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More Fun than Watching Grass Grow
"Reduce emissions to 1990 levels," is a phrase you hear a
lot among global warming go-getters of various stripes. It's the
goal set by the Kyoto Protocol,
but it has a life of its own as a handy carbon emissions benchmark.
But the truly hardcore seem to be going with something more like
1890 levels:
When my fella and I bought our house last year, we tried to make thoughtful decisions as we accessorized our new lives... So we bought a reel mower -- completely manual, no gas, no cord, just a few blades and some sweat.
Anyone who has even used a push mower knows where this is headed:
And I'm here to report: Our mower sucks. It rattles. It doesn't cut all that well. It completely misses the tall, thin weeds that have populated our lawn this spring, so that even after a fresh cut it looks like we haven't touched the thing for weeks.
And people wonder why the environmental movement has a hard time getting people to change their habits. Instead of sweating and swearing in an attempt at perfect green purity, why not support innovation by mowing your lawn this weekend with relatively clean and increasingly efficient electric model, a revamped gas mower, or toss out some big bucks for a Roomba-style solar-powered lawnmower?
|5.30.08 @ 4:29PM|#
When I was young, one of my neighbors down the block had a push
mower. It had 4-5 blades that were connected in the shape of a
cylinder.
Every weekend I would see him out there, shirtless mowing his lawn.
He was older, but in fantastic shape. His lawn was pretty
immaculate as well. (and he had a nice tan to boot)
Just because some people have a bad elbow-grease powered mower
doesn't mean that is necessarily the norm.
Me -- I use a gas mower, and don't plan on switching to a push
mower any time soon.
|5.30.08 @ 4:43PM|#
A reel mower has to have the blades adjusted very close to the anvil, which works better when razor sharp. Great excercise, easier on the grass and it's nice and quiet. yes, mowing the lawn can be a moment of zen
|5.30.08 @ 4:46PM|#
A properly sharpened reel mower does a wonderful job of cutting
grass. The key word here is "sharpened".
It's just tough finding someone that can do the maintenace
properly. And like most things that need that kind of maintenance
it costs.
Egosumabbas|5.30.08 @ 4:46PM|#
I used a push-mower and it worked just fine. Electric mowers can
be dangerous (don't run over that cord!), and I don't want to have
to dork around with a gas mower. Also those two kinds of mowers
tend to clog, especially if the grass is damp. The only downside to
a hand-mower really is if you let the grass grow over a foot, of if
you have a huge lawn.
The roomba mower just sounds like an expensive lawn ornament.
Gilbert Martin|5.30.08 @ 4:47PM|#
"Instead of sweating and swearing in an attempt at perfect green
purity..."
...wake up and realize that all that "green" stuff in nothing but
political bullshit and forget the whole thing.
Mow your grass with a big old riding mower and don't worry about
it.
Highway|5.30.08 @ 4:50PM|#
I made the decision when we first got our house 10 years ago to
get an electric mower. Year before last, I replaced it with another
electric mower.
I like the relative quiet (can still hear everyone else's gas mower
over my mower in operation), the lighter weight for my steep slope
hill, and the lack of any noxious fluids or fuels around the house.
It's easy on / easy off, shuts off entirely when you let it go but
is easy to start again, and doesn't bog down as much when I let my
grass get too tall and thick.
I don't have a battery powered one, cord all the way, and it's a
little bit of a pain, but you get used to stepping over it at the
end of each row.
|5.30.08 @ 4:56PM|#
Oh, and just to show the superiority of the reel mower's cut
note that places that want great uniformity and a close cut (like
golf courses) use them exclusively.
Of course they're not push mowers either so I guess it's not really
relevant to a "green' discussion.
My Dad had an electric mower. The secret was start near the power
outlet with the cord roled up and work away from it letting the
cord pay ourt as you worked. It also helped that the handle swung
over the top so you never had to turn the mower you just reversed
it.
|5.30.08 @ 5:01PM|#
Push mowers are better for your lawn. Mine does a fine job. Much
better than a power mower, and a lot cheaper.
