Since September 2007, I have been in love… with a lawnmower. Yes, really, a lawnmower. If you look back at that issue, you will see that our kids were learning about doing Energy Audits for a First Lego Robotics competition and they met and spoke with Ed Begley Jr. at a green event in Norfolk. It was obviously inspiring for us as well as we have since become Energy Auditors ourselves. Ah, yes, a small child shall lead them.
At that event, I met, and fell in love, with the Neutron. To explain, I must first tell you that since I was a small child, mowing the grass has always been my job. As an adult, I continued cutting the grass thinking it was a great source of exercise for me. One part of the job that I have always hated is started the dag blamed thing. I hate trying to get it going, I always pull out my shoulder or worse. I hate the loud noise and the subsequent ringing in my ears. I hate the fumes and I hate getting all geared up to mow only to find out that we are out of gas and many miles from the gas station.
When I was young, my father even put an electric starter on my little mower and it had a plug that I would connect to the wire that was conveniently hidden behind the grill of the Ford Pinto and upon connecting the two wires, my mower would magically start. Well that solved one of my lawn cutting issues, but was still less than perfect.
I saw the neutron as the answer to my longing for a better way to cut grass, but alas, I had a competent functioning lawn mower and no excuse to purchase a new one. At least not an excuse that I was successful in selling.
This season, as the grass began to sprout and grass cutting again was becoming an issue, we were in search of a new lawnmower since my teen ager accidentally caught the last one on fire at the end of last season, but that is a whole other story. Searching through Craigslist ads to find something that would suit our needs, low and behold, there amongst the thorns, was a neutron. Thinking it would be quickly snapped up we immediately responded to find out that it was in perfect condition and living a very unhappy lawnmower life in an apartment with no source of grass to cut.
We quickly made arrangements to meet and our new neutron was quickly adopted into our family. So why am I in love with this mower you ask? Let’s start with the fact that it is rechargeable. It comes with two batteries that plug into the wall and recharge with no fumes, no mess and no quick unplanned trips to the gas station (and, I might add, more difficult to light on fire without the gas!). It is incredibly quiet which is becoming a source of concern after working around power tools for so many years and many recent visits to the audiologist. And did I mention that it starts by simply squeezing the handle? Wow, that was easy. I can even cut a row of grass, let go of the handle, turn the mower, re-squeeze the handle and continue, that simple, amazing. And to think I’ve only been cutting grass for 35 years! And since there are no fumes, I can even stow this thing in my basement with no concern of gas fumes seeping up into the house, none!
No gas, just a little electricity, very green. I see savings in my future. Did I mention that I love this mower?
