Is An Electric Lawn Mower Better Than Gas
Most people who are looking at electric lawn mowers do so for one of two reasons the environment and their wallet. Lets start with the environment.
If youve spent any time looking into electric cars, you might have learned that they arent too much better for the environment than gas. Long charge times, costly and dangerous-to-manufacture batteries, and the simple problem of making new vs buying used mean electric cars just about break even with gas.
Are electric lawn mowers the same? Do electric mowers hurt the environment just as much as gas?
The answer is a loud, emphatic no. To start with, running your gas mower for even an hour creates as much pollution as driving your car 100 miles. Thats right, you could go on a day trip to a city almost two hours away and create less pollution than your gas mower does.
Electric lawn mowers arent completely emission-free, themselves. First and most obvious, theres the manufacturing process. Building an electric lawn mower will add to pollution, just like all factories. Once you bring it home and plug it in, youre using electricity to power it, which also creates some emissions.
The difference between an electric mower and an electric car, though, is the charge time. An electric car will take about 8 hours and 7,000 watts on average to reach a full charge. On the other hand, an electric mower will take about 100 minutes, and around 600 1,200 watts.
Lower Cost Of Ownership
Most electric mowers are comparably priced to gas mowers that most homeowners may already use or have used in the past. The cost of electricity is cheap in comparison to the increasing cost of gas. Reports say that the yearly cost of recharging batteries for your mower to be $5 a year Who wouldnt like those savings over the long run?
Batteries will eventually need to be replaced, and if not used, stored, and recharged correctly there performance can decline. Also, some manufacturers often change battery designs and types. That is why I suggest going with a company like EGO or RYOBI that use a standard battery in many different types of electric outdoor equipment.
Best Electric Mower For Small Yards
Pros: Lightweight, 10.6-gallon collection bag, low price
Cons: Too small for larger yards, only three height settings
The Sun Joe MJ401E-PRO electric lawn mower may not have the portability or width to be a practical option for larger yards, but its compact design and easy-to-use operation make it ideal for small or medium-sized ones. The relatively narrow width also makes it convenient to maneuver around tight landscaping elements like rocks or other obstacles that require more precision than a larger mower offers.
One reason I chose the Sun Joe for this list is that I appreciate anything that improves operation safety, especially involving lawn mowers. This model requires you to press the safety lock button and simultaneously pull the on trigger to power it up. It reduces the chance of you starting the mower unintentionally.
Because of the 14-inch cutting width, this compact mower is also well-suited for those who have limited storage space. Its also incredibly lightweight. At just 29 pounds, its comfortable to use and makes its lack of self-propelling mechanism less of an issue.
Ive used Sun Joe products in the past and have found them to be straightforward to operate. The user manual provides a clear diagram of how to effectively mow with a corded model and prevent running over your extension cord.
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How Long Will A Cordless Mowers Battery Last
For the most part, the life of your electric mower will depend on the life of its battery, and how long the battery will last will depend on several factors, such as:
- what type of battery it is,
- how the battery is cared for and maintained,
- how often you charge the battery,
- your charging habits,
- your lawn size and terrain,
- and how often you run your mower.
However, the average lifespan of a cordless mowers battery is around 3 to 5 years.
Do Electric Mowers Work As Well As Gas
The answer is that they do. Electric mowers have many advantages over gas mowers. They are quieter, which can be nice if you have a sensitive ear or live near others who might not appreciate the sound of a gas mower. They are also emissions free, which is great for the environment. Finally, electric mowers are cheaper to operate in the long run because you dont have to buy gasoline.
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Lawn Mowing Is An Endurance Race Not A Drag Race
Theres an old saying that horsepower sells cars, but torque wins races. Well, that can be true for automobiles if were talking about runs down the drag strip, and getting a nice hole shot off the line thanks to a mountain of torque . Watch most any Tesla Model S P85D or higher at the drag strip destroying tons of exotic cars, and youll see what I mean. Maybe thats what the lawn mower manufacturers want you to think, and are preying upon consumer ignorance here by advertising gross torque and not even net torque, and are constantly trying to hide the actual horsepower output! Torque alone tells you nothing.
But were not talking about drag racing here. Were talking about steady state mowing with very small engines or motors running at their maximum operating speeds. Horsepower is whats going to win this race and get your lawn mowed, without having to slow to a crawl to avoid your engine stalling. What happens to electric cars at higher speeds or from 50 km/h rolls? They make a ton of torque up to a given speed, but after that they just fall off like a rock and get walked all over by cars that dont necessarily have more horsepower, but that maintain higher levels of horsepower to higher speeds, and thus can do more work at higher speeds. Horsepower is what you need for mowing your lawn, not gas-like power or torque of gas. Thats total BS!
/rant1
Electric Lawn Mower Drive Type
Electric lawn mowers have come a long way since the days of the reel-type push mower. Instead of push drive mower, now most of the mower comes with self drive system and offer cut your lawn with out breaking sweat.
