Lawn Mowers and Energy Usage

Well, grass consumes carbon dioxide and outputs oxygen. But mowing the
grass consumes oxygen and outputs carbon dioxide. And of course mowing
the grass consumes fuel and outputs various air pollution.

So what's the most efficient way to mow the grass ?

First consider the engines. In general, an internal combustion engine
gains efficiency with increased valve area over the displacement. So a
twin-cylinder 500cc engine is likely more efficient than a single-
cylinder 500cc engine. More likely, the buyer will find something like
a twin-cylinder 660cc instead of a single-cylinder 590cc engine. But
also the twin-cylinder engine will tend to be quieter than the single-
cylinder engine.

Next is mowing width. And twin-blade riding lawn mowers can be found
as small as 38" although a 42" will go through a small gate. And so
does an 18 HP mower with a 42" mowing width use less fuel than a 10 HP
mower with a 28" mowing width ?

Finally, there is a new type of transmission for riding lawn mowers.
Well, a lawn mower runs wide-open because it has to cut the grass with
the blades. And so a lawn mower changes speed by changing gearing and
not by changing engine speed. The new hydrostatic transmissions vary
the gearing with a hydraulic system instead of with mechanical gears
or instead of with CVT belting. The result is that the mover can
smoothly and effortlessly change speeds and easily switch between
forward and reverse. Then mowing time is reduced as maneuvering is
much easier. The hydrostatic transmission can be controlled by a lever
or by foot pedals. A zero-turn riding lawn mower has a hydrostatic
system for each rear wheel while a hydrostatic lawn tractor only needs
one system for both rear wheels.

And so there is some amazing current technology for riding lawn mowers
..

PolicySpy > wrote:
> Well, grass consumes carbon dioxide and outputs oxygen. But mowing the
> grass consumes oxygen and outputs carbon dioxide. And of course mowing
> the grass consumes fuel and outputs various air pollution.
>
> So what's the most efficient way to mow the grass ?
>
> First consider the engines. In general, an internal combustion engine
> gains efficiency with increased valve area over the displacement. So a
> twin-cylinder 500cc engine is likely more efficient than a single-
> cylinder 500cc engine. More likely, the buyer will find something like
> a twin-cylinder 660cc instead of a single-cylinder 590cc engine. But
> also the twin-cylinder engine will tend to be quieter than the single-
> cylinder engine.
>
> Next is mowing width. And twin-blade riding lawn mowers can be found
> as small as 38" although a 42" will go through a small gate. And so
> does an 18 HP mower with a 42" mowing width use less fuel than a 10 HP
> mower with a 28" mowing width ?
>
> Finally, there is a new type of transmission for riding lawn mowers.
> Well, a lawn mower runs wide-open because it has to cut the grass with
> the blades. And so a lawn mower changes speed by changing gearing and
> not by changing engine speed. The new hydrostatic transmissions vary
> the gearing with a hydraulic system instead of with mechanical gears
> or instead of with CVT belting. The result is that the mover can
> smoothly and effortlessly change speeds and easily switch between
> forward and reverse. Then mowing time is reduced as maneuvering is
> much easier. The hydrostatic transmission can be controlled by a lever
> or by foot pedals. A zero-turn riding lawn mower has a hydrostatic
> system for each rear wheel while a hydrostatic lawn tractor only needs
> one system for both rear wheels.
>
> And so there is some amazing current technology for riding lawn mowers
> .

http://www.lawnmovergrass.com/Scotts...eel-Lawn-Mower

Greg

Here you go. http://www.reelmowers.org/

Get some exercise.

--
Paul Hovnanian
------------------------------------------------------------------
Misery loves company, especially this one.

On 7/11/2012 8:40 PM, PolicySpy wrote:
> Well, grass consumes carbon dioxide and outputs oxygen. But mowing the
> grass consumes oxygen and outputs carbon dioxide. And of course mowing
> the grass consumes fuel and outputs various air pollution.
>
> So what's the most efficient way to mow the grass ?
>
sheep

On Wed, 11 Jul 2012 17:40:19 -0700 (PDT), PolicySpy > wrote:

>Well, grass consumes carbon dioxide and outputs oxygen. But mowing the
>grass consumes oxygen and outputs carbon dioxide. And of course mowing
>the grass consumes fuel and outputs various air pollution.
>
>So what's the most efficient way to mow the grass ?
>
>First consider the engines. In general, an internal combustion engine
>gains efficiency with increased valve area over the displacement. So a
>twin-cylinder 500cc engine is likely more efficient than a single-
>cylinder 500cc engine. More likely, the buyer will find something like
>a twin-cylinder 660cc instead of a single-cylinder 590cc engine. But
>also the twin-cylinder engine will tend to be quieter than the single-
>cylinder engine.

Not really.. A smaller moving mass is likely to be the most efficient when compared to a
mower with a larger moving mass. (it may take you more time.. but you will save
fuel/energy).

An electrically powered lawn mower will be the most efficient.
http://www.husqvarna.com/us/products...-solar-hybrid/

>
>Next is mowing width. And twin-blade riding lawn mowers can be found
>as small as 38" although a 42" will go through a small gate. And so
>does an 18 HP mower with a 42" mowing width use less fuel than a 10 HP
>mower with a 28" mowing width ?
>
>Finally, there is a new type of transmission for riding lawn mowers.
>Well, a lawn mower runs wide-open because it has to cut the grass with
>the blades.