Instead of sweating and swearing in an attempt at perfect green
purity maybe you should you stop trying to make your yard look
like a gold course.
Oh, wait, THAT'S not the kind of sweating and swearing for perfect
green purity that KMW dislikes, is it?
Brandon|5.30.08 @ 5:01PM|#
"Every weekend I would see him out there, shirtless mowing his
lawn. He was older, but in fantastic shape. His lawn was pretty
immaculate as well. (and he had a nice tan to boot)"
Cueing overused Seinfeld catchphrase in 5.. 4.. 3..
|5.30.08 @ 5:02PM|#
I used a push mower when I had a house with a small yard in Cincinnati. Worked well - as long as I didn't wait too long between trims, and as long as the grass wasn't damp.
|5.30.08 @ 5:10PM|#
"And people wonder why the environmental movement has a hard
time getting people to change their habits. "
Hey, and based on one whole anecdote! Excellent analysis there.
KD|5.30.08 @ 5:11PM|#
My dad had a 'hovercraft' type electric for awhile. It actually
floated on an air cushion - it was kinda fun (as a kid) to just
start walking slowly forward and swing it back and forth in front
of me. Dad didn't much like the pattern it left, and it didn't cut
very well if the grass was too high, but it was the only lawn
mower, as a kid I more or less enjoyed.
When I had a family of my own, and a 1/2 acre yard, the riding
mower topped the fun factor of the hovercraft.
|5.30.08 @ 5:13PM|#
"Every weekend I would see him out there, shirtless mowing his
lawn. He was older, but in fantastic shape. His lawn was pretty
immaculate as well. (and he had a nice tan to boot)"
Bow-chicka-bow-BOWWW!!!
|5.30.08 @ 5:18PM|#
Fools.
I don't have a lawn. I own a condo.
Of course, it does have its drawbacks, like the dog shits in the
living room.
But hey, me no mowie.
Episiarch|5.30.08 @ 5:33PM|#
Ha ha, Jamie knows the secret. My condo association mows the lawns, shovels the walks, plows the driveways, maintains the pool and tennis courts, and I do Jack and shit, and Jack left town.
Gilbert Martin|5.30.08 @ 5:34PM|#
"Push mowers are better for your lawn. Mine does a fine job.
Much better than a power mower, and a lot cheaper."
Try that on a 1.3 acre lot with a sloping back yard so you'd have
to be pushing uphill half the time and see how long you'd last.
T|5.30.08 @ 5:34PM|#
But hey, me no mowie.
Me either. I live in Texas. I use the same lawn care method all
upstanding, god-fearing, gun-owning Texans use: Mexicans. I
personally don't give a shit how they mow the grass, as long as it
gets cut and I ain't doing it.
|5.30.08 @ 5:35PM|#
Push mowers are better for your lawn. Mine does a fine job.
Much better than a power mower, and a lot cheaper.
Damn dude I dunno what kind of power mower you've used. I have a
gas powered, self propeled elctric start TORO. I might bog down a
tad in really tall and wet grass, but hell you will never ever ever
come close to the power and speed with a push mower.
Also time is money, its cheaper to buy and operate maybe, but I can
let my grass get way longer then you can. So that means less mowes
per year. And once I am out there, the power mower finishes the job
a lot faster then the push type.
Why is a power mower bad for your lawn?
P.S. In the fall I attach the bag and use my mower to pick up
leafs, fast and easy. Try that with the push mower.
Egosumabbas|5.30.08 @ 5:38PM|#
I was just thinking, it would be nice to just have some sheep
eat a lawn for me, and then I get free wool out of the deal.
Too bad that isn't possible in most locales; zoning laws and all
that.
Paul|5.30.08 @ 5:44PM|#
The City of Seattle keeps sending me flyers goading me to get
rid of my "gas guzzling" mower and they'll give me a credit for one
of those nice, electric, 0 emissions models.
Yeah, right.
My "gas guzzling" mower uses approximately one (1) gallon per year.
It's powerful and will mulch and cut through tree branches 3/4"
thick. It starts on the first pull every time, except that first
time after winter. Then it starts on the fourth or fifth
pull.
