Spring Tools and Yard Tech

home0302yard_A1.gif POWER TO GO:
New lawn tractors from John Deere (above) and Craftsman (below) integrate 120-volt electric outlets (above, inset).

View Photo Gallery

Spring is just around the corner, and so are all the lawn and garden chores it brings. But with these new high-tech tools, your yardwork will not only be easier, it may actually be-dare we say it?-fun.




It's a Lawnmower, It's a Portable Generator



Think of Craftsman's Powerlink ($3,999) and John Deere's GT235E ($5,549) lawn tractors as the world's biggest batteries-plug your corded tools into the tractors' built-in outlets and they become as nomadic as their gasoline counterparts. Both tractors feature
a Briggs & Stratton engine with an extra-powerful alternator, providing
as much as 1,500 watts of 120-volt AC power, perfect for that take-along television or fridge. Oh yeah, they cut grass too.




A Blower That's Good in the Corners




Cross a crazy straw with a leaf blower and you end up with Black & Decker's Flex Tube Blower/Sweeper, which is designed to give you precise control-via a joystick-like handle-over what you're blowing or sucking. It seems like a small advance on the surface, but the tool saves some real time in tight corners and odd crevices. Price: around $50.




The Perfect Finishing Touch




Nothing says yard pro like perfectly edged grass around the
driveway and sidewalk, something Toro's new 10-inch cordless edger-trimmer makes easy. No tools are needed-you merely press a trigger on the handle and turn the cutting mechanism 90 degrees. You can also adjust cutting width-10 inches for edging and 8 inches for trimming. Price: $89.