by: Start A Lawn Care Business
During the Louisville, Ky lawn and garden expo, I saw many lawn care equipment manufacturers displaying propane powered lawn mowers. As pollution laws become more strict, LCO’s are going to offer more and more lawn equipment powered by clean technology.
I’m not sure about your weedeater but one of my old reliable stringtrimmers is a real polluter. Even when it’s dialed in and running right, there is a slightly visible exhaust at all times. I attempt to be as environmentally friendly in my business but there has been very little to replace the 2 cycle engines…until now.
I am glad to say that I picked up a Lehr propane powered weedeater today. After assembling the unit and purchasing a couple cannisters of propane, I gave it a 15 minute test.
I am impressed with initial tests. It starts quickly, it’s quieter than gasoline powered units, torque is impressive, and rev up time seems to be less than my echo trimmer.
My standard review takes about 3 weeks to complete. I will have a long range follow-up review in several months.
Please keep an eye on this blog to see results.
Amazon.com has these propane powered weed eaters in stock. Click the link below to order.
#1 by kirk on June 11, 2009 - 8:17 am
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what do you do with all those used empty bottles? how “environmentally friendly” are those to dispose of and how much pollution is involved making those? At least with gas, you reuse the same gas can for years on end. And I believe they make a four stroke which would pollute even less than a mixed gas trimmer.
#2 by admin on June 11, 2009 - 3:06 pm
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Additional waste and cost from using 1 lb. propane bottles is a major concern.
I have been in contact with the company and I believe they are working on an effective refill method. Giving users of propane line trimmers an ability to refill their bottles will dramatically reduce waste and cost attributed to desposable propane bottles.
Propane line trimmers are going to become much more prevelant. Watch for the entire industry to change to propane and battery power the next few years.
Thanks for your comment.
#3 by Mike on June 14, 2009 - 8:21 am
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How about nat. gas powered. With a small filling station at home you can refill and go without the limitations of extra tanks and their associated costs.
#4 by Colin on July 27, 2009 - 4:19 pm
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We certainly don’t have any propane powered garden machinery here in the UK . First time I have heard about them.
How long do the canisters last for?
#5 by Eric Hansen on November 27, 2009 - 2:55 pm
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I Was at the Louisville Kentucky show as well and our company will be using much of this equipment and currently is the first commercial lawn maintenance company to run one of our crews 100 percent on propane. This includes the trucks(Ford F350 Roush 1 ton), 72″, 60″, 48″, 36″, and 21″ mowers, and trimmers and blowers. We still have a bit of an issue with the Lehr units because of the lack of ability to refill the canisters. We have had some success with using a 10 pound fiberglass canister in a backpack for the trimmers. We desperately need smaller refillable cylinders to have the trimmers and blowers working just like a 2 stroke echo line trimmer but believe that this is coming down the pipe. Our site http://www.greenpropanepower.com will eventually be following our company as we convert over other crews to this propane equipment. in 2009 we used over 1500 gallons of propane and are targeting 5000-10000 gallons of propane to be used for the 2010 season. This will significantly cut down our use of unleaded fuel for our operations, reducing down our annual emmisions and performing quieter and cleaner.
#6 by Lawn Care Business on November 28, 2009 - 8:29 pm
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Eric:
Putting a 10 lb. fiberglass propane canister in a backpack is a very interesting idea. I have found some of the refillable propane canisters that I think you are referencing.
At $90, they will probably pay for themselves in 1 or 2 fills.
#7 by Eric Hansen on December 18, 2009 - 5:03 pm
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Yes, our canisters are made by Ragasco. We will see how they work moving forward. We also just picked up the first in the country Roush/Ford F350 truck from Jack Roush. See the press release at http://blog.roushperformance.com/blog/2009/12/competitive-lawn-service-takes-keys-to-first-roush-under-bed-propane-f-350.html . Thats me in the photo.
#8 by Trinidad Tribbett on December 29, 2009 - 6:59 pm
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#9 by Thank you on February 16, 2010 - 11:52 am
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startalawncarebusiness.com; You saved my day again.
#10 by lawn care man on March 8, 2010 - 2:53 am
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Hi Everybody
Definitions for the earths temperature increase – or global warming are most often disregarded as too scientific – but, an earthquake shaking an entire country into disaster should not be another disregarded statistic. We’re talking about people, just like you and me.
Please offer financial or volunteer assistance to Chile & Haiti
http://www.google.com/relief/chileearthquake/
#11 by Eric Hansen www.competitivelawn.com on November 1, 2010 - 5:34 am
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Hey, I was just down at the GIE-EXPO and things are heating up for running everything on propane. Since our company Competitive Lawn Service is the first company on the planet running on 100 percent alternative fuel, Propane, we are giddy about the new 1 pound cylinders from Manchester tank due out in January of 2011. These things ROCK. No more backpack propane stuff. Screw on and go baby!! Now we can run everything easily on propane, going green and saving a lot of green in the process. They will only be like 20-30 bucks a piece and can be filled 10,000 times. Time for the OEM manufacturers to start cranking out equipment to run on the new fuel. Time for us to start running on Green Propane Power. More later.
Eric Hansen, President
Competitive Lawn Service, Inc.
http://www.competitivelawn.com
http://www.greenpropanepower.com
630-964-2200
#12 by Lawn Care Business on November 1, 2010 - 11:09 pm
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Hi Eric:
Too bad we missed you once again. We saw the Roush Truck but just didn’t make it over before closing time on Sunday. Check out our latest blog posts (more coming).
We did get to demo some of the new propane mowers.
It was, as always, a great show. Maybe we’ll catch up with you next year.
#13 by Eic Hansen on November 2, 2010 - 5:28 am
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Lawn Care Business,
Give me a call. Wasn’t that an awesome truck we got from Roush!!! Ford F350 Supercab Plow/Trailer Prep with a Western 8 foot ultra mount front end and a great wagonmaster 14 foot trailer tandem axle. All wrapped up pretty by the team at Roush. Did you see our trimmers and blower retrofits? The 1 pound refillable cylinders by Manchester tank?
Hey, BTW, someone stole my Lehr hand held propane powered blower. It also had a cool yellow embedded hour meter on it with only 2.5 hours of use on it. If anyone is out there that took it please read Matthew 6:19 first. Then mail the blower back to the address below. We will pay for shipping no questions asked. It is just that I want to get the data back on that one, I also used it for my house and I have to blow the leaves off my driveway this week.
Best Regards,
Eric Hansen
Competitive Lawn Service, Inc.
1355 Warren Avenue
Downers Grove IL 60515
630-964-2200
http://www.competitivelawn.com
http://www.greenpropanepower.com
“The first 100 percent alternative fuel landscape and snow and ice management company on the planet”