Whether you're a new homeowner needing that first lawnmower, in the market for an earth-friendly option (traditional gas-powered mowers pollute four times as much as car engines), or reluctantly re-embracing yard work to trim your budget, a few advancements in lawn mower technology make it worth considering a non-gas-powered model.
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Electric Slide
Electric mowers don't have any fuel issues and start buttons eliminate that back-wrenching springtime tug-of-war to get a gas mower purring. They're best for smaller yards without a lot of complicated landscaping to entangle the cord. Though a cord can be cumbersome, it does provide a consistent power source to finish the job.
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A Battery of Choices
Battery-operated lawn mowers offer the un-tethered convenience of a gas mower, along with the quiet operation of an electric mower. Some models come with solar power charging stations for the batteries, but they're an expensive add-on. You'll probably want an extra battery if your lot is larger than a quarter acre. Another battery-operated option is a solar-powered mower. A solar panel lies on the bars that connect the handle to the mowing deck and engine. You position the mower so the panel is facing the sun and let it charge for a few hours, says Chris, from Phoenix Organics. He notes that for tall grass, a few passes with the mower are necessary for a clean cut.
But giving up the gas-powered option is not without some cost. "The disadvantage of any electric mower is that they don't have as much power," says Mark Seus, who works at Hubbard's Ace Home Center in Medford. For dense, tall grass, or in bigger yards with uneven terrain, neither a corded nor a battery-operated mower will perform like a gas mower. In addition to the added weight of a battery on cordless models, both types lack the self-propulsion feature that some gas-powered mowers have.
You-Powered
Reel or "push" mowers are completely different machines from their electric and gas-powered “rotary” cousins. These old-school mowers are very quiet and reliable because there’s not much on them that can break. A quick wipe of the blades after each use, a little WD-40 and an annual adjustment and sharpening will keep a reel mower going for years. Many lawn care professionals believe that cutting with a reel mower produces a healthier lawn, but they work best on well-maintained yards.
"You're going to have a hard time cutting high, wet grass with a push reel mower," says Seus. Borrowing a neighbor's mower to cut tall grass and using a reel mower for maintenance will make your reel mower experience a lot less difficult. Not all situations are ideal for an electric or a reel mower, and gas mowers are improving in efficiency. But you might find just what you're looking for, with less maintenance or less expense, with one of these alternative lawnmowers.
Have you tried an alterative to gas? How's it going for you?
