Mowers in the News

E Magazine has an article about mowers - electric v. gas-powered - in today's edition.  What surprised me?  That there are only 1.3 million gas-powered mowers in the U.S.  Out of 300 million Americans, I would have guessed at least 50 million mowers.  And contrary to the assertion that electrics cost at least $150 more, I found a lightweight electric for only $110 (from Wal-Mart, but don't tell anyone). 

Comments

[Pamela]

I'm going to keep my garage sale rotary mower that I bought for a dollar before they came back in style.

[Pam/Digging]

I've got an inexpensive rotary mower for my little lawnette too. But if I ever move and acquire a bigger lawn, I'd be willing to try an electric mower.

[Annie in Austin]

That statistic sounds goofy to me, Susan ... just google around and you'll see estimates of 34 million, 38 million, or 'nearly 40 million' gas powered mowers in use for the entire USA, with estimates between 1 and 2 million for California alone.

A 2007 Chicago SunTimes article stated that 6 million new gas-powered mowers arrived on the market in 2006 alone.

It's also amazing how many articles on lawn mowing equipment and pollution have exactly the same wording. My guess is whoever put the article together may have intended to say 1.3 million for California but the word 'US' got in during the clipping and pasting process.

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

[The County Clerk]

Of course... BY FAR, most electricity comes from Fossil Fuels. And MY GOODNESS there is a monstrous amount of power lost in transmission (more than half? almost half? something like that).

As for the statistic, I think I personally own 1.3 million gas powered mowers. Maybe not so many. But I have several.

And I'm about to buy a gas powered snow blower.

[Christopher C. NC]

Snow Blower? Snow Shovels, Snow Scapers, Snow Tires and Chains. Oh Dear Knob! And that may just be the tip of the iceburg.

[fransorin]

Susan-

I've read those stats before. Whether it's 1.6 million or 6 million electric mowers in use in the U.S. and 30 or 40 million gas mowers, those stats. are less of a concern than the thousands and thousands of hired 'lawn maintenance' companies that plow through properties with humongous gas seated mowers (or whatever you call them). PLUS, I am incredibly disgusted with the gas fueled grass blowers. From Monday-Thursday in my neighborhood, rarely a few hours doesn't go by without the grating sound of the blowers or mowers!

[Ed Bruske]

That's obviously a typo in the original article, or there's an awfuly lot of lawn mower sharing going on. Fifty-four million Americans mow their lawn every weekend, but there are only 1.3 million mowers in the entire country? I don't think so...

[bruce]

i think this is a poorly written article. lots of statistical errors. i even question the EPA number. the comparison is probably for a car that drives on the highway when it is using less gas.
the article says that a mower pollutes in a hour more than a car driving 350 miles. At 20 miles a gallon, that would mean the car burns 17.5 gallons and polluts less--something odd here.
i'm not advocating lawns and mowers, but its important to get facts straight before we start a discussion.