The battery operated ones are full of heavy, expensive batteries
that need to be replaced every few years (which harm the
environment), and I think we all know what we think of the ones
with electric cords. My friend had one of those. He now owns a "gas
guzzling" model.
Great excercise, easier on the grass and it's nice and quiet.
yes, mowing the lawn can be a moment of zen
I know mowing my lawn is a fantastic moment of zen. The "gas
guzzling" engine drowns out all extraneous noises, and really, it's
the quietest moment of my day. That buzzing noise that some refer
to as "talking" and "conversation" is completely gone for the 40
minutes it takes me to do my yard.
Push mowers are better for your lawn. Mine does a fine job.
Much better than a power mower, and a lot cheaper.
Not my lawn. Guess what my lawn would look like if I had a push
mower?
And as far as the 'cheaper to operate' thing goes, I guess it
depends on how you look at it. Much cheaper to purchase, yes, I
agree. But cheaper to operate? At $4.09 for the lowest grade gas,
it costs me around $4.09 per year to operate. Maybe if we have an
extra long summer season, it might cost me $5.00. yes, there's oil
which I choose to change every year, so add a couple more bucks.
Sure, when it breaks the first time, I'll have to add in that
maintenance into 'cost of ownership'. But if you're aiming at your
lawn mowing accoutrements as a point of thrift, you could probably
save more elsewhere by avoiding Starbucks once a week.
T|5.30.08 @ 5:45PM|#
I was just thinking, it would be nice to just have some
sheep eat a lawn for me, and then I get free wool out of the
deal.
Because of a quirk in the zoning laws, we can have livestock. My
wife once, in a very acrimonious discussion with the city, told the
city manager she would buy goats and tie them in the front yard to
take care of the grass.
DannyK|5.30.08 @ 5:51PM|#
Interesting, how you guys read Gristmill and Feministing...
along with Hit & Run and Boing Boing, those are my favorite
blogs these days, at least from the "postings that make you think"
category.
To be fair to the original author, she says right there that she'd
like to get an electric mower but doesn't have the cash at the
moment. I've got one, it works great.
|5.30.08 @ 5:53PM|#
toss out some big bucks for a Roomba-style solar-powered
lawnmower?
Having had some experience with Roomba-style lawnmowers, I will
attest that "tossing out big bucks" is exactly what the unfortunate
home owner will be doing. You'll experience a lot less pain with
the reel mower.
Like the Apple Newton, robotic lawnmowers are a great idea that
just ain't ready for prime-time yet.
|5.30.08 @ 5:57PM|#
Gil,
Mow across the slope, not up and down it. Sheesh.
That's the problem with capital-intensive operations; they just
throw brute force at the problem.
|5.30.08 @ 5:59PM|#
val,
The way a laterally-spinning blade cuts the grass causes more
trauma to the plant than the scissors-actions of a push mower. It
rips the blades of grass, as opposed to slicing it.
Paul|5.30.08 @ 6:02PM|#
It rips the blades of grass, as opposed to slicing
it.
That's why god made blade sharpeners and high-speed gas mowers.
Cuts that stuff off like a sharp cutty thing that cuts very
well.
|5.30.08 @ 6:14PM|#
It's the type of cut it makes, Paul, regardless of the
sharpness.
Imagine chopping a sword through something, vs. drawing the edge
across it and slicing it. The former leaves a bigger, more ragged
edge. There's pushing and crushing involved in how a spinning blade
of a normal lawnmower cuts the grass.
Paul|5.30.08 @ 6:19PM|#
Joe, understood... but I can pretty much guarantee that if you
looked at the health of my lawn, it would be indistinguishable from
that of my neighbor who struggles with his dull push-mower.
I think we're quibbling over diminishing returns. oh, and on the
cheaper front? I just saw the Ad at the top of Reason for a push
mower: $139.00
|5.30.08 @ 6:21PM|#
Dude, you do not have to spend $139 for a push mower! You can get one for half that at Sears.
