[Closed] Petrol Lawnmowers - Worth it?

Depends on the size of your lawn.

Got a petrol to replace a burned out Flymo.

The petrol is way better and much quicker.

Further to my first mail. I would prefer a petrol mower but the size of my lawn means spending >£100 on a petrol mower would be daft although the cable on the (hand-me-down) Flymo we have drives me up the wall.

And petrol mowers take up more room than the really small electric ones.

I like hovers for small lawns. Petrol are good for going up and down in stripes.

Pics of the lawn and we'll let you know.

Hi

I've got the same mountfield. It's a bit cheap and plasticy in places but it does the job (cuts fine) and has lasted well.

I don't see the point spending x4-x5 on a Honda / Hayter for standard domestic use.

also this:

http://www.screwfix.com/p/ryobi-rlm140sp-45cm-3-2hp-self-propelled-petrol-lawn-mower/30662

Engine = Toy

You shouldnt ever need an excuse to get toys....just so happens this type has the ability to make your grass become shorter too. Win/Win!!!

I've never seen the point in petrol. I think most people compare cheap and rubbish electric with expensive petrol ones. I decent electric mower has more torque and can cut longer grass, is lighter, and you don't have to breath in the fumes. Only downside I can see is you have to be careful with the flex.

Grips in Laws use battery powered mowers.

For those who care, it's estimated that petrol lawnmowers are responsible for a big chunk of the pollution produced in developed countries. They are very dirty of course being crude and simple engines, and simply the amount of petrol spilled whilst filling them is as bad as driving many many miles. Unburned petro hydrocarbons evaporating into the air are very bad things.

I have reasonble sized front and back garden. I bought a refurbished petrol mower 15 yrs ago and its still going strong. 1 blade in that time and a new plug.
Next door have a good hover and couldnt be bothered with the faff of the cable.

For those who care, it's estimated that petrol lawnmowers are responsible for a big chunk of the pollution produced in developed countries. They are very dirty of course being crude and simple engines, and simply the amount of petrol spilled whilst filling them is as bad as driving many many miles. Unburned petro hydrocarbons evaporating into the air are very bad things.

So my old 2 stroke is killing the planet? are you fro real? are you saying running my motor a couple of time a week in the summer (who spills fuel when filling by the way?) A plastic container of fuel lasts ages so the number of gallons it uses per year is trivial, almost beyond measure.
Given that it is >15 yrs old should I scrap it then buy a new one?

Unburned petro hydrocarbons evaporating into the air are very bad things

Given that it is >15 yrs old should I scrap it then buy a new one?

Maybe you should get a Hybrid 😉

I think Molgrips isn't getting any at the moment - his recent posts seem unusually (even by his standard) ornery.

I think it is best leaving him alone for a bit.

😉

EDIT:

Maybe you should get a Hybrid

it's estimated that petrol lawnmowers are responsible for a big chunk of the pollution produced in developed countries

it is estimated by know? or did you just make that up?

are you saying running my motor a couple of time a week in the summer

I'm saying what I wrote.

On average, the use of petrol lawn mowers causes a disproportionate amount of pollution. One google link suggest an hour of lawnmowing with a crappy old mower results in as much pollution as 600 miles of driving an old car.

Of that one gallon of petrol in your 2 stroke, how much gets spat straight out of the exhaust? Quite a lot in fact. And spilling a cup's worth of petrol as above causes as much pollution as various bad things according to google along the lines of driving a Prius 40,000km... Coupled with the fact that whilst you do not spill petrol apparently, many people do.

Now I assume that you are familiar with the phrase 'every little helps'. Imagine millions of mowers all over the world and it's quite a bit of pollution that could be fairly easily avoided when people are shopping for new mowers, as the OP is.

Perhaps you should get a [url= http://www.mowbot.co.uk/Home.aspx ]MowBot...[/url]
😀

Now I assume that you are familiar with the phrase 'every little helps'. Imagine millions of mowers all over the world and it's quite a bit of pollution that could be fairly easily avoided when people are shopping for new mowers, as the OP is.

Your extensive use of reliable statistics has convinced me. I'm of to purchase one of those eleccy ones that run on fresh air. By the way if every little helps maybe turning off a single PC could make a contribution?

One google link suggest an hour of lawnmowing with a crappy old mower results in as much pollution as 600 miles of driving an old car.

Can you provide a link?

Edit: Actually dont I have looked myself. Although the evidence seems a bit wooly even conservative stats are staggering.

By the way if every little helps maybe turning off a single PC could make a contribution?

I bought a second hand Hayter Harrier about 5-6 years ago and its been brilliant. Much better than all the electrics I had, they seemed to last a couple of years tops. Not having the cable is brilliant.

