Electric mowers keep you and your lawn green

Leave the cords behind and see how far along a gas alternative has come

by Jason Boyer | KWGN News

April 23, 2008

DENVER - With the arrival of Spring and warmer weather comes the revival of your lawn. Lawn mowers are already cranking up across Colorado. But that's not a good thing when it comes to the air we breathe.

Trevor Noel with The Regional Air Quality Council said, "Quart for quart gasoline-powered lawn mowers produce about 93 percent more of the smog-forming pollutants that many cars do."

The reason? Two-cycle lawn mower engines burn a combination of oil and gas which is less efficient and more polluting. So now's a good time to start thinking electric rather than gas.

"You just take the battery out like this, charge it overnight, set it back in and close it and it's ready to go," said Noel.

Electric lawn mower technology has come a long way. The days of dragging cords around are long gone. They cut just as well as any gas-powered mower, plus there's very little maintenance.

"The only thing you need to do is charge the battery overnight, it's good for about an hour of mowing the lawn. The blades underneath need sharpening every once in a while, but no more than you'd need on a regular mower."

It's also a lot quieter than gas-powered lawn mowers. And rebates being offered by the Regional Air Quality Council are making it easier to own one.

"This specific lawn mower retails for just over $400. But through these rebates it's available to all residents of Colorado for $239 mailed to your door."

Plus any unwanted older gas mowers will be shredded by a local company and recycled into new steel.

"I think it just boils down to awareness. People don't know how easy they are to use and maintain, and I think people are just used to tradition."

Find information on electric mowers here.