Question of the Week: Why do you use a gasoline, electric, battery-operated, or push lawn mower?
Posted on August 18th, 2008 - 10:30 AMEach week we ask a question related to the environment. Please let us know your thoughts as comments. Feel free to respond to earlier comments or post new ideas. Previous questions.
For many, mowing the lawn is a summertime fact of life. We cut the grass in different ways, each of which varies in its convenience and how it can affect the environment.
Why do you use a gasoline, electric, battery-operated, or push lawn mower?
En español: Cada semana hacemos una pregunta relacionada al medio ambiente. Por favor comparta con nosotros sus pensamientos y comentarios. Siéntase en libertad de responder a comentarios anteriores o plantear nuevas ideas. Preguntas previas.
Para muchos, el cortar el césped es una actividad veraniega común. Cortamos el césped de varias maneras, cada una varía en su conveniencia y cómo puede afectar el medio ambiente.
¿Por qué usa una cortadora de césped a base de gasolina, que funciona a base de baterías, o cortadora de cuchillas tradicional?
Tags: Lawn, Question of the Week, Spanish
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Question of the Week
August 18th, 2008 at 11:23 am
I use a 2008 Cordless Homelite 20″ electric mower. I love it. It cuts like a dream, keeps a charge through two mowings and is much quieter than a gas-powered model. My favorite thing is that I can mow and not have to change my clothes due to the smell of gasoline fumes.
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August 18th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
I have been using an electric lawn mower now for 3 years. The cost of purchasing a lawn mower is cheaper than hiring someone to mow your lawn. With an electric there is no maintenance required. With a gas lawnmower you have to have gas and oil and other engine related parts maintained. I have a piece of land that is about a quarter of an acre - so my electric is all I need. I have one 100 foot extension cord and it works well. I also have other electric equipment for the yard - edger, hedge trimmer, blower. I love that things are completely maintenance free! Would highly recommend this to anyone!
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August 18th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Only an electric one. I don’t use any gas powered landscape tools, because they are such bad polluters.
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August 18th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
The answer to this question is really quite simple. The primary reason is that gasoline powered tools are more powerful than electric powered tools and will cut through anything of substance faster and with more reliability than electric powered tools. In the case of battery powered tools you also don’t have to worry about getting half done and having to wait 8 hours to recharge.
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August 18th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Gas powered rider due to 2 acres of grass, that if not mowed would turn into rasberry bushes, thorns and small trees, within weeks of not mowing.
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August 18th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
I use a gas powered mower because that’s what I have and I can’t afford to replace it. Besides, man isn’t going to destroy the world and global warming is a natural occurance. There is tons of evidence it’s happened before. And now they’re building a big bucks industry out of it and too many people are naive enough to fall for it. These “green” companies are going to make a mint off of stupid people.
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Willi Es reply on August 18, 2008 2:11 pm:
Did you know that an average gas-powered lawnmower expels as much pollutants in one hour of operation as a car driving 650 miles?
—(Source: Roger Westerholm, Ph.D., Stockholm University, ENS 31may01)
Minette, think about that for a second. Small acts by each of us add up to big results overall. living in denial of our combined impact will not do our children any good down the line. It’s time to stop being selfish and pull our heads out of the sand, or wherever it may be stuck.
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Richard reply on August 19, 2008 8:23 am:
Willi Es
What are you calling pollutants? It can’t be carbon dioxide, because the chemistry just doesn’t work.
You fill the gas tank of a lawnmower with a quarter gallon of gasoline for an hour’s worth of mowing.
At 25 miles to the gallon, a car will use 26 gallons to drive 650 miles.
That’s 104 times the CO2 emitted by an hour’s use of a lawnmower!
By the way, the electic mower uses electricity and thus uses natural gas, fuel oil or coal in the process. So electric mowers are not entirely emission free.
We need to get a handle on the overall energy balance if we want to soto really understand this problem.
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Willi Es reply on August 19, 2008 10:08 am:
Richard, good point. I should have clarified as to what pollutants I was referring: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Of course there is more carbon, by weight, in 26 gallons of petroleum than there is .25 gal. But even with the new four stroke, catalytic-converter supplied mower engines, they still put out as much PAHs as a modern car traveling about a hundred miles.
On another note, even when I’m pushing my reel mower, I, too, am expelling CO2. So there actually is no current way around the global warming gas production thing!
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Scott reply on August 18, 2008 2:33 pm:
Minette -
I agree with you that global warming is a natural occurance and “green” companies are trying to make a fortune from it. This is similiar to a former vice-president paying $30,000 a month for electricity and then buying carbon credits. If he did not use that much electricity, he would not need to purchase carbon credits. Talk about a Hypocrite!
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Andrea reply on August 19, 2008 11:47 am:
Even if you do consider global warming to be a natural occurrence I would think that the air quality would give you pause. I used to live approximately 100 miles from a large city. Within 20 years time the air quality went from being nice and clear to smoggy from all that particulate pollution in the air. And, there is great scientific evidence that particulate matter, especially fine particulate matter is a health hazard.
