I Have The Power!

Welcome to the alternative energy and sustainable power blog written by an engineer for engineers! Here we cover alternative energy and fuel technologies buzzing through the media including solar, wind, fuel cells, hydro, nuclear, ethanol, natural gas, hydrogen, bio-diesel, and more. Topics in conservation, sustainable development, and distributed generation will also be covered as will emerging energy technologies including nuclear fusion, nanotechnology, and bio-power systems.

Profile

About Me

RSS Feed

Add this blog to your RSS newsreader!

By Category

Blog

I Have The Power!

« Google's Home Page Goes Dark F... | Main | MEMS Antennas are a New Approa... »

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Traum’s New Toy: Black & Decker CMM1200 Cordless Electric Mower

My lawn is a solar collector. Energy is stored in the plant material, and it can be harvested after the lawn is mowed by firing the clippings in a combustor to generate heat or power. A more efficient use of this energy, however, is to recycle the clippings back into the lawn or into a garden as compost to offset petroleum-based fertilizer.

Given this interpretation of my lawn, it seemed wrong to buy a conventional gas-guzzling lawnmower to keep it trimmed. Why use a non-renewable energy source to harvest a renewable energy source? I might as well be in the corn ethanol business (see “Let the Sun Set on Corn-Based Ethanol”). To investigate other options, I found an excellent Web site, http://www.cleanairgardening.com/ , highlighting many alternatives to gas mowers. After a little research, I settled upon the Black & Decker CMM1200 Cordless Electric Lawnmower, which I purchased last week.

Perhaps the most environmentally benign option would have been a manual reel mower. However, I wanted to be able to mulch the clippings or collect them for composting as I desired. Plus, my reading suggested that manual reel mowers don’t handle weeds well, and my lawn has a pretty serious weed problem.

When I was a kid, one of my household chores was mowing the lawn with our gas mower. I remember jerking on the starter cord a dozen times to get the engine to turn over, inhaling exhaust fumes, being deafened by the engine roar, and having my hands vibrated so severely that I couldn’t feel my fingers. I also remember running out of gas and having to fill up the mower from the fuel can we kept in the garage. I hated mowing the lawn.

The cordless mower is a totally different experience. It is quiet and smooth. The engine easily turns on and off with a spring-actuated lever – no starter chord. At 76 pounds, the CMM1200 is a bit heavier than push gas mowers in its class (which usually run under 70 pounds) due to its 24-volt battery. However, it cuts grass just as well as its fossil-fuel-fired cousins, and frankly I need the exercise.

Of course, so long as the mower is recharging from a wall outlet, it is not truly using renewable energy. However, what sets cordless electric mowers apart from their plug-in counterparts is that the recharging station can be modified to use any electricity source, including solar power. Thus, as a long-term project, I plan to build a solar-powered charging station to make my cordless electric mower truly renewable. However, I will probably wait until the manufacturer’s warranty expires before attempting such a retrofit.

Related entries in: Communities | Design News | Electronics/Test |

(Add your comments)

at 4/6/2008 12:57:37 PM, john powers said:
Absolutely love electric mowers but it is a joke that only a handful of companies actually make them. The big mower companies like honda and briggs dont even have electric mowers. I also like the electric reel mowers, they are very eco friendly and gives you a workout as well. Check them out at www.lawnmowersworld.com

at 4/19/2008 6:25:59 AM, MowGood said:
Traum, Thanks for the article. please keep us posted! Feel welcome at the mowgood.com eco mower forums. We have a few folks working on at least solar trickle charge on B&D 1200's so would be good to know your progress... Nice Wishes,

at 5/4/2008 4:47:58 AM, Goose said:
Traum, Looking for solar charger. Any luck or attempts at modifications yet? Love the mower, would like to use solar for recharge though. John, you are right. Now my comments: Why can we not have batteries on charge and swap them out on the mower when they run down just like I do with my other Black and Decker 18volt lawn equipment? The battery would be rather expensive ... but I would buy one. Anyway, this would make solar chargers a practical alternative.

at 5/6/2008 7:36:52 AM, Ray said:
Sign me up. I need a new mower soon!

at 5/14/2008 9:49:36 AM, Mark Mow said:
Maybe electical mowers will make a comeback. when I was growing up in the early 60s my neighbor had a electric mower with an AC motor and an extension cord, it was inexpensive to purchase, lightweight and always started.

Design News for Mechanical and Design Engineers

Reed Business Information

Design News China | Design News Japan | Design News Poland

I Have The Power!

Profile

RSS Feed

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Most Commented On

Archives

By Category

Blog

Traum’s New Toy: Black & Decker CMM1200 Cordless Electric Mower

Post a comment

Please visit these other Reed Business sites