Choosing a propane lawn mower
Living the Country Life Radio Program with Betsy Freese
Radio interview source: Mark Leitman, director of agriculture programs, Propane Education & Research Council, Washington, D.C.
Just like the auto industry, makers of powered outdoor equipment are looking at alternative energy to comply with tougher environmental rules. The US Environmental Protection Agency says that a typical four-horsepower gasoline lawn mower engine generates as much pollution in one hour of use as driving your car for four hours.
One alternative on the market is propane-fueled lawn mowers, touting way less air pollution than their fossil-fueled cousins.
Mark Leitman with the Propane Education and Research Council says these mowers are good for someone who has a lot of land to cover.
"These would be excellent for folks with a large acreage who are interested in a commercial riding mower," Leitman says. "The fuel can be delivered easily to the residence or can actually be picked up at the local propane retailer through a cylinder exchange-type program. You never have to worry about gasoline or diesel fuel leaking in your SUV."
Benefits include an 80% reduction in toxic emissions compared with diesel and gasoline, and propane is about a 30% cheaper per gallon. Those savings go up even more because there's no spillage, contamination concerns, or gas cans to store in the shed. Your mower might last longer, too.
"Because propane burns cleaner it's believed the maintenance is going to be cheaper," Leitman says. "That means there's less dirt in the fuel, there's less contaminants in the fuel so less potential harm to the internal components of the engine. The oil stays cleaner, could last longer, so it should be less wear on internal engine parts."
Studies indicate that mowers running on propane are more efficient, and double the cutting time before refueling, since they can store more fuel on board. Also, the gas tank stays cool to the touch so you can lay your arm on it on a hot summer day and not singe the hair off.
Push mowers run on propane will cost about $4,000, and riding mowers start around $7,000. You can also buy conversion kits to retrofit your gas mower over to propane. Some will even run on the small propane cylinders used for camping lanterns and small utility torches.
Learn more:
Propane mowers: Read more benefits of using this type of mower, and link to manufacturers.
Propane mowers gain fans: Landscaping professionals and homeowners are going green with propane.
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