Cordless Electric Mowers: Mowing Down Pollution

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Tools for removing the blade of the Neuton 6.2 are stored right in the machine.
Tools for removing the blade of the Neuton 6.2 are stored right in the machine.
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Most cordless electric mowers can mulch clippings and leaves — or collect them in a bag.
Most cordless electric mowers can mulch clippings and leaves — or collect them in a bag.
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The Black & Decker CMM1200
The Black & Decker CMM1200
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The Neuton 6.2
The Neuton 6.2
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Mowing with a cordless electric mower means no fumes and minimal noise.
Mowing with a cordless electric mower means no fumes and minimal noise.
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Moving one knob adjusts mowing height of the Neuton 6.2.
Moving one knob adjusts mowing height of the Neuton 6.2.

As fossil fuels become more scarce (and expensive!), it’s a wise idea to consider more seriously how we use these resources. Americans use more than 800 million gallons of gasoline every year to mow lawns. That may be just a fraction of the 142 billion gallons used annually for all gasoline engines in the United States, but it’s a big source of pollution. Operating a lawn mower for one hour produces as much pollution as driving a car 93 miles.

Enough is enough! A couple years ago, I decided I could no longer ignore the pernicious environmental effects I was causing by mowing my lawn with a gasoline-powered machine. So I decided to switch to cordless electric mowers, and MOTHER EARTH NEWS asked me to try out a range of them.

Electric mowers can be recharged using electricity generated by renewable energy, such as solar or wind. But even if you use electricity generated from burning fossil fuels, it creates less pollution than would come from using a gas mower.

The Test Lawn

My lawn is not a refined and perfect middle-of-the-suburbs lawn. It’s pretty much what grew up of its own accord when the grading was finished around the house, supplemented here and there with some grass seed where nothing seemed to volunteer for ground-cover detail. If left to its own preferences, my lawn would probably be a hayfield. But it actually looks nice, if I keep it mowed. And it is a good test plot for lawn mowers. If a mower can make my lawn look good, it can handle any normal lawn with ease.

  • Published on Feb 17, 2009
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