The Growing Concern September 2018

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F EATURE ARTI CLE

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PROS OF GASOLINE MOWERS One of the largest advantages to using gasoline mowers is that gas is so readily available—getting what you need is only as far as the nearest gas station. Nevertheless, there are over 6,000 propane retailers in U.S. that can accommodate a variety of fuel needs. Mowers that run on conventional gasoline are also much easier to find than mowers that run on propane or are electric. Instead, many contractors who use propane mowers simply convert them from ones that were designed to run on gasoline.

GASOLINE MOWER CONS Not Great For The Environment To offset the amount of emissions gasoline engines produce, chemical additives are added to gas to lower these rates. However, these additives tend to be toxic, which basically means that petrol manufacturers trade one environmental risk for another.

As we mentioned before, gasoline should only be stored for about a year before it starts to degrade, which can potentially lead to an increase in waste. At the very least, users of conventional gasoline must pay much more careful attention to when it is acquired to prevent their supply from being compromised. Gasoline costs more than propane, and the disparity in price can add up quickly and is generally passed on to the customer. As anyone who has ever taken a road trip during a major holiday or needed to fill up before or during a major storm knows, gas prices can also be highly unstable. That’s not to say that propane prices aren’t affected by the same principles of supply and demand, but acquiring natural gas that’s locally sourced helps to offset this a bit.

Jerry Schill is president and co-owner of Schill Grounds Management. He’s

When gas leaks into soil, it can prevent plant growth (meaning you could potentially end up with no turf while trying to mow your lawn) and contaminate the water supply.

received numerous accolades for his leadership in the Northeast Ohio business community and the commercial landscaping and snow management industry. Schill Gounds Management takes sustainability very seriously and is always happy to partner with organizations and companies who are looking to become more

More Hassle, Higher Long Term Costs Because gas mowers don’t burn as cleanly as propane ones do, this leads to more build up in the engine, which will typically mean more regular and intensive maintenance.

36 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

environmentally friendly. If you want to learn more about how sustainability can improve your company’s culture and your bottom line, feel free to contact Jerry, or a member of his team, or visit the Schill Grounds Management Blog at https://schilllandscaping.com/blog.


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