Why Are Battery Powered Lawn Mowers So Popular?

So it is time to upgrade that lawn mower of yours, huh? You’ve been shopping around and you have started to hear a lot about these new battery-powered lawn mowers. These newer, leaner mowers are all the rage but why? Whether or not you plan to buy one, you should at least know why other people love them so much.  

Lots to Love About Battery Mowers

Gas powered lawn mowers have dominated the market for decades now. Until recently, gas powered mowers were basically your only choice for mowing your lawn unless you wanted to use a push reel mower or an electric lawn mower with extension cord in tow. So what does a battery-powered mower bring to the table the others don’t? Well, check this out.

• Unlike corded electric mowers, battery-powered mowers are not limited to the length of an extension cord. As long as your battery is charged you can mow anywhere you want – with no fear of mowing over your own power cord.  
• Gas-powered mowers have always been loud. I think it is safe to say almost all of us have heard a friend or family member say something along the lines of “my neighbor decided to start mowing at five in the morning on a Saturday and disturbed my sleep!”. That is probably the nicer way of putting it but nonetheless true. Battery-powered mowers are much quieter. The noise level is similar to that of a dishwasher. They are not completely silent but certainly quiet enough to get away with mowing early in the morning. Your neighbors, and your own ears, will thank you for it.
• No more “heart attack” pulling a ripcord 200 times to start the mower. Ok, that may be an exaggeration but you’ve probably been there. You pull and pull and that mower will just not start. With battery power that is no longer an issue. You simply turn it on.
• Engine maintenance is a thing of the past. With those gas-powered mowers you had to buy gas, store gas in your garage, change the oil, change the air filter, and change the spark plug – all on a regular basis. With a battery powered mower you need to charge the battery – that’s it. This makes owning and using a mower much less of a hassle.
• Environmentally friendly. This point is up for debate. After all, the power in a battery still has to come from somewhere (power plant). But still, these mowers certainly have the image of being friendlier to the Earth. This is probably the single biggest reason why battery mowers are so popular lately.
• Just like with power hand tools, manufacturers are now starting to offer a suite of products including a lawn mower, weed trimmer, hedge trimmer, chainsaw, and more –  all using the same battery. This battery sharing capability is a big draw for lots of people.

Drawbacks of Battery Powered Mowers

Of course no technology is perfect. With everything great there are always a few drawbacks. Luckily with the battery-powered mowers, there are not many.

• If your battery dies your mower simply will not work. You’ll have to wait for it to recharge. You can help the situation by having two batteries so that one can be charging as you use the other one. With gas-powered you just refill the gas and electric corded models live off of constant power.
• Electric mowers are not as powerful as gas-powered ones. Thicker lawns may present more challenges. But as batteries get stronger, even this drawback is slowly disappearing. Now some manufacturers are offering 40V mowers with lots of power.
• Battery powered mowers are more expensive. Whether because of their popularity or newer technology or whatever, you’ll likely pay about twice for a battery mower what you would pay for a similar sized gas mower. And if you’re willing to pay so much more for a battery powered mower, you might want to consider getting a robot lawn mower for just a little more.

Bottom Line

If you love the “one battery to power them all” aspect then a battery-powered mower could be for you. Just carefully consider your yard, your goals, and the situation you’re in to make an educated buying decision. If you are going to fork out the money make sure it is money well spent. With battery-powered mowers being so new to the market it may drive the cautious to stick with the old tried and true lawn mowers. However, taking a chance and going with the popular kids is no big deal either. No matter the direction you decide to go, keep this guide in mind and happy mowing!