Self-Propelled Drive Mower
Self-propelled lawn mower, also known as self-propelled mowers, is a type of lawn mower which has a drive train that allows the machine to move forward and backwards without any human involvement.
Push Drive Mower
Push mower are the old school type of lawn mowers who required physical efforts to mow the lawn. The machine was propelled by pushing it and it is still used today in some countries.
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Best Push: Dewalt Dcmwp233u2 215 In 20
Home Depot
If you dont mind manually pushing a mower around your yard, the DEWALT 21.5-Inch Battery Push Mower is a heavy-duty option that delivers big in terms of performance. This push mower has a durable 21.5-inch steel deck and a high-output brushless motor, and it can run for up to 60 minutes per charge with its two 20-volt batteries. It even offers auto-sensing technology that increases torque in overgrown grass for a cleaner cut.
This mower can be used to mulch, bag, or side-discharge grass clippings, and there are six different cutting heights, ranging from 1.5 to 4 inches. It features a push-button start thats easy for anyone to operate, but keep in mind that the mower weighs more than 70 pounds, so it can be a bit heavy to push, especially on hills.
Price at time of publish: $549
Cutting Width: 21.5 inches | Weight: 72 pounds | Power Source: Battery | Cutting Options: Bag, mulch, side-discharge | Size of Yard: 0.25 to 0.5 acres
A Summary Of Electric Lawn Mower Horsepower Guesstimates
In summary, heres my best guesstimate of actual electric lawn mower horsepower based on some back of the envelope calculations from my 40V electric mower, and comparisons with actual ownership and use of 4 hp and 5 hp gas mowers, watching a few YouTube videos and reading reviews of the 56V EGO mower, and some feedback from someone I know who has an 80V mower.
Less than 40V: dont even freaking bother. Youre talking sub 1 horsepower here. Maybe there are some lawns out there where this might be enough, but certainly not mine!
40V class: about 1.0 to 1.5 horsepower being as optimistic as possible. Enough if you have nice even grass and few weeds, but consider this the bare minimum, and totally inadequate if you have thicker stuff and/or weeds to get through. Youll regret it like I did. Theres a reason why none of these lower voltage electric mowers are recommended by Consumer Reports magazine.
56/60V class: maybe about 2.0 to 2.5 horsepower also being very optimistic, but finally kinda like a real gas mower. Although I havent used one, they seem to be reasonably powerful and enough to cut through taller grass and some weeds, but YMMV, and the video I saw of one choking on some taller grass wasnt really confidence inspiring for a $499 investment. Given one bad experience with an electric mower, if this one crapped out on me too Id have instant buyers remorse and kick myself for not just getting a gas!
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Best Greenworks Electric Battery
If you like the design of Greenworks 60V 25-inch mower, but dont have a ton of lawn to maintain or want a smaller storage footprint, check out the 21-inch version. Its effectively the same foundation and uses a single blade.
Price: $599.99 with two 4.0Ah batteries and a dual-port rapid charger
Do Electric Lawn Mowers Work Find Out If You Should Make The Switch
Disclaimer: Penny Calling Penny is an affiliate website. This means that we get a small commission when you click some of the links in this article. Dont worry well never recommend anything we wouldnt use ourselves.
For most of us, though, lawn care is a frustrating but necessary chore. When you start living a more eco-conscious life, you realize just how bad for the environment this chore is. It can start you wondering, Would an electric lawn mower be worth it? Do electric lawn mowers work?
If youre tired of hauling around and maintaining a gas-guzzling giant of a lawnmower, electric is a tempting option. But should you make the switch? Is an electric lawn mower better than gas?
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Electric Lawn Mowers Are Eco
Electric riding lawn mower is more environmentally-friendly, since it doesnt produce harmful substances such as carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons.
You dont have to worry about fossil fuel fumes either. Fossil fuel causes a bad effect on your health but luckily electric garden tractor and mower wont produce it.
Best Riding: Ryobi Ry48111 100 Ah 38 Electric Riding Mower
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Great performance, even in thick grass
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Quiet operation
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No mulching capabilities
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Uncomfortable seat
You can mow your lawn faster and easier with the RYOBI 38-inch Electric Riding Lawn Mower. This ride-on model has a 38-inch deck and can run for up to two hours per charge, and is able to handle even the thickest patches of grass without any issues. It can be used to side-discharge or bag grass clippings, but the bagging attachment is sold separately.
This riding mower is extremely quiet during operationits virtually silent when the blades arent engagedand it can travel at speeds up to 8 miles per hour. There are 12 cutting heights for its dual-blade deck, and it has handy features like LED lights, cruise control, and a USB charging port. The mower charges via a standard 120-volt outlet, but the seat could be somewhat uncomfortable to sit in for longer mowing sessions.
