For small urban yards, loud gas powered mowers with engine exhaust can be an unpopular choice. In an area where there is little mowing to be done, keep your neighbors happy and protect the environment with an electric powered lawn mower. These walk-behind mowers are light weight, maneuverable, and easy to maintain. Richardson Saw and Lawnmower stocks a variety of lawn mowers, and carries brands including Stihl, Honda, eXmark, Scag and Toro.
Less Pollution
As with other lawn equipment, there are pros and cons to using electric lawn mowers. Gas powered mowers are more powerful, which make them more practical for large-scale mowing jobs. However, they are also loud and even the environmentally friendly low-emission models produce exhaust.
Using an electric lawn mower cuts down on noise levels and environmental pollution. Electric mowers, both corded and cordless models, produce no exhaust and have quiet running engines. Their low levels of noise and pollution, as well as their small size, makes them ideal for urban situations. Electric lawn mowers range in size from 14-inch to 20-inch cutting decks, which is a good fit for small yards and tight spaces.
Easy Maintenance
In a gas powered mower, maintenance includes cleaning filters, changing the oil, re-fueling, replacing spark plugs and removing the fuel or adding a fuel stabilizer over winter. The maintenance required by electric mowers generally takes less time and is easier to complete. In addition to easier maintenance, electric mowers can also reduce the cost of mowing a small yard. A small urban yard will cost about $5 in electric bills to mow all summer with an electric mower.
The most important maintenance is changing or sharpening the blade once a year or as needed, keeping the mower generally clean, and maintaining the battery in a cordless mower. Batteries should be consistently charged and not run-down completely with each use. When storing the mower over winter, follow manufacturer instructions for storing the battery separately. This will often involve re-charging the batter every few months to keep it in peak condition.
Battery Powered
Though corded mowers ensure that you won’t run out of power while mowing, they can be a pain if there are obstacles in the yard. Battery-powered electric mowers add mobility to the features offered by electric mowers. One such mower is the Toro e-Cycler Cordless. It features a 20-inch mulching mower deck, weighs 77 pounds, and runs off a 36-volt battery. It will cut 7,000 to 10,000 square feet on a single charge. The batter recharges 70% in three hours, or 100% overnight.
Another choice of battery powered mowers is the smaller Stihl’s RMA 370. The cutting deck is 14-inches wide and it weighs less than 30 pounds before the battery is installed. It runs off a 36-watt lithium-ion battery, which is interchangeable with other Stihl battery-powered equipment. One of the flaws leveled against battery powered lawn equipment is that the power output is inconsistent, decreasing as the battery loses its charge. Stihl Lithium-Ion products solve this problem, and will continue to run at peak efficiency until the battery is dead.
