What Happens If You Use A Battery Lawn Mower In The Rain?

When your grass is overgrown and in need of a cut but it's raining cats and dogs outside, is it okay to pull out your lawn mower for a quick trim? Regardless of the type of mower you have, it's not recommended to operate it while it's raining. This is especially the case when it comes to corded or battery-powered machines. As is the case with most electronics and water, it's best to not use a battery lawn mower in the rain to avoid damaging it, yourself, and your lawn. Waiting until the sun returns and the grass is mostly dry to start cutting is a good habit to get into to keep your lawn lush and well-manicured. It also helps keep your yard maintenance equipment in tip-top shape. If the weather pulls a fast one on you and it starts drizzling after you've hauled your equipment out, a quick trim with a gas-operated mower is doable, albeit not ideal. However, cutting wet grass with a battery-operated one is always a no-go.

Using any mower after it rains is one of many common mistakes everyone makes when mowing the lawn. While it's not recommended to cut wet grass, taking your gas, electric, or battery-run equipment out for a spin post-rainfall is slightly better than mowing while it rains. Like most electric and battery-operated devices, exposing them to water is not the best idea. Water conducts electricity, so when it interacts with anything electrical, it causes the electrical energy to flow right through it, leading to short circuits, fires, or electric shocks that could be lethal.

Using a corded lawn mower while it's raining is absolutely not the safest choice. Operating battery lawn mowers in the rain is just as risky, but more to the equipment than the person operating it. Since most battery lawn mowers are cordless, the risk of the user being electrocuted while using one in the rain is relatively low when compared to their corded counterparts. The lower risk of electrocution doesn't mean it's impossible to be electrocuted, however. Running your battery lawn mower in heavy rain or through pools of water can still pose a hazard to the person operating the machinery if water gets into the electrical components inside of the mower. 

While battery-powered lawn mowers may seem okay to run in the rain since they are not directly connected to an electrical outlet, the wireless equipment still has electrical components inside of it. When exposed to water, these components and the battery itself can get damaged. Water exposure can cause the battery to rust and lose efficiency by forcing it to discharge faster. The battery can also fail to hold a charge or just not produce the power needed to start the mower if exposed to water. Likewise, other parts inside the lawn mower can malfunction if water seeps into the machinery. Blades can rust, making them inefficient and ultimately useless at cutting grass. The motor can also get damaged if exposed to water.