Electric lawnmower convert

May 10, 2010 · Posted by in G.I.Y. 

Hey! It’s a guest post from Camera editorial page editor Erika Stutzman.

Erika

This weekend, we took advantage of a program that swaps carbon-meanie gasoline-powered lawnmowers for small, efficient electric ones.

We have a small yard; we leave the grass clippings mulch to keep them out of landfills. We have an organic garden that feeds us. We are persnickety about our water usage here in the dry American West, using as little as possible and only in the cool of early morning or late evenings.

But yes, our mower was powered by gasoline. Even last summer, when gasoline cost about $100 a gallon. Because in addition to trying to be green, we are also thrifty. The mower was from the 1970s and was a hand-me-down from our children’s grandpa; it was too small to be very useful (except for small yards, like ours) and it took some serious muscle power, as it was both old, and a push mower.

This weekend, the Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) had its annual Mow Down Pollution one-day event. It’s like a “cash for clunkers” for your lawn care. They sell enviro-friendly mowers, and offer a steep and heavy discount to those who trade in a gas-powered machine. 

The new mower

Is it a big deal? According to www.ozoneaware.org, lawn equipment contributes to nearly 10 percent of the Denver region’s ozone pre-cursor emissions.

 

We picked up a battery-powered CE5 by Neuton. The model retails for about $400, but thanks to the promotion and our trade-in (sorry, dad!) it cost us just $150.

We tested it out. It’s light and easy to maneuver, and the charge on the battery far exceeded our needs (you recharge the battery with a power cord.) The blades of grass were quite even, though we could see it doesn’t leave the tell-tale mow “lines” that some suburbanites can obsess over.

The only problem is that it’s so adorable, small and lime-green, that I didn’t want to get it dirty.

Erika Stutzman is the editorial page editor of the Camera in Boulder, a native Coloradan, a mom, a lover of libraries and all things local, and a somewhat slow-moving weekend warrior.

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