Err no.. The engines on lawn mowers use a governor to regulate speed and fuel
consumption.

home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/repair/how-to-repair-small-engines.htm

"Governor: A governor is a device that automatically opens the engine's throttle when more
power is needed and closes it when the load is light."

gregz > wrote:
>
>http://www.lawnmovergrass.com/Scotts...eel-Lawn-Mower

I had one of these for years and I liked it a lot with two exceptions.
First of all it doesn't do well if the grass gets too high... you have to
go out with a scythe and cut it down to the point where the reel mower will
work. That's not a dealbreaker if you're actually good about mowing regularly.

But... the thing that made me finally move to a gas mower is that the spacing
between the blades and the support bar is JUST the right size for a sweetgum
ball to get caught and jam the thing up. if it were a little closer or a
little farther away, it would be fine.

Ultimately I might have been better off getting rid of the sweetgum trees
than the reel mower, but that's another story.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Bill Ghrist > wrote:
>On 7/11/2012 8:40 PM, PolicySpy wrote:
>> Well, grass consumes carbon dioxide and outputs oxygen. But mowing the
>> grass consumes oxygen and outputs carbon dioxide. And of course mowing
>> the grass consumes fuel and outputs various air pollution.
>>
>> So what's the most efficient way to mow the grass ?
>
>sheep

Goats are more effective, the problem is that when the grass runs out,
goats keep eating. They ate my friend Karen's Toyota.
--scott


--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

On Jul 12, 11:00*am, (Scott Dorsey) wrote:
> gregz > wrote:
>
> >http://www.lawnmovergrass.com/Scotts...eel-Lawn-Mower
>
> I had one of these for years and I liked it a lot with two exceptions.
> First of all it doesn't do well if the grass gets too high... you have to
> go out with a scythe and cut it down to the point where the reel mower will
> work. *That's not a dealbreaker if you're actually good about mowing regularly.
>
> But... the thing that made me finally move to a gas mower is that the spacing
> between the blades and the support bar is JUST the right size for a sweetgum
> ball to get caught and jam the thing up. *if it were a little closer or a
> little farther away, it would be fine.
>
> Ultimately I might have been better off getting rid of the sweetgum trees
> than the reel mower, but that's another story.
> --scott
> --
> "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

I had a battery powered mower for a while that I picked up for free. I
had to replace a circuit breaker to get it working. On a full charge
it would cut a 1/4 acre with juice to spare. It had some pretty good
torque too.

T. Keating wrote:

>
> Not really.. A smaller moving mass is likely to be the most efficient when compared to a
> mower with a larger moving mass. *(it may take you more time.. but you will save
> fuel/energy).
>

PolicySpy writes:

This issue was only the efficiency of twin-cylinder engines versus
single-cylinder engines.


T. Keating wrote:

> *An electrically powered lawn mower will be the most efficient.
>

PolicySpy writes:

An electrical lawn mower has the problem of requiring a large diameter
electric cord or requiring very heavy batteries. Also, the cost of the
electrical mower is much higher while providing less performance.


T.Keating wrote:

>
> Err no.. *The engines on lawn mowers use a governor to regulate speed and fuel
> consumption.
>


PolicySpy writes;

A mower cuts crass without varying engine speed. To vary the driving
speed of the riding lawn mower requires changes in gearing. The
driving speed of a working riding lawn mower is controlled with
gearing instead of with engine speed.


T. Keating wrote:

>
> "Governor: A governor is a device that automatically opens the engine's throttle when more
> power is needed


PolicySpy writes:

Lawn mowers have throttles. When the thottle is set too high it just
reaches choke mode and the air/fuel ratio is then too rich for the
mower to run. Mowers cut grass at their maximum throttle setting and
do not vary engine speed while cutting grass.

On Thu, 12 Jul 2012 13:13:36 -0700 (PDT), PolicySpy > wrote:

>T. Keating wrote:
>
>>
>> Not really.. A smaller moving mass is likely to be the most efficient when compared to a
>> mower with a larger moving mass. Â*(it may take you more time.. but you will save
>> fuel/energy).
>>
>
>PolicySpy writes:
>
>This issue was only the efficiency of twin-cylinder engines versus
>single-cylinder engines.
>
>
>T. Keating wrote:
>
> > Â*An electrically powered lawn mower will be the most efficient.

I see you snipped my link..
http://www.husqvarna.com/us/products...-solar-hybrid/
>>
>
>PolicySpy writes:
>
>An electrical lawn mower has the problem of requiring a large diameter
>electric cord or requiring very heavy batteries. Also, the cost of the
>electrical mower is much higher while providing less performance.

Huh... 36 Wh... are not large batteries. Especially if a robot is doing the work.

>
>
>T.Keating wrote:
>
>>
>> Err no.. Â*The engines on lawn mowers use a governor to regulate speed and fuel
>> consumption.
>>
>
>
>PolicySpy writes;
>
>A mower cuts crass without varying engine speed. To vary the driving
>speed of the riding lawn mower requires changes in gearing. The
>driving speed of a working riding lawn mower is controlled with
>gearing instead of with engine speed.
>
>
>T. Keating wrote:
>
>>
>> "Governor: A governor is a device that automatically opens the engine's throttle when more
>> power is needed
>
>
>PolicySpy writes:
>
>Lawn mowers have throttles. When the thottle is set too high it just
>reaches choke mode and the air/fuel ratio is then too rich for the
>mower to run. Mowers cut grass at their maximum throttle setting and
>do not vary engine speed while cutting grass.

no,.. you obviously haven't repaired any lawn mowers lately.
..
If they ran full out.. the engine would soon destruct.. hint.. They don't run full out..