Mowing the grass once a week is necessary to keep your yard clean and beautiful besides obtaining the much desired best quality grass.
But, which type of lawnmower do you need? Choosing between a manual, electric, and petrol mower can be overwhelming and confusing for many buyers.
Both petrol and electric mowers perform the mowing job effectively. There are some benefits and downsides in these two types of mowers. Let’s compare the petrol and electric models on the following metrics to know which one fits all your needs.
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Which One is the Right Lawn Mower for Your Yard?
Land Size and Features
Traditional homes mostly have large yards with hard and uneven surfaces. Mowing on these surfaces smoothly and efficiently requires a powerful machine. The petrol mowers offer 7nm of torque or even more. This is good for tough and bigger grounds.
Modern homes have small lawns or backyards. The electric mowers work best at removing grass from smaller blocks.
The deck size of the mower is an important consideration in this regard. For instance, the electric mowers generally have a small deck size. This means it has a smaller cutting width. If your yard is larger than 1/4th of an acre, it is recommended to choose a petrol mower with a cutting width of 50cm or higher.
Noise and Emissions
If you are on the eco-friendly side, the electric mower is surely a possession. They are not only free of pollutant harmful gases but also give you a noiseless user experience. So if you are in search of equipment free of noise and emission issues, go for the electric models.
Despite the advantage of low sound and emissions, battery disposal may be an issue for electric mower owners. It is not an environment-friendly option.
Petrol mowers undoubtedly produce a lot of noise often up to 95 decibels or even more. It is recommended to wear ear protection accessories to stay safe from damage.
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When petrol burns, it will obviously liberate a considerable amount of toxic fumes. Running the petrol mower for an hour can produce enough harmful gases as by a car during a 100-mile trip. For those who do not desire to pollute the lawn and home premises can rather opt for the electric mower.
User Convenience
The convenience is an important factor that may vary from one user to another. Electric mowers are available in corded and cordless versions.
The mowing area of a corded mower is limited to the length of the cord (up to 20m). You may need to install electricity connectivity near your lawn to get the entire area covered.
So for a larger garden area, using a cordless model is comfortable and easy. With the cordless model, you can move freely without the risk of tangling the wire. They run on batteries offering a shorter run time. You may have to wait for long hours for charging the batteries.
Repair and Maintenance
No matter what brand, model, or the type of mower you own, it will require some maintenance and repair after continued usage. The blades lose sharpness gradually and require sharpening and lubrication for smooth and effortless functioning.
However, if you are using a petrol mower, it will require some additional maintenance work such as fuel filter replacement, extra fittings such as spark plugs, etc. Unless an expert, it is recommended to consider a professional servicing whenever required.
Costs
The cost is not just the price of the new mower. Rather, cost includes your expenditure on periodical maintenance, fuel, etc.
For instance, a petrol mower is quite expensive compared to a lightweight electric mower. Additionally, you must take into account the cost of fuel when estimating the monthly budget. You may also find a considerable increase in the monthly electric bills after using a battery-operated mower.
Weight and Portability
The electric mowers are light equipment that you can carry in your car to your parents. This is considerable if you share the mowers with others. Conversely, petrol mowers have large engines that add to the net weight of the machine. It is therefore too heavy to transport to other places frequently.
Durability
Traditional petrol mowers do emit a lot of gases but due to the simple mechanism, they are long-lasting. They also require some basic maintenance lowering your average expenses. The electric mowers have a shorter lifespan compared to these petrol-powered machines.
Is there any Better Alternative?
Considering the advantages and disadvantages of both electric and petrol mowers, many homeowners may want to consider a third alternative.
If this is on your mind too, it is worth choosing a self-propelled mower.
These mowers have become highly popular among homeowners for quite a few reasons:
- No need to exert force to move the mower
- The drive system is easy to control by squeezing the bar on the handle
- Easy to move and maneuver across small plants and garden ornaments
- Safe to stop instantly if there is a hurdle ahead
- No need to start the mower every time so you can relax and take a short break whenever desired
- Does not release any toxic fumes or have any hazardous machine parts hence it is right for the go-green environment
Choosing the Right Mower Model
Even if you are decided on a specific mower type, how to choose the right model for your lawn?
This is a common dilemma for novice buyers. For a smaller lawn or backyard, you can do well with an electric mower that costs less than $300. However, if you own a large garden over 1/4th acres, you may consider buying a petrol mower with advanced features.
Conclusion
Both petrol and electric-powered mowers perform a superb job to give you a quality cutting experience in your yard. Apart from these, they differ in several parameters.
Both of them have their pros and cons so choosing the best fit always depends on the user, budget, and gardening requirements.
I hope that the above metrics will help you compare different mowers to choose the one that fits your needs.