Gardener sparks debate with question about maintenance equipment: 'Wouldn't bother with petrol'

One gardener in the United Kingdom turned to Reddit for advice on lawnmowers: "Electric or petrol one?"

Commenters on r/GardeningUK were quick to offer their insights and debated the pros and cons of using petrol versus electric-powered lawnmowers.

Many suggested electric or battery-powered mowers as more environment-friendly solutions, especially for smaller lawns, while petrol mowers were recommended for bigger lawns.

One user asked the original poster about their lawn's size, saying they "wouldn't bother with petrol" for a small lawn.

Another suggested battery mowers, particularly from Bosch, saying the model they had was "brilliant" — someone added that the brand's batteries are interchangeable with its other appliances.

While most in the thread seemed to recommend electric mowers primarily for smaller lawns, one Redditor shared their experience of using robotic mowers on their large half-acre lawn.

The homeowner shared that their half-acre lawn in Devon, UK, is spread out over multiple sub-areas and that they use two robotic mowers in addition to a battery electric cut mower and a petrol ride-on tractor.

They noted that their robo-mowers have their own drawbacks, like getting stuck in holes and having to be restarted manually often. However, overall, they're happy with them. They also shared that when they had to replace the robo-mowers after eight years, they bought "like-for-like" replacements.

Petrol and electric mowers each have their pros and cons, but if your goal is to reduce your carbon footprint, using an electric mower can make a big difference.

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What makes electric mowers eco-friendly is that they don't produce fumes and make less noise. Switching from petrol to electric can significantly reduce both air and noise pollution at home.

The biggest drawback of electric mowers is the cost, as they tend to be pricier upfront. However, lower and average-priced mowers could be more cost-effective than petrol mowers in the long run.

If the price of dirty fuel increases and batteries become cheaper and more efficient, switching to electric could be more budget-friendly.

If you're curious about the cost impact of switching to electric, Sust-it's energy calculator can estimate how much power an electric mower would use based on your local rates.

Switching to an electric mower is just one way to reduce pollution at home. Other changes, like switching to induction cooking, can improve interior air quality and avoid the harmful toxins that gas stoves release.

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