Ethanol destroys engines and gasoline is costly, propane industry officials say, with some now set to ask the region's maintenance officials to give the cleaner combustible a trial run in the area's commercial mowers, trimmers and blowers.
They intend to pose the question at a Feb. 4 meeting with municipal officials and lawn care businesses, as advocates of propane-powered lawn equipment make the case for what they contend is a greener fuel.
The conversion to propane could cost municipalities roughly $1,500 per commercial mower engine, or just over half the cost of replacing an entire engine, sales officials say. But the savings over gasoline in spillage, theft and reduced maintenance costs could pay for the propane upgrade within a year, they said.
Ethanol gunks lines
John Watson, owner of Common Ground Landscape Management in Knoxville, participated in a three-year study through the University of Tennessee and said he converted all his units over to propane.
Following his initial investment in engine conversion and a new filling station, he said his costs have fallen 10 percent since he began using cleaner-burning propane.
Lawn care and municipal officials confirm that they're on the hunt for an alternative to today's gasoline-ethanol mix, currently available at gas stations in Chattanooga for about $2.95 per gallon, because it gunks up spark plugs, fuel lines and carburetors.
Wholesale propane, on the other hand, can be purchased for closer to $1.45 per gallon, or about $2.80 per gallon at retail, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, although it isn't as widely available as regular unleaded and must be kept in special storage tanks.
Cheaper operations seen
Jerry Lindsey helps outdoor equipment dealers to convert gasoline engines to propane on behalf of Metro Lawn, a conversion kit seller, and said converted units see an 80 percent drop in emissions and 40 percent drop in operational costs.
Barrett Fischer, owner of Chattanooga-based Fischer Irrigation & Lighting, said he's also having a problem with the current 10 percent ethanol/gasoline mixture.
He's considering the switch to propane in part because the ethanol, especially in small engines, is "clogging up injectors and carburetors," which necessitates replacement every two months, up from once a year with regular gasoline, or even less often with propane.
Feds boost level to 15%
To further complicate matters, the Environmental Protection Agency last week expanded on a previous decision to allow the sale of gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol, though the EPA admitted that the new blend will not be suitable for small engines or vehicles built before 2001.
Page said that while he's open to the idea of switching his fleet to propane, the cost savings had better be substantial. It wouldn't be the first time propane has been tried.
Fischer anticipates long-term fuel cost and maintenance savings by switching, but he is worried about putting too many eggs in an untested basket.
While gasoline can be bought almost anywhere, propane supplies are less plentiful.
There are currently about 50 lawn care businesses using roughly 2,000 propane mowers nationally, mainly concentrated in Texas and Florida, according to Metro Lawn.
