Cooperative Living March/April 2019 - 28
EnergySense | by Pat Keegan and Brad Thiessen, Contributing Writers
Weighing Your Lawncare Options
D
ear Pat: I'm seeing a lot of ads lately for electric lawn
mowers. I want to save money and help the environment,
but from what I've heard, a lot of electric mowers can be
underpowered, and the cordless ones lose their battery charge too
quickly. Do you think it's worth making the switch from a gas
mower to an electric mower?
- Eric
D
ear Eric: Until recently, corded and
cordless electric mowers tended to be
underpowered. For cordless mowers,
this fact was made worse by their sub-par
battery life.
But today, with those problems largely
solved, the best electric mowers have the
power and battery life to keep pace with a gas
mower, depending on the size of your lawn.
A cordless, electric mower with a large
56-volt battery can run for about one hour.
Plug-in electric mowers don't have this
limitation, but using a long electrical cord
can be challenging.
Quality electric mowers, especially the
cordless, rechargeable ones, tend to cost twice
as much as a new equivalent gas model. But
you can recoup some of the expense with
cheaper operating costs, since electricity is
a less expensive fuel than gas, and electric
engines generally require less maintenance than gas engines.
Another important cost consideration is that rechargeable
batteries typically need to be replaced after three to five years. The
cost savings also depend on the size of your lot. A small lot uses
less gas, so fuel cost savings are less significant.
You can save a significant amount of money on the purchase
price with a corded mower if you don't mind the hassle of
navigating around the cord.
Above: Unlike models from only a few years ago,
many of today's electric mowers have the power and
battery life to keep up with gas mowers.
Left: While electric mowers have come a long way,
equivalent gas mowers have a lower initial cost and
are better-suited for larger lawns.
26 | Cooperative Living | March-April 2019
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Cooperative Living March/April 2019
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