Choose an electric or push mower
Add
When it's time to buy a lawnmower, choose an electric or push mower because they run cleaner and quieter than gasoline-powered mowers.
How to choose an electric or push mower
Lawn mowers can be powered by gasoline or electricity, or be operated manually. Push mowers, also called reel mowers, have blades on a revolving cylinder which cut the grass.[1] Push mowers are best for smaller lawns which are less than 2,000 square feet.[1] The advantages of a push mower are that they are inexpensive, make virtually no noise, are easy to service, and create no pollution.[2]. Push mowers give the best cut of all mowers, but are only suitable for short, even, weed-free grass. It's especially important to set and sharpen your mower blade correctly, otherwise the mower blade may just flatten the grass rather then cutting it.[1] Note that while most reel mowers are people-powered, electrically-powered models are available.
For the average homeowner with a typical lawn, an electric mower may be a more practical choice. An electric mower is able to cut tall grass and tough weeds. Like gasoline mowers, electric mowers are almost all rotary mowers. With a rotary mower, the blade is flat and spins horizontally. It's important to keep your mower blade sharp, otherwise it may tear the grass rather then cutting it, inviting disease. Most gasoline-powered rotary mowers are self-propelled since they're heavy to push; electric mowers are light-weight and don't usually require this option. One consideration when choosing an electric mower is whether to buy a corded or a battery-operated model. Corded models limit your mowing range and are not suitable for larger properties (and there's the risk of running over the cord with the mower!) Battery-operated models are limited by how long they run on a single charge. Look for a model with a long enough run-time to mow your lawn on one charge. The average electric mower costs about $5 per year for electricity.[2]
Other advantages of an electric mower are:
- They're easy to maintain and don't require engine tune-ups or oil changes.
- There's no risk of oil or gasoline spills.
- They don't emit exhaust fumes and produce significantly less air pollution than gasoline mowers.
- They're quiet, making about half the noise of a gasoline mower.
- They use a simple push-button starting mechanism, as opposed to the sometimes difficult starter cord on a gasoline mower.[2]
If you do buy a gasoline mower, choose one with a four-stroke rather than a two-stroke engine. (A two-stroke engine is the kind where you mix the gas and oil together). Two-stroke engines are even bigger polluters.[1] Also buy a no-spill gas can, which reduces fumes, fuel spills, and therefore pollution—now required by law in California and other states.[1]
Minimize pollution from a gasoline mower by following advice from Briggs & Stratton on reducing mower emissions. The lawn and garden equipment manufacturer claims that half the emissions from outdoor power equipment is preventable.[3]
Ride-on mowers are the least ecologically-friendly type of mower, but may be a practical choice for a person with mobility problems or someone without the strength to push a walk-behind mower. If you do decide to purchase a ride-on mower, choose from one of the electric models that are now available. If you have already invested in a gasoline-powered ride-on mower, buy a conversion kit to retrofit it for electric operation.[1] If your lawn is so large that it requires a ride-on mower, why not consider reducing the size of your lawn?
Regardless of which type of mower you choose, buy a mower with a mulching option.
Some locales—the state of California and Portland, Oregon, for example—offer a lawn mower buyback program. People who trade in their gasoline-powered mowers are offered rebates for the purchase of an electric or push mower.
Find it! Electric or push mowers
Compare models and prices of name-brand corded and battery-operated electric lawn mowers at ConsumerGuide Products' Electric Lawn Mower Guide. Here are some other options to consider:
- Black & Decker electric mowers
-
Choose from corded and battery-powered electric mowers from Black & Decker, available at popular retail outlets such as Lowe's, Target, Wal-Mart and more. - Neuton Mower
-
Buy a cordless electric Neuton mower with an optional mulching kit. The manufacturer claims it's the #1 selling battery-powered mower, that it runs for one hour on a single charge, and it's the only mower that comes with an optional trimmer/edger attachment. - Robo Mower
-
For the ultimate in lawn-cutting ease, consider the no-push, no-gasoline mulching robotic Robomow. - Sears electric mowers
-
Choose from Sears Craftsman and other top-rated electric mowers.
Choosing an electric or push mower helps you go green because...
- They emit significantly less air pollution than a gasoline mower.
- They create much less noise pollution than a gasoline mower.
- They don't produce harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
- There's no risk of gasoline or oil spills.
A gasoline-powered lawnmower produces as much air pollution in one hour as 11 cars. A riding mower emits as much pollution in one hour as 34 cars.[4] On a typical weekend, about 54 million Americans mow their lawns, using 800 million gallons of gas per year.[5] Lawnmower engines emit high levels of carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and nitrogen oxides, producing up to 5 percent of the nation's air pollution, with an even higher percentage in metropolitan areas.[5]
In California, research estimated that in that state alone, people spill 17 million gallons of fuel each year while refilling lawn and garden equipment—more petroleum than was spilled by the Exxon Valdez in the Gulf of Alaska.[1]
Choosing an electric mower greatly reduces air pollution and choosing a push mower eliminates producing pollution all together. Both eliminate the chance of spilling gasoline. For every 500 gasoline-powered lawn mowers that are replaced with non-gasoline mowers, homeowners prevent the release of:[6]
- 212 pounds of hydrocarbons
- 1.7 pounds of nitrogen oxides
- 5.6 pounds of irritating particles
- 40,000 pounds of carbon dioxide
Related health issues
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) create ozone and smog that contribute to breathing problems such as asthma.[2]. Lawn mowers are used most often in the hot summer months, when ground level ozone is at its highest, causing asthma attacks and aggravating other respiratory conditions. When weather forecasts indicate that ground-level ozone (the main ingredient of smog) may reach unhealthy levels, environmental agencies call an Ozone Action Day. On an Ozone Action Day, citizens are usually asked to curtail all gas mowing.[7]
When ozone comes into contact with lung tissue, it attacks and damages cells lining the airways, causing swelling and inflammation. Symptoms of this airway irritation include: cough, an irritated throat, or an uncomfortable feeling in your chest. Other health effects include:[8]
- Reduced lung function: You may not be able to breathe as deeply or easily as you usually do.
- More severe asthma attacks: When ozone levels are high, more asthmatics have asthma attacks that require a doctor's attention or the use of additional medication.
- Aggravated emphysema and bronchitis: Ozone may cause worsening symptoms of emphysema and bronchitis and may reduce the body's ability to fight infections in the respiratory system.
Glossary
- reel mower: Mower in which the blades are on a revolving cylinder.
- rotary mower: Mower in which the blade is flat and spins horizontally.
External links
- Seventh Generation - The Non-Toxic Times Newsletter (May 2007): Mow Better: How to Cut Pollution and Your Grass At the Same Time
- Madison (Wisconsin) Gas and Electric - Manual and Electric Lawn Mowers
- The Wall Street Journal - EPA Plans Tougher Smog Rules For Mowers
- Pima County (Arizona) Department of Environmental Quality - What is Ozone?
Footnotes
- Tukey, Paul (2006) The Organic Lawn Care Manual. North Adams, Massachusetts: Storey Publishing
- Madison (Wisconsin) Gas and Electric - Manual and Electric Lawn Mowers
- Briggs & Stratton - Reducing Mower Emissions
- The Wall Street Journal - EPA Plans Tougher Smog Rules For Mowers
- People Powered Machines - Cleaner Air: Gas Mower Facts
- Seventh Generation - The Non-Toxic Times Newsletter (May 2007): Mow Better: How to Cut Pollution and Your Grass At the Same Time
- People Powered Machines - Cleaner Air: Gas Mower Facts
- Pima County (Arizona) Department of Environmental Quality - What is Ozone?
