Lawn Mower Information

Updated April 2009

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Lawn Mower Links

Lawn mower alternatives

The new Bosch Rotak cordless lawn mowers are the first lithium-powered cordless lawn mowers. They use 36-volt lithium-ion batteries that recharge in an hour. A spare battery charges while you mow, so there's basically no limit to the area you can mow. There are seven models with varying widths and features. So far, Bosch is only making these available in the UK, where cordless lawn mowers are very popular.

Riding mowers and garden tractors are more expensive, but they can make mowing much easier. If you have a big yard or physical limitations, a sit-down riding mower may be right for you. See our separate report on lawn tractors. Bear in mind that even the best lawn mower leaves some trimming to be done.

Robotic mowers need hardly any human intervention once you've gone through a somewhat tedious setup process. They also have an excellent safety record. We cover these automatic mowers in our separate report on robotic lawn mowers.

In many areas, sheep are permitted to graze on yards of three acres or more. Lest you think this suggestion absurd, an April 2008 article in The Guardian by Tom Kington called, "Sheep replace lawn mowers in Turin parks," notes that the city of Turin, Italy, is using sheep to keep its parks and other municipal lawns mowed.

More recently, the Baltimore Sun reports that the town of Hampstead is using five Nigerian dwarf goats to mow the city's 50-acre preserve.

If you have a very hilly or steeply sloping lawn, Eastman Industries is making gas-powered hover mowers which can be used on steep slopes and pond banks where an ordinary mower couldn't go. Hover mowers, long popular in Europe, use part of their power to push themselves off the ground so they float on a cushion of air instead of on wheels. The Eastman Hovermowers are designed primarily for professional landscapers, and we didn't find the Eastman Hovermower covered in any reviews. A long discussion in a forum notes, however, that hover mowers inevitably cut unevenly, and the metal blades have special safety hazards. They're not a substitute for a regular mower. For special slopes, though, this type of mower might be a solution.

Over the years, there have been several mower designs that use bicycles to pull or push a reel mower. Outside magazine published a positive review of the Dynamow, written by Jason Lathrop, called "Tomorrow's lawn mower, today."

Here is another article on a "Lawn Mower Bike."

Solar lawn mowers

There has also been a lot of interest in using solar power for lawn mowers. Neuton is reportedly developing a solar charger for its cordless mower, but it's also possible to adapt even a gas mower to solar. "Converting a Gas Lawn Mower to a Solar-Charged Electric Power" gives specific instructions.

It's even easier to convert a cordless electric mower to solar power. The Ann Arbor, Michigan "Mow with Less" program provides directions for converting a 24-volt cordless electric mower to solar power in its "Solar Charged Battery Operated Yard Equipment Manual."

Solar conversion kits are available from Solar Converters.

Lawn mower safety and health issues

It's no surprise that air pollution from gas lawn mowers can contribute to health problems, not only for the user but also for family members. It's not as well known that noise from lawn mowers can cause not only loss of hearing, but also other health problems, too. Dr. Arline Bronzaft has done studies that show how noise can contribute to a variety of health problems, from headaches and insomnia to learning problems in children. For more information, "How loud is your house? A look at the dangers of 'noise.'"

Safety is paramount in selecting and using a lawn mower. Landscape Management summarizes the main causes of mower accidents, based on statistics from 2006.

The University of Missouri also provides a brief article warning about lawn mower accidents, many of which involve children.

The landscaping guide at About.com provides useful safety tips for walk-behind mowers. (Note that although About.com owns ConsumerSearch, the two editorial departments are completely separate.)

Lawn mower recalls

Both electric and gasoline lawn mowers have been recalled in recent years, though walk-behind mowers have had fewer problems than riding mowers and lawn tractors.

In July 2008, Honda recalled certain HRX mowers for a faulty shield that could let the mower throw debris back at the user. Only one breakage was reported, with no injuries. In November 2007, Honda recalled some of its HRX and HRB lawn mowers for serious safety issues, though no injuries were reported. The blades on some models kept spinning too long after the control lever had been released.

It's important to register your lawn-mower purchase with the manufacturer, so you'll be notified promptly of any safety recall. For full information on these and earlier lawn mower recalls, check the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission site.

Reducing lawn size

If you're considering making your lawn smaller to minimize its upkeep and environmental impact, a lot of help is available online at sites such as Less Lawn.com.

The Brooklyn Botanical Garden offers help on planting native grasses that require less maintenance.

California is taking the lead here too. The California Native Grasslands Association publishes advice on which native grasses to plant in that state.

A news article at MSNBC, "Manual lawn mowers are making a comeback," reports on rising sales of manual reel mowers and a corresponding shift toward smaller lawns.

Choosing a lawn mower

eHow.com provides a brief buyers' guide to lawn mowers.

An article titled "Vancouver Landscaper Moves from Power to Push Mowers" shows how a landscaping company experiments with reel mowers, finding that they can be as efficient as powered mowers.

A nice overview, the "Guide to Using a Reel Mower" is available at ReelMower Guide.

A reel mower site offers a guide to choosing the best reel mower for your type of grass.

Lawn care

Organic Gardening has a good article by Beth Huxta called "The Dark Side of Lawns" on why organic lawn care matters -- and how to make the transition to it.

Mother Earth News has a good article on how to "Grow a Beautiful Lawn Without Chemicals or Fossil Fuels" by Tabitha Alterman.

GreenerChoices.org, the environmental arm of Consumer Reports that's free without subscription, publishes a brief guide to "greener" lawn mowing.

Another lawn-care overview called "Lawn Care Basics" is available at Lowes.com, but it doesn't emphasize the organic approach.

Environmental issues

Here are some "Green Facts" on gas lawn mowers and pollution, from the Canadian company that makes solar self-propelled cordless electric mowers.

Here's a summary of one of the original studies that estimates how much even a four-cycle lawn mower engine pollutes, compared with driving a car.

A 2007 article in the Christian Science Monitor called "Cut the Smog as You Mow the Lawn," by Mark Clayton, briefly summarizes the impact of California and federal legislation on lawn mowers.

Information on prospective new EPA rules for mowers is available in an article by Sara Schaefer Munoz, "EPA plans tougher smog rules for mowers."

An EPA safety study on adding catalytic converters to "Lawn and Garden (Small Gasoline) Equipment" is also available.

Catalytic converters have their own toxicity problems, however, according to this article called "Chemists Detect Toxic Emissions Linked to Catalytic Converters in U.S."

Briggs and Stratton offers tips for "Reducing Mower Emissions."

Lawn mower maintenance

Experts say that keeping a gas lawn mower tuned up can cut emissions by up to 50 percent. Jeff Ball's Yardener website has a good article on "Lawn Mower Maintenance."

Plano Power answers a lot of questions about lawn mower maintenance and troubleshooting.

"Lawnmower Tuneup 101" at Popular Mechanics.

An illustrated "Getting started with sharpening a reel mower guide" is available at ReelMowers.