I hate my lawn. I’ve seriously considered ripping the whole thing out to expand my veggie garden. I hate it for a couple of reasons. First, it requires water, a lot of it, to keep it green. But in California where I haven't seen rain since February, that's not exactly practical...or cheap. And secondly, it requires mowing, which means cranking up my old gas-powered lawn mower, which wracks me with guilt every time I use it. So, for now, I give it neither. It’s a brown mess.
Thanks to Hacknmod tracking down three ways to convert gas lawn mowers to solar and electric, however, I can solve at least the lawn-mower issue. A tidy brown plot is in my future. It also solves another problem – I’m an early bird and can feel the glaring eyes from neighbors’ windows when I crank up my mower at 7 AM on a Sunday. Now, I can mow as soon as the sun comes up for all they care!
Convert your gas mower to a solar electric unit with an electric motor, battery, and solar unit.
Stick a solar panel on your electric mower for free energy.
Or charge your battery with a separate solar unit.
These could make for some fun summer projects! And if you’re the social type, you could even learn how to do this and hold a workshop in your neighborhood or community. Then your neighbors won’t feel the glare of your evil eye when they crank up their loud, gassy mowers.
Of course, if you aren't in to mods or DIY craftiness, then you can check out some pre-built electric mowers or, to please your tech-loving heart, go with a hover mower.
Oh, and don't forget - if you need to change the oil, there's always cow-fat motor oil.
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written by MattKelly, June 02, 2008
For me, i still think lawns are a bit of a waste, no only becuase of the need to cut them, and honestly, how many people are going to put a solar charger on them? Also, my time is a little more valuable than to spend it cutting the lawn. But my issue is the water it takes to keep them green. Here in LA where I live, I walked to work today and passed several houses that had their morning sprinklers on and it was so sad to see how much water the sidewalk got. Instead of grass, how about pesticide-free, AGL artificial grass from recycled polyethylene (saves water and it looked real.)
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written by Brian Siana, June 02, 2008
Making photovoltaic modules is pretty expensive. From what I understand, it takes a few years in the sun to produce the energy consumed while manufacturing them. So how is putting solar PV modules on a lawnmower ever going to be a net positive in terms of green house gases? I've never liked the idea of using solar for temporary uses (lawnmowers, clothes with solar for charging iPods) for just this reason. If anybody wants to really invest in solar energy, you should put your money where it will go to good use, on your roof. There it will produce way more energy per dollar, pay itself off faster, and be better for the environment.
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written by Laurie, June 02, 2008
I vote for you to move the grass out and expand your garden. Tons of people in Portland Oregon are doing that and it's so nice to walk down the street and see so many gardens. Here is some interesting info on lawns.
It was not until the Tudor and Elizabethan times that the garden and the lawn became a place to be loved and admired. Created as walkways and for play areas, the lawns were not as we envisage them today. They were made up of meadow plants, such as camomile, a particular favourite. In the early 1600s, the Jacobean epoch of gardening began. It was during this period that the closely cut "English" lawn was born. By the end of this period, the English lawn was the envy of even the French. It was also seen as a symbol of status by the gentry.
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written by Marie Zarankevich, June 02, 2008
Hi, -- I just bought a mini solar charger that can charge any cell phone, as well as digital cameras, palm devices, and a few other small items as well. -- A very useful device where electricity is not available easily. -- You can buy them online for as little as $20.00. -- Good luck, man.
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written by Scott Olson, June 02, 2008
I just bought a Brill Razorcut manual lawn mower when my ancient, rusty gas one wouldn't start this spring. I have to say, its so easy to use and solves all of the problems you outlined here (except for watering). Its super quiet, I even had a phone conversation with my mom while mowing. Contrary to popular beliefs, its super easy to push, easier by far than pushing a gas mower. It only weighs 13 pounds! Supposedly you only need to sharpen the blades every 7-10 years because of the newer style design.
Anyone wishing to ditch their polluting gas mower should seriously try one of these, I am actually disappointed how easy it is to push around, as I was hoping for a bit of exercise using it.
