How many of us give our washing machines a second thought? And why should we? They’re reliable, automatic, hidden away, and quietly serve us when needed, with little fuss or mess.
It was not always so.
Back in the “good ole days”, Maytag (and others) built gasoline engine-powered washing machines because only cities had electricity, yet most Americans lived in rural areas. Just like the other gas-powered machines of that era (cars, trucks and tractors), the washing machine spent its life outsiide the house, either on a porch or in a shed or barn. You had to fill it with gas, check the oil (and change it every so often), and pull start it before you could use it.
What a pain.
Then in the 1930s, President Roosevelt signed into law the Rural Electrification Act, and electricity reached rural farms and communities. The washing machine became an electric “home appliance” and moved indoors. As time marched on, our homes (be it in the city, on the farm, or in the suburbs) filled with more and more electric appliances. However, for outdoor chores, our garages, barns, and sheds filled with gasoline-powered, saws, mowers, trimmers, etc. , which are still just as much of a pain as those ancient washing machines.
So now it’s 2015, and you’re spring cleaning. You’re purging the stuff you 
want out of your life. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could add gas and oil to your purge list? No more noxious gas and oil to mess with, plus a you get a spring cleaning of the air, so to speak.
Guess what? You can do that.
Just shift your reference points and think of your lawn mower, hedge clipper, grass trimmer, leaf blower, etc. as electric appliances. That’s right, electric appliances are moving outdoors and taking over those chores that have always, at least until now, been handled with gasoline- powered tools. They will do the job for the average urban homeowner.
Not convinced or want more information?
Check out this list of companies that are making everything from riding mowers to chainsaws, all electric and cordless:
Stihl, Husqvarna, Toro, Oregon, Cub Cadet, Black & Decker, EGO, Ryobi, GreenWorks, Kobalt, Homelite, WORX, Sun Joe, Earthwise, Remington, Weed Eater, Makita, Neutron, and DR.
You can find them at local independent equipment dealers, as well as at the big box stores. You’ll probably want to check them out where you can try them out.
Local area dealers include: Henderson Turf and Wear, Stark Street Lawn & Garden (6 locations), Cessco, Stihl dealers (check their website for dealer locations), Husqvarna dealers (check their website for dealer locations.
The shift from gasoline engines to cordless electric is not just taking place in the world of yard and garden tools. It’s taking place all around us. Cars, trucks, buses, airplanes, boats, bicycles, motorcycles, and even all-terrain vehicles, are all going electric.