Down side is if you need to lift it anywhere its a 2 man job.

We have a 15 year old petrol lawn mower, bought a new electric one which lasted a month, then bought a plastic 2 stroke, that lasted a summmer.

Gone back to the old petrol metal lawn mower which cuts better than the others, and its as light as the others. Also does a good job at cutting small bushes and plants!

an hour of lawnmowing with a crappy old mower results in as much pollution as 600 miles of driving an old car.

christ, i opened a right can of petrol covered worms there.

Incidentally, if I buy electric there is still the problem that the electricity still generally comes from coal or nuclear powered power stations so by using a petrol lawnmower I won't be doing anymore damage than I already would.

The whole argument is akin to what I hear from my eco-warrior brother in law. Refuses to learn how to drive a car because of the pollution, but quite happy to do courses at the moment so he can eventually drive a steam train.......and the last time I checked they didn't run on old newspapers and empty tin cans

Yes

I had a rubbish and ancient hand me down Flymo before buying this:

[url= http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2461/3553852633_9b6bec330c.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2461/3553852633_9b6bec330c.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/beamans3/3553852633/ ]_MG_4640[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/beamans3/ ]Mark and Kirsty Beaman[/url], on Flickr

(And yes I know the lawn looks patchy before anyone starts - we only lived there for 9 months before moving and the lawn looked much better on our departure)

It has an engine, you get that great cut grass combined with fumes smell that is summer, picks up all of the grass it cuts, starts first time every spring, no flex to get in the way.

Grass cutting has gone from being a right pain in the ar$e under the previous Flymo regime to a joyous task. I wish I had gone for petrol earlier.

I have that Mountfield as well, it's fine. Used most of last summer with no issues, first try this spring it didn't want to fire up. The microswitch (controlled by the lever on the handle) was sticking, gave it a good couple of rattles and it has been fine since, the grass has been fine but the planet died apparently. The mechanism for raising and lowering is simple enough, and all metal. Grass pickup is very good and the box is a decent enough size, any bigger and you'd be licking it with every step.

Is it better to keep the old one running, or buy a new one

The OP's one was presumably beyond repair. Hence he is shopping for a new one, and he now has a choice.

I didn't say everyone should throw their old mower away and replace with a new one - that's a straw man argument typical of the kind of thing people come out with whenever anyone mentions environmental concerns.

Also, they make very cheap electric mowers that die, however that doesn't mean that all electric mowers will die, does it?

I manage flex issues btw by starting near the house and working my way outwards - flex unwinds itself as I go, little intervention required beyond a little flick when I change direction.

Good god. I give up.

**is staggered at what Mogrips can find fault with**

Lawn size is the question to be asked first.

If you have a small lawn, get a push along one.

If you have a large lawn..........John Deere Mmmmmmmmmm

Just giving out the info PP, which people may find useful in making a decision 🙂

Does thisn lawnmower pollution thing apply to 4 strokes as well as 2 strokes? Honda have ditched (or are in the process if ditching) all there 2 stroke engines in an effort to be more green.

PS, i wouldn't by Ryobi if it's gonna get a bit of stick. Buy a decent one, you will have a better chance of getting spares & it's re-sale value will be higher.

Agree regarding the size of garden.

Recently moved house to a property with a larger garden and had our old electric fly-mo. The extension leads were horrendous and probably dangerous - bought a petrol mower with powered back wheels and it has literally turned a 2hr job into 45mins - granted theres probably more maintenance and the need for oil and petrol but has been well worth it.

I did some lawnmower training when working part time in a DIY store, the model didn't really matter as long as it had a Briggs and Stratton engine - don't know if that's still the case but it's what I went for.

Also if you can afford it get a cylinder mower not a rotary type. The scissor action of the cylinder cuts the grass where-as the rotary blade rips the grass. (or so the salesman said 🙄 )

IMHO of course.

Hover Bover

http://www.xmystik.com/hb.html

Does thisn lawnmower pollution thing apply to 4 strokes as well as 2 strokes?

Less so. The EPA in the USA are legislating for cleaner engines so that probably means two strokes are out. Not only do they have to burn oil but the way they work means that fuel always ends up coming out of the exhaust. Since 4 stroke mowers etc are already made it's an easy win. They will also end up having catalytic converters fitted too.

Doesn't take much to slash the emissions of one of those little things.

Oh and +1 for cylinder mowers. Although I think your lawn has to be in fairly good shape before they'll be any good.. not sure tho. If the grass is longer a cylinder won't work, if my push cylinder is anything to go by.

