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Q. I like electric lawn mowers for being enviro-friendly, but what about the cords?

From David Beaulieu,
Your Guide to Landscaping.
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There's a feeling of freedom that comes with using cordless electric lawn mowers....
A. Dragging around the cords of corded electric lawn mowers is a nuisance. It’s also potentially hazardous, with the potential of accidentally running over the cord with the mower. Fortunately, electric lawn mowers are no longer synonymous with cumbersome cords. The new cordless electric lawn mowers are safer and more flexible. An added benefit is that they start with a switch, not a pull-cord, facilitating startup. Cordless electric lawn mowers run on rechargeable batteries. Not as quiet as reel lawn mowers, cordless electric lawn mowers are still less noisy than gas-powered mowers.

Cordless mowers work best if your lawn is 1/3 of an acre or less, and if you keep your lawn mowed regularly. They’re not effective for larger lawns or for tall grass, since either condition puts a lot of strain on the battery. And pushing them up hills can put a lot of strain on the operator, so make sure you purchase a self-propelled model. Cutting moist grass also strains battery-powered mowers, although, technically, you shouldn’t be mowing at all if your lawn isn’t dry.

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