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My New Rechargeable Lawn Mower

Hi everyone – I really wanted to get this week off to a good start on the blog. I have so much to write about (as mentioned in my last post), but unfortunately not enough time to write about it.

I figured I could start off with a nice easy post about my new lawn mower, and go from there!
8)

When we first moved into our current house (our first home, I might add) three years ago, we had to buy a new lawn mower for the sizable lawn that came with the property. We certainly don’t live on a palatial estate by any means (it’s only a semi-detached, in fact) but it is a corner lot with decent sized backyard.

I wasn’t nearly as much of an enviro-person at the time as I am now, so it seemed only natural to me to buy a powerful, gas-guzzling push mower, with what I thought was a reliable Briggs and Stratton engine. For the first couple seasons it seemed to work just fine, but unbelievably by the next year it was already giving us trouble. Luckily I managed to get it in for some repairs just before the warranty expired last year.

Long story short – despite the warranty work, it ended up completely dying on me this spring. At the WORST possible time – just before going away for a two week trip! Luckily I was able to borrow my dad’s mower for a quick cut before leaving.

As frustrating as it has been to own a ‘lemon’ of a gas lawn mower, it seems all the trouble was a blessing in disguise. With the crummy gas guzzler out of the picture for good, I no longer had an excuse for postponing my purchase of a rechargeable mower – something I had planned to do at some point.

The mower we decided to buy is the Black & Decker CMM1200 24 V rechargeable. I had read a number great reviews, and have been quite happy with other B&D rechargeable products. I actually already owned a B&D rechargeable weed whipper, and while it’s certainly not as powerful as my gas powered one, I really love the fact that I don’t have to mess around with mixing gas with 2-stroke oil etc etc.

Despite all the great reviews, I must admit to feeling somewhat nervous when I first tested the mower out. I was very worried that it wouldn’t hold its charge for my entire lawn (which, as mentioned, is quite large). It generally had taken me an hour or more to do it with the other mower. The B&D claims to be able to run for at least an hour on a single charge – but you know how these claims can end up being a bit of an exaggeration once you actually start using it.

Well, I am happy to report that the mower performed BEAUTIFULLY! A single charge definitely gets me more than a full tank of gas would have with the other mower. I was able to mow my entire lawn, go back and touch up spots, then even mow part of the backyard at a lower setting before it started to die on me! I was blown away!

I am certainly not going to claim that rechargeable mowers are incredibly environmentally friendly – after all, my power has to come from somewhere in the first place, and there is the manufacture and disposal of the batteries to consider. Nevertheless, I do feel it is an improvement upon gas-powered mowers. Even just for the simple facts that it is much easier on my ears, and won’t require me to go buy gas (or store it for that matter) makes it well worth it in my mind! I now actually look forward to mowing the lawn – certainly an improvement over the cursed-filled lawn mowing sessions of my recent past.
😆

Bottomline, if you are in the market for a new mower, I highly recommend you consider one of the growing list of rechargeable mowers now on the market! I think you’ll be glad you did!

[tags]rechargeable, lawn mower, eco-friendly, lawn care, black and decker, black & decker, cordless mower[/tags]

Written by Compost Guy on June 16th, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Lawn Care.

6 comments

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Get your own gravatar by visiting gravatar.com Red Icculus
#1. June 20th, 2008, at 1:04 AM.

Gas mowers consume only small amounts of gas. They also require periodic maintenance. I am blessed to have a benevolent small engine guy in our town who keeps my mower purring like a kitten.

Gas or electricity- either one pumps pollution into the air, either before or after running.

Get your own gravatar by visiting gravatar.com Mark
#2. August 22nd, 2008, at 6:39 AM.

Rechargeable mowers make a lot of sense. Even if your electricity comes from a combustion plant, it is more efficient than the primitive technology in a typical mower engine. Most are still stuck at the old Ford flathead stage of the 1950s. And if you live near the Tennessee Valley or other hydropower sources, likely your juice has no emissions whatsoever. If your power provider gives the option, you can specify your power come from a renewable source. I can hardly wait for a decent rechargeable hybrid car and motorcycle.

Get your own gravatar by visiting gravatar.com Steve
#3. May 2nd, 2009, at 7:48 PM.

Just curious 1 year later how you like the mower? Like yours, my old gas mower just died as I was about to mow the lawn for the first time. Hate getting gas/oil, etc. so was thinking rechargeable. Only have a 40×110 lawn. Do you charge the mower after every mowing and just leave it on the charger for a week or two?

Get your own gravatar by visiting gravatar.com William Fitzpatrick
#4. May 13th, 2009, at 7:58 PM.

Just got one. What a sweet machine. The wheels even have hubcaps. Can’t wait to cut the grass again.

Get your own gravatar by visiting gravatar.com Mark
#5. May 18th, 2009, at 2:59 AM.

You may find the battery is happier if you recharge it right after use. Most do not like to sit in a discharged state for a length of time, as well as being more subject to freeze damage when less than charged. A couple charge-discharge cycles will tell you if there has been any permanent damage. Also, even deep-cycle batteries prefer a less than full discharge before charging. They’re just more resistant to damage, not damage-proof. Winter your batteries over fully charged!

Get your own gravatar by visiting gravatar.com Mark D
#6. April 28th, 2011, at 11:11 PM.

I think that cordless lawn mowers are definitely the way to go. Definitely less hassle than gas powered mowers and a considerable reduction in emissions. Although I take your point that you can’t eliminate emissions completely.