Wacky Lawn Mowers Save Energy — Yours and the Planet’s

Published: May 16, 2012
By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon
Be the first to comment

A little imagination and innovation produces a host of DIY lawn mowers that save energy and/or effort. Take a look.

Ever thought of attaching a push-reel mower to the front of a bicycle? You'll save energy and get some exercise, too. Image: Adam Klein

Did you ever think mowing your lawn could be fabulous and fun? We’ve found a few DIY mowers that bypass traditional power sources and make cutting grass a gas.

Solar-powered mower: Wire a 12-V solar cell to your electric mower’s battery and let the sun power that bad boy. It’s easier than it sounds: Instructables.com shows you how.

Rope-controlled mower: Attach a rope to a stake and to your mower. Voila! You’ve got a self-propelled mower that cuts grass in a circular pattern. See it on video:

Foot-powered mower: Replace the front wheel of your bike with a push mower and you’ve got a bicycle-mower, a favorite with the DIY mower community. Treehugger.com has assembled a host of pics of various foot-powered contraptions.

Amazing flying mower: OK, this has nothing to do with cutting grass, but we just had to show you that mowers really can fly.

Which type of mower are you? How do you save energy mowing grass?

Lisa Kaplan Gordon

is a HouseLogic contributor and builder of luxury homes in McLean, Va. She’s been a Homes editor for Gannett News Service and has reviewed home improvement products for AOL.