout (117 of 122 in one check).
“It’s mostly a toy. Not enough power to really cut anything”
Review of a white-label 3-in-1, Home Depot
The name-brand 3-in-1 at the home-improvement store
- Cost
- $159 with two batteries, the lowest name-brand price I found
- What you push
- A light trimmer on a small wheeled deck
- Starting
- A button
- Edges
- Yes
A real tool from a company you know, and if you’d rather pay for the name, it’s a fair pick. Two things kept it off my mother’s list. It cuts with string only, no steel blade. And it costs about $91 more for the same three jobs.
“This is NOT a lawn mower - it is a string trimmer on wheels.”
Review of a name-brand 3-in-1
The SEESE 3-in-1, the one I picked
- Cost
- $67.99, once, with two 21V batteries
- What you push
- 10 pounds, and the wheels carry the head
- Starting
- Safety switch and trigger. No cord.
- Edges
- Head turns 90 degrees; nylon line, steel blade and saw blade in the box
It sits in the gap between the $40 gadget and the $159 name brand, and it’s the only one that checked every line on my mother’s list: no cord, light enough for the porch steps, does the edges, metal blades, a spare battery, cheaper than the lawn guy, and free to send back if it isn’t right.
You can request a return within 30 days of delivery. Eligible returns are free; change-of-mind items must be unused and in original condition. Of 84 return policies I read from stores selling this kind of tool, only 2 paid the return shipping.
Secure checkout by Whop, our payment processor.
All six, side by side
| Option | Cost | Pull cord? | Does edges? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas mower | Gas, oil, tune-ups | Yes | No |
| Lawn service | $56 to $123 a visit | n/a | Often extra |
| Battery push mower | $214.99 to $649 | No | No |
| $40 Facebook 3-in-1 | About $39 to $57 | No | Yes |
| Name-brand 3-in-1 | $159 | No | Yes, string only |
| SEESE 3-in-1 | $67.99 once | No | Yes, plus steel blades |
On a phone, swipe the table sideways to see every column.
The tool
SEESE Cordless Lawn Mower
In the box
- The mower, with support wheels and auxiliary handle
- Two 21V batteries
- Charger
- Nylon line head, steel blade and saw blade
What the same jobs cost elsewhere
My mother’s last rule: a fair price is a stated price. So here it is.
$67.99
One payment. Free shipping. Two batteries included.
Get Mine, $67.99Secure checkout by Whop, our payment processor.
How returns work
Request a return within 30 days of delivery. Change-of-mind items must be unused and in original condition.
If it isn’t right, email seese@seesetools.us.
Eligible returns have no restocking or return-shipping fee. Contact SEESE first for authorization; the refund policy sets out the conditions.
Buying this for Mom or Dad?
The question I kept seeing from sons and daughters was whether a parent would take to something new. The SEESE is simpler than what they have now, not fancier. No gas to buy. Nothing to start in the spring. One switch and one trigger. At 10 pounds, they can carry it up the steps themselves.
Put their address in the shipping box at checkout and it goes straight to their door.
Keep the yard. Lose the pull cord.
Picture a Saturday morning before it gets hot. The battery clicks in. One squeeze. The front yard, the edges along the driveway, the strip by the fence. One tool, and nobody had to come help.
Get Mine, $67.99Free shipping · 30-day returns · Two batteries included
Questions people ask first
Is this a real mower or just a trimmer?
Both, and an edger. The 13.7-inch cut and the support wheels mow small and medium lawns. Turn the head to edge, swap heads to trim. It is not a replacement for a riding mower on a half-acre.
How long does the battery last?
Two 21V batteries come in the box, so one charges while the other cuts. Runtime varies with grass, workload and conditions. Check suitability before use. The 30-day return policy applies; change-of-mind returns must be unused.
Do I have to pull a cord?
No. Press the safety switch, then squeeze the trigger. No cord, no primer bulb, no gas.
Will it cut thick weeds and brush?
The steel blade handles thick weeds along fences and beds. The saw blade handles light brush and small saplings. Nylon line is for everyday grass. All three are in the box. It is not made for small trees.
Where do the clippings go?
It throws them the way a weed eater does. Short grass falls in like mulch. If the grass gets tall between cuts, plan on a quick rake.
Is it hard to put together?
Follow the supplied assembly instructions for the head, handle and wheels. Use the specified tools and fasteners.
How tall does the shaft go?
The shaft telescopes and the auxiliary handle adjusts. Check a comfortable working position before use; an exact height-fit range is not specified here.
Why does checkout open on Whop?
Whop is the secure payment processor SEESE uses. You pay $67.99 once. Your order and any return are handled by SEESE.
Can I send it to someone else?
Yes. Put their address in the shipping box at checkout.
What does shipping cost?
Shipping is free. Faster shipping is offered as an optional add-on at checkout.
Do the batteries fit other SEESE tools?
Do not assume cross-tool compatibility. Use the supplied batteries and charger with the mower, and check with SEESE before using a battery in another tool.
Standard shipping is free. Estimated total delivery is 10–23 business days, not guaranteed. Shipping details · 30-day return policy and conditions.