The math on gas vs. electric lawn mowers surprised me, now I'm not sure which side I'm on

I always assumed electric mowers were way cheaper to run, but then I saw a study from Consumer Reports that said a gas mower uses about $20 in fuel per season while electric adds maybe $10 to your electric bill. But then a gas mower costs $50 for a tuneup every year if you don't do it yourself. Which one actually wins out in the long run for a standard 1/4 acre lot? Has anyone here switched and regretted it?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_harper4d ago

Real talk, is a neighbor yelling at you once really that big of a deal?

wilson.joseph4d ago

The noise pollution angle is what people sleep on. A gas mower running for an hour on a Saturday morning can tick off your neighbors if you've got close lots, and some HOA's actually have quiet hours clauses that cover power equipment. Electric mowers are basically silent compared to that, so you can mow at 7am before the heat hits without starting a feud. Plus the smell factor, gas exhaust in an attached garage or near open windows is nasty, and electric has zero fumes. I helped my buddy swap his gas mower out for an Ego and the only thing he misses is not having to wait for the battery to charge, but he just bought a second battery to rotate. It's not purely about dollars and cents, it's about how much drama you want in your lawn care routine.

kelly3854d ago

Yeah I'm gonna be real, I used to roll my eyes at the electric mower hype because I thought it was just about saving a few bucks on gas. But reading this, especially the part about mowing early without ticking anyone off - my neighbor literally yelled at me last summer for firing up my old Toro at 8am, and I never even thought about that as a factor. Now I'm seriously considering it, the quiet hours thing alone might be worth the switch for me.