Choose Electric for your Lawn Mower

Posted by Austin Veren on February 12, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Electric lawn mowers tend to get a bad rap among the ‘mower power is mower better’ crowd, but there are many situation where the electric models are actually superior to their gas powered counterparts. Certainly the postage-stamp sized lawn is one example. It is hardly worth starting the gas motor for one of those.

But there are other cases where the electric option shines. The average suburban lawn can be cut just as easily with battery or solar powered lawnmower as it can with a gas model, but cheaper and more environmentally friendly.

Electric lawn mowers use less power, and cheaper power, than gas. They produce less air pollution (even considering the pollution made to produce the grid-based electricity). They also produce much less noise pollution, which is a real benefit in crowded suburban neighborhoods.

There are four major classes of electric mowers: cord powered, battery powered, solar powered and robotic. Which type you choose depends on your pocketbook, lawn size and character, and your work preferences.

The cord powered lawnmower is cheapest, and works fine for small to moderate sized lots. You need to be careful not to run over the cord, of course, but otherwise they are reliable and economical to run. Because there is a cord to consider, they become increasingly less convenient as the number of obstacles in the lawn increases.

Cordless mowers have batteries to power the motor, and are thus much more convenient, though they do require recharging. Not only are they somewhat more expensive to purchase than the cord models, but they have higher long-term maintenance costs because the batteries eventually need to be replaced. They do last a long time though, so that should not be considered a major drawback.

Solar powered lawn mowers reduce your electric expense, but at the cost of a higher up-front purchase price. Long term, it works out to be cheaper and more environmentally friendly though. Most models also allow you to charge from the grid if you need to.

Finally, robotic mowers are the most popular type of personal robot currently sold. It is basically an electric mower with a computer attached, with independent individual control of the speed and direction of each wheel, so that it can steer itself. All that comes at a price, of course, but it is top choice for those who do not want (or can not manage) the physical labor of cutting the lawn.

Visit Cuttin That Lawn at http://lawnmowers.qanswered.com/ for more lawn talk.