30 times from spring through fall, while south-
erners may cut their lawns 50 times over a longer
growing season. “In the highest-demand southern
climates, that’s 10 years, worst case, just to get to
80 percent of original capacity,” says Tim Baker,
Ego’s director of product management for outdoor
power equipment.
In terms of the drive system, instead of the com-
plex analog system of belts, pulleys, and gears on
a gas-engine mower, the Ego uses a mechanically
simpler drive-by-wire setup. When the operator
moves the lap bar, position-control sensors provide
input to the drive motors (there’s one sealed motor
at each wheel). Aside from its durability-improving
simplicity, drive-by-wire allows you to fine-tune lap
bar responsiveness. Since there is no such mecha-
nism on a gas-engine mower, you’re subjected to a
learning curve with little help from the machine.
Ego’s designers incorporate three levels of
drive-control: Control, Standard, and Sport. Lap
bar responsiveness is muted slightly in the basic
Control setting. This helps a beginner get the feel
of the machine or helps an experienced user slowly
manipulate the mower in a complex landscape
setting. The Standard setting increases lap bar
responsiveness and is useful for normal yards and
quickly cutting long, straight rows. The Sport set-
ting increases lap bar responsiveness still further
and is for you if you value cutting speed.
The ZT5207 is an expensive machine with a lot
of thoughtful engineering to improve the mowing
process. Its cost reflects that effort and benefits
like quiet, clean, comfortable grass cutting. Will
similar mowers cost less in the future? Probably,
as technology trickles down in the market and as
gas prices soar.
In the April 1970 issue, we
reported on the introduction
of General Electric’s Elec-Trak,
describing the 865-pound
tractor as “cool, quiet, safe,
and vibration free.” James
Liston, the magazine’s execu-
tive editor at the time, noted
that the machine’s high torque
allowed it to mow, plow snow,
till, and bulldoze soil.Four 6-volt lead-acid batter-
ies under the seat, two more
under the hood, an industrial
motor, and a geared trans-
axle provided motive power
and voltage for 36-volt power
tools. In that same issue, we
covered a 12-volt lead-acid
reel mower by Black & Decker,
calling it a “somewhat special-
ized tool for a small, level lot.”WHERE OUR
ELECTRIC MOWER
COVERAGE BEGAN:
GE’S ELEC-TRAK
88 May/June 2022
POPULAR^ MECHANICS^ (MAGAZINE)Big Important
(^15) Product