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I am excited to learn that Ariens, the venerable lawn and garden equipment manufacturer that traces its roots way back into the early 20<sup>th</sup> Century, has joined Hustler Turf in the electric riding mower arena. The <a href=”http://www.ariens.com/” target=”_blank”>Ariens</a> AMP™ Rider shares center stage with <a href=”http://www.grit.com/tools/worlds-first-production-electric-ztr-mower.aspx” target=”_blank”>Hustler Turf’s Zeon</a> all-electric zero-turn mower in a show that’s bound to only get better over time. The all-electric, rear-wheel-drive and front-wheel steer AMP is very much a traditional-style riding mower that delivers as much drive and cutting power as a conventional gas-powered riding mower without the emissions, oil, belts or noise associated with petroleum-powered mowers. </p>
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<p>The AMP features a 34″ wide twin-blade cutting deck with precise quarter-inch height adjustments from 1.5″ to 4.5″. The folks at Ariens say the little machine can cut an acre of lawn in an hour and that it can cut continuously for up to 75 minutes, depending on terrain, grass length and a few other environmental parameters.</p>
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<p>Charging the AMP’s batteries is a 16-hour proposition with the standard charger, but that can be cut to 5 hours with an optional 20-amp charger. And the battery management system automatically shuts off the charger and puts the battery into hibernation mode when a full charge is achieved.</p>
<p>I am excited by the prospect of giving one of these mowers a whirl down on my farm. If I get that chance, you can read all about it in this blog.</p>
<p>For much more on the Ariens AMP, click <a href=”http://www.ampbyariens.com/” target=”_blank”>here</a>.</p>
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<a href=”http://www.grit.com/biographies/oscar-h-will” target=_self>Hank Will</a>
<em> raises hair sheep, heritage cattle and many varieties of open-pollinated corn with his wife, Karen, on their rural Osage County, Kansas farm. His home life is a perfect complement to his professional life as editor in chief at GRIT and Capper’s Farmer magazines. Connect with him on </em>
<a title=Google+ href=”https://plus.google.com/u/0/117459637128204205101/posts” target=_blank rel=author>Google+</a>.</p>