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Electric Mowers

When deciding between electric vs. gas lawn mowers, consider the size of your lawn. If you don’t have a huge lawn, a battery-powered electric lawn mower may be perfect. Cordless mowers are quieter, require less maintenance, and of course, run without gas or oil. But best of all, you’ll never have to start a gas engine—you just push a button or lever and you’re mowing. Here are a few reasons why you should switch to electric lawn care.

As lithium-ion battery technology has improved, most manufacturers have included cordless mowers in their lineup, so you’ll have plenty of choices. Many of these mowers can cut an average suburban yard (about one-fifth of an acre) on a single charge. Prices for battery-powered mowers are similar to those of gas-powered mowers, and you’ll find most of the same features, too.

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Drive System

If your lawn is relatively flat and not huge, chances are you’ll be perfectly happy buying a push mower—that is, a mower that’s not self-propelled. In addition to being cheaper, mowers without power to the wheels are lighter, have fewer mechanical parts to wear out, and are usually easier to maneuver.

If you have hills or a large yard, a self-propelled mower is a better choice. Front wheel drive mowers pull the mower along but may lose traction on hills, where you tend to push down on the handle. And if you bag your grass, the weight of the bag will reduce the traction on the front wheels, making the drive wheels less effective. In most cases, rear- wheel drive is the best option since it works great on hills and with a bag. All-wheel drive is needed only for severely sloping terrain.

If you buy a self-propelled mower, consider upgrading to variable speed for more flexibility in matching your mowing speed to the lawn conditions and your walking speed.

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