In regard to your comment about green companies fleecing the flock, I do agree with you. Same with “all natural” products. Mercury is “all natural” but I don’t think I want to sprinkle my meals with it.
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August 18th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
My sons were young when we had the house built. They did not want the smell of gas in the garage. We turned to an electric mower but I did not want a cord. A nicad battery driven mower was the answer. It solved so many problems and does a great job. Now that energy is a factor, it seems that we were ahead of the curve; no mess, no emissions, no gas, and of course a renewable energy source
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August 18th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
I use a Neuton electric lawn mover. Almost noiseless, one battery lasted five years. A terrific lawn lawn mover.
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August 18th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
I use a slingblade. It takes a little longer to cut my 10 acre lot but it is extremely fuel efficient and a great work out.
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michellew@firstregional.org reply on August 18, 2008 1:50 pm:
Wow! You inspire me for sure! I will look into gettting a blade :).
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August 18th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
I use a 2005 Kubota 3130 and a 72″ finish mower as I have 4 acres not planted in crop and I think my cord would run out or battery would die if I used electric. I see the ATV tow behind finish mowers but why run two engines when the single prime mover in the tractor can mow and cover most any other need on my property with the correct attachment.
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August 18th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Diesel and BALE IT…. why would you have a yard if you weren’t pasturing animals on it?!??!?!?!?
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Matt reply on August 18, 2008 1:39 pm:
Because of the greenhouse gasses they emmit (i.e. methane & CO2)!
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August 18th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
I use a push mower. The great thing about the push mower is that I’m getting more exercise, it cuts great, saves time, and had a one time cost. I do not have to pay for gas (or load up a gas tank, drive to the gas station, pay for gas, drive back, pour it into the lawn mower, etc…) I can literally mow the lawn whenever I choose the noise wont wake the neighbors and I don’t have to wait for it to charge or worry about if its going to run out of gas. No pollution makes this mower even better!
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Willi Es reply on August 18, 2008 2:15 pm:
Me too! Just don’t let it get too long, huh. Reelers just push the grass over when that happens…
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Joan reply on August 18, 2008 5:00 pm:
Yah, I also use a new, lightweight “reel” pushmower, it’s a nice little workout on my sloped yard. Willi is right; dandelions just bend over and spring right back up if they get too long. However, bees like dandelions, I’d rather see them in my lawn than pour chemicals into the ground.
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August 18th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
I use a gas riding mower and a gas push mower because of the simplicity of it. Never really thought of using electric mowers…..
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August 18th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
I use a corded electric push mower because it’s quiet, requires no gas or oil, doesn’t need to tuned up or winterized, and I never have to drive to the gas station half way through a mowing. I love not have a gas can in my garage.
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August 18th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
I use a gasoline-powered riding mower because we have an acre of lawn and back when I used to use a gasoline-powered push mower, it would take pretty much all day to do the whole lawn. That’s not so bad if it’s 70 degrees or less, but in 90-degree, humid weather like we have in July and August, it can make you sick, literally. I know it isn’t the best thing to use, environmentally speaking, but in a practical sense, it’s necessary as long as it’s available.
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August 18th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
I use lawn mower because I want my grass to be shorter, and yelling “stop growning!” at the top of my lungs just hasn’t seemed to work.
I find that using a power mower minimizes pain and suffering to the plants because it happens so fast the individual blades of grass don’t even have a chance to scream before it is all over.
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Dale Armstrong reply on August 18, 2008 6:47 pm:
Don’t cut so close to the quick and they won’t scream.
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August 18th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
I use a gas powered, electric start, self propelled. It is what i have and works great. I have a sloped back yard. I have looked at a new push non powered mower from the Depot, and may get one for my one yard that is flat.
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August 18th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
I began using a battery operated electric lawn mower last year. It is quieter than a gasoline powered mower, cheaper to operate, and does not pollute the neighborhood with air pollutants resulting from the burning of gasoline.
Another advantage - my wife likes to mow the lawn with it since it is much lighter and easier to maneuver than our old gasoline mower.
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Stephenie reply on August 19, 2008 8:19 am:
Richard, I’d like to know what brand of mower you have? The reason I use a gas powered mower is because it is self-propelled and doesn’t require much “pushing” on my end. I would like an electric but have found they are very heavy because of the battery weight. Is it possible to get an electric that is self-propelled?
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August 18th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
I use a push mower because I didn’t want gas and I know I would run over the cord on an electric. And the push mower was cheap to buy. I haven’t found that it cuts great. The weeds just get run over and not cut so I still have to bust out the electric weed whacker or the clippers. (I obviously don’t use weed and feed or other chemicals so my lawn is a mix of grass and weeds).
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August 18th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
I mow about 5 acres on my property so a gas-powered mower is the only practical option. Why doesn’t someone market a reasonably-priced hybrid riding lawn mower. With the price of gas they would be very attractive to consumers? Honda makes mowers and tillers so why can’t they adapt their hybrid technology that they use in their cars to these pieces of equipment?
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August 18th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
There is no reason why one could not use a push lawnmower for small yards such as apt. buildings and such. The electric is a great alternative for small to medium yards. For large areas and problem overgrown areas it simply comes down to power and convenience for a gas model. Having to worry about tangles in areas that have lots of obstacles and huge lengths heavy cord is simply inconvenient. Until battery technology becomes better and lighter, gas will continue to be the workhorse for heavy and commercial applications.
