Landscaping can be performed with tools as simple as shovels, rakes, and wheelbarrows, or as sophisticated as skid loaders and snow blowers. In America, the lawn is an iconic feature in many residential and commercial landscapes. As a result, nearly every homeowner and business owner is also a lawn mower owner.

Tools such as chainsaws and string trimmers, edgers and hedge trimmers are commonly used in the landscaping industry, too. Some of these tools are available in electric versions, but many are only available as gas-powered tools. Among the gas powered tools, there are 2-cycle and 4-cycle engines. 2-cycle (or 2-stroke) engines burn an oil-gas mixture and are far more polluting than 4-stroke engines.

Some landscape equipment companies are addressing the energy and pollution problem by designing more efficient engines and offering some equipment that can operate on alternative fuels. For example, Dixie Chopper has mowers that can run on natual gas and some that run on propane. Honda and others have electric mowers that run on a rechargeable battery.

Of course, there are still plenty of old and new reel mowers available, running on good, old-fashioned elbow grease. They have their advantages (quiet, cheap to operate) but also a few disadvantages (difficult to operate on uneven terrain, slower, don't cut longer grass as well).

While some older mowers may have had a problem using E-10 (10% ethanol), new models using E-85 are scarce. However, this is a rapidly changing area, and creative and unexpected solutions will certainly be developed in the coming months and years.

SOURCES AND FURTHER READING:

American Nurseryman. 2001. Gas-powered equipment ban in Texas. Amer. Nurseryman. Vol. 193 no. 6:14.

Beldauf, R., C. Fortune, J. Weinstein, M. Wheeler, and F. Blanchard. 2006. Air contaminant exposures during the operation of lawn and garden equipment. Jnl. Exposure Sci. & Environ. Epidemiology. 16(4):362-370.

Bergman, B. 2004. To cut smog, Los Angeles places a bounty on mowers. New York Times. Section A; col. 1; national desk; P. 23. http://web-lexis-nexis.com.ezproxy.wiu.edu/universe/printdoc. Viewed 11/21/2006.

Bramwell, J. 2006. Power with a conscience. Amer. Nurseryman. 203(3):33-37.

Clayborn, B. 2007. Taking the lead in energy solutions. Lake and Prairie Sierra Club, Ill. Chapter. Factsheet.

Dixie chopper - propane. http://www.dixiechopper.com/propane.php. Viewed 7/22/2008.

Hollis, S. 2005. Cordless electric lawn mowers. Mother Earth News. 209:67-70.

Mullins, E. 2007. The Alternate Route. Lawn & Landscape. Pp. 29-38.

Nebraska Corn Board, Nebraska Ethanol Board, Nebraska Corn Growers Assoc. E-10 unleaded in small engines. http://www.e10unleaded.com/smallengines.htm. Viewed 4/9/2007.

Sahu, R. Technical paper on the introduction of greater than E10-gasoline blends. http://www.seearoostook.com/welcome/e10-TechPaper.pdf. Viewed January, 2008.

University of Florida. 2005. Dueling mowers. Environment. Vol. 47(5):5.

Weber, M. 2006. Cutting edge: fuel efficiency and productivity are driving innovation in equipment design. Grounds Maint. 13-24.

Welterdin, M. and C. Ratcliff. 2004. Pulse of the Industry. Grounds Maint. Dec. p. 9-32.