Pinch of Salt: Dealing with modern

We had a death in the family Sunday.

No need to dig out your sympathy cards, though. The dearly departed was my electric lawnmower.

Allow me to offer a bit of explanation. I became an adult in the age of tree huggers and Ewell Gibbons (an outdoorsman and early health food advocate who made the gravelly GrapeNuts cereal a generational favorite in the early 1970s).

When I bought our north Long Beach home 23 years ago in preparation for marrying Maria (and her kids), I vowed not to use combustible engine tools to care for the yard – no gas lawn mowers for me. I went after a battery-powered model, which was severely underpowered and took forever to complete my large yard, but it got the job done.

Unfortunately, the technology wasn’t too advanced two decades ago. Rechargeable batteries only recharged a few times before becoming unusable lumps. Incompatible “next generation” chargers and batteries meant a new lawnmower an average of every two years.

Yes, I know I’m slow, but I finally figured out that the real issue wasn’t the mower, but the source of power. I was having similar problems with my battery-operated drills, screwdrivers, etc.

But my old plug-it-in drill was chugging along just fine. It took a 20-foot extension cord to get to where the drilling needed to be done more often than not, but that was a minor purchase.

So I went hunting for a plug-in lawnmower.

They were few and far between. Home Depot had one, but it only cut a 12-inch path. If I remember right, Lowe’s had a 14-incher, but it was crazy expensive.

I had recently succumbed to the pleasures of online shopping – specifically, Amazon Prime. So I figured there was no harm in checking that out.

Jackpot.

There on the first page of options was a 20-inch, 12-Amp model with the great name Greenworks. It had good reviews, and a track record of reliability.

I think that might have been the first thing I had purchased through Amazon. I discovered I could use points accumulated from credit card purchases, hotels stays and the like. Bottom line, my new lawnmower cost a total of $2. Honest.

It showed up a couple of days later, and took a half-hour or so to assemble. I opted for the mulching configuration, meaning the clippings are pushed back into the grass – better for the grass, and no organic waste.

I had already purchased a 100-foot extension cord, so I was mowing the lawn the same day. Over the years (seven or eight if I remember correctly), the biggest problem I’ve had is running over the cord. I replaced plugs twice, and the cord was closer to 90 feet than 100 by the time I replaced the whole thing before I figured out how to avoid cutting the cord (called paying attention).

I’ll admit that I’ve noticed a little more trouble recently getting through the thick grass, and an issue or two starting occasionally. But it came as a surprise Sunday when, after cutting half the back lawn and stopping to move the extension cord, it wouldn’t restart.

I committed the cardinal sin of deciding to take the starter apart to see if I could fix it. Two parts sort of jumped out the second I opened the casing. I could hear the funeral dirge in my head.

I conducted the search for a replacement the same afternoon. Wonder of wonders, I found the same Greenworks machine, with upgrades.

It’s going to cost a bunch more than $2, but I’m feeling good about this – dare I say it? – cloning experiment.

Now if I can just get Maria to stop cursing my tools. My 10-year-old weed-whacker died two weeks ago. It has to be the wife’s fault, right?

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