Electric Lawn Equipment–Consider “Corded” options!

Going electric with your yard care? Consider corded equipment!

Why Should I Transition to Electric Lawn Equipment?

Gas powered lawn and garden equipment are a major source of pollutants for landscapers and homeowners. Fumes from the equipment can harm your health when you breathe them in. In addition, two-stroke engines carry low-frequency sounds that penetrate through walls, contributing to noise pollution in our community.

Aside from the air and noise pollution, spills from refilling the gas tank can leak into the ground and contaminate your soil and water. Spilled gasoline will also kill your grass or damage pavement!

Electric equipment can be powered using renewable energy sources, has no pollutants, and is much quieter. Additionally, electric equipment usually does not require as much maintenance as the gas-powered versions.

Why choose corded equipment over battery-powered equipment?

Choosing which equipment to buy can be daunting with all of the options available. The main choice is between corded and battery-powered equipment.

For residential use, there are many corded lawn and garden equipment options that last longer than battery-powered versions. They also eliminate the environmental concerns of battery production and disposal.

Corded equipment never needs to be charged. It will never run out of power in the middle of working, which can happen with battery-powered equipment. You can use a normal wall plug to power it, but a car power inverter, or battery-powered generator will also work!

Pros of using corded electric lawn equipment:

Battery-powered equipment is more expensive, with battery-powered mowers costing between $275-$800 and corded options costing between $100-$250. Battery-powered leaf blowers cost $137 on average while corded options cost only $57.

Corded options often have more torque than battery powered-equipment, which can be helpful for harder jobs such as getting through tough weeds or thick grass.

You’ll have to replace a battery on battery-powered equipment about once ever 5 years as the batteries lose charging capacity, but this will not be needed for corded equipment. Just ask one of DEP’s staff members, who has a working corded electric mower from the 1980s!

Corded options are extremely light compared to battery-powered options. There’s no bulky battery to weigh you down! Corded mowers, for example, generally weight between 35-55 lbs, while battery-powered mowers weigh between 50-60 lbs.

Drawbacks to corded mowers:

Corded mowers require the user to navigate around the cord when mowing, which may be difficult at first. It will be harder to make your way around obstacles and you will have to be careful not to run over the cord or get it tangled. With some knowledge and practice, it will get a lot easier! Check out this video for a tutorial.

Yard size is another major consideration. The average yard size in the United States is a 1/4 acre, where even using a 100-foot extension cord might be difficult. But, you’d be surprised how far you can go!

Summary Table

Here’s a table to help you decide whether to buy battery powered or corded equipment for your property:

Other Related Blogs to Check Out:

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Written by Alyssa Bialek