Are you planning to buy a new lawn mower? Wondering what those metrics mean and how they help choose the best one?
And, you are here looking for an answer to “what’s the difference between horsepower and cc in a lawn mower?” So, here’re your answers.
Basically, horsepower represents the power of the engine power as a measure of the work it can do in a given time.
Cubic centimeter, on the other hand, is a measure of the engine volume. The cc value is the total volume of all the cylinders added together.
In other words, the power of a machine (horsepower) comes from the combustion of air and fuel (cc volume) in the cylinder.
That’s why we have created this comprehensive guide explaining how both terms differ and relate.
Horsepower
The term is a fundamental measure of how fast an engine works. It is an essential detail on the release of an engine and the speed at which it releases power.
The basis of horsepower lies in the efforts of horses as the animals have been used for different services in the past.
So, scientists used the term to create a relation between the work and time spent doing it by one horse.
Technically, horsepower is a unit of physical force. However, the international system of units now uses “kilowatts,” another term for the force that’s abbreviated as KS.
The technical data of machines and vehicles use the new term “kilowatts” for engine power that came into effect around 25 years ago.
CC or Cubic Capacity
CC (Cubic capacity or engine displacement) is the primary piece of information a manufacturer cites when talking about the characteristics of an engine.
Traditionally, the engine development approach was used to define powerful engines. It followed the concept of bigger volume which meant greater torque and power.
But in the modern period, attention has moved to the low-liter engine development but with the compressor and turbo filling.
The cylinder is one of the engine’s basic parts and it represents the working area of an engine. Technically, it is referred to as the working volume in liters or cubic centimeters.
Usually, engines have 4, 6, or 8 cylinders. And the total volume of an engine is the sum of the volumes of all the cylinders in it.
So, the more the volume, the higher the engine power. And that was the only way of creating powerful engines in the past.
But higher volume brought in greater consumption and weight. Moreover, it needed increased engine space dimensions that, in turn, impact the aerodynamics.
With more negative than positive of increasing volume, manufacturers look for ways to make engines more powerful without increasing displacement.
What’s the Difference Between Horsepower and CC in a Lawn Mower?
So, you have understood the terms HP and CC. But did that clear the difference between the two?
Here’re some points for your question about “what’s the difference between horsepower and CC in a lawn mower?”
The Definition
Cubic capacity is a measure of an engine’s size. It represents how heavy and big the engine is.
Moreover, it explains the dynamic response of an engine based on the materials that the moving parts are using. In other words, it represents the engine pumping capacity.
On the other hand, horsepower provides details of a machine’s (or engine’s) power. The HP value of an engine is usually its peak power (the highest speed the engine can go).
Calculating HP and CC
To calculate the displacement of an engine, the volume of all chambers is added.
To obtain the volume, factors used include cylinders’ diameter, distance traveled by the piston, and the count of cylinders.
The other term, horsepower is calculated through the multiplication of torque with the speed of the engine. This is then divided by 5252.
A dynamometer is used to measure torque and a tachometer is used to measure speed. The number 5252 denotes radians per second.
Units of Measurement
The unit for cubic capacity is cubic centimeters, where 10000cc = 1 liter.
Alternatively, the term horsepower is a unit itself. However, it is often translated to KW using the formula 1KS (or 1HP) = 0.735KW.
What Factors Influenced CC and HP?
Horsepower can vary with changes in certain factors.
Fuel type used, valve count, timing of valves, fuel delivery method, air changing approach, tuning and design, and size and capacity of the engine influence its HP.
Comparatively, the cubic capacity of an engine depends on the chamber count, the diameter, and the design of the engine.
How are CC and HP Linked?
A straightforward link hasn’t been established between the terms yet. But 1Ks roughly equals 14-17cc.
Besides, an increase in engine displacement is known to produce more horsepower. But that conviction doesn’t follow a linear relationship and might be false.
Wrap Up – Difference Between HP and CC
In this article, we discussed “what’s the difference between horsepower and CC in a lawn mower?”
Clearly, both the terms represent different things but are related to each other. While HP represents the power, CC is used for displacement of the engine.
Moreover, HP has been replaced with kilowatt (KS) and CC is a vital characteristic as a change in displacement can impact the power output.
FAQs
Which is better hp or cc?
The primary difference between the two terms lies in their definitions.
Horsepower is a term used to define the engine’s power while the other term, CC, represents the engine’s size or volume.
Although different, both terms are related to each other. Among the two, CC could be considered better as modifying it changes the power.
What is the normal cc of a lawn mower?
Usually, walk mower engines come with a cubic capacity range of 140cc to 190cc.
If you need a mower for difficult cutting situations like wet and tall grass, leaf mulching, bagging, or maintaining a garden with weeds, go for higher CC.
Is higher cc engine better lawn mower?
If you want to cut wet grass daily, it is one of the areas where more power will be of help.
Using a higher CC engine will ensure less clogging and less time required to complete certain work. In addition, it will also make the job easier.
Other scenarios where a higher CC engine will help include those that require you to do bagging and mulching.