It’s summer, and fire season is almost here, along with the brush-clearing chores it brings. But thanks to the latest in high-tech mowers, yardwork could be almost – dare we say it? – fun.
Mower with bounce
Hydraulics may not be high-tech – they’ve been around since Da Vinci’s time, after all – but they’re helping to bring sturdy, professional-grade design to homeowners in the form of Lawn-Boy’s zero-radius-turning mower, which uses independently rotating wheels powered by hydraulic motors to pivot on a single point. Steering handles manage how much of the hydraulic fluid goes to each motor, increasing speed with flow for around $3,800.
Mack mower
If the cost of the Lawn-Boy seems a little eye-popping, never fear. You can still get the full Tim Allen’s “Tool Time” man-grunt with a riding lawnmower by Cadet, according to Rich Bowden, operational manager of Lowes in Gilroy.
The mowers now come with more than a feeling of macho pride. They also come packed with the ability to tow things … lots of things. Cadet now makes trailers, vacuum bags and rototillers to go with their mowers because what could be better than driving a mini-semi of a mower with the feel of the wind in your hair?
The company’s most macho model, intended for homeowners with a minimum of one-quarter acre to mow, retails for about $1,200, and attachments range from $125 to $300.
Lawn mowing: the game
So your wife demands a freshly mowed lawn, but you’d rather relax on the back porch sucking down rum-laden Hurricanes as long as you don’t have to go to work in the morning? No issue, thanks to Tarpon Springs, Fla. resident Luis Medina.
The electrical engineer was tired of mowing his ever-growing grass in the heat of the Florida sun, but his neighborhood association had strict rules requiring the practice, so Medina found a way around the rules.
He created the Evatech RCLM2004S, a remote-controlled mower. The beast has a remote range of 2,000 feet and features an alternator with two independent rear motors, giving it a zero turning radius.
“Now I can kick back and relax in the shade,” Medina said in an interview with Popular Science last year. “And laugh at the people who have to push their lawnmower.”
Well, not quite kick back. Medina has now gone through three generations of the robotic mower. He’s currently retailing a hybrid model with gyroscopic control for its 22-inch blade for a mere $2,299, and he plans to introduce a 100 percent water-powered engine in late 2006. For more information, visit www.EvaTech.com.
And this just in …
Mowers aren’t the only cool garden items up for grabs in 2005. Lowe’s has begun carrying battery-operated hand trimmers, which are lighter, more portable and easier to wield than their gas or plugged-in siblings, said Bowden.
At Ace Hardware in Hollister, the newest lawn toy on the market is the Troy-Built weedeater.
This bad boy has optional attachments that transform it into a mulcher, a blower, an edger, a pole saw and a hedge trimmer starting at $109.99 for the base unit, according to Melba Hernandez, a store supervisor and head of the Gilroy store’s lawn and garden department.
Fortunately, the biggest must-have for summer is inexpensive as well, Hernandez added.
“We have a new product called ‘Mosquito B Gone,’ that you just add on to your hose and spray,” said Hernandez. “You can spray it on your trees, lawn and shrubs to fight the mosquito problem we’re going to have this year.”
The spray has been one of the fastest moving products in the department, retailing for $14.49, Hernandez said.