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August 18th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
I have a push reel mower and a gas walk-behind mower. My yard is about .5 acre. I use the reel mower for quick touch ups and I love it, but it doesn’t cut very evenly, especially if the grass is a little long. I don’t like the gas mower for many reasons, but it does a better job.
I have an electric trimmer with a battery and I like that but it is definitely not as powerful as a gas trimmer and I can only do half the yard before the battery dies.
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August 18th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
We moved to a forested neighborhood on a drinking water reservoir in 1992, where most of the lawns are natural. I did not want neighbors with manicured lawns to worry about, but many have since cut down the trees and planted grass, what a shame. I agree, why have grass if nothing is grazing on it !!!!
We have very little mowing to do, but it has been done with electric mowers since we moved here. This year the electric mower was replaced with a battery powered one. I do not like storing gasoline in a garage, too many accidents, fires and spilled chemicals which wind up in our soil and drinking water.
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August 18th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
I don’t use a lawmower. I have no grass. My backyard is all natural with a forest floor and 15 douglas firs. The front has paving stones and steppable plants. My feet do the mowing. I only keep flower beds in the front to minimize watering. Vegatable grow in the back year. They are the only thing that gets watered in the back is the veggies. Once a year, I have to weed eat some areas of the back yard.
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Anonymous reply on August 19, 2008 10:54 am:
How wonderful of you…but you didn’t answer the question.
Battery, gas or electric?
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August 18th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
We mow approx. 3 of 12 acres around the house with a diesel tractor with a mowing attacment to the PTO. We mow this as we have so much swamp land around us, that keeping some of it mowed cuts down on the black flies and other bugs. As for an alternative, we use diesel out of convenience - no one wants to spend 2 hours mowing once or twice a week with a push mower after working 12 to 13 hours a day, and the cost of an electric mower is beyond our means now as we own the tractor.
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August 18th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
I’ve used gas for the last 16 years because due to common use and electric and battery types were too weak for the job, or just not available without a steep up front cost.
I recently moved out of town and could no longer take care of my mother’s lawn and the kids today are too lazy to want to earn a quick buck. Well she couldn’t get the lawn mower started with the pull start, so we got a Homelite battery lawnmower and she now cuts the lawn, enjoys the exercise, and truly seems to like cutting the lawn. Even the neighbor, an older woman, uses the my mom’s lawnmower. It’s light, no gas to spill, no oil to check, no air filter to replace, the height is adjustable by one lever, it’s quieter, and best yet, it’s starts with a grip of a lever. I personally was going to buy one for myself but now have my mom’s pull start. Global warming may have had it’s natural occurrences, but its the great accumulation of the small things like this that can make our environment cleaner and healthier for everyone.
For smaller yards, I highly recommend a electric or battery lawnmower… even the corded snow blowers work great too.
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Willi Es reply on August 18, 2008 2:18 pm:
“Global warming may have had it’s natural occurrences, but its the great accumulation of the small things like this that can make our environment cleaner and healthier for everyone.”
Nicely put.
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August 18th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
I’m using a gas mower now, but when it dies, or gets real close, i’ll replace it with an electric cordless. Austin offers rebates to switch from gas to electric mowers, but I hate to create waste until necessary. Plus, Austin has a mowing season of about 9 months, so grass cutting is close to continuous, putting real stress on mowing equipment. It’s important to buy quality stuff, so you can maximize it’s use.
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August 18th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
I use a gas powered mower because it was what we could afford. I won’t replace it until it becomes irreparable. Depending on our age, lot size and health when that happens, we might go electric, we might go push.
Our weed whacker is electric.
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August 18th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
I use a corded electric lawn mower. I was new to home maintainence 1 year back. Went to a store and asked the sales person for help. His suggestion for a smaller lawn was electric as it was maintainence free. Also I was not a do it yourself kind of person, so maintaining a gas operated one was a big hassle for me.
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August 18th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
I use a push mower and it only takes me about 10 minutes. I replaced the vast majority of my turfgrass with vegetables, herbs, and beautiful native plantings. The lawn was not doing anything for me or our environment and I just got tired of mowing it over and over and over again.
Now I have a lower-maintenance yard full of food and happy critters and insects.
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August 18th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
I use a gas push mower because it is easy and does the job well. I did make sure to purchase a mulching mower with the specific purpose of keeping clippings out of the landfills.
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August 18th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
My husband got an electric mower in a giveaway program. He never thought to get one because he thought they could not handle a heavy mow job. Well it can, plus it is very quiet and fume free. He loves it. He loves the way it operates: It cuts off when you let go of the lever, starts when you squeeze lever. It’s like a giant razor that cuts grass not hair.
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Stephenie reply on August 19, 2008 8:26 am:
May I ask what brand of electric mower you have? I’m in the market. Also, does it mulch?
