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Recalled Lawn Mowers Pose Fire Hazard
Black & Decker says it will repair recalled cordless, electric lawn mowers that might pose a fire hazard. Sold under both the Black & Decker and Craftsman brand names, the mowers have an electric component that can overheat and catch fire.
Product: A total of 140,000 cordless, electric mowers are being recalled. Home centers, hardware, and discount stores nationwide sold the Black & Decker lawn mowers from February 1996 to August 2002 for $360-$400. Craftsman mowers were sold at Sears stores from January 1998 to December 2000 for the same price.
The mowers under recall are:
Black & Decker mowers with model numbers CMM1000 or CMM1000R and date codes from 9534 through 200230.
Craftsman mowers with model number 900.370520 and all date codes.
What to do: If you have either brand of mower, you should stop using it. If you have a Black & Decker model, call the company at (866) 229-5570 for information on getting a free repair. Craftsman mowers should be taken back to Sears for a free repair.
Additional information: Black & Decker has received 11 reports of electrical components overheating, resulting in one minor hand burn and nine minor property damage reports.
Cordless Electric Lawn Mowers
Clean, quiet, and easy to start
Clearly, home lawns are here to stay, especially in the rainier parts of the country. Even in the drier West, home lawns are smaller, but there are still plenty of them. So it is likely you'll need some type of lawn mower now or in the future.
Most Americans use some variation of the walk-behind, rotary power mower. Despite many improvements, mower design hasn't changed in nearly 60 years: a gasoline engine spins a metal blade that cuts the grass.
The years show, especially in the engines. Although manufacturers have made heroic efforts to clean up gasoline engines (the newest mowers don't pollute nearly as much as older ones), they remain among the most environmentally unfriendly devices gardeners use. According to one study, one older lawn mower pollutes as much as three cars. Add to this some increasingly restrictive state and federal emissions regulations, and you have a demand for innovation. Corded electric mowers always had their champions, but the limitation of cord length precluded broad consumer acceptance. Corded mowers also included the dangerous potential for cut cords.
Enter the cordless electric mower. These mowers are far quieter than the gasoline-powered ones. Also, battery-powered mowers start with a switch, not a pull-cord, and there's no balky engine to coax to life.
We were impressed by an extensive study that compared gasoline to cordless electric mowers. Funded by the EPA, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), researchers found that 90 percent of the home gardeners they enlisted to test cordless electric mowers would recommend them to a friend or relative.
Clean and Quiet
Perhaps the best feature of these mowers is their minimal environmental impact. Even after accounting for power-plant emissions, replacing gas mowers with electrics results in a 99 percent reduction in carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and methane, and a 38 percent reduction in carbon dioxide.
Have you ever felt a twinge of guilt when your gasoline-powered mower first roars -- those of us with nearby neighbors have. Or have you waited until you knew your neighbors were up and about before mowing the lawn? Gas mowers run at some 90 decibels (ear-protectors are recommended for operators), and normal conversation about 75 decibels. Electric mowers, operating in the 65- to 85-decibel range, make being a thoughtful neighbor a whole lot easier.
Is a Cordless Electric for You?
Although the typical lawn won't pose any problems for these mowers, assess your situation before investing. Cordless electric mowers are best for flat lawns that are smaller than 8,000 square feet and composed of cool-season grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass, fine and tall fescues, and perennial ryegrasses.
Because of their overall weight, inclucing bateries, These mowers are often hard to push up sloping lawns. Although they're not that heavy in comparison to standard mowers, they are not usually self-propelled.
The more power required, the less time batteries last. For example, if your lawn is lush and thick, or if you let it grow tall before mowing, assume batteries will last for 4,000 to 5,000 square feet or so. If your lawn is easier to mow, many cordless electrics can handle up to 8,000 square feet of lawn.
Cordless electrics use only $3 or $4 of electricity a year, about what you spend using a toaster for the same period. Gasoline mowers cost $20 to $30 a year in gas and oil. Tune-ups cost from $50 to $200. Even when you also figure the cost of battery replacement every 5 to 7 years, cordless electrics can still cost less than gas mowers in annual expenses.
Cordless Electric Mowers: A Shoppers' Guide
Batteries and Power
Cordless mowers gener come with one to three 12-volt, lead-acid batteries (12-, 24-, and 36-volt models). The two Lawnboy cordless electric mowers have 6-volt batteries. But the actual voltage (or power) delivered to the motor depends on amperage. For example, a 12-volt mower with high amperage can mow longer than a 36-volt mower with low amps.
Power is a function of battery type, blade and deck design, and power transfer. All manufacturers exploit computer-aided design techniques to optimize blades' weight and shape and decks' contours. Toro and Black & Decker claim that their cordless mowers have more torque than a 5-horsepower gas engine.
Toro, Black & Decker, and Sears build the recharger into the mower, which simplifies recharging: You simply plug the mower into the wall with an extension or provided cord. It takes between 12 and 24 hours (overnight) to fully charge most mowers, though a 3-hour charge will give you about 20 to 30 minutes of cutting time. Expect the batteries to last about 5 to 7 years. Ask dealers about the cost of replacement battery packs; costs vary from $50 to $200 each.
Batteries lose power when they're stored for a long time. To store most models during winter where temperatures fall below 40 o F., charge the battery overnight, then disconnect the mower from the charger until the next mowing season (up to 6 months). If temperatures generally stay above 40 o F. where you live, leave the battery connected or plugged in year-round. However, check the owner's manual for specific storage directions.
Run Time
Manufacturers' "run time" numbers are only estimates. How long a machine will run depends on the height and texture of the grass, moisture levels, and the terrain. Cutting relatively dry lawns takes a lot less energy than cutting lush, wet turf. Also keep in mind that all but two of the cordless electrics listed in the chart are push-types, not self-propelled.
As a general rule, if amperage is equal, 12-volt batteries provide 30 to 40 minutes of mowing time; 24-volt mowers last 40 to 75 minutes; and 36-volt mowers run for up to 90 minutes.
Recharging Systems Vary by Model
Some mowers come with a separate recharger, a device that stays plugged into an outlet, into which you place the battery pack for recharging. For instance, the Yard-Man 798 comes with two 12-volt batteries, but the mower works with only one at a time. One battery stays on the recharger while the other one is in use. Two others, the Snapper BP1800 and the Husqvarna 43RC come with a similar, separate recharger, but the second battery pack is not included. To improve battery longevity, keep the blade sharp, and avoid low cutting by raising the blade on adjustable models.
Weight
Most of the models weigh between 46 and 85 pounds (not including the 140-pound McLane 20-EC). Battery-powered mowers weigh less than typical gas-powered mowers. Even the comparatively light 75-pound electric feels heavy if you're pushing it up a hill.
Swath. The deck sizes vary from 16 to 20 inches on the mowers in our chart. Only the Sears Craftsman at 20 inches comes close to a typical gas-engine mower. This means that if you mow your lawn in about 40 minutes with a 21-inch gas-powered mower, it will take perhaps another 5 to 10 minutes with a narrower one.
Special Features
Almost all of the models in our list come with rechargers (included in the purchase price). Mowers without rechargers must be plugged into a wall when you have to recharge their batteries. Most of the machines in our list have power gauges that show the charge level, so you know how much power (and mowing time) may be left before the battery needs another charge.
Decide which features make sense for your lawn and preferences. And if cleaner air and quieter mowing are also priorities for you, the cordless electrics may be the way to go when you buy your mower.
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