We brought you a story recently of two students in Africa, who had developed a solar powered lawnmower that was equipped with a battery to enable mowing at night. A similar approach is being taken by Gus Mariscal in Indiana, who runs an environmentally friendly lawn care business. All the equipment he uses is battery powered, having made the switch from petrol power early on in his business history.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!He decided though, that simply switching from one fossil fuel source to another, albeit slightly removed, was not enough of a commitment to sustainability, so he installed solar panels on all his vehicles. These panels charge the battery for the equipment he uses and everything is now 100% solar powered, making Solar Earth Lawn Care the first fully solar powered company of its kind in Indiana. Customers love the eco-friendly credentials, and also the noise reduction compared to petrol powered alternatives.
Fisher Barton has introduced self-sharpening lawnmower blades, a great innovation and one that is sure to save time, money and help the health of any lawn. The LaserEdge EverSharp blades are covered in a material that not only protects the blade from dulling, but actually sharpens it while in use. This is excellent news for landscaping companies for whom constant sharpening of blades takes up a lot of resources. Taking this job away completely keeps staff and time free for more work and saves on sharpening fees considerably.
John Deere has developed an app to help with mowing domestic lawns. Inspired by the apps they create for agricultural users; they made a version for mowing at home. The app keeps track of the mowing patterns used in each session, a feature that allows homeowners to ensure they do not run the lawnmower over the same patch too often and encourages them to diversify the patterns for better lawn health.
The app also keeps track of when it may be time to mow again, and how long each session lasts, giving the user an accurate picture of how long is spent mowing the lawn in any given time period. Data on speed and the areas covered adds another layer to the picture; the data can help homeowners redesign their gardens, to make the most of the space they have and reduce the amount of mowing they have to do.
The app will also track engine usage, alerting the user when it is time for a service and regular maintenance, as well as provide step by step instructions for simple fixes and upkeep activities. Contacting a local dealer can be done in one tap from the app, and it also integrates with the Apple Watch, allowing users to see whether there is enough time to mow the lawn before sunset, based on the average mowing session.
We will bring you more exciting developments in the field of lawn care technology as they happen.