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August 18th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
I have used a cordless mower; and corded and cordless electrical equipment for about four years. I installed a small ~100 watt solar panel system to power the equipment and recharge the batteries. On occasion I also use a human powered push mower. Unless you have a large area to mow (>1/2 acre) the cordless mower will do the job (we just need to develop a better battery). I have children and grand children so I’m just trying minimize my impact on the blue marble.
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Stephenie reply on August 19, 2008 8:28 am:
What kind of solar panel do you recommend and where can I get instructions on how to install it myself? Or is it cheap enough to pay someone to install it?
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August 18th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
I use a gas Cub Cadet with a 46″ blade. I mow a couple acres just so the wild animals don’t come in too close. I have a push mower for around the porch and a gas weedeater for the steps and fence rows.
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August 18th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
I mow one smaller property (0.2 acre) with an old-fashioned reel-type no-motor-but-me push mower. I needed something that wouldn’t be stolen, so it had to either be non-gas-powered to store in the house, or weather impervious so it could be chained and locked to the steps. I tried an electric mower, but it was a $270 mistake. It quit completely after just three mows–what an utter waste of money. Dragging the cord around all of the trees, bushes, and other plantings was a real bother, too. The reel type mower cost less, requires no power or gasoline, has required no maintenance other than blade sharpening, and it has served faithfully there for going on seven years now. The neighbors laughed at me when I bought it, but they stopped finally after the first two years, and now they might even be envious with the rising gasoline costs.
Now, for the larger property, the 1.1 acre one, we use a 20″ swath gasoline engine push mower on the 2/3 acre part around the house and outbuildings. Yes, it takes a few hours to mow the lawn, but we couldn’t justify the initial cost or the gasoline usage for 14 hp, 18 hp, 24 hp, or more just to mow grass. The pasture is taken care of by the poultry and livestock. I tried the reel type mower here, but it’s just too uneven and rough to mow the lawn well with the reel type. I trim with old-fashioned hand-powered grass shears around the curbings and such, and use old-fashioned hand-powered loppers to trim bushes, hedge, and such. And, I have been using an old-fashioned shovel and spade to fill in those holes that make the lawn so uneven and rough, so maybe the reel type will be usable here, too.
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August 18th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
I use a 26 hp riding mower (gasoline) because when I purchased my house it came with a 6 acre maintained lawn. However, over the past 3-4 years I have been able to reduce the mowed surface to about 2.5 acres. I have let some areas go back to native grasses along with some perennial plantings and flowering trees. When I look to replace, I will select the most logical, efficient chose available.
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August 18th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
cough cough gasp gasp…. as I suck in the exhaust fumes from my gasoline mower, gasoline edger, gasoline weed whacker, and gasoline leaf blower……
I won’t touch an electric lawnmower as my dad had one with a cord around 1977-1979 and I can’t remember exactly how many times one of us cut that electric cord. But the good news was, we didn’t have to worry about how long the battery life would be like the yoyo models out today. The thing had no power and we had to cut the grass several times until we could get it low enough. I sure hope technology has improved. Of course, you could always argue the blade was dull because of the frequency of chopping that power cord.
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August 18th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
I use gasoline powered mower, edger, and blower because electric does not provide the power needed for my lawn (I’ve tried). I do use an electric hedge trimmer.
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August 18th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
I use a push mower mainly for the convenience of not having to deal with a gasoline or electric mower, i.e., fueling up or charging. I live in Southern California, so I also do it to cut down on air pollution. The neighbors think it’s odd, however, and periodically a well-meaning soul will offer to give me their old gas-powered mower.
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August 18th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Just the cheapest gas powered Briggs and Stratton push mower. I know they pollute. I would rather have electric or another way…but I do an acre in Mississippi that grows FAST if it is raining and gets away from me, that is my justification…..
I should do better, but being a single mom, low on funds here and just a practical choice. I do keep it going well, change oil, etc…..It was 140 and a 270 for electric I am not familiar is a big jump for me, but if I saw one that worked….or small yard would go for it for sure!
My grass is country grass…also forget the 24D folks!!!!! Weed killers are 1/2 of agent orange back in the day, same chem, same endocrine disruptor, same dioxins….
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August 18th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
iv seen a solar powered lawn mower that lasts for up to 8 hours, and i dont think anyone would cut their lawn for more than 8 hours at a time, its a save on petrol (im english) and electricity so, even if it is a bit more money you save lots by using natural resorces, yay
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john reply on August 19, 2008 1:07 pm:
what are the specifics on such a mower. I haven’t heard of such a thing and wouldn’t have thought you could push a mower that could hold a charge for 8 hours of use.
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August 18th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Gasoline because my goats ran away last year with my x wife.
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August 18th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
I now use a gasoline powered mower. I purchased three electric mowers in the past and burnt each one of them up trying to cut the thick grass I have. The lasted two years each. I had a gasoline powered lawnmower that lasted twenty-one (21) years in the past. A little TLC and it just goes and goes. Unfortunately, until their are some major improvements in electric motors, I will stick to gasoline.
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August 18th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
I use gas simply because of the power issue and the fact that I need a self-propelled mower that can take a hilly lawn. I wish I could have a cordless electric self-propelled mower…maybe a fuel cell!
