MOWER TRENDS 2018: PROPANE POWER

摘要

When it comes to mower trends, one area of the mower market that has grown considerably during the past five or six years is that of propane-powered mowers. But what is the current state of propane mower options, and where is the market headed? "More than 150 propane mower models are produced by 14 manufacturers today," said Jeremy Wishart, director of off-road business development, Propane Education & Research Council (PERC). "But what's more newsworthy is that those 150 models include a variety of zero-turn, wide-area walk behind, and stand-on units, when just a few years ago it was tough to find many propane models that weren't ZTRs." According to Wishart, that data indicates that more contractors are looking to operate their mower model of choice with propane, and OEMs are responding by making those models available. "In addition to those 14 OEMs offering propane are four different EPA- and CARB-certified aftermarket conversion kit manufacturers," Wishart added. "Contractors can now transition to propane however they're most comfortable doing so, whether that's converting their existing equipment or purchasing a propane-dedicated unit manufactured by their preferred brand."