You roll the lawnmower out of the garage, tank it up with a very exact mixture of gas and oil, pull the crank cord . . . and NOTHING. The engine turns but doesn’t catch. You jerk and jerk. You feel a hernia coming on, and your head is pounding. There go the best laid plans to groom the yard.

If you’re tired of dealing with gas powered yard tools, then consider electric.

Any tool that comes in (or can be converted to) a gas version can be purchased as an electric model. Hedge trimmers seem to be the most popular electric-start items, but lawnmowers, string trimmers, pruners, chain saws and even tillers come in electric versions.

In the past, electric yard tools were often shunned due to a lack of power. Today, the juice has been turned up. A typical electric lawnmower now boasts equivalent power to a 5-horsepower gas mower. That's pretty decent push, though electric models still tend to be a bit less "Mac truck" than gas. If you need to bush hog your yard, then you probably want to go with gas.

If you have typical yard chores to complete, then the chief downside to using electric is the cord. With bigger yards, the cord won’t reach to the far edges. Most models recommend a 50 foot cord or less. It's possible to join long cords, but piggbacking is not recommended for safety reasons.

Even in small yards, it takes some time to work out a pattern that keeps the cord behind the work area and not in front where the cord can be cut by blades. After a few runs, most users adjust to the constraints and learn how to section out the work area and to pattern the space for the least amount of irritation. There are drop cord holders on the marekt which may be attractive. Those roll and lift the cord preventing tangles and also keeping the cord up in view.