If you’re in the market for a new lawn mower, you might be wondering if you should invest in an electric or gas lawn mower.
Both have their pros and cons, so let’s consider both of them according to some important factors.
What’s an electric mower? An electric lawn mower works either by being plugged into a power source with the use of an extension cord, or it contains batteries that power it up when you need to trim and cut your lawn.
Whether you’re interested in buying a gas or electric lawn mower, there are some important factors to consider before going ahead and making your purchase.
Here are six things to think about so you make the best choice for your lifestyle.
Table of Contents
Power
Gas Lawn Mower
When you think of a powerful lawn mower, you probably think of a gas-powered one – and you’d be correct in doing so.
A gas lawn mower can be quite strong and powerful, even on the toughest grass. Its power makes it suitable for larger yards and for cutting tall grass.
The downside to all of this strength? A gas lawn mower will make a lot of noise, which can be annoying to you and your neighbors.
If you’re wondering how much power a gas lawn mower actually has, you’ll find it interesting to know that its power is measured in horsepower and cubic centimeters, as Garden Beast reports, so it has a power rating of about 4.50 to 8.75 lb-ft.
Electric Lawn Mower
When it comes to measuring the power of an electric lawn mower, we can’t measure their power in torque rating, but Garden Beast has a good calculation for understanding how the output of an electric lawn mower’s motor fares when compared to a gas-powered lawn mower.
If the engine has 1,000 watts of power and a RPM of 2,800, then the lawn mower has a torque rating of roughly 2.5 lb-ft. When compared to a gas mower, it’s clear to see that this is much less.
Price
Gas Lawn Mower
You can find gas lawn mowers for a range of prices. Low-end mowers can even be more budget-friendly than battery-run garden mowers, as The Spruce reports.
This can be appealing if you want to purchase a lawn mower that you really need but simultaneously don’t want to burn a hole in your pocket to buy.
The average cost of a gas lawn mower tends to be $50 less expensive than electric lawn mowers, as The Simple Dollar reports.
Electric Lawn Mower
On the other hand, the average cost of an electric lawn mower is between $90 and $200, so they’re still very economical.
Portability
Gas Lawn Mower
A gas lawn mower is not as portable as an electric lawn mower.
It’s heavy, with the average gas-powered mower weighing between 90 and 100 pounds. When storing it away, it has to be rolled into position and this can take up space in your garage or shed, making it feel like it’s in the way.
Electric Lawn Mower
An electric lawn mower, on the other hand, can weigh a lot less than a gas lawn mower. You can find electric lawn mowers that weigh no more than 60 pounds, but you can find ones that are much less than that.
The fact that they’re lightweight makes them easy to push as well as store away.
Best of all, some electric lawn mower models can be folded up or stored upright to further save space, so they’re an excellent purchase if your property is small.
Maintenance
Gas Lawn Mower
There’s no doubt about it: a gas lawn mower requires quite a bit of maintenance.
Not only do you have to check and refill its gas on a regular basis, but you also have to check the oil and filters, as well as make sure its spark plug is in good condition.
A gas lawn mower has many parts, and these need to be checked and maintained or even replaced when broken. This can all increase the costs associated with your lawn mower over time.
Electric Lawn Mower
An electric lawn mower is much easier to maintain, mainly because it doesn’t have as many parts as the gas lawn mower does.
In addition, electric lawn mowers don’t need oil, spark plugs, air filters, gas, or pull cords. Not just easier to maintain and budget-friendly, their lack of maintenance definitely makes electric lawn mowers much less stressful to own.
Usability
Gas Lawn Mower
A gas lawn mower can be less user-friendly than you’d like.
It can be difficult to push around because of its weight and will require you to use a pull cord to get it started. Once you’ve got it up and running, it can be noisy.
Electric Lawn Mower
A cordless electric lawn mower is much easier to use than a gas lawn mower. It’s more practical and since electric lawn mowers are also lighter in weight, they can be moved around much easier.
When starting the electric mower, you can do so at the push of a button. You don’t have to hassle with pull cords.
Ongoing Costs
Gas Lawn Mower
Maintenance and repairs aside, one of the biggest costs involved with using a gas lawn mower is the gas you need to power it up.
On average, this translates into about $2.30 per gallon for gas, as Wisebread reports, and it works out to you spending $1.50 to use a gas mower on half an acre of land.
Electric Lawn Mower
In comparison, an electric lawn mower will use electricity if it’s of the corded variety or battery power if it’s cordless.
How this works out is that it will cost approximately 11 cents per kilowatt hour for you to run the lawn mower with electricity or for you to charge its battery.
This works out to you paying $0.50 to use a corded electric mower on half an acre of land or $0.10 for a cordless electric mower on the same amount of land, as Wisebread explains.
Electric vs. Gas Lawn Mower: Which One Is Better For The Environment?
Now that we’ve looked at six important factors to consider when purchasing a new mower, we need to look at environmental concerns.
The mower that’s much better for the atmosphere and environment is the electric lawn mower, and this is because it doesn’t produce harmful greenhouse gases like gas-powered mowers do.
The stats available online that feature information about how bad for the environment gas lawn mowers are can be quite alarming.
For example, a conventional lawn mower will pollute the air as much as 40 late-model cars, in just one hour of use, as Clean Air Yard Care reports.
So, by the time you’ve mowed your lawn, you’ve had a hugely negative impact on the environment.
In addition, a 3.5 horsepower gas lawn mower will release the same amount of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and Nitrogen Oxide (N0x) in just one hour as a new car that’s been driven 550 km!
Related Questions
How much noise does an electric lawn mower produce?
While a gas-powered lawn mower produces 95 decibels, which is the equivalent of a motorcycle, an electric lawn mower creates just 75 decibels, which is the equivalent of a washing machine. Electric lawn mowers are your best bet if you’re mowing your lawn very early in the morning!
How can I use an electric lawn mower safely?
Never use electric lawn mowers when it’s raining. If you’re using a corded electric motor it’s very important to mow the lawn in the opposite direction of the cord to prevent mowing over the electric cord.
Can I use a lawnmower on wet grass?
This shouldn’t be done, even though many lawn mower blades can mow wet grass. The reason to avoid it is because it’s harder to use a lawn mower on wet grass since the moisture makes the grass blades stick together. You can also cause damage to the wet soil if you mow grass when its wet.
Conclusion
By now you’ve probably chosen which mower suits you and your lifestyle the best.
While both gas and electric lawn mowers have their benefits, it’s clear to see that your lifestyle and priorities are the most important things to consider when you’re ready to purchase a new lawn mower.
If you want to be kinder to the environment, don’t hesitate about purchasing an electric mower.
On the other hand, if you want a mower that gives you steady power no matter the terrain you’re mowing, then you’d succeed by buying a gas lawn mower.
Last Updated on August 17, 2022 by Gustaf Johansson