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August 18th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
I use a lawnmower because it is easier to cut the grass than to spray pesticides to kill weeds or get cited for not maintaining the yard.
Personally, I would prefer to use animals to graze my acre of city yard. If I divided the yard into 2-3 grazing zones with some woven wire fence, all I would need would be a few sheep to keep the yard trimmed without any yard maintenance. However, the Atlanta City Ordnance prohibits farm animals from being in the city so I am not able to do this. I did this previously on 5 acres in Buford, GA and my sheep actually kept the property beautiful. The grass was trimmed perfectly and they removed all brambles, thorny bushes, kudzu and other tree-killing vines.
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August 18th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Years ago I decided I would go electric. I was sick of the hassel of getting gas and the maintenance of gas lawnmowers. Electrics are much quieter (the neighbors like that, too), and my son’s asthma could do without the air pollutants. I found I quickly got used to the cord (tip: start near the plug and work your way away from it). Best part was that I got my Black and Decker mower at a tag sale for twenty bucks and it lasted me almost ten years! Now I’m scouting the tag sales for another one!
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August 18th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
I have had both an electric (Black and Decker) and a gas model (Toro). The gas-powered unit is more powerful. I have also had to fix each one. Unfortunately, an electric motor is more difficult to put back together successfully (too many springs). This is why I had to buy a new mower!
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August 18th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
I have use a gas powered push mower for years, but I recently bought a non-motorized reel mower for two reasons. First, it really give you a good workout out, both arms and legs. Secondly, I can listen to my iPod without damaging my ears (i.e. I don’t have to turn it up to hear it over the sound of the mower engine). It makes mowing the grass much more enjoyable. I have to use ear plugs with the powered mower.
There are a couple of caveats. I do have to mow more frequently (not a problem because I like the exercise) and the reel mower does not mulch leaves and such. However the clippings are small enough that I don’t bother raking the grass. Now I only use the power mower when the grass gets too long or its too wet to use the reel mower. If you’re interested, I ordered mine from Amazon for less than $100.
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August 18th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
I use a gasoline mower because it has the power that I need. In comparison to an electric mower, it is more efficient. Additionally, the electric cord is a nuisance and a hassle.
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August 18th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
I live in Southwest Florida and use a self-propelled gas lawnmower (6.5 hp 21″ cut). The typical lawn grass here is St. Augustine. In my native state of KY, we call it “crabgrass” and usually kill it. It is the only thing that grows here in the sandy soil. I tried a push mower when I moved here and gave up on that right away. It was like pushing through swamp mud. The self-propelled model moves right through it. I cannot imagine what a chore it would be to use a manual, rotary mower. That would be a real “Iron Man” task.
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August 18th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Because my goat died
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August 18th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
I’m waiting on a compressed air mower, until then I’ll just use my scythe.
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August 18th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
I put in as small of a lawn as possible when I moved in. I originally had a gas powered mower that was given to me. After many feable attempts at starting it, and inconvenient trips to the gas station, I decided that my arm and I both needed a break and bought a Black and Decker cordless at a county sponsored ‘dump your gas mower’ event. I would often go into the office on Monday with a sore arm, which made the frequent intensive desktop publishing that I do bothersome. I’ve had mine for 7 years and would never go back!
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August 18th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
I use an electric mower because I’m stupid. My yard is too big for a corded mower (and it’s not that big). I got the corded mower because the battery-powered mower didn’t develop enough torque. Well, the corded one doesn’t, either, leaving tufts of grass uncut. That means I have to push the mower more slowly, I have to constantly keep moving the cord out of the way, and I have to go back over parts that didn’t cut. What takes 45 minutes with a gasoline mower takes two hours to cut with the electric. I’m proud of my environmental contribution, but I’d buy a battery mower next time if the makers have been able to increase the torque.
–Dale Armstrong, EPA press officer retired
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August 18th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
I am using a gasoline engine driven mower because I can’t afford to buy anything else. I would like to have an old fashion push mower.
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August 18th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
Because I do not have a CHOICE to buy E85 which is cleaner and better for the environment. I would use E85 in my lawnmower and my car if I could buy it.
I believe the Federal Government should just Mandate that every gasoline station (180,000 of them) must sell E85 and Natural Gas alongside gasoline. Gasoline is a toxic waste and for every gallon gas you burn you only use 25% of the energy, the other 75% goes out the tailpipes and out of lawnmowers also. Alcohol before gasoline used to be the fuel of choice and gasoline was the alternative. Rockefeller used to dump tons of gasoline into the rivers just to get rid of it. Now we are addicted to oil and especially foreign oil and as Americans we all should be screaming to tell our government to do something right now. We should not be funding terrorists from other countries and one glitche in the oil anywhere in the world will just crumble our economy, if it isn’t bad enough already. I like the “Open Fuel Standards Act” Boone Pickens is absolutely correct. We cannot keep spending and sending $700 billion a year out of our country. He says use it all! Wind, solar, natural gas, ethanol, biodiesel, electric and whatever else we can come up. Our men, women, children and grandchildren are depending on us so they do not have to fight wars over who’s got the Oil.
