Many parts of the country absorbed plenty of rain this summer, which can present a series of problems for homeowners – unless they really like seeing their trees, shrubs, plants and, especially, their lawns thrive under such conditions.

It means there was a lot of lawn mowing going on in certain parts of the country. And more of that mowing these days is being done with “greener” mowers.

It is true that the mowing season will be coming to a close in those places in which winter will soon cast its long, cold shadow. Yet, this is generally a good time to buy a mower for next year in season-ending sales.

Many who have contemplated a new mower, either prior to summer, or now as the season winds down, are taking a closer look at those “greener” mowers – those that cut fuel costs and air pollution while you cut your lawn.

Many mowers are being manufactured with strict exhaust emissions standards in mind, such as those in California. Regardless of state standards, it is good practice to consider mowers that are kinder to your pocketbook and the air you breath.

While the green trend has recently picked up in lawn care and maintenance, electric mowers have been around for years. However, improvements are being seen in cordless, electric mowers that make them more practical and appealing. Most rechargeable cordless mowers are now designed to have enough electric charge in them to cut a typical one-third acre lot – as long as the grass is not too long, and is cut on a weekly basis.

A commitment to conservation has to be made to use electric mowers, because they tend to be heavier than gasoline models and generally are not self-propelled – another reason you wouldn’t want your grass to get too long between mowings if using a cordless electric unit.

Older model gasoline mowers produce huge amounts of air pollution, in addition to being noisy in the neighborhood. Plus, you have to deal with disposing of old oil each year. Newer over-head valve engines cut down on some of that pollution, but they are still not as desirable as the zero pollution coming from electric mowers.

When comparing costs, one has to take into account that a 24-volt battery model handles most normal grass-cutting jobs. Those chargers consume between 45 to 90 watts of electricity during a full-charge overnight. At an electric rate of 10 cents per kilowatt-hour, it costs only about five to 10 cents for each cutting.

Considering the cost of oil, gasoline, spark plugs and filters for use of a mower during a summer season, the five cents per mowing is a mere fraction of the cost.