Wednesday, April 11, 2012

The neighborhood just got a little quieter, X 2.

One of the neighbors, one of the yards matching up behind me,  bought an electric mower a month ago, man I love it, about 1/3 the noise level, and it cuts as nice as a gas machine. Now this week another adjoining neighbor gets one, his is even softer sounding.  Man I love it, 2 of the 5 roaring machines near by are quieted.

My mower smokes at the start, sounds like a Rolls Royce jet engine with a couple of impellers come loose, it pushes like a wooden wheeled manure wagon, and the start yank risks a rotator cuff every time. To run it you need ear plugs, shin guards  and a respirator, more than 15 minutes without a break damages fillings.  Its one of those throttle wide open birds, I had it overhauled once, as soon as the beast dies this time I'm headed for rechargeable mowerville.  Maybe this year, maybe next, it's just a matter of time that one of us fails.

I been studying them.  They cost on average $50 more than a gas burner.  So it seems they are charging you for the gas your not going to burn.  Most figures I come up with claim the E machines take (national average energy cost) $1 to mow an acre, the oil burners (figured months ago on lower cost benzine) $4.70. My neighbor said he uses 12 cents of E, his old oil burner used 50 cents.  He really loves it, he figures it might break even if it lasts several years, but he really loves not having that can of gas in the garage and all that noise.

3 comments:

  1. Sis has a really small lawn in Dallas and wanted a "green" mower - the old push types with the rotary blade. Well, bigger than shit,
    Mom found one at a garage sale and bought it. Dad took it apart and repainted it and my sister was delighted.

    Ron

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    Replies
    1. When I was a kid an uncle had one of those, I loved it, I begged to visit him to mow his little yard. It did a great job and I loved the whirr of it's blades.

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    2. When I was small Mom and Dad lived across the street from my Mom's parents and Dad would cut their lawn with a push mower. Now, we tried using it once when we moved out to where they are now - soon to be sixty years. An acre and a half called for a power mower.


      How, Dad has a rider...


      Ron

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