Electric Lawn Mowers

Like gas mowers, electric mowers use a rotary blade that slices horizontally across the grass. Electric mowers are much quieter, however, and cost less to run -- about $5 a season. They're also better for air quality, and electric mowers require a lot less maintenance. Owners say they're happy to avoid all the hassle of buying and storing gasoline.

Most electric lawn mowers let you adjust the cutting height with just one lever, another feature owners like. Bagging is not generally their strong suit, but they're fine at mulching. Corded and cordless mowers are available.

Corded electric mowers

Experts rate 12-amp corded electric mowers as approximately equivalent to a 5.5 horsepower gas engine, so they have roughly the same power. However, owners warn that it's crucial not to let the grass get too tall between mowing -- and of course you shouldn't use an electric mower on wet grass. Even in dry weather, experts recommend using an outlet with a Ground Fault Interrupter (GFI). The main drawback, though, is that your entire lawn has to be within reach of a 100-foot cord.

Electric mowers vary in the way they guide the cord to keep it safely away from the blades. Most, such as the top-rated 19-inch Black & Decker MM875 (*Est. $250), the identical Craftsman 37051 (*est. $230) and the narrower 18-inch Black & Decker MM575 (*Est. $240), fasten the cord on one side of the handle. This means you have to flip the cord around when you turn at the end of a row.

For more convenience, the 18-inch Black & Decker MM675 (*Est. $230) has a handle that flips from front to back, so at the end of a row you just flip the handle instead of turning the mower around. This feature gets mixed reviews from users; some criticize the way it makes you mow over the last row's clippings, making the pushing harder.

Of all these 12-amp lawn mowers, reviews give the best scores to the Black & Decker MM875, which even earns an Energy Star rating for its efficiency. It also comes with a rear bag (although reviews say it's better at mulching clippings than bagging them). The other Black & Decker corded electric mowers side-discharge clippings, and though an optional bag is available for them, reviews note that side-bagging can make the mower tip to one side when the bag is full.

Owners reviewing all these Black & Decker electric lawn mowers give them mostly positive reviews for low noise and reasonable performance, but we did find some complaints about reliability. The most recent user-written reviews at Sears.com, for example, differ greatly from previous reviews in warning of problems with parts falling off and premature breakdowns. All the electric mowers discussed here carry two-year warranties, but that's not much comfort if you're waiting for a part. Owners recommend checking the availability of nearby repair service before buying an electric mower.

Two narrower, less powerful (and less expensive) 18-inch Black & Decker mowers also get good reviews from owners, though they're not covered in the big comparison reviews. Owners at both Sears.com and Amazon.com give the 9-amp Black & Decker MM275 (*Est. $180) even higher ratings than the more powerful 12-amp MM875 electric mower discussed above. At Amazon.com, owners also like the 6.5-amp Black & Decker LM175 (*Est. $160) even though it doesn't mulch clippings. Owners say either of these less expensive corded electric mowers makes a good budget choice, as long as your lawn isn't too big or challenging.

Cordless electric mowers

Cordless lawn mowers gives you more flexibility and range, since you aren't tethered to a cord. Handles fold neatly so they're easy to store. However, cordless models are expensive, and most use lead-acid batteries, whose production and disposal poses environmental problems.

Though cordless lawn mowers keep the air clean while you're mowing, experts calculate that manufacturing this kind of battery contributes as much to air pollution as does using a gas mower. Battery disposal is another environmental hazard; they need replacement after a couple of years of use, and recycling them (like auto batteries) is crucial for protecting soil and groundwater.

Runtime per charge ranges from 30 to 60 minutes, enough for yards of about 1/4 to 1/3 acre. Some cordless mowers let you switch to a fresh battery, making the range limited only by the number of batteries you have. (Neuton, Solaris and Epic mowers let you do this.) As with corded electric mowers, cordless mowers work best if you don't let your grass get too high between mowing.

Black & Decker and Neuton are the main brands of cordless mowers. A recent comparison review at Mother Earth News confirms quite a few others by top-ranking the 24-volt Black & Decker CMM1200 (*Est. $400), saying it seems to have more actual cutting power than a 60-volt mower included in the same test.

Tests elsewhere give the Black & Decker CM 1200 better marks than others for mowing taller grass and for mulching clippings too -- important not only for lawn appearance, but for saving on fertilizer costs. A review by the landscaping expert at About.com says the Black & Decker CMM1200 also does a good job of mulching fall leaves.