Anyone wishing to ditch their polluting gas mower should seriously try one of these, I am actually disappointed how easy it is to push around, as I was hoping for a bit of exercise using it.
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written by brianS, June 02, 2008
I've been using my Brill for 8 years. Mows great, requires minimal maintenance and is quiet. If you have a typical, postage-stamp sized California lawn, there really isn't much excuse for using anything other than a reel mower.
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written by Kevin N, June 02, 2008
Down here in New Orleans, the grass grown super fast and out of control especially with all the rain we get here. I started converting my yard into a veggie garden too, although its plots and still grass everywhere. I was digging the solar mower idea although I have no concerns over emissions, more so the noise and costly gasoline. Unlike a lot of you, I could care less about what emissions or my carbon count is, I care about my wallet and my 40 years I have left to live on this marble. My kids are going their own ways so its their problem, I cant see it getting any easier no matter what "I" do or what 100 others do thus they are going to have a rough ride. It also may force people to realize that paying into the system over and over is going to prolong the oil industry and in turn, screw consumers. Make your own fuels, distill or use a gasifier, hydrogen, etc, what ever works for you. If more people would begin to do this, it might drive the oil companies into rethinking how they treat people and adjust their prices accordingly. OR...Maybe not.. What ever works for you.
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written by Uncle B, June 02, 2008
If every southern exposure lawn in America were planted to potatoes we would have potatoes to produce enough Vodka (Ethanol) to make the oil crisis painless, one way or another!
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written by John thomas, June 02, 2008
Dude thats cool but I have to mow an acre everytime and that looks like it might take a while :)
JJ
www.FireMe.To/udi
JJ
www.FireMe.To/udi
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written by beef3000, June 02, 2008
1. Put your lawnmower in the shed.
2. Buy a giant tarp and cover your lawn with it.
3. Wait for your grass to die and enjoy the vomit-beige maintenance-free lawn.
2. Buy a giant tarp and cover your lawn with it.
3. Wait for your grass to die and enjoy the vomit-beige maintenance-free lawn.
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written by MattKelly's dumb, June 02, 2008
Dood! You want to make things greener by using fake grass. Lets not water plants, trees, grass or food. Let it all die so we can have water. The grass is green and good for the environment cause it eats c02 and makes oxygen. there are also many bugs and things that live there that keep the earth revolving. Award for the dumbest comment ever seen on any board. Congrats
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written by rainbowape, June 02, 2008
ok, may sound a tad contrite but why not just by a rotary mower?> they dont use electricity, as they have no motor at all, just good old fashioned sweat and muscle.
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written by RABinRVA, June 02, 2008
Only one of those links involves a gas mower and it isn't a very helpful link. I swear, all this "ecogeek" spam is the worst thing to hit Digg in a while.
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written by bman, June 02, 2008
This thread is spirit crushing. Every person here has great ideas on how to handle the problem of lawns in a greener way. Instead of congratulating, though, we spend all our time cutting each other's solutions down. Every one of these ideas is genius on a small scale but very few of them scale up to being a silver bullet... Imagine the plague of potato bugs if we all... never mind.
The point is, by cutting each other down, all we do is encourage everybody to do nothing at all and nobody wants that. So please, can we share our ideas AND encourage other people to do their part constructively...
Awesome!
PS: Sheep transform summer lawns into winter sweaters!
The point is, by cutting each other down, all we do is encourage everybody to do nothing at all and nobody wants that. So please, can we share our ideas AND encourage other people to do their part constructively...
Awesome!
PS: Sheep transform summer lawns into winter sweaters!
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written by coolo, June 03, 2008
haha how much power would you get out of that thign? i dont know if it could take the beating from wet thick grass, but then again i guess there is only one way to find out
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written by Chuck, June 03, 2008
I won't be surprised if I see an article on "Convert your lawn mover to run on water" in a couple of years, if what's on http://www.SaveGasSaveEarth.com is correct
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written by MattKelly, June 03, 2008
Obviously the poster insulting me didn't take the time to really READ my post, so I will again put it in terms the individual can understand.
