I need some lawn mower advice. [View all]

Is this the best group to ask????

I am looking for a new lawn mower and I am having a heck of a time finding what I want. I have a small yard, but not small enough for a plug-in electric. It has a number of obstacles, so a self-propelled doesn't work so well---they are so heavy when you have to push them instead of using the self-propel feature, and I have to stop using it too often. I had a rotator cuff injury, and pulling the cord to start a mower is just getting to be painful, even though I am about 80% better. Besides, I am getting older and I probably will not be getting into much better shape.

The small push mowers appeal to me for the weight, but they all have pull cords. The electric start mowers all seem to have the self-propel feature. Cordless electric mowers sound like they are heavy. Any suggestions?

For the record, I have a 30 year old self-propelled mower whose self-propelled function hasn't worked in years---I had it in the shop twice to fix it, and it never got fixed so I just gave up. The choke lever broke off, so I have to choke it down by the engine. It is a rear-bagger, and the bag will not stay put anymore so I use a bungee cord to keep it in place. What I am saying is, I really really really need a new mower----except that this poor old thing is so reliable, it started with the first pull after sitting all winter.