Our Carlos Diaz talks with Pat Sullivan from Sullivan Hardware about the pros and cons of both gas and electric lawn mowers.
INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) - As the weather warms up this spring and you head out to cut the grass for the first time, you might be ready to upgrade your mower.
If you are, which is better for your home - traditional gas-powered mowers or one that's totally electric?
Here are some thoughts from Consumer Reports about the choice:
- “In our latest tests, electric offerings from other brands improved by leaps and bounds…(and) offer performance that's on par with many gas models.”
- “But in a few short years, (electric lawn mowers) gone from being an expensive, niche novelty, to a viable option for most yards. And we only expect to see more next year.”
- “Unlike previous electrics we'd evaluated, the Ego's motor generated a confidence-inspiring whir as the blade churned with a ferocity previously reserved for the best gas push mowers.”
Our Carlos Diaz talked to Pat Sullivan from Sullivan Home and Garden about which might be the right fit for you. Here are some pros & cons for both options:
Electric Lawn Mower:
- Quieter than a gas-powered lawn mower
- You’re not spending money on gas and oil to power your mower… A whole summer of mowing will cost roughly $5 in electric bills.
- Easily collapsible to store vertically in a cramped garage, something you can’t do with a gad-powered mower
- Starts instantly with the push of a button with no need to prime the motor or pull a start cord several times
- Produces no exhaust emissions, reducing your carbon footprint
- Newer models now have a steel blade as opposed to the lighter, plastic blade older models were forced to cut with
- Some models offer an interchangeable battery that will also fit your weed trimmer, leaf blower, etc.
- More expensive than a gas mower, in some cases double the price
- Less expensive electric models have problems cutting thick lawns or wet grass
- Limited battery runtime, can’t handle bigger lawns on a single charge
Gas-Power Lawn Mower
- Less expensive
- More buying options
- More powerful than many electric mowers
- Able to cut thick yards and wet grass
- Much better than electric mowers for larger yards
- No cords to deal with (older corded electrics needed an extension cord for power)
- The noise: some gas-mowers get as loud as 85-90 decibels, the level at which hearing protection is recommended
- Not easily storable or transportable because of the gas and oil inside
- The emissions are terrible: According to the EPA, a new gas powered lawn mower produces so much air pollution in one hour of operation that it's equal to eleven new cars each being driven for one hour.
- Spending an hour behind a roaring lawn mower can spew nearly the same amount of oily pollution into the air as a 100-mile car trip, according to a Swedish study in the journal of the American Chemical Society
- Gas-powered mowers produce ground-level ozone, which is created by chemical reactions that take place during the presence of sunlight. Breathing ozone can trigger health problems, especially for the children, elderly and those with asthma
- Cost of maintenance: buying gas, oil, oil filters, sparkplugs and regular tune-ups