GRASS LAWNS in Los Angeles, a desert, are an artifically created and unsustainable environment that use far more water, a precious natural resource that will only become more so as government reports are showing the West is drying out, often through sprinklers watering sidewalks, curbs, driveways and such, than is beneficial. All, so what, you can have a green lawn? Yawn. Dig it all up, lay down pesticide-free, AGL artificial grass from recycled polyethylene which saves water and looks real if you want the GREEN LAWN look in a DESERT. Better yet, to use the individuals reasoning, how about something that requires very little water, like drought tolerant native species to conserve/reduce water usage? To claim these lawns and the fertilizers that keep them green and the water needed to keep them living eats co2 and has bugs that keep the world revolving looks at one attribute and not the negatives in the whole picture.
The guy probably thinks that green lawns in Las Vegas are a good thing too. Heck, lets go to the Sahara and plant lawns and water them incessantly because they look nice and will help reduce co2!
DOOD!
GRASS LAWNS in Los Angeles, a desert, are an artifically created and unsustainable environment that use far more water, a precious natural resource that will only become more so as government reports are showing the West is drying out, often through sprinklers watering sidewalks, curbs, driveways and such, than is beneficial. All, so what, you can have a green lawn? Yawn. Dig it all up, lay down pesticide-free, AGL artificial grass from recycled polyethylene which saves water and looks real if you want the GREEN LAWN look in a DESERT. Better yet, to use the individuals reasoning, how about something that requires very little water, like drought tolerant native species to conserve/reduce water usage? To claim these lawns and the fertilizers that keep them green and the water needed to keep them living eats co2 and has bugs that keep the world revolving looks at one attribute and not the negatives in the whole picture.
The guy probably thinks that green lawns in Las Vegas are a good thing too. Heck, lets go to the Sahara and plant lawns and water them incessantly because they look nice and will help reduce co2!
DOOD!
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written by ATV Guy, June 03, 2008
You can go low tech with a reel mower. Great exercise too since you're using your own muscle power.
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written by Brian, June 04, 2008
my vote is for the reel mower too.
1 cheap
2 no gas or electricity
3 no lead filled batteries
4 no expensive solar setup
5 good exercise
get yer fat but out the computer chair and start pushin
1 cheap
2 no gas or electricity
3 no lead filled batteries
4 no expensive solar setup
5 good exercise
get yer fat but out the computer chair and start pushin
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written by ECOshore, June 04, 2008
I downsized from a tractor to push mower this year to force a little exercise back into the act of mowing. Gas to solar electric. That might be the next step.
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written by wowdude, June 04, 2008
reel mower. yes.
water usage for lawns? a little much.
nice to have a lawn though, *if you use it*. But front yards? Not many people use their front yards these days. Waste of space.
Native species? yes. i think that we should plant with the following in mind (if not always followed): plant what would survive if you or anybody else were no longer there to water it; plant what feeds local fauna.
water usage for lawns? a little much.
nice to have a lawn though, *if you use it*. But front yards? Not many people use their front yards these days. Waste of space.
Native species? yes. i think that we should plant with the following in mind (if not always followed): plant what would survive if you or anybody else were no longer there to water it; plant what feeds local fauna.
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written by Mark, May 05, 2009
Water? Try a few rain barrels after you put some good, moisture-holding compost down for it to grow up through. Do your homework AFA what variety to sow for your area. Use a 2nd hand motor instead of a new one for the conversion. You can also get used PV panels that are out-of-spec but still entirely capable of charging the battery. Use a deep-cycle or trolling battery. Automotive starting batteries do not like deep discharges and will be more expensive in the long run than a single good battery made for such usage.
Lawns are often worth having around a dwelling as they can keep temperatures a few degrees lower than bare earth. When you get sick of mowing again, you can always plant shrubs.
Lawns are often worth having around a dwelling as they can keep temperatures a few degrees lower than bare earth. When you get sick of mowing again, you can always plant shrubs.
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written by wedding dresses, October 13, 2009
Oh, and don't forget - if you need to change the oil, there's always cow-fat motor oil.
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