This is an application where I find the old tech does a better job: push mowers.
I recently replaced my mower with an old push mower [1], someone local restores them and sells them for a reasonable price (much less than anything new or even a petrol or electric second hand mower.
It works so well I wouldn't go back unless I had more than about 200 sqm to mow. Modern push mowers are junk and put me off in the past, but the older ones are much heavier and better built. They cut grass cleaner than a rotary mower which is supposedly better for the grass too.
They really really are in NZ at least. I saw some at Mitre10 the other day and they were pretty much all plastic, wtf?
Someone local to me as well buys second hand mowers and fixes em up, puts a better motor on etc. Works well - been a very long time since I've touched an old push mower though!
My old man runs a landscaping/gardening/mowing business so I grew up helping mow lawns etc and you're quite right they've just gotten so bad. We'd buy those commercial ones, and over the years they just got bigger, heavier and shittier - breaking all the time. Dad went back to using just basic older mowers and they work just as well.
You're correct that those old push mowers are better for the grass if you don't have the catcher on - which is the reason for some mowers having that "mulch" function (spitting cut up grass back out without a catcher).
I recently replaced my mower with an old push mower [1], someone local restores them and sells them for a reasonable price (much less than anything new or even a petrol or electric second hand mower.
It works so well I wouldn't go back unless I had more than about 200 sqm to mow. Modern push mowers are junk and put me off in the past, but the older ones are much heavier and better built. They cut grass cleaner than a rotary mower which is supposedly better for the grass too.
[1]: trademe.tmcdn.co.nz/photoserver/full/1857940265.jpg