Hammock + Cold Organic Beer + Hybrid Remote Control Lawnmower = Green, Summertime Bliss
by Eric Leech, New York, NY 
on 05.23.09
You know, I sure hate to mow the grass. It is messy, time consuming, and every time I go to unload the grass clipping, my beer hat falls off my head. There has got to be a better way, and in fact there is. Introducing Southern RobotX, which when compared to the typical ride-on lawnmower, becomes one lean, mean & green, grass cutting machine.
Here's how it works...
The entire grass cutting unit is set on two “tank-like” rotating tread units (commercial models). This enables the lawnmower to tackle just about any type of terrain, including hills and declines as steep as 70 degrees. Instead of the typical handle and acceleration bar (or steering wheel and brake/clutch combo), the unit is operated via a nifty remote control, featuring an easy touch joystick to control where you want it to go.
Now before you get your panties or Captain Planet underoos in a bunch, this is no ordinary lazy, redneck-built, gas hog. It is actually a self-charging hybrid that uses approximately 40 percent less fuel than the standard ride-on lawnmower. It accomplishes this by using a high-torque D.C. electric motor to control the vehicles propulsion. The electric battery is then re-charged by the gas motor which is also used to spin the cutting blades.
Now it is true that a reel push lawnmower would be much better for the environment, but there are a few situations where the Southern Robot X would appear to be quite appropriate. A standard lawnmower can be a safety hazard and difficult challenge for certain individuals, such as the elderly, handicapped, and anyone else with a large portion of lawn loaded with uneven terrain. But this begs the question...
The Verdict
Is this just another form of greenwashed laziness, or a cool, eco-friendly alternative to keeping the jungles in our backyard tame? You be the judge!
More on eco-lawn care
Try These Eco Friendly Grass Varieties for a Greener Lawn
Don't Throw Leaves Away This Fall: 3 Ways to Use Them!
Try These Eco Friendly Grass Varieties for a Greener Lawn
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You get marks for being cleverly lazy on that, but I'll bet if you're planning on drinking beers for the next 20 years you'll be needing the exercise you could have had by getting a manual push mower.
And if your lawn is too big for that, maybe you have too much lawn. You could replace much of it with native species and create an inviting habitat for birds and frogs and other creatures that are pushed out of the city.
Then you could lay in your hammock and still do almost no work and actually have a symbiotic relationship with the earth instead of a parisitic one. Your beer belly might be smaller because of the manual labour you'd get.
A hybrid car or lawnmower is not green, it is only makes things worse at a slower rate than before. I'm not trying to be negative or hypocritcal... only trying to point out that if you're going to innovate, think harder. Don't focus on how you can trim your lawn, focus on why do you even have a lawn. You may find that you'll end up with a much better environment surrounding you.
I believe you have a valid point that this invention could be useful for the elderly or disabled, but I still think it misses the mark and you should push yourself harder on this invention.
Buy a push mower and kill two birds with one stone. It's better for the environment and better for your health.