Paul|5.30.08 @ 6:21PM|#
Oh, and I can also guarantee you that if I sharpen up my ornamental samurai sword and take a whack at a piece of bamboo, it'll create a very, very clean cut. Even without the properly trained 'drawing' technique. Just sayin'.
Paul|5.30.08 @ 6:30PM|#
Dude, you do not have to spend $139 for a push mower! You
can get one for half that at Sears.
I would certainly hope so. 'Cause damn...DAMN!
|5.30.08 @ 6:43PM|#
Our landlord, 20 years ago, gave us a craftsman reel mower. Hickory handle, cast iron wheels, ball bearing reel. Weighs about 40 pounds. He said he thought it was 40 years old at the time.
|5.30.08 @ 6:48PM|#
Sometime in the 1990s, they discovered that you can, in fact, make a reel mower out of something other than solid pig iron.
New World Dan|5.30.08 @ 6:49PM|#
What's wrong with you people? Arguing over lawn mowers like idiots. I got a goat. Works for free, year round. Cheaper than a Mexican.
First Little Pig|5.30.08 @ 7:09PM|#
What Neu said.
But if you want to have a trim lawn and a trim form may I suggest a
scythe?
|5.30.08 @ 7:15PM|#
Instead of sweating and swearing in an attempt at perfect
green purity
This whole thing makes a whole lot more sense if you think of at
least part of the "green" movement as a new semi-scientific
religion. Some like the asceticism of a life of sacrifice, as
above, some like gaudy displays of virtue (like a stained-glass
cathedral window or a lexus hybrid), some are called to preach, and
some do just enough that they won't be burned at the stake. (In
this case, at the focus of a giant solar oven)
The sacrifice is part of the appeal.
shecky|5.30.08 @ 7:18PM|#
Yeah, reel mowers, like computers, have improved over the years.
This thread reminds me of the occasional Reason rant against CFLs
(or any newfangled "green" technology that is suppose to suck, but
is really not too bad at all).
Reel mowers are fine for modest lawns. And they do have some
theoretical advantages as far as cutting is concerned. Interesting,
the gardeners around here seem to like powered reel
mowers. Self propelled, too. My uncle was a gardener, and used one
of those, a machine I envied, as my task at the time was to
maintain the small golf course of a lawn my folks decided to get.
All I had was the bottom of the barrel side discharging rotary
blade mower.
I'm currently in the market for a mower, and am seriously
considering a manual reel machine. I currently use about a gallon
of gas a year. But maintenance costs far outweigh gasoline. Rubber
and plastic engine parts, gummed fuel lines and such have been an
occasional headache. In addition, I don't have very much lawn, it's
all pretty well behaved, and flat.
|5.30.08 @ 7:26PM|#
A $60 push mower is a "gaudy display."
While a $1200 riding mower with more engine power than a Honda
Civic is, apparently, evidence of modesty.
That's why they're bright orange and come with cup holders.
|5.30.08 @ 7:40PM|#
joe,
if you're serious about a scythe, try here
www.lehmans.com
www.scythesupply.com
www.scytheconnection.com
|5.30.08 @ 7:40PM|#
My last house had a hill for the front yard that was, no
kidding, about a 45 degree slope. I hated that house, just for that
reason. I had to use an electric, as a gas mower would just flood
out.
I put a U bolt at the bottom of the rear of the mower and threeaded
the cord through that for leverage. Stand at the top of the hill,
let it down, reel it back up using the cord. I went through about 2
cords a season doing that and usually looked like a complete idiot,
but it was the only way to get it done. We moved before I could get
ground cover planted.
This house? The electric mower "broke" and Sears had a very nice
gas mower for me to buy. Electric yard tools suck, for the most
part, but they have their place.
|5.30.08 @ 7:52PM|#
Our push mower works great, and has done so for about 12 years.
Easier to store.
I wouldn't even have commented if the OP was just a standard 2
minutes hate about those dumb environmentalists, but this
bit
Anyone who has even used a push mower knows where this is headed
is just bullshit, as I and clearly many other commentors can
attest.