Price at time of publish: $3,899
Cutting Width: 38 inches | Weight: 678 pounds | Power Source: Battery | Cutting Options: Bag, side-discharge | Size of Yard: 1 to 2 acres
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Keep All Vents Debris
Electric mowers have vents that must be kept clear of debris for the mower to stay cool while in use. If the vents on your electric lawn mower become clogged, it could cause the mower to overheat andpotentially damage the motor.
To clean the vents on your electric lawn mower, simply use a brush or vacuum to remove any debris that has accumulated.
Flaws But Not Dealbreakers
Although the two-handed self-propulsion control is a more convenient setup than the one-handed paddle design seen on competitors, it does make accidentally engaging the self-propulsion a little too easy. Usually this isnt an issue, but often the moments when youre grasping to get a better grip on the handle are the times you least want to engage the self-propulsion. For example, if you are mowing across a hill, theres a brief moment during a turnaround when the mower is pointing up or down the hill. When adjusting your grip to make those turns, you may inadvertently tap the throttle, destabilizing your stance or your grip on the mower. If anyone from Egos reading this, theyll probably say were mowing on too steep a hill, but hey, sometimes life throws a steep hill at you.
We think that the hour or so of run time is going to be enough for anyone keeping to about a half-acre, but if thats not enough, additional batteries are available to extend run time infinitely. But batteries are costly. Depending on the Ah, they currently range in price from about $140 to about $250 , and up to about $450 for a 7.5 Ah battery. They all fit, and with a second one on the charger while one is on the mower, you can really minimize or eliminate downtime.
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Residential Pick: Ryobi 40v Hp Brushless Crosscut 21
Ryobi crushed it with the development of the 40V HP Brushless CrossCut self-propelled lawn mower, making huge strides over its previous generation of mowers. Matching up very well against EGOs Select Cut XP, its a stacked blade design that offers excellent power and cut quality. Where it has a clear advantage over its competitors is on the side discharge. This mower distributes clippings far better than other battery-powered lawn mowers weve tested. Plus, Ryobi builds this mower in the US using global materials and the kit is $200 less than the Select Cut XPs.
Price: $599.00 with two 6.0Ah batteries and a rapid charger
An Electric Mower Is Healthier
I wont fail to mention the health of the person running the mower. According to the EPA, particle pollution and volatile organic compounds, which are released from the combustion of gasoline in the mowers, can be lodged into the operators lungs causing respiratory problems, cardiac arrhythmia , and heart attacks. An electric lawn mower does not produce emissions.
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Why Choose An Electric Lawn Mower
When most folks are asked that question, their reply usually is, less noise and they dont have to buy gas. Also, there is very little to no maintenance on the equipment. Generally, the most you have to do is sharpen mower blades and charge batteries Electric lawnmowers are lighter than gas lawnmowers so they are easier to push. Battery powered mowers also dont cost much to maintain since electric rates are generally cheap.
How Electric Motors Work
Standing in the power tool aisle of your local, prepare to be inundated with signage and branding calling out various aspects of the electric motors performance like 13 amps of power! or 70 minutes of runtime! These are helpful metrics but can be misleading and finding the right ratio of volts, watts and amps in that electric mower is paramount to getting the most out of your lawn care investment.
For those of us that slept through that day of high-school science class, a quick analogy of how electricity works: its like plumbing. The given rate of water flowing through a pipe Wattage, the electrical equivalent of gallons per minute is determined by the ratio between the water pressure and the diameter of the pipe that its flowing through . If you want to increase the wattage you either have to increase the water pressure or widen the pipe .
A good measuring tool for batteries is watt-hours , said Guy Dekowski, Outdoor Senior Product Manager at Dewalt. Battery watt-hours are battery voltage multiplied by amp hours. This is a good signal of how long the mower can potentially run.
Hills and the thickness of their grass, are two yard feature factors users should consider, Dekowski continued. If a user has an incline, a self-propelled mower may suit them best. The thickness of the grass also plays a factor in the runtime of their mower. In thicker grass, the mower will pull more power driving the need for a mower capable of longer runtime.
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The Best Electric Lawn Mower In 2022 Tried And Tested
Easy to use with little to no assembly right out of the box, the latest cordless electric lawn mowers run on rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, are far quieter than gas-powered models and, with no risk of fuel leaking or going bad, can be stored away vertically, saving precious garage or shed space and requiring no off-season maintenance. Most importantly, the best cordless electric lawn mowers perform just as well as their gas counterparts, so with many municipalities limiting the use of gas outdoor equipment, its time to make the switch.
To find out which electric mowers performed the best, we put six models to work, cutting, bagging and mulching grass and noting everything from interface to special features to run time. So whether youre keeping up with HOA rules, trying to be more green or just sick of choking down exhaust fumes in the summer heat and dealing with clogged carburetors in the winter, weve found the best electric lawn mower for you.
