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Are cars cleaner than lawn equipment?

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  • Are cars cleaner than lawn equipment?

    Mythbuster: Are Modern Truck and Car Emissions Comparable to that of Lawn Blowers?

    I have to say, not what I expected.


    With government agencies enforcing stricter emission regulations every year and auto manufacturers doing their best to prove that their cars are as eco-friendly as possible, hyperbole is part of the game.

    A common saying is that the modern cars are cleaner than lawn equipment and that the carbon dioxide emissions they release are actually lower than that present in the air that comes into the combustion chamber.

    Edmund's Insideline decided to put the theories to the test. Since cars come in all shapes and sizes, they chose two examples from the opposite side of the spectrum: a Fiat 500 mini and a Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Crew Cab pickup.

    The diminutive Fiat is powered by a 1.4-liter four with 100HP, while the big and menacing-looking Raptor sports a 411HP 6.2-liter V8.

    They also bought along two leaf blowers: one with a single-cylinder 50.8 cc two-stroke engine and the other with a 30cc four-stroke engine.

    The contest took place at the Automotive Research Center of the American Automobile Association Auto Club of Southern California, which runs the FTP 75 emissions cycles test that is one of the primary standards in U.S. light-car emissions and fuel economy certification.

    So what do you think? Are modern cars and trucks as clean as their makers claim them to be, beating even a common lawn blower? No spoilers here: just watch the video to find out the answer.
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  • #2
    The show Mythbusters did something similar between car and motorcycle emissions and came up with pretty much the same outcome. Bike supposedly had a catalytic converter as well.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by SS Junk View Post
      The show Mythbusters did something similar between car and motorcycle emissions and came up with pretty much the same outcome. Bike supposedly had a catalytic converter as well.
      Bikes have much less stringent emmissions regulations, so manufacturers aren't going to put any more money into parts or technology than they have to. Why make a bike more expensive, and potentially price it out of the market, when you don't have to?

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      • #4
        I'm not surprised. As stated above if I built lawn equipment I wouldn't' waste the money to try to make them cleaner if I didnt' have too. Imagine the cost and weight of a push mower with all the emissions gear a car has to have.
        2004 Suzuki DL650
        1996 Hy-Tek Hurricane 103

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Downs View Post
          I'm not surprised. As stated above if I built lawn equipment I wouldn't' waste the money to try to make them cleaner if I didnt' have too. Imagine the cost and weight of a push mower with all the emissions gear a car has to have.
          Off subject: Nice car. I got an 07 cs. SHR sells a grill guard if you want to add some protection to your radiator.

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          • #6
            I'm not surprised by the results between the Raptor/Fiat and the lawn equipment. However I am a bit surprised at the comparison of emissions between the Raptor and the Fiat. You'd think a car that small would be cleaner to what is essentially a race ready pickup.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Sgt Beavis View Post
              I'm not surprised by the results between the Raptor/Fiat and the lawn equipment. However I am a bit surprised at the comparison of emissions between the Raptor and the Fiat. You'd think a car that small would be cleaner to what is essentially a race ready pickup.
              That's technology for you. It makes me wonder what kind of power that Raptor mill could make without all of the emmissions equipment and tuning. A bolt-on and cammed new 5.0 will make 400hp, and that's with 20% less displacement.

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