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Les Pace reply on August 19, 2008 8:02 am:
E-85 causes more polution and is less efficient than regular no lead
gas. The problem is three fold; one, the high cost to produce alcohol,
the amount of air borne pollutants produced in production, and the
low efficiency in the burn. This was proven in 1974 when the same program was promoted and failed.
Lessons learned but forgotten.
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August 18th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
I HAVE ALL ELECTRIC YARD TOOLS EXCEPT MY 42″ ZERO TURN RIDER AND WILL SWITCH TO ELECT. RIDER MOWER AS SOON AS MODERNELECTRICTRACTORS.COM STARTS SELLING ONE-HOPEFULLY THIS FALL.
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August 19th, 2008 at 7:26 am
I have been using an electric (cord) or Battery (cordless) lawnmower for about 15 years. My current lawn is about 1/3 Ac. At times I do have to wait for a recharge to cut the entire lawn, however that is not much of an inconvenience. I switched because of the noise and exhaust from the gas powered equipment. The only gas powered yard equipment we have now is a snow blower. I only use that for the deep or heavy snow. I usually shovel. So far 1-gallon of gas is all I use in winter. Oh, by the way for the past 9-years the snow average has been about 80-inches where I live, with 3-years having over 100-inches.
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August 19th, 2008 at 7:52 am
Lawn Mowing: with 2 1/2 acres of lawn, I have not found any better way than a gas or diesel powered lawn mower, have both.
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August 19th, 2008 at 7:56 am
I mentioned that I wanted an old school manual lawnmower and a coworker said that he had one stuffed in his parent’s garage. He gave it to me and I have used it several times this Summer to snip my grass. All it takes is a little muscle but no petroleum product, noise, or emission!
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August 19th, 2008 at 9:20 am
Electric yard tools are not powerful enough and inconvenient if you have a cord. You can add to that for other yard tools like a power washer, chain saw, log splitter and snow blower. You could cut and split logs for the wood stove by hand but that takes a lot of time and work, besides heating your house with wood saves a lot of gas and oil and with modern wood stoves they emit a lot less pollutants. The wood would just rot and carbon dioxide would be emitted as the wood decomposes. Cutting grass by hand is a lot of work too. It is best to naturalize you lawn and reduce the amount of lawn to mow. Gas powered snow blowers are often the only option if you have a lot to shovel and live in a place that gets a lot of snow.
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August 19th, 2008 at 9:43 am
I use a gas mower and prefer the hassle-free schedule of cutting when I feel like it, not having to be concerned with a charged up battery or a trailing cord wagging behind me. A gallon or two of gas usually outlasts the season. I would probably like a manual pushmower like I used in grandma’s back yard though I remember it to be very heavy and required a good deal of strength. Certain yards are simply not accommodating to a pushmower.
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August 19th, 2008 at 9:51 am
We use a mechanical push reel lawn mower (the old fashioned kind). Our yard is small. It is a bit more work than a powered mower, but I feel good not relying on fossil fuels for my lawn.
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August 19th, 2008 at 10:33 am
Same small gas-powered mower for nearly 20 years. Still works beautifully so it may be around for another 20. But I use it less and less. Each year we try to eliminate a little grass. In place of the grass, we put in bushes, native wild flowers, groundcover (mostly pachysandra), stones, and bluestone paths (no mortar). We also don’t feel the need to have the grass we do have constantly well manicured. In the course of a growing season, I cut the grass no more than six times. I filled up the five gallon gas can I have before last summer and I still haven’t had to refill it. Also don’t use pesticides or fertilizers, so the grass we do have is pretty weedy, which doesn’t bother us in the least. I’m not suggesting use of a gas powered machine is as environmentally preferable as a rechargeable unit. But if you don’t get seduced by the stereotypical perfect lawn, you can really keep a mower’s use down to a minimum.
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August 19th, 2008 at 11:01 am
I’ve been using an electric corded lawn mower for six years and I love it. I was worried at first that the electric extension cord was going to be a major hassle but it’s really not. (My weed whacker also is electric and does a great job.)
Also, I got a mulching blade for my mower, so there’s no raking and the cut grass I leave, to decay and go back into the soil (unlike my idiot neighbors who meticulously rake and bag their lawn cuttings, starving the lawn so they have to fertilize it.)
BTW, who in Washington is sitting on their butt about consumer incentives? I think there should be a permanent no-sales-tax on electric lawn and garden tools… people (and golf courses, and lawn care businesses) need more reasons to buy electric, more than just a personal feel-goody-goody.
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August 19th, 2008 at 11:30 am
gas. I may switch next time I need a mower, but don’t support creating demand (embedded energy) for a new product when my old one still works. But I don’t mow as frequently as many people do (I’m sure sure my neighbors wish I did
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August 19th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Well, currently I do not use a lawn mower. That it interesting that there are electric lawn mowers, if I had a solar paneled house I’d say that or battery is the way to go! Why? Its pulling out of renewable energy and not causing harm. I’d also have to have one with a return bag that recycles the clippings.
BUT, I plan to have a large property for conservation and dogs and animal rescue. SO, I might need a larger riding style mower (except when I’m in the mood for heavy calorie reduction), do the make those in electric? I hope so, with recycled clippings.
