Gizmo Guy: Electric lawn mower may be what you need
While hybrid and fully electric cars have become a harder sell in today's cheap gas environment, there's no denying the enormous appeal of a battery-powered lawn mower.
While hybrid and fully electric cars have become a harder sell in today's cheap gas environment, there's no denying the enormous appeal of a battery-powered lawn mower.
Operation is stupid proof, takes no liquids, and rarely requires servicing. Just charge up the high-capacity, 40-volt lithium ion battery pack for two hours and slide it into the dedicated mower slot (goes in only one way). Simultaneously press and pull the start button and power-up bar. Now you're good to mow a quarter-acre before needing a battery swap-out.
Electric mowers are relatively lightweight (42 to 45 pounds) and pretty easy to push around. Boasting fold-down handles, the mowers are transport friendly, and even can be flipped sideways without fear of a gas or oil spill. Off season, you can store the thing in the basement.
Battery-powered mowers are comparatively quiet. Without an enervating gas engine roar, mowing feels less fatiguing. You can even hear yourself think.
Of course, electric mowers are non-polluting and odor free. Gotta admit, though, that this product tester did feel some nostalgic longings for the gas-fumed memories of my mowing childhood, a weekend chore shared with my dad.
Kissing cousins. On first looks, the Kobalt KM2040X and SunJoe Ion iON16LM that we steered around a suburban lawn seem like close relations, from the identical "dead man's brake"-style run system - you must squeeze it to keep it going - to the shifter that raises the height setting of the blade (one to three inches) to the mesh grass-catching bag on the back.
But look closer. The SunJoe ($281.86 at Home Depot) cuts a 16-inch-wide path on a single 40-volt battery. The Kobalt ($349 at Lowe's) has a 20-inch "deck" and packs two batteries: a 40-volt and a 20-volt. The mower smartly switches between them, to deliver an extra 50 percent of running time. SunJoe's 9-gallon bag appears about 30 percent smaller than the Kobalt's. And while both also fling the clippings to the side, only the Kobalt offers a mulching option, which chews the grass into small particles, then deposits them on the lawn as nitrogen-rich fertilizer.
Underneath, there's one big blade on the SJ, two smaller blades on the Kobalt. And while the SunJoe spins said blade at one speed, the Kobalt automatically varies the spinning rate, depending on the resistance of the grass.
On the ergonomic front, SunJoe rises above. Its push handle can be positioned a little higher. Two body-topping grips make it easier to lift. Anyone with children will appreciate SJ's special plastic key, which must be inserted in a battery compartment slot to get the engine started.
If distinctive Euro design spins your blades, check out the Stihl RMA 410C, a German export so new to these shores that the U.S. marketing division had only one to show me. Most unusual is the Stihl's use of an offset handle shaft that runs parallel to the operator's right leg, a design last spotted on European tour buses. Eliminating the left side handle shaft makes the mower easier to maneuver around bushes. The offset design also eases the removal of the large 14-gallon plastic grass catcher and helps the handle fold snugly for transport and storage.
Like the SunJoe, the Stihl mows a path that's 16 inches wide and has a removable locking key that prevents accidental starting. Like the Kobalt, there's a mulching option. But, oh, does the bill add up fast for accessories, just as on a German luxury car.
Sold only from independent dealers (such as RJ Power Equipment in Havertown), the Stihl RMA 410C mower fetches $379.95. If you want (hah) a battery and charger, it's $159.95. The mulching kit costs $39.95.
Good news with all three brands of electric mowers: Their batteries are also usable with a variety of other gardening and construction tools from the same maker. We're talking lawn edgers and leaf blowers, drills and saws. Each of which usually comes with a matching battery, as well.
Speaking of which. Hold out to next summer, and chances are good that you'll be able to score an electric mower that uses brand new smart battery technology. Now debuting in 20V battery form as "Tool Connect" from DeWalt and as "Smartech" from Black and Decker, the concept sports a brainy lithium ion battery that wirelessly connects by Bluetooth to a dedicated control app on your smartphone.
The app can enable or disable the battery, adding an extra level of security and safety to a potentially dangerous tool. A "lend battery" mode sets a time limit for how long the pack can be used (after which, it simply goes dead). You also can create a "virtual fence" outside of which the battery won't work, or dig it out with a "last seen location finder."
DeWalt also is launching FlexVolt batteries, smart in a different way. These batteries have the flexibility to switch voltage, depending on the tool application, from 20 volts to 60 volts. Plus, two FlexVolts can be paired to put out 120 volts, enough to run a large table saw all day long.
215-854-5960@JTakiff