More than 85% of propane-fueled contractors are likely to continue adding propane equipment to their businesses. This is according to the results of a recent survey conducted by the Propane Education & Research Council.

Nearly all of these contractors started their transition to propane by installing a conversion kit on existing equipment. This is a quick and inexpensive path for contractors to reduce fuel costs and downtime on nearly any brand of commercial lawn mower.

“This latest data is proof positive that contractors who make the initial transition to a propane mower are satisfied with their purchase, and frequently end up purchasing or converting more equipment to propane,” says Jeremy Wishart, PERC director of off-road business development. “The fact that most contractors start out using a propane conversion kit and end up staying with the fuel just shows that the initial investment is often offset by a quick return on investment and leads to long-term use as contractors observe the fuel’s benefits.”

Contractors Report Good Performance

Most of the propane-fueled contractors also responded they have used it for at least three years. In that time, they observed that their propane mowers have performed as well or even better than gasoline mowers.

Interestingly, propane mowers received far fewer unfavorable responses than new electric mowers. Fewer than 14% of respondents are unfavorable or very unfavorable toward propane. However, 62% of respondents are unfavorable or very unfavorable toward electric commercial mowers.

PERC also identified an opportunity to continue improving contractor experiences with propane. PERC’s Propane Mower Incentive Program offers contractors up to $1,000 for each new, dedicated propane mower purchase or $500 for each new qualified propane conversion kit. This makes it a great way for contractors to reduce an initial investment and see savings faster. Knowledge of this incentive actually increased the likelihood of purchasing propane mowers for 57% of contractors surveyed.