In praise of hand mowers

[ted]

They are very cheap, easily maintained at home, emit no smells or fumes, do not need petrol or electricity, are pleasantly quiet, provide mild, meditative exercise, and will not fire stones at people or take your foot off if you fall under one. Above all, a plush, smooth, green appearance is all but impossible with a rotary motor mower, which leaves a scalped, scabrous look on even flat lawns. Yet I am close to being the only person in my suburb who uses a hand mower, and I frequently receive derogatory remarks from motorists and passers-by.

[lloyd_cdb]

My father has one.  He bought it when he fired the landscapers.  He's 65.  Guess who pushes it around our hilly lawns...

[ted]

Same age as me; I have never used a motor mower in my life. If you have a really tough grass, such as kikuyu, then it is necessary to have someone mow it with a motor mower once a year, usually in late autumn. Once that is done, I am good for another year of hand mowing. Most suburban lawns are not so large a hand mower will not do. Here at least, I think it has become a sort of social meme to see who can use the most expensive, noisiest motor mower; and they all give the impression of a pending heart attack when they use them. No common sense.

[Derek]

This is sort of tempting me to get a hand mower! Ironically, even though I have a gas mower, I feel like I'm sort of in the same boat as Ted as most of my neighbors have riding mowers or at least large gas mowers with self powered wheels. We just have a clunky old thing with no self powered wheels and we have a steep hill in the backyard. So even though it's doing the work cutting the grass I do have to push it. But i definitely don't want to spend more money just so I don't have to push something. I sit on my butt too much as it is with my career and hobbies all being sedentary.

[lloyd_cdb]

I fully agree, the riding mower is a bit absurd for going around in smallish circles.  None of my father's neighbors actually do their lawns though, and most of the landscaping companies use non-riding gas mowers.  Humorously, while cutting the lawn with the push mower, I've had conversations with the neighbors landscapers.  All of them said they'd prefer using it if they could actually cut all their clients' lawns in one day. 

My issue with it is not really laziness though.  My father lives on a corner house, with both streets being hills.  We have 3 separate yards due to the hills, all but one of them are sharp angles.  The main issue with this is not the effort required to push it, but the moisture of the hills.  The grass is always matted since the ground is so damp and shaded from 100ft oak trees.  I go out there and don't even feel like I've done anything except push something up and down hills lol.  Comparatively, the action of the gas mower ends up sucking up the grass a bit so it actually cuts.  I'd prefer an electric motor and just run some long extension cords so it at least has the same effect.

[chopin2015]

AMEN!

 Things I like: acoustic instruments, analog gear, bicycles, living things, life, love, happiness, ted's piano playing.

Things I hate: LOUD STUFF, GAS FOSSIL FUEL cars TRUCKS things that go boom(usually) guns OIL...

[j_menz]

I always prefer the old fashioned way. So much more picturesque, as the photograph of my gardeners below attests.



Though I must say, good peasants are getting harder and harder to come by these days. Once over the fiscal cliff, however, they should be plentiful and cheap again.

[ajspiano]

as the photograph of my gardeners below attests.

Looks as if they're dancing along to your performance of baroque dances.

[j_menz]

Looks as if they're dancing along to your performance of baroque dances.

They're not getting anything Baroque until they've mastered their Madrigals (and finished the edgings).

[chopin2015]

They're not getting anything Baroque until they've mastered their Madrigals (and finished the edgings).

*cries* there was so much meaning behind those words!!!

[rachmaninoff_forever]

*cries* there was so much meaning behind those words!!!

*reads signature*

I am glad that you found your true love.   

[ajspiano]

They're not getting anything Baroque until they've mastered their Madrigals (and finished the edgings).

touché.

[goldentone]

Is that your yard, Ted?  It's beautiful.  

I saw a hand mower once, which belonged to my great grandparents as I recall.  What I think is a little funny are people with not very large yards using a riding lawnmower.

[ted]

Thanks goldentone, yes, it is our front lawn. I belong to the decreasing minority here who regard looking after a section and garden as a privilege and a form of joyous meditation; definitely not a chore at all. Sadly, the stupid prices of houses around here, coupled with a general disinclination of most toward activity not directly pursuant of the dollar, means everybody will soon live in apartments I suppose. I fervently hope this lamentable state of affairs will not materialise until I am dead. New Zealand had it right but wrecked it in 1984 by deciding we should emulate other countries by rushing around in circles until we disappear up our own backsides in a neurotic vortex.

I refused to be part of this social ethos, and our lawn and garden is a permanent and soul enriching symbol for me of moderation, common sense and contemplation.

[Derek]

New Zealand had it right but wrecked it in 1984 by deciding we should emulate other countries by rushing around in circles until we disappear up our own backsides in a neurotic vortex.

I doubled over when I read this.