填空题 A=Honda Mowers
B=Yard-Man Mowers
C=Electric Mowers
Which mowers...
● leave very few clippings behind when bagging? 1
● are cheaper? 2
● are easy to maneuver? 3
● are friendlier to the environment? 4
● were recommended by Maggie Oster? 5
● occupied two of the top four ranked positions? 6
● purchase their parts from different companies? 7
● need rechargeable battery? 8
● are said to have superior engines? 9
● are cheap to maintain and operate? 10
Is there any logical reason for buying a Honda instead of a Yard-Man? After analyzing the experts" advice on buying a lawn mower, and reviewing the reviews, that"s the question we were left with. Nine reviews we found recommend models in the Honda Harmony series ($650 to $800), and if money is no object, any of these self-propelled mowers would be an excellent choice. However, other reviewers say that the Yard-Man self-propelled machines, which cost about half as much ($400), are able to cut, bag, mulch and discharge cuttings just as well as the Hondas.
Experts say the Honda Harmony mowers are sturdy, rear-bagging models that consistently deliver an even cut. These are reported to leave very few clippings behind when bagging, and they distribute clippings evenly when mulching. They"re also easy to maneuver. In a major comparative review, Harmony mowers occupied two of the top four ranked positions. The Yard-Man self-propelled models, however, are cheaper, and they too deliver a consistent cut. Some credible reviewers say these machines bag, mulch and discharge cuttings just as well as the Hondas. In side-by-side testing, the Yard-Man 12A-979L ($400) performed almost as well as mowers costing twice as much, and the 12A-559K and 12A-999L ($400) appeared as top picks in other reviews. To get some perspective on these competing products, we compared the two mower families at MSN. com"s Eshop and other comparison shopping sites, and saw no major differences between them. We pitted the top-rated Honda HRB2ISK3SXA ($800) against the Yard-Man 12A-559K ($350), which was recommended by Maggie Oster in a National Gardening Association article. The results showed that the Honda outweighs the Yard-Man in only one aspect—number of speed settings. The Honda has three speeds while the Yard-Man has only one. Another Yard-Man, the 12A-999L, which was covered favorably by both Oster and Consumer Guide, has twice as many speed settings as the Honda, yet costs half as much. Some of the Yard-Man machines have the edge in other aspects, too. Our comparisons showed that the 12A-999L has a more powerful engine, allows for more levels of adjustability, and has higher rear wheels, which make it easier to maneuver in tall grass.
Since we still weren"t convinced that one group of mowers was intrinsically better than the other, we called representatives at both Honda and Yard-Man. Honda representatives said Honda engines are inherently superior because they are built by Honda, with Honda parts, whereas YardMan purchases parts from several different companies. Honda reps also referred to their own company"s reputation as "an engine company". The representatives at MTD (manufacturer of YardMan mowers) admitted that they actually use Honda motors in some of their more expensive, commercially-oriented lines, so there may be something to Honda"s claim that its motors and parts are better engineered. In any case, Honda lawn mowers are popular among both professional.
There is, however, another kind of mowers—electric lawn mowers. They are very environment friendly—they generate zero emission and do not pollute the environment. They come with a long cord or they can be powered by a rechargeable battery. So it is quite cheap to operate. They also require very little maintenance. Electric lawn mowers are better for small to medium sized lawns. Such mower can"t clean bigger sized lawns—these are ideal if you have less than 1 acre of lawn. They have a limited length of cord—few mowers come with more than 100 feet long wire, so are limited to mowing a lawn that is less than 100 feet from a power outlet.