A new lawnmower for me
Using an electric lawnmower can help reduce air pollution – and shoulder strain! Photo by Jennifer Hartzell
In typical 2020 fashion, when it seems that everything that can go wrong will, my 20-year-old gas lawnmower finally had its last grass cutting. Honestly, I'm not too sad about it. I don't love that we have to spend money on a new one, but it provided me an opportunity to buy an electric one!
I have written about environmentally friendly mowers in the past, but never had any personal experience. I researched and read blogs about different options. There are two main brands that get the best reviews in the electric/battery powered lawnmower world: Ego and Greenworks. There are other brands out there that have great reviews, but I found that these two seem to be the major players. I decided on the Ego brand based on the size of my yard and how long I need the battery to last for one cutting.
Why is this so important to me? When I wrote about eco-friendly mowers a couple of years ago, I learned that 800 million gallons of gasoline a year is used to fill mowers. Lawn mowers are also responsible for up to 5% of the nation's air pollution. Furthermore, the EPA estimates that 17 million gallons of fuel are accidentally spilled each year by people refilling them. I have to say, no matter how incredibly careful I was while refilling mine, I always spilled a little (and felt really guilty about it).
Of course, after all of my research into purchasing a new mower, once I finally decided on the Ego brand and model I wanted, it was out of stock everywhere for at least three weeks. However, I did luck out when I saw my neighbor out mowing.
I knew he has had an electric, battery powered mower for a few years but I did not know he had the exact brand I had just ordered! I asked him about it and he offered to let me use it when he was finished. He charged the battery for about 30 minutes, which is all it takes to get the battery full again, and I used it.
What a difference! It is so much quieter (I didn't need the volume on my ear buds at full blast!) and there's no pulling a cord (while almost dislocating your shoulder) to get the motor going. You simply just pull in the lever towards the handle and it starts.
It's also much easier to push and maneuver around the yard because it's much lighter than a gas mower. And my favorite part, it folds up so you can store it against the wall in your garage!
I have not received my mower yet, but I have a photo of my neighbor's here. (He's excited his mower will be "famous" after appearing in the paper! Ha ha!) If and when you are in the market for a new lawnmower, I urge you to research the electric ones on the market. I'm certain you will be able to find one that meets your needs and you will be happy because your lawn will look fantastic, you won't have to keep filling a gas can to store extra fuel, your ears won't be damaged from the noise, and your shoulder will stay intact because there's no cord-pulling!
And the biggest benefit, you won't be breathing in the fumes and there will not be fumes released into the atmosphere either. The earth will thank you.