Recharge the garden: Battery and electrical machines that make the cut

We explore battery and corded electrical machines that maintain your lawn more quietly — and are kinder to the planet 

So, this year, I managed to get that first, much-dreaded cut in by the middle of February. I wheeled out the EGO, flipped her over to brush last year’s mulched grass off the blades (checking they were sharp to optimise the efficiency of every watt), plopped in a hearty 40V battery filled from the solar-voltaic panels on the roof, and let the machine drag me quietly to the grass before firing up the deck.

I started at a tippy-toe deck height to slice down the silage and protect any sleepy frogs ambling about.