By Jim McCausland, Sunset Magazine
When the job is big, power tools make the work go fast. Here are my top picks.
Honda self-propelled mulching/bagging mower ($699). To mow 11,000 square feet of lawn weekly from mid March to mid November (not all is on my property), I use a 21-inch, self-propelled Honda bagging/mulching mower. I have it set up as a mulching mower most of the time because cut grass refertilizes the lawn, but whenever I need fresh-mown grass for the compost pile or for mulch, I bag it—and this machine packs it in like a hay bailer—without fear of clogging. The mower’s synthetic deck can’t rust out, and after 10 years, it still usually starts on the first pull. The model I own (no longer made) is residential grade, with a 160 cc engine; the most comparable current model is the HRX217K2VKA, with a 190 cc engine.
Stihl FS 90R string trimmer ($300). A string trimmer is all about keeping turf off hardscape and out of beds—and well-trimmed edges make the whole garden look sharp. It’s also great for knocking down weeds in overgrown places, and for shearing back the catmint in autumn. The model I use has a straight shaft and Stihl’s 4-Mix engine, whose efficient four-stroke innards are lubricated by an oil/fuel mix, like a two-stroke engine. That design cuts emissions.
Stihl BG86 leaf blower ($240). I bought a pro-grade blower with a relatively low-emission two-stroke engine. It clears driveway, deck, and patio in a flash, and its 190 mph air velocity blows even wet leaves off the lawn and back under the trees where they belong. Many blowers, both gas and electric, come with attachments made to vacuum up leaves. Avoid these attachments. Sticks and small rocks chew up their impellers, sending you to the shop for repairs and the hardware store for a rake.
Hearos ear plugs ($9 for 20 pairs). Essential when you’re running any power tool. I like disposable in-ear kinds because they cut noise by up to 33 decibels. Ear muff types ($15 to $25) are more comfortable in mild weather, last for years, and are quicker to put on and take off, but they aren’t quite as effective, and the comfort factor disappears on sweaty-hot days. Of course, any kind of hearing protection only helps you; your neighbors depend upon your good sense to use your tools when everybody—including babies and night-shift workers—are awake.
A word about motor types
You have two choices: gas or electric, each with two permutations. In general, I like gas-powered tools better than electric because there’s no cord to limit your range, run over, and coil when you’re done. But gas engines cost more, weigh more, pollute more, and make more noise than electric.
Electric motors come in corded and battery-powered models. Plug-in kinds deliver nonstop power, and they’re nonpolluting at point of use. But the power plants that supply the current do pollute, and have their own environmental issues. Battery-powered motors are heavier then corded kinds, and have relatively short run times at full power, so they’re best for small spaces.
Gas engines come in two- and four-stroke versions. Both emit carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and particulates. But well-tuned engines can produce only half the pollution of out-of-tune engines.
Two-stroke engines are powerful, lightweight, and can run in any position—right-side up, sideways, or upside down—which is why they’re perfect for chain saws, and heavily favored for most garden power equipment. They have no separate oiling system, instead being lubricated by oil added to the gas. But their design allows a significant amount of unburned fuel to be lost with exhaust gas. New engine designs are ameliorating that.
Four-stroke engines are usually heavier because most have separate fuel and lubrication systems, but they use less fuel, produce fewer emissions, and have a longer engine life than their two-stroke counterparts.
Since 1990, the Environmental Protection Agency has been pushing for reductions in small-engine emissions. Manufacturers have responded with more efficient designs in both two- and four-stroke engines, and with a general move by some manufacturers toward four-stroke engines.
Stihl has also developed 4-Mix engines, which combine some of the best features of two- and four-stroke engines. They cycle like four-stroke engines, but without a separate lubrication system, so they’re lighter, and run on an oil-gas mix like two-stroke engines.
You may notice that two of my recommendations are for Stihl products (living on the edge of a forest, I also have a Stihl chain saw). Though their products run well and their design is at the front end of the technology curve, they have lots of excellent, innovative competitors. But I’m a creature of habit. I tend to standardize on one high-quality brand so I can go to a single place for product, parts, and repairs. Stihl only sells through stores—mostly local independents—that service their products, so their retail philosophy plays well to my one-stop preference. It also explains why you won’t find Stihl products in box stores or at Amazon.com.