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August 19th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Most of my lawn is used to grow vegetables, so I weed it by hand. And when it comes time to mow the small patch of lawn that I do have–I use a pair of scissors.
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August 19th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
I have just given my gas-powered mower to my son and I now use my unautomated push mower. The reasons are several but the most important is that this device does not pollute either by emissions or by noise. Also, I will save money in gas and oil.
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August 19th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
I use a reel to reel push mower (people powered) because
a) very little noise - does not hurt my ears or bother the neighbors
b) does not add to air pollution
c) does not cost anything to run - no gas to buy or electricity to pay for
d) it’s good exercise for me
e) extremely low maintenance - just sharpen the blades every few years.
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August 19th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Electric! No messing with $4.00+ a gallon gasoline, no exhaust fumes, no having to deal with oil changes. The cord is not a problem (just start nearest the plug and mow away from it), and I know that power plant emissions can be cleaned up much more than even the cleanest gasoline mower.
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August 19th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
I used to use a push mower and an electric weed wacker for edges and corners. I liked the push mower for the exercise and knowing that I wasn’t spewing CO2. Our whole yard was just one big lawn. But over time, I’ve replaced the lawn, planting native and drought tolerant ornamentals, fruit trees, fruits, veggies. Friday, I just took over the rest of my lawn with super easy permaculture mulching (basically a lot of newspaper, cardboard and then mulch and bark on top of that). It looks terrific! I’m so happy no more lawn! Over time we’ll add more native plants and groundcover to the new garden space. No more mowing for me!! In CA with its mediterranean climate it just makes no sense to have a lawn.
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August 19th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
I try to use my 1901 pushmower, but it is difficult to find someone to sharpen the blades…(does anyone know of someone in the Ann Arbor MI area?) so I end up with a large patch in the middle of the cut path that isn’t cut and it can take twice as long to mow the lawn…however, I rarely cut my grass anyway and with no rain this summer and three dogs to tear it up (and graze on it during the day) I’ve only mowed it twice this summer!
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August 19th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
We have both an old-fashioned reel mower (people powered and I can start it myself) and a huge self-propelled high wheel mower that’s gasoline powered. We have a large area that needs to be mowed to keep the forest from encroaching too far and we sometimes need the heavy-duty machine, especially in the back, where the terrain is rough and it tends toward jungle. When the front yard is short and dry and just needs a quick trim, I can handle it myself with the reel mower. When it’s rank and overgrown and we start to lose the dog (a 65 pound lab…) my spouse breaks out the gas mower; I would, but I can’t manage it any more as it’s too heavy and too hard to start. Every now and again, my neighbor’s goats escape and help out, but they aren’t too discriminating about what they “mow”, so that’s not as big a help as it might be.
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August 19th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
HAVE YOU EVER TRIED PUSHING 4 ACERS WITH A ELECTRIC MOWER?THATS WHY I USE A DEER RIDER,, I DO HOWEVER HAVE A BATTERY WEED EATER. BUT MY WIFE USES IT. HMMMMM MAYBE THATS WHY IM FAT, AND SHES NOT,
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August 19th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
1. Gasoline. It’s practical for my yard and relatively small emissions. Push mowers are good for very small yards only. Electric cords are a pain.
2. It’s not easy to find where to answer your questions. This whole format is way too busy !
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August 20th, 2008 at 3:04 am
I don’t mow using any of the above during the summer. It is natural for grass to go dormant during the heat and dry of the summer. Just don’t water it! No water, no mowing in the heat. Go for a swim in the lake instead. Take along some beer and some brats. Now THAT is what summer is for!
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Linda reply on August 20, 2008 11:18 am:
We don’t water the front yard until it starts to crackle underfoot; the back has never been watered. Average yearly rainfall for Alabama is listed at about 60 inches. I also don’t use pesticides and encourage all the native grasses (and various “weeds”) I can entice into the area. Even so, we’ve had enough rainfall this Summer to keep the gas mower in service; it’s growing too fast to tackle with the reel mower. We have to keep it under some control or it turns back to snake-infested poison ivy and kudzu in short order.
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August 20th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
I bought a gas mower when I bought my house 10 years ago. Last year I decided to buy a push mower only to find that none of the stores had them.
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August 20th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
I use a Brill reel mower and love it. I can mow early in the morning before my neighbors wake up, listen to an interesting audiobook on my iPod and get a great workout on my slightly sloping yard. It doesn’t get much better than that!
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August 21st, 2008 at 1:18 pm
I own a corded electric mower and a push-type reel mower. My son does the mowing, and uses the push-mower almost all the time. We only drag out the electric when the grass has escaped mowing for several weeks, or at the beginning of spring when it is very lush.
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August 21st, 2008 at 3:36 pm
I love using a push mower. There’s no smell of gas. The noise of the blades sliding against each other is very calming. Its a bit of a workout getting the blades turning sometimes, but compared to manoeuvring a heavy gas mower, its not much more work at all.
There’s something really old world about using a push mower. It makes me feel like I’m in a time when things are just a little bit slower. Just a little bit calmer. People are just a little bit more friendly.
