Before you can cross ‘mow the lawn’ off your list, you need to know how to start electric lawn mower. Whether your machine is corded or cordless, we’ll explain what you need to know about powering it and how to start it up.
How to Start Electric Lawn Mower
It’s a simple process to start an electric lawnmower. The best corded electric lawn mowers make it really simple to start using them.
- Protect yourself. Wear appropriate mowing clothing. This includes sturdy shoes or boots and long pants to protect your body from rocks or twigs whipped back by the mower.
- Inspect the mower. Visually inspect all parts of the mower, including the underside. Make sure there are no obstructions around the mower and that it is safe to start. Send children and pets inside.
- Connect the mower to a power source.
For cordless electric mowers: Cordless electric lawn mowers require a fully charged battery to run. Make sure the battery is on the charger the night before you intend to mow your lawn. If you have a spare battery, put it on the charger before you start mowing.
For corded electric mowers: Corded electric varieties must be plugged into an appropriate outlet. Use outdoor, polarized extension cords to reduce the risk of electrical shock. Consult your electric lawn mower user’s manual for details on how much power your model requires. See the section below on choosing appropriate extension cords for your electric mower.
- Start the mower.
For riding mowers: Sit in the seat. The top riding mowers have safety features that make it impossible for them to start if the blades are lowered or the brake is not on. Engage the parking brake and raise the blades. Insert the key in the ignition. Turn it clockwise to start the engine.
For push mowers: push mowers have a bail arm that runs parallel to the top of the mower handle. In order to start the mower, the bail arm must be pulled in. Hold the bail arm against the mower handle and push the power button. The engine should spring to life.
Types of Electric Mowers
There are two types of electric mower; corded, and cordless.
Corded Electric Mowers
Corded electric mowers are connected through an outlet to your property’s centrally supplied electricity. The outlet and any extension cords used must be compatible with the requirements of the electric mower.
Choosing an Extension Cord for an Electric Lawn Mower
- Check your users’ manual to find out the power requirements of your mower.
- Extension cords are rated by the electrical load they can handle. The electrical load is measured in maximum wattage and amperage.
- The load an extension cord can handle is determined by the gauge (thickness) of the internal wire and the length of the cord.
- As cords get longer, the electrical load they can handle gets lowered. Anytime you’re extending more than 50 feet from the outlet, you’ll need to use a higher gauge extension cord to compensate.
- Most mowers use between 700 and 1800 watts (or 10-15 amps) of electricity per hour.
- A #12-gauge extension cord can handle 16 amps and 1,920 watts, making it suitable for virtually every electric mower.
Cordless Electric Mowers
Cordless electric mowers can also be called battery-operated mowers. They are powered by a rechargeable battery pack. They allow you to freely mow without worrying about an extension cord or messing around with gasoline. These types of mowers are perfect for smaller yards where convenience is important.
Cordless Electric Mower Battery Facts
When you’re trying to decide how many volts you need for an electric mower, consider the following:
- The voltage of the battery determines how long it will run, and how much power it can give your mower’s motor.
- Depending on the model, the electric lawn mower may run on lithium-ion and lead-acid batteries. If you want to avoid corrosion, choose a lead-acid battery. Lithium-ion batteries are more corrosion-prone. To maximize the length of time your battery holds a charge, Lithium-ion batteries are the way to go.
- Higher voltage batteries will give you more cutting time on a single charge, but they also take longer to recharge. Standard voltages for cordless mower batteries range from 18 to 120 volts.
- You can expect lower voltage batteries to take 12 hours to recharge, with the highest voltage batteries needing a full 24 hours on the charging station.
Learn about the best lawn tractor battery.
Conclusion
Most electric mowers have safety requirements that must be met before they will turn on, such as placing the mower in park or engaging the bail arm. There are two kinds of electric lawnmowers; corded and cordless. Each type has its own power requirements.
