15 ms·
Two-stroke engines are what you find in lawnmowers (the non-riding kind), weed whackers, leaf blowers, chain saws, etc. because they're lighter than 4-stroke en
by jackowayed 16y ago
Two-stroke engines are what you find in lawnmowers (the non-riding kind), weed whackers, leaf blowers, chain saws, etc. because they're lighter than 4-stroke engines.
As mentioned in the article, the ones in those devices are terrible for the environment. They burn the oil as well as the gas, which for whatever reason means they emit way more pollution (not CO2, but stuff like carbon monoxide) than car engines. From Wikipedia:
> A 2001 study showed that some mowers emit the same amount of pollution (emissions other than carbon dioxide) in one hour as driving a 1992 model car for 650 miles
It sounds like this engine is a 2-stroke engine that does not do that, which has serious potential. Some of the fuel efficiency gains probably come from the fact that, as I said before, 2-stroke engines are lighter for a given desired power.
- sliverstorm 16y agoLawn mowers are mostly 4 stroke now. Weed whackers, leaf blowers, and ESPECIALLY chain saws remain two stroke for a special reason- they can be operated at virtually any angle. This is because the lubricating oil is carried in the air/fuel mix; if you turn a 4 stroke on it's side during operation, it will become oil starved and quickly seize.
- cma 16y agoThere are 4-strokes that can operate at any orientation: http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/products/trimmers/content.aspx?asset=tb_4StrokeEngineAdvantage http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/products/trimmers/content...
- sliverstorm 16y agoI haven't any evidence, but I suspect those motors use a dry sump, which results in significant added complexity. You are right, it can be done, but it's usually reserved for racing engines.
- elblanco 16y agoI have a four stroke weed wacker and push lawn mower.
- harshpotatoes 16y agoWouldn't the platinum all cars have in the exhaust (catalytic converter) take care of the carbon monoxide from this two stroke engine?
- jacquesm 16y agoNo, it would foul up in no time because of the particulate matter in the exhaust stream. 2 strokes are dirty.