In recent years cordless lawn mowers have grown in popularity gaining ground on their gas powered counterparts.
Reasons people tend to cite for changing over have related both to concerns about the environment and their relative ease of use.
But are cordless lawn mowers really any better than other mowers? Let's take a look at their advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages Cordless lawn mowers are so easy to start.
Users of gas powered mowers will be familiar with pulling away on the starting cord trying to get them to start.
Often in the spring this can take several attempts and can be extremely frustration.
Cordless mowers in contrast start with the press of a button or a turn of a key.
Many models have a removable key to prevent accidental starting.
They are so much cleaner to use.
No having to fill up with gasoline or having to top up with oil and the inevitable mess this brings.
There are fewer emissions.
Gas mowers are rather inefficient machines and tend to produce rather more emissions than you would expect.
In fact they do contribute significantly to atmospheric pollution.
Unlike corded electric mowers there is no electric cord to wrestle with as you mow your lawn.
Users of these will be familiar with getting the cable caught around trees and bushes, not to mention the risk of mowing over it.
In addition the range of corded mowers is limited by the length of the cable.
Disadvantages How much you can mow with your cordless lawn mower is limited by the charge of the battery.
Better mowers will cover up to a third of a acre so if your lawn is larger than this then your options are to buy a second battery, mow your lawn in stages..
..
or to buy a gas mower.
The life of the lawn mower can be limited by the life of the battery.
Rechargeable batteries do not last forever so you will inevitably reach a stage where your battery simply refuses to hold its charge.
If you have a model that does not allow for the user to change the battery themselves then you need to find a service center that will do this for you which can be expensive.
The safest option is to buy a model which allows the user to remove the battery so you can change it easily should the need arise.
Although cordless lawn mowers are marketed as a green alternative, it is important to note that they are not completely environmentally friendly.
Firstly, that power you charge the battery with has to come from somewhere, and much of it will be generated using fossil fuels.
However, the emission are lower than gas mowers overall.
The other issue is disposal of the batteries once they are finished with.
Rechargeable batteries are harmful to the environment if disposed of in landfill.
However, more modern batteries can be recycled to some degree.
Most cordless mowers are not self-propelled.
However, as they are considerably lighter they are not difficult to push.
Conclusion Provided that you aware of the limitations of cordless lawn mowers they represent a good investment and, depending on your situation and needs, have considerable advantages over both gas powered and corded electric lawn mowers.
Reasons people tend to cite for changing over have related both to concerns about the environment and their relative ease of use.
But are cordless lawn mowers really any better than other mowers? Let's take a look at their advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages Cordless lawn mowers are so easy to start.
Users of gas powered mowers will be familiar with pulling away on the starting cord trying to get them to start.
Often in the spring this can take several attempts and can be extremely frustration.
Cordless mowers in contrast start with the press of a button or a turn of a key.
Many models have a removable key to prevent accidental starting.
They are so much cleaner to use.
No having to fill up with gasoline or having to top up with oil and the inevitable mess this brings.
There are fewer emissions.
Gas mowers are rather inefficient machines and tend to produce rather more emissions than you would expect.
In fact they do contribute significantly to atmospheric pollution.
Unlike corded electric mowers there is no electric cord to wrestle with as you mow your lawn.
Users of these will be familiar with getting the cable caught around trees and bushes, not to mention the risk of mowing over it.
In addition the range of corded mowers is limited by the length of the cable.
Disadvantages How much you can mow with your cordless lawn mower is limited by the charge of the battery.
Better mowers will cover up to a third of a acre so if your lawn is larger than this then your options are to buy a second battery, mow your lawn in stages..
..
or to buy a gas mower.
The life of the lawn mower can be limited by the life of the battery.
Rechargeable batteries do not last forever so you will inevitably reach a stage where your battery simply refuses to hold its charge.
If you have a model that does not allow for the user to change the battery themselves then you need to find a service center that will do this for you which can be expensive.
The safest option is to buy a model which allows the user to remove the battery so you can change it easily should the need arise.
Although cordless lawn mowers are marketed as a green alternative, it is important to note that they are not completely environmentally friendly.
Firstly, that power you charge the battery with has to come from somewhere, and much of it will be generated using fossil fuels.
However, the emission are lower than gas mowers overall.
The other issue is disposal of the batteries once they are finished with.
Rechargeable batteries are harmful to the environment if disposed of in landfill.
However, more modern batteries can be recycled to some degree.
Most cordless mowers are not self-propelled.
However, as they are considerably lighter they are not difficult to push.
Conclusion Provided that you aware of the limitations of cordless lawn mowers they represent a good investment and, depending on your situation and needs, have considerable advantages over both gas powered and corded electric lawn mowers.