In the specific case of grass cutting, the main benefit of an engine with a wider power band (diesel or diesel-like) is that it can keep chugging even when you bog it down with too much grass to spin at full speed. The cut will look like crud, but at least you didn't stall the engine.
Cutting grass requires blade RPM's. Cutting grass at less than the mximum blade RPM's your mower can deliver will result in a less satisfactory cut.
So, if you like a good cut, and you mow often enough to not have to worry about bogging down the engine, a gas engine will work great and will save a lot of $ when you buy it. Being able to deliver a product with less expensive air-cooling is a huge price differentiator. (does anybody know of any examples of air-cooled diesel engines?)
If you like to chug through 2-foot high grass that you mow once a season with half-mulched green sludge coming out of the discharge chute, a diesel might be the way to go. (Isn't this kind of like highway road-side mowing?)
For running hydraulics, both types of engines are typically revved up well within their power band and unless you are stalling it down because the pressure bypass is set incorrectly, both should perform about the same. The hydraulic pump flow ratio should be setup such that both are at their power peak.
For applications where the load and RPM's vary over a wide range, (like using a multitude of PTO-driven implements) the diesel is likely a more flexible setup.
For applications where light weight, low cost, and quick throttle response are important, a gasoline engine might be more appropriate.
For pulling a plow (or a big trailer), other considerations such as fuel efficiency and durability under full load start to come into play.
- Rick
Cutting grass requires blade RPM's. Cutting grass at less than the mximum blade RPM's your mower can deliver will result in a less satisfactory cut.
So, if you like a good cut, and you mow often enough to not have to worry about bogging down the engine, a gas engine will work great and will save a lot of $ when you buy it. Being able to deliver a product with less expensive air-cooling is a huge price differentiator. (does anybody know of any examples of air-cooled diesel engines?)
If you like to chug through 2-foot high grass that you mow once a season with half-mulched green sludge coming out of the discharge chute, a diesel might be the way to go. (Isn't this kind of like highway road-side mowing?)
For running hydraulics, both types of engines are typically revved up well within their power band and unless you are stalling it down because the pressure bypass is set incorrectly, both should perform about the same. The hydraulic pump flow ratio should be setup such that both are at their power peak.
For applications where the load and RPM's vary over a wide range, (like using a multitude of PTO-driven implements) the diesel is likely a more flexible setup.
For applications where light weight, low cost, and quick throttle response are important, a gasoline engine might be more appropriate.
For pulling a plow (or a big trailer), other considerations such as fuel efficiency and durability under full load start to come into play.
- Rick
