My New Lawn Mower

My previous mower was a basic four horse twenty inch push mower. Nothing special, though it had some sentimental value as one of the first tools we bought after purchasing our first house. Sort of a right of passage; first time buying a lawn mower. Anyway, it recently died, and I decided to go old school for the new one: Scott’s twenty inch classic push reel:

I’m no environmentalist. My attitude towards Earth saving (us saving, really) is no different than anyone else’s: I’ll do what’s green so long as it doesn’t inconvenience me. In other words, I did not buy this because I was trying to reduce my carbon footprint, though it will. I bought it because I thought I would like it better than a gas powered mower. So far, I was right.

Simplicity is the obvious benefit, and it certainly is simple. No need to buy gas, or worry about it going bad over the winter. No filters, no oil, no spark plugs, no nothing. The blades might need to be sharpened once every five years or so. Other than that, nothing.

Then there’s durability. My old mower made it seven years. I can use this one until the day I die.

It’s quiet. You don’t smell like gas when you’re done mowing. You don’t have to worry about rocks and other trash getting shot out from under it and smashing you in the shins. These three factors make the whole mowing experience much more enjoyable than with a gas mower. If my kids are playing in the yard, they can stay there while Daddy mows. If they’re inside taking a nap, I’m not going to wake them when I pass by their window with the mower.

The dog, however, still chases me around the yard barking at the mower.

I also think it’s easier to maneuver than the old mower. You don’t have to lift and turn, you just turn. The bigger wheels also roll over the lawn easier than the gas mower. It’s the lighter of the two, as well, adding to ease of use.

None of this would matter if it didn’t cut well. It does. Exceptionally. Very even and it seems to spread the clipping better than my old mulching mower. Works better in wet stuff, too. Yesterday – after the rain stopped for the first time in three days – I cut the back for the first time in three weeks. That would have taken me an hour with the old mower, because the thick, wet grass would have bogged it down. Then all the clumps of grass on the lawn would have looked like crap afterwards. The push reel just ate it all up, and left a nice even lawn.

Thus far, the only big drawback I can foresee will be in the fall when the leaves are down. I normally use the mower to mulch them, which this one can’t do. So I’ll have to either borrow a gas mower of else rake them all up.

Still, that problem is far outweighed by all the benefits. I really like my new mower.

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