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August 24th, 2008 at 10:24 am
My dad uses a gasoline one, and off course it’s out of order now! we used to have an electric one and that one is broken too. It is expensive to fix those two types. The push mowers at least wont get broken, & perhaps easy to fix.
and now, the machined WORLD is annoying us 
We used to have a push mower before moving to united states, and kept complaining about living in a third world country
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August 24th, 2008 at 10:25 am
I’m sorry, i meant the machined WORLD!
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August 25th, 2008 at 7:50 am
I use a self propelled gas mower. I looked into a push mower after seeing a pretty cool looking one in a green magazine, but upon further research realized it didn’t cut high enough. [nor do any of them for that matter]. I prefer to cut my grass higher to make it more durable and use less water. I’ve thought about electric, only downside there is I’d have to maybe cut my grass in two stages to let the battery recharge. My gas mower is fairly new so I’d hate to just get rid of it. Maybe in a couple years.
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August 25th, 2008 at 10:01 am
I use a Neuton electric mower and am very impressed by its power and ease of use. The only thing I don’t like is that you have to really squeeze the handle hard to keep it running and it often cuts off because my hand loosens a little over lumps in the lawn. One charge is all I need to cut my .25 acre lot in Charlotte. For larger lots, there is a larger model and you can purchase additional batteries so you never run out of power. I purchased it only because Mecklenburg County’s Air Quality Program and Duke Energy were offering a special incentive program and I was able to get it for $189. Otherwise, these things cost almost $500 which is way out of my price range.
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August 25th, 2008 at 10:51 am
I use a push lawn mower for several reasons:
- doesn’t consume non-renewable resources
- zero emissions
- cost savings (less expensive equipment, less maintenance, and oh yeah… no gas or electricity needs to be purchased)
- helps set a neighborhood example (gold star for me)
- physical activity
- there’s something pre-industrial revolution about it
- a cold one is that much more enjoyable when it’s all said and done.
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August 25th, 2008 at 11:29 pm
I use a Black and Decker electric on the small yard I have. The electric is quiet, has no exhaust, and I can smell the grass, not gasoline fumes. There’s no spill possibility when recharging and it doesn’t add to greenhouse gases as much as a small gas engine.
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August 26th, 2008 at 12:55 am
i use a push lawn mower as i cannot afford those expensive electric or gasoline ones. lol.
J.Janson
http://solarpanelssite.com/
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August 26th, 2008 at 9:54 am
I have used a Black and Decker electric mower for 20+ years. It was cheep to buy! No maintenance! It’s so quiet I can hear the phone ring in the house. I would not even think of using anything else except maybe a push mower but they cost too much!
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August 26th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
I’ve been using a Black and Decker rechargable electric mower for more than 5 years and have been very happy with it. I tried using a push mower for a few years, but it was hard to push through my infrequently mowed grass and took too long! I like the cordless mower because it’s fairly quiet, doesn’t pollute my neighborhood with gas fumes and I don’t have to mess around with cords.
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August 27th, 2008 at 10:12 am
gas. Because gasoline provides the most portable, compact, energy dense power. And the internal combustion engine is the most reliable, easily understood and easily fixed power source. If you have a large area it is imperative. If you have 100 sq ft to cut you can use a pair of scissors.
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August 27th, 2008 at 10:14 am
I use clean burning gasoline engine because it has the horsepower and because the electic power comes from BURNING COAL.
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August 27th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
I tend to mow my lawn infrequently, so I need more power to get through the growth, particularly in the late winter/early spring. Since I don’t irrigate my “lawn” in the summer, I don’t mow during the summer and fall.
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September 3rd, 2008 at 10:11 am
Our lawn is so small, we use an electric weed-wacker! My husband goes want to use a mower though, so I’m trying to convince him to buy electric. And for all those who justify using their gas engines to mow their lawns, keep in mind that we buy our oil from countries with questionable (at times, hostile) governments, while coal is 100% American made.
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September 3rd, 2008 at 6:48 pm
We use a reel push lawn mower.
I like the exercise =) And I can cut early in the morning when it is nice & cool without annoying the neighbors…
also, most of our yard is planted with native perennials, shrub & trees, we have small lawn like 50 x 50 ft which is a low growing drought tolerant grass witch requires less mowing and water than a typical lawn =)
And reel mower cuts grass like scissors unlike a regular lawn mower blades which tear the grass - ouch!
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September 11th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
I have none. I have grass that does not need to be mowed. http://www.nomowgrass.com/ It requires that I be diligent about certain types of weeds. Silly rabbits the best solution is to not have to mow at all.
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September 13th, 2008 at 11:35 am
I question the amount of “pollutants” that will be reduced due to the excessive regulation of lawn mowers “yield annual emission reductions of 600,000 tons of hydrocarbons, 130,000 tons of nitrogen oxide, 5,500 tons of direct particulate matter, and 1.5 million tons of carbon monoxide.”
This calculation is based on assumptions and guesses to assure the bureaucracy increased funding. We sure do need a change in Washington DC. It is the peoples money, it is the peoples power, it is the peoples freedom. We the people.
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