Is it normal to wreak of exhaust after mowing?

[RU482]

I have a JD riding lawnmower. It's probably 10 yrs old. I replaced the plugs and changed the oil this spring. I notice after I mow, I wreak of exhaust fumes.

Any ideas of what I should look at, or is this pretty much unavoidable with an older mower?

 

[The Boston Dangler]

2 stroke?

 

[Kadarin]

Wreak? As in "to wreak havoc"?

I believe the word you are looking for is reek, as in "to be strongly pervaded with something unpleasant or offensive".

 

[angry hampster]

If you're downwind from the exhaust pipe, you will inevitably smell like exhaust. New ones with more efficient motors aren't as bad -- our '08 JD won't leave a stench, but the engine is also behind the user.

 

[Howard]

Yes. It's a pretty strong smell when you're mowing.

 

[boomerang]

My snowblower is a two-stroke. There seems to be no way to avoid being all stinky after running it.

 

[PingSpike]

I like how cars have to have emission controls, but mowers and the like don't. I'm not sure I want the increased costs of that on my mowers...but at the same time, I'm standing right behind the damn things sucking down the rank fumes the whole time I'm using them.

 

[RU482]

ah, yes it's a 4 stroke 20HP front engine mower.

I think I read that mowing your yard pollutes as much as driving a new car ~100 miles, or some crazy high number of miles.

 

[Jawo]

If its a 4 stroke you shouldn't smell like oil. Sounds like your engine may be burning oil. I cut lawns for years (on both gas and diesel) and never smelled like exhaust.

Actually cutting grass itself is so bad....since you release so much ethelyne, which is much more potent that CO2 as a greenhouse gas. Here's an interesting study about cut grass pollution from Australia: http://northcountrynotes.org/j...ut_grass_pollution.pdf

 

[MiataNC]

You must not ride a motorcycle/scooter...

If you are around exhaust fumes for any length of time, the odor will soak into your clothes and skin.

 

[alfa147x]

pipe the exhaust further out

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Originally posted by: PingSpike
I like how cars have to have emission controls, but mowers and the like don't. I'm not sure I want the increased costs of that on my mowers...but at the same time, I'm standing right behind the damn things sucking down the rank fumes the whole time I'm using them.

Actually, small engines are going to be required to have cats and such by 2011 iirc.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...4/AR2008090403373.html