Lawn Mowers: Cordless and Electric

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The Black & Decker CMM1000 (above left) and the Neuton mower (above right) both perfom well on small to medium-sized lawns in normal grass conditions.
The Black & Decker CMM1000 (above left) and the Neuton mower (above right) both perfom well on small to medium-sized lawns in normal grass conditions.
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Sunlawn's Brill Accumower uses are reel-type cutting blade. It can be used with or without battery power.
Sunlawn's Brill Accumower uses are reel-type cutting blade. It can be used with or without battery power.
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Free Power Systems owner Tom Lopez attached photovoltaic (PV) panels to his Black & Decker electric mower and gets an additional 15 to 20 minutes of use per charge.
Free Power Systems owner Tom Lopez attached photovoltaic (PV) panels to his Black & Decker electric mower and gets an additional 15 to 20 minutes of use per charge.

Now that spring is here, it’s time to drag out the lawn mower for another season. If you’re tired of that noisy and smelly gas-powered mower, then maybe it’s time you discovered cordless, electric, battery-powered  lawn mowers. Clean, quiet and easy to start, they require no gas, oil changes or spark plugs. The battery takes the extension cord out of the lawn mower equation, and starting is gentler on your back than yanking a starter cord.

Cordless, battery-powered lawn mowers vary in sizes and performance. We tested three cordless electric lawn mower brands, each in a different size: Sunlawn’s Brill Accumower ASM380 reel mower, the Neuton mower and Black & Decker’s CMM1000. We were pleased with all three lawn mowers when used on small to medium-sized lawns in normal grass conditions. All three scored high marks for their quietness, nonpolluting operation and easy maintenance.

No Noise Lawn Mowers

Cordless, electric lawn mowers are much easier on your ears compared to their gas counterparts. The average electric mower makes no more noise than a washing machine (about 75 decibels), while a gas-powered lawn mower can make as much noise as a motorcycle (about 95 decibels).

Noise pollution is a real problem with gas mowers, as any late sleeper on a Saturday morning knows. But they can be more than a nuisance for those who use them. Loud noise can contribute to hearing loss when it exceeds 85 decibels, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). A gas-powered mower producing 95 decibels should be used no more than an hour a day, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Switching to an electric mower will ease the stress on your ears and your neighbors.

  • Published on Apr 1, 2005
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