A.Pismo Clam wrote:
By "efficiency" I mean would it be worth it to just get a reel push
mower for this small an area?

I can speak for the reel mower--I have one and have come to like it a
lot. I actually *enjoy* being the freak of the neighborhood! Not
really, but what happens is that no matter how innocent you are about
your choice of mower, people seem to infer something about themselves if
you get a reel mower. Do we have some odd, inate form of guilt about
polluting the planet? Do we regret getting too far removed from direct
contact with "the land"? I don't know, but people *will* make
comments--Green Party, Luddite, etc. You find out who your friends are,
though. The others will only think it; your friends will *say* it!

One thing to consider: It will be hard to find a mower that mows high
enough to make tall fescue happy. The coolest mower out there is a
Brill from Germany, and mowing with that is like taking a stroll around
your yard--so light! so efficient! But it's made for putting greens or
something--1.5 in. max. You need 3-4 in. for fescue. If you have
centipede, you might try it.

The mowers you'll find in Home Depot/Lowes will be cheaper but not that
nice. You'll have to mow twice or take half a swath at a time to get
good results, but at least you can mow when you want. 6:30 Sun.
morning? Got an itch to mow? Hey, go for it. And it's a nice aerobic,
total-body workout! Legs, arms, heart, and lungs. I have two flat
lawns separataed by a steep slope. I just carry the mower from one to
the other--no problem. Works for me! Fun to tinker with, too. Has
various adjustments to make and blades to sharpen--what joy!

MT