Gas

by Rex Trulove

Created on: July 09, 2008   Last Updated: April 16, 2012

In order to determine whether a cordless electric lawn mower or a gas powered lawn mower is best, it is a good idea to look at the advantages and disadvantages of each. One or the other won't necessarily be the best for all people, all the time, in all circumstances.

Cordless advantages: Cordless mowers are often less expensive than gas powered lawn mowers. There is no need to go to the time and effort of purchasing gasoline in order to mow the lawn; you merely need to make sure the battery pack is charged. With the spiraling cost of gasoline, this can be important.

Cordless disadvantages: The cost of electricity is also increasing, so the savings of charging the battery may not be as great as they might initially seem. Further, the battery drains pretty rapidly. If you have a large lawn, this may mean you'll need to charge the battery more than once in order to completely cut the lawn.

The total energy expended for cutting grass is also much less in cordless electric lawn mowers. Thought of as 'cutting power', cordless mowers are far less efficient than the gas driven variety. They also tend to bog down or stall more with thick grass.

Cordless mowers are also not a good choice when cutting grass while it is wet or raining. This is not an optimum time to cut grass in any event, however there are often times when there is little choice in the matter. If the grass is growing high and there is little or no foreseeable change in the weather, the lawn must be cut even if it is raining. Aside from the safety concerns when using any electrical device when conditions are wet, the battery will also tend to power down far more quickly in wet conditions.

Advantages of gas mowers: Despite the price of gasoline, gas mowers are inexpensive to operate. There is also less effort since a single tank of gas will cut a fairly large lawn, and even if the mower must be refilled, the lawn can be cut in a single setting rather than waiting for a battery to charge.

The cutting power is also greatly increased in gas mowers, meaning that less time and effort is expended in cutting the grass. It also means that at the same speed of cutting, gas mowers are less likely to tear the grass than to cut it, as compared to a cordless mower.

Gas mowers are also not dependent on the weather conditions. They will function adequately whether the grass is wet or if it is raining. It is best not to cut grass in those conditions, but often there is no choice in the matter, and the gas mower will cut through the grass, regardless of the conditions.

Height of the grass is also not as much of a consideration because of the power of the blade. It may take longer to cut a lawn that is a foot tall than it does to trim one that is four inches tall, but in comparison to a cordless system, the time expenditure is far less.

Gas mower disadvantages: Gas costs are great, and continue to increase. Though it takes very little gas to mow a lawn, this is a consideration.

Gas mowers produce carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, along with a number of other poisonous gases, from the combustion of the gasoline. However, most forms of electrical generation that must be used by cordless mowers also produce these chemicals, though in far greater quantity.

Gas mowers are marginally more expensive, though they tend to last a lot longer.

Weighing both sides, it is pretty easy to see that a gas mower is the better choice for most lawns. There are exceptions. For instance, if you have a very small yard, electric is probably the way to go. Otherwise, all things considered, a gas mower is a much better choice and it will last you a lot longer, while doing less harm to the environment. You have to ultimately make the final choice.

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