Gas vs Electric Lawn Mowers - Advantages and Disadvantages

Before you buy a new lawn mower, the first question you’ll want to ask is “should I go with gas or electric?” This is due to the rise of electric powered lawn mowers over the past decade. But is an electric mower a better choice than some of the gas powered options available? What benefits does an electric lawn mower have over a gas powered mower? How do you compare electric power to gas power?

One major benefit of an electric mower is the reduced amount of maintenance the mower needs over its lifetime. Gas powered engines require regular maintenance such as oil changes, replacing air and oil filters, grease, belts, and spark plugs–parts not required to maintain an electric lawn mower. While an electric mower will require seasonal blade sharpenings, this will not outweigh the costs of the regular maintenance that gas engines require, saving you significant costs over the life of the mower.

You will also save money by not needing to store extra gasoline, or needing to go to a gas station to refill your supply. There is no need to fill up before you cut. You can leave your electric mower plugged in while you’re not cutting. Then when the grass is ready to be cut, your electric mower will be fully charged. Gone are the days of getting ready to cut grass, but changing plans because you don’t have gas.

Another major benefit of electric lawn mowers is that they are substantially quieter than gas powered mowers. Quiet performance gives you a variety of benefits:

Flexibility on the hours you can mow - You no longer have to worry about disturbing your neighbors early in the morning or keeping those early birds up when mowing in the evening. This means you can work when you want, on your schedule. 

Meet community standards for sound requirements - With many professionals choosing to work from home, sound pollution will be a more important consideration when buying a lawn mower. 

Better protection for your ears - Reduced noise level from electric mowers will provide less strain on your ears. This is because gas powered mowers run, on average, around 90 dBA3. Noise at this level can damage your hearing over time which is why it is recommended to wear ear protection when operating gas powered mowers with noise levels higher than 70 dBA4. A lower dBA means you can mow safely, without worrying about damaging your hearing.

Electric mowers are not only cheaper to own and quieter than traditional gas mowers, but are also cleaner for the environment. This can be crucial for US cities beginning to implement environmental regulations with regards to gas powered mowers. For example, the city of Dallas has proposed a ban on outdoor gasoline-powered lawn equipment. The state of California has already enacted legislation that will entirely phase out the use of gasoline-powered small off-road engines, which includes those in lawnmowers. 

While these policies do not exist everywhere, one could interpret it as a sign of things to come. The Simplicity BlueVolt™ is fully compliant to Dallas’s proposed and California’s enacted regulations. Purchasing an electric lawn mower lets you stay ahead of the changing times.

Electric power is still relatively new to the mainstream lawn care world. The relative newness of electric power opens opportunities for high-tech additions to electric mowers that traditional gas units wouldn’t have.