Gasoline to Propane Conversion
by Ruben Lopez
Switch from Gasoline to Propane?
You are a landscaper or commercial lawn service
and as a result of the drought you are looking to
improve your bottom line. Or maybe you'd like to
do something to reduce your impact on the
environment and bring in some new clients who
would appreciate working with a "green" business.
If either of these situations describes you, then you
may want to explore the benefits, both economic
and environmental of either buying a new or
converting your existing gasoline powered
commercial mower into a cleaner burning, longer
lasting, less costly to operate alternative fuelpowered mower. Besides gasoline, today's mowers
can run on compressed natural gas, batteries,
biodiesel, and propane. Because propane, also
known as liquefied petroleum gas (LGP) is widely available, this article will highlight the
benefits of propane powered commercial lawnmowers.
More Economical to Operate:
There are several reasons why a propane powered mower is cheaper to operate than a traditional
gas-powered one.1 First, LPG is 30-40% cheaper than the equivalent amount of gasoline used to
power a traditional gas mower. Second, it is estimated that maintenance costs are half as much as
their gasoline powered counterparts.2 Most large commercial mowers require carburetor work
about twice a year. At about $400 per visit that is a significant expense not including the
equipment downtime. Because propane lawnmowers run cleaner (102-112 octane rating vs. 8792 for gasoline), and due to low-carbon and low oil-contamination characteristics engine, life has
been documented to last up to twice that of gasoline engines. In addition, with less maintenance
required, a propane-powered mower will spend less time in the shop and more time out on the
job.
Finally, part of the cost of operating a fleet of gasoline-powered vehicles is loss due to spillage
and pilferage. However, refueling with propane is spill-free, and because propane tanks are
specially designed to work only with mowers, loss due to pilferage is virtually eliminated.
Better for the Environment:
Propane mowers produce significantly less carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, hydrocarbon, and
particulate matter than gasoline powered mowers. An added benefit is that even an ozone action
days when municipalities encourage (or in some cases mandate) reduced usage of gasoline
powered equipment, you can continue to conduct business because propane powered equipment
does not contribute to greenhouse gas.
Appeals to a Green-Conscious Customer:
Today many individuals, businesses and institutions including federal, state, and local agencies
value sustainability and seek "green" products and services. Having cleaner burning mowers in
your inventory can help open doors to new business.
Buy new or convert an existing mower?
There are more than 30 manufacturers of commercial grade propane-powered mowers. On
average, a new propane mower will cost about $2,000 more than a gasoline model. Another
option is to convert an existing gasoline mower to propane. This can cost from $500 to $2,000.
For example, it will cost about $500-600 to convert a Honda 21-inch mower, while larger models
may cost $1,800 to $2,000 to convert. Only certified technicians and EPA-certified conversion
kits should be used when converting a gasoline engine to run on propane. In either case there are
conversion rebates as well as a federal excise tax available to help offset the cost of converting to
propane/alternative fuel. The Texas Propane Coalition offers up to a $1,000 rebate towards the
cost of converting an existing gasoline mower. There was a federal excise tax rebate of $0.50 per
gallon of propane that was available through the end of December 2011. Whether or not this
excise tax rebate will carry forward into 2012 remains to be seen.
Want to learn more?
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Propane is abundant from domestic sources with about 97% of the propane consumed in
the U.S. being produced in North America
Propane powered equipment provides the same power and work capability as gasoline or
diesel engines
More than 30 models of propane-fueled commercial mowers are available from leading
brands
Propane is not considered a greenhouse gas
Conversion Kits are available for Kawasaki, Honda, Briggs & Stratton, and Kohler
engines ranging in horsepower from 11hp to 37hp