My Honda is a 4 stroke.

if I buy electric there is still the problem that the electricity still generally comes from coal or nuclear powered power stations so by using a petrol lawnmower I won't be doing anymore damage than I already would

Not really, because power stations burn coal in a completely different and much cleaner way than a 2 stroke mower engine burns petrol. The real issue with mowers is the unburned HC that they (can) spew out.

if I buy electric there is still the problem that the electricity still generally comes from coal or nuclear powered power stations so by using a petrol lawnmower I won't be doing anymore damage than I already would.

This is a strawman argument that is often trotted out against electrically powered stuff but is incorrect. The efficiency of power station is several times greater than that of even the most efficient petrol engine (not that your petrol lawnmower will be very efficient). Overall the CO2 generation would be less with an electric one and there would be much less Hydrocarbon release.

So essentially a mowing attachment for a Prius is the ideal solution?

Actually gravel, or something that doesn't need mowing. Grass uses up a lot of water you know...

🙂

[i]Now I assume that you are familiar with the phrase 'every little helps'. [/i]

Ah, the mobile phone charger fallacy. If we all unplugged our mobile phone chargers, it would make a big difference.

Or as the conservatives put it -

“The mobile phone charger averages around ... 1W consumption, but if every one of the country’s 25 million mobile phones chargers were left plugged in and switched on they would consume enough electricity (219GWh) to power 66 000 homes for one year.”

66 000? Wow, what a lot of homes! Switch off the chargers! 66 000 sounds a
lot, but the sensible thing to compare it with is the total number of homes
that we’re imagining would participate in this feat of conservation, namely
25 million homes. 66 000 is just one quarter of one percent of 25 million. So
while the statement quoted above is true, I think a calmer way to put it is:
If you leave your mobile phone charger plugged in, it uses one quarter of one percent of your home’s electricity.

And if everyone does it?
If everyone leaves their mobile phone charger plugged in, those chargers will use one quarter of one percent of their homes’ electricity.

The “if-everyone” multiplying machine is a bad thing because it deflects
people’s attention towards 25million minnows instead of 25million sharks.
The mantra “Little changes can make a big difference” is bunkum, when applied
to climate change and power.

Shamlessly cut 'n' pasted from-
[url] http://www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/withouthotair/c19/page_114.shtml [/url]

Get a Hayter Spirit in British Racing Green.

Its like mowing the lawn with an Aston Martin and therefore never a chore.

And when filling it up with petrol, which is only about 3 times a year, I spill a little bit on purpose because it smells nice.... it smells like the future.

IanMunro - whilst it is a small percentage, it's utterly needless waste and as such should be stopped. That's the point.

People can't be bothered to put themselves out just the tiniest bit to save a bit of energy. This is a bad thing. We need to take a little bit of responsibility, and this is one way of promoting that idea.

So in some ways it's not about the power used by mobile phone chargers, it's about getting people to think about what they are doing. It's phone chargers, turning off the tap when cleaning teeth, putting dishwater on the garden, turning off lights, stuff on standby, etc etc etc. All this needless waste adds up to a lot. Wearing a hair shirt is perhaps not necessary, but so much energy is utterly wasted that just does not need to be.

ok, thanks to the people who posted their views on petrol lawnmowers

to the others just looking for an environment argument, I don't agree with your views and just because you read it in the Guardian or heard it in An Inconvenient Truth does not necessarily make it so. "Being Green" is buzzword bollocks and, yes, everyone making a small change might indeed save the planet, but until people stop running at everything marked "Organic" "Hybrid" or "Green" they might realise that most of it is just marketing guff aimed at easily led idiots willing to part with their cash to make themselves look more in touch with the planet than their dumbass hemp wearing mates.

All i wanted was advice on what petrol lawnmower to buy, not a "won't someone think of the children" lecture 🙄

but until people stop running at everything marked "Organic" "Hybrid" or "Green" they might realise that most of it is just marketing guff aimed at easily led idiots

Is that what you think I am?

You wanted advice on lawnmowers, I pointed out a factor that had not been brought up that you may have felt was important. Feel free to ignore it if you think that's appropriate 🙂

I bought a 2nd hand petrol Flymo on ebay with local pickup only for about £40. It starts and works perfectly with very minimal intervention from me.

Needed it as we have a very long garden and I wanted to be able to mow out the back of the garage too, which would have involved two extension cables and lots of faffing.

It cuts through pretty much anything I throw at it with burbling enthusiasm. It's small, light and surprisingly powerful. Just wish I'd bought one with a bag, as the raking gets a bit tiresome...

I was going to gable on about all the advantages of a petrol mower, but why bother, this post nails it!

Engine = Toy

You shouldnt ever need an excuse to get toys....just so happens this type has the ability to make your grass become shorter too. Win/Win!!!