Libertarianism is about letting people be free to make their own
choices, yeah? Choices like mowing their lawn with a push mower?
Lately it seems libertarianism is about anti-left spite. If the
environmentalists like something, hate it. If liberals want to ban
smoking, pretend that cigarettes are delicious and full of
vitamins.
Knock it off and stick to the noble pursuit of freedom.
|5.30.08 @ 8:27PM|#
All I can say, brotherben, is "Wow."
An organization devoted to promoting the use of the scythe.
That's something you don't come across every day
ignoble pursuer of freedom|5.30.08 @ 9:03PM|#
Knock it off and stick to the noble pursuit of
freedom.
Sidereal, I like the name but dude (or dudette), I think you need
to have a drink... or smoke a bowl... or something... Lighten
up.
Gilbert Martin|5.30.08 @ 10:05PM|#
"Gil,
Mow across the slope, not up and down it. Sheesh."
It's slanted both ways - but that's beside the point.
You wouldn't be mowing a yard that size with your push mower
whether it was slanted or not.
TallDave|5.31.08 @ 12:01AM|#
Gee, who'd have thought civilization would turn out to so
popular?
Anyways, most of this is just modern-day comet pills.
Warming is a near-certainty, a significant anthropogenic component
to that warming is likely, significant net negative consequences by
2100 from that putative anthropogenic warming are unlikely, the
lack of catastrophic consequences in that time frame is a
near-certainty.
TallDave|5.31.08 @ 3:01AM|#
On the plus side, Al Qaeda has a plan to reduce carbon emissions to AD 700 levels.
thoreau|5.31.08 @ 3:12AM|#
1) Goat cheese is yummy.
2) Goat curry is tasty.
3) Goats mow lawns for free.
Oh, and anybody who's been reading Shikha Dalmia knows that a
Humvee lawn mower is better for the environment than a hybrid lawn
mower.
|5.31.08 @ 5:21AM|#
I suppose ya could just get ya self one of them grass whips to cut the grass with. Whip it - whip it good.
a|5.31.08 @ 7:11AM|#
how is this "the environmental movement's" fault? Has Greenpeace been advertising this shitty lawnmower?
Billy Beck|5.31.08 @ 10:39AM|#
"The way a laterally-spinning blade cuts the grass causes
more trauma to the plant than the scissors-actions of a push mower.
It rips the blades of grass, as opposed to slicing it."
{glow} I know. It takes me about an hour and a half to rip up two
and a half acres around here with the John Deere 316 and 48"
mower-deck. When it's done, though, I'm here to tell you that the
screaming of the grass is just glorious.
|5.31.08 @ 11:34AM|#
Twenty acres; of which I mow exactly zero. I suppose you could
call my sea of grass "xeriscape."
As for goats- pffft. Yearling buffalo are pretty reasonable.
|5.31.08 @ 12:24PM|#
I have the best lawn care service.
My wife mows the lawn. And she usually does the backyard in a
bikini.
|5.31.08 @ 12:37PM|#
SugarFree,
To support your claim of "best" we will need a linky link with pics
please. thank you
|5.31.08 @ 2:33PM|#
Instead of sweating and swearing in an attempt at perfect
green purity
Anyone concerned with "green purity" isn't going to have a suburban
lot with lawn in the first place. Sheesh.
|5.31.08 @ 9:14PM|#
" I went through about 2 cords a season doing that and usually
looked like a complete idiot, but it was the only way to get it
done."
Could have spent $10 on some pulleys and a rope. That would have
made the pulling even easier, and saved wear & tear on the
power cord because, while you'd probably have to pull and feed it,
it wouldn't have been bearing the weight of the mower.
TallDave|5.31.08 @ 10:56PM|#
On the plus side, Al Qaeda has a plan to reduce carbon
emissions to AD 700 levels.
Hey, didn't Al grow a beard recently?
Hmmm.
|6.2.08 @ 1:19AM|#
"didn't Al grow a beard recently?"
Technically, yes. But, he didn't actively grow it - he just sorta
let himself go, in general.
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