Electric vehicles now seem to be everywhere, but you might not realize there’s a quiet electric revolution going on in lawn care as well. Quiet is the optimal word: The roar of gas-powered engines is yielding to the purr of electric motors. Let’s look at the current quality of electric lawn care tools and how you can transition.
Why transition to electric lawn care?
Once you try electric lawn equipment, the attraction becomes obvious. The differences between electric and gas-powered tools are:
- The gentle hum of electric machines is much less jarring than the roar of gas-powered ones. An electric lawn mower, for example, is 30 decibels quieter than a gas-powered one.
- Gas-powered machines spew hot, dangerous exhaust. Electric models don’t produce exhaust.
- With electric lawn care, you’ll no longer have to store gasoline and oil in your garage or shed. You’ll save money, too.
- Electric lawn care tools have fewer parts you’ll have to maintain.
- You spare the environment the carbon emissions of gas-powered machines.
- More cities and states are enacting phaseouts of gas-powered machines within their jurisdictions.
Can electric lawn equipment match the power and efficiency of gas-powered tools?
In the past, there have been two knocks on electric lawn care equipment.
One fair criticism of electric machines has been their inferior cutting power compared to gas-powered ones. But advancements in design have electric catching up fast. The improvement is more noticeable in hand-carried devices such as trimmers, edgers and leaf blowers, where power and efficiency match or exceed gas-powered equipment. Traditional lawnmowers continue to hold an edge over electric models, but even this margin has closed considerably.
The second knock on electric equipment has been the necessity of being tethered to an electric cord. But this obstacle has been virtually eliminated thanks to advancements in battery technology. Keep your machines charged and work free from binding electrical cords.
What about the price?
How much green will it cost you to go green in lawn care?
The price of electric lawn mowers varies depending on cutting width, self-propelled features and other factors, but the prices can be very competitive with gas-powered mowers. Electric trimmers stand toe to toe with gas-powered in both cutting efficiency and price and have a clear advantage in less noise and pollution. You’ll find that prices for leaf blowers and hedge clippers are also closely matched.
How to get started
The smaller, hand-carried devices are a good entry point if you want to electrify your landscape maintenance. Start with a battery-powered electric trimmer. Add a leaf blower or hedge clipper. Graduate to a mower later after technological advancements bring electric mowers up to par with gas-powered ones.
Related – Cutting Edge Advice on Buying a Lawnmower
