Battery-Powered Lawnmower Buyer's Guide

Decades ago we developed the Popular Mechanics Axiom: A product's imperfections don't usually invalidate it. Unless a tool or machine is so badly designed and built that it's completely dangerous or cantankerous, it has something to offer. That sounds lenient, but it's a fact of mechanical life that there are no perfect products; any tool will have features that annoy some users but please others. A product may have a large number of annoying features early in its development cycle. (Think of where cordless drills were 20 years ago and where they are today.)

And there's no free lunch with tool features. Manufacturers add substance to materials and design as they can afford to, relative to the product's price. It's up to you whether you find value in what the manufacturer has added.

If these principles apply to any tool or machine we've tested in the last 25 years, it is the battery-powered lawnmower. These tools are small, light, quiet, and start with the push of a button. They're also a perfect example of products at the beginning of the development cycle. Today's electric mowers are marked by inconsistent power output and cut quality, and the occasional frustrating design flaw, as we found in our recent test of seven such mowers.

Is one right for you? Check out the pros and cons:

Gas-Engine Mowers

Pros

? Consistent power output.
? Little sensation of mowing resistance since blade energy slices grass so effectively.
? Sufficient power for bagging, mulching, side discharge across wide spectrum of mowing conditions (i.e., leaves, tall grass, weeds, moisture).
? With careful use, capable of rough mowing (i.e., tall grass, weeds, rough ground).
? Cut quality, bagging, and mulching are consistent because power is consistent.
? Engine produces enough power for high-speed drive system.

Cons

? Produces exhaust.
? Loud.
? Blade energy launches debris.
? Hot surfaces.
? Requires fuel storage.
? Requires tuneup, oil change.

Battery-Powered Mowers

Pros

? No exhaust.
? Quiet.
? Comparatively less blade energy, making it less likely to launch debris.
? No hot surfaces.
? No fuel storage.
? No tuneup or oil change.

Cons

? Power output is not consistent; depends on battery charge.
? Operator senses mowing resistance, which increases as charge decreases.
? Enough power only for narrow spectrum of mowing conditions.
? Unsuited to rough mowing conditions; optimal performance realized on reasonably smooth ground (best suited to small manicured lawns).
? Cut quality, bagging, and mulching decline as battery loses charge.
? Battery stores enough energy for comparatively slow drive system.

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/reviews/outdoor-tools/battery-powered-lawnmower-buyers-guide-15437054?src=rss

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