The 19-inch cordless CMM1200 has a rustproof polymer deck. It comes with a bag; when it's removed the mower shifts to mulching mode; side-discharging clippings requires an optional chute. Cutting height adjusts with one lever, to a maximum of 3.5 inches. The main drawback is the weight; at 76 pounds, it's no fun to push up hills. Objective mowing tests rate it about the same as all but the very best gas mowers. Not all owners agree, especially on tough, thick St. Augustine grass. However, owners reviewing the Black & Decker CMM1200 do praise its overall comfort and low vibration.

John Hunter's blog review of the Black & Decker CMM 1200 criticizes the handle as flimsy, with awkward controls, and finds the starter quite unreliable. The switch is positioned only on one side, and must be held during the entire mowing session. This is probably a safety feature, but users say it decreases comfort.

A similar switch design is found on the top-ranked cordless mower at Consumers Digest, the 20-inch Homelite UT13122 (*Est. $330) sold at Home Depot. It's also sold elsewhere as the EarthWise 60020 (*Est. $300). The reviewer likes its wide cutting path, big 8-inch rear wheels and single-lever height adjustment to 3.75 inches. Objective tests rate the Homelite / EarthWise mower as equal to the Black & Decker for cutting evenness and ease of use. The Black & Decker wins, however, when it comes to handling clippings.

The switch on Neuton cordless mowers is mounted in a more convenient place, on the top handle instead of on the side. Neuton mowers also let you swap out an extra battery (*est. $90 each) -- handy for larger lawns but the maximum cutting height is only 3 inches. The Neuton mowers are quiet, lighter and have a sleek appearance -- but are more expensive. Both the original 14-inch Neuton CE 5.3 (*Est. $390) and the newer 19-inch Neuton CE 6.3 (*Est. $490) have won quite a few fans. An optional trimmer/edger mounts on the front. You can see videos of both the mower and trimmer in action at YouTube.com. Both are more expensive than the Black & Decker mowers, but the 19-inch Neuton mower includes an adjustable-height handle. Both include a six-month money-back trial period and three-year warranty. A battery gauge is another plus, telling you how much juice is left.

In tests, the 19-inch Neuton cordless mower performs as well as the Black & Decker unless -- and this might be the deal breaker -- you let the grass get too tall. In that situation, the Neuton clogs up. Objective tests elsewhere agree that the Black & Decker mulches and side-discharges better.

A Canadian manufacturer is starting to make its 19-inch cordless mowers available in the United States under the Solaris and Epic brands. Like the Neuton CE 6.3, they include a battery indicator and let you swap in fresh batteries (*est. $125 for two), but the 21-inch cutting path is even wider and the maximum cutting height is 3.5 inches. Cutting-height adjustment requires levers at all four wheels.

Self-propelled versions of the Solaris and Epic lawn mowers are available, but this feature gets mixed reviews from owners. It adds about 18 pounds to the weight, and is single-speed. This speed can be too fast for good mulching. You can convert these mowers to solar mowers with an optional kit (*est. $250). The solar panel charges the 24-volt battery in two to five days, depending on cloud conditions. It's not mounted on the mower, so it doesn't add to the weight.

The 2009 model of the Solaris (*Est. $450) -- available self-propelled at HomeDepot.com and push-style at Amazon.com -- is front-wheel drive, with the motor moved forward for better traction. At the time of our report, we found no owner-written reviews at HomeDepot.com, but the sole user reviewing it at Amazon.com is very enthusiastic. So are reviews of both the 2008 and 2009 self-propelled models at the Daily Home Renovation Tips blog. This reviewer notes that the 2009 version can be recharged without taking the battery out -- a plus.

The self-propelled Epic EP21H (*Est. $480) is similar but features rear-wheel drive -- usually recommended for hilly lawns. The handful of reviews posted at Amazon.com are all over the place, ranging from one to five stars. Owners agree that it's very quiet, and some owners love it. A couple report quality-control problems with the battery or with the self-propelled drive. The single speed can be too fast for proper mulching.

It's worth noting that solar lawn mowers are by no means a new concept. For even lower costs, it's said to be relatively easy to convert a Black & Decker CM1200 to a solar lawn mower. For links to instructions and kits, see our Useful Links page.