Export thread

I found a rather controversial article: http://www.life123.com/home-garden/landscaping/lawn-care/green-your-lawn-mowing.shtml

It says . . .

... the average gas-powered lawn mower emits as much pollution as 20 or more cars running for the same amount of time.

Click to expand...

Is that right? I know lawn mowers emit pollution but I have never imagined it to be more polluting than a car. I wonder how big the "average gas-powered lawn mower" is in the eyes of this writer.

That is definitely possible...
if you consider the amount of money and engineering that has gone into automobile efficiency and pollution reduction over the last 30 years... compare that to the change in small engine over the same period... there is nothing to compare.... :smile:KennyV

KennyV said:

That is definitely possible...
if you consider the amount of money and engineering that has gone into automobile efficiency and pollution reduction over the last 30 years... compare that to the change in small engine over the same period... there is nothing to compare.... :smile:KennyV

Click to expand...

Does anyone wonder why Lawn Boy quit making two stroke engines...? Just joking here...but I am sure the companies that make mowers have done a lot to reduce emissions, on a 40 grand car you can have a catalytic converter and all sorts of electronic controls to make it burn clean, but how do they install such equipment on a mower and still make it affordable to the consumers?

JDgreen said:

...how do they install such equipment on a mower and still make it affordable to the consumers?

Click to expand...

Just like they did with cars...
It started by requiring the manufacturers meet a cretin level of pollution control every few years it was increased..
Remember when they came out with the plastic stops on the adjustments on auto and truck carburetors and then eventually made them non adjustable... they are starting to make small engine carbs non adjustable now...
Everyone still breathing in larger cities benefited from the reduced pollutants in the air... so eventually it will include small engine clean up... Remember how dirty diesel exhaust use to be... Lots cleaner now, and getting cleaner every year. It's a good thing that it is required, other wise it would not be done... :smile:KennyV

That is something I had thought but emission in comparison to 20 or so cars, that is incredible. If the manufacturers did something to reduce the pollution, then that would mean a greater cost, huh?

Hi Touree, yeah, I'm with you on that point. The figure 20x is hard to digest. Lawn mower engines are smaller. Second, they carry much less load than a car. Third, the RPM of a lawn mower is obviously much slower. How can they conclude such engine produces 20x the pollution?

Here I assume that the "average" lawn mower is a walk-behind mower. But even if the "average" lawn mower is the size of a ride-on mower, the argument is still valid. Make it the size of a tractor, I think the argument is still valid.

adan said:

...The figure 20x is hard to digest. ...
the RPM of a lawn mower is obviously much slower. How can they conclude such engine produces 20x the pollution?

Click to expand...

There is almost nothing done on small engines to reduce pollution... cars have a lot of engineering for this..

Actually car engines typically operate under 2000 RPM... Mower engines are normally ran in excess of 3000 RPM...
There just have not been any incentives thus far to improve the small engine, that may soon change as more people begin to get a bit more interested in statistics... :smile:KennyV

So the issue here is not majorly based on the size of the machine and/or engine but on whatever has been done on the engines to reduce pollution?

What would warrant mower manufacturer's to overlook such an important factor?

touree said:

...reduce pollution?

What would warrant mower manufacturer's to overlook such an important factor?

Click to expand...

Cars have not gotten to where they are because manufacturers WANTED to do it... They were forced to clean up... and they are fighting every move to increase the standards...

If it is not required, do not count on anyone adding anything that is too different to what is working now... especially if it raises the cost by a dollar...
All mass production survives on reduced production costs, that is the nature of business...
If everyone is forced to improve, THEN everyone will implement the changes... :smile:KennyV

Hi KennyV, I stand corrected. I didn't know mower engines run at 3,000 RPM. No wonder they're high pitched. I thought it's just a matter of reducing the noise they emit.

Right, the pressure to clean up comes from environmentalists. I think the pressure is on, but not sufficient If they increase the pressure, I see the grim possibility of lawn mower prices shooting up.

Next thing we know, we'll have EGR systems, EFI and on-board computers on our mowers.

Hi Jet! When that time comes, most likely it will have GPS too Imagine mowing large tracts of land by guiding a tractor remotely via GPS. Then imagine automating that process and letting the computer guide the tractor at night while you sleep. Meantime no one's complaining because the engine has a very effective noise muffling system.

adan said:

I found a rather controversial article: http://www.life123.com/home-garden/landscaping/lawn-care/green-your-lawn-mowing.shtml

It says . . .


Is that right? I know lawn mowers emit pollution but I have never imagined it to be more polluting than a car. I wonder how big the "average gas-powered lawn mower" is in the eyes of this writer.

Click to expand...

Yes, it is true...for 2 cycles mower engines!

Some emission controls are around there are electric mowers and trimmers battery operated machinery, not very practicle for the professional but the options are there. also i can go pick up an electric timmer at the local wally world for about 40 dollars. I also have seen EFI on some larger lawn tractor engines. Echo has some stickers (i have not researched what they have done) saying less emissions. progress is being made just not quickly.

And just to say has anyone every seen the giant cloud of smoke from a flooded engine.
My Scag at work rides a trailer if i go down a bumpy enough road the oil gets somewhere its not supposed to and when i start it up i have to wait a while while this intoxicating cloud that does not dissipate very quickly stops spewing out of my exhaust.
Older engines seem to smoke more if not taken care of (how many abandoned mowers are there in barns and such?) the owner decides to sell them cheap to joe schmo renter who doesnt know better or care and will mow while producing nice clouds in there yard.
O and my lawnboy really really really stinks.