Janice wrote in
:

On Thu, 18 Mar 2004 12:24:30 GMT, Salty Thumb
wrote:

Janice wrote in
m:

I mowed the yard when I was 14 or so with a push mower, I even
managed to mow overgrown areas, but it required pushing the mower
into the jungle repeatedly until it ate through it all. If I was in
any kind of shape to mow at all now, I'd prefer a push mower just
because it's quiet. I have a self propelled gas mower because I
figured if I was ever to get anyone to mow here, it would require
that I own a mower. I need to get someone to try to start it though.
Same with a gas weedwhacker. Push mower would be nice though! I
saw some for around $98 but doubt they're as wide as the one
mentioned waaaay up above ;-)

Janice


Hi Janice,

Have you seen this?

http://www.peoplepoweredmachines.com/brill_accu.htm

Nope, I hadn't. Interesting.. battery powered reel mower
.
It's not self propelled, but it only weighs 35 lbs, and at $300, it's
in the ball park of some gasoline mowers. Ad says it cuts St.
Augustine and Zoysia, too. I guess it's one of the German engineered
ones that others have raved about.

dunno, haven't seen anything much published on mowers. I'm unable to
do any mowing myself. I'm homebound, nearly bed bound. I can go out
front and plant my butt, about the only thing I have planted, and
spray water around. I did scatter some lettuce, thyme, tatsoi, tia
tsai, mache and don't remember what all otherwise... in 5 of the half
whiskey barrels out front. There are some others that remain to be
planted.

I have a 2-3 year old Toro electric weedwhacker. It's not too bad for
edging a lawn. String diameter is only .050", so it can't really
compare to big gas trimmer as far as whacking stuff. The battery is
heavy and the shaft is kind of short for me, but I still like it. The
newer model seems even shorter, but weighs less.

I got the highest amp electric weedeater, it'll cut a 17" swathe, from
Sears. It has a straight shaft, so it is easier to get under stuff
with it. I can't go out and use it, but I got it so other people can
;-) Same reason I have a mower, and tools for those times people say:
If you had _____ (fill in the blank) I'd fix/trim/mow that for you.
And then I say, oh.. but I DO have ____! The watch the look of
terror/regret that quickly overtakes them. Muahahahahaha. I was never
a boyscout but I do believe in being prepared ;-) I'm missing a good
circular saw. I have an ancient worm drive skilsaw, but it needs a
grease seal, I'll be picking up a bolt cutter soon, and I already have
a set of wrenches, worm drive, sockets with 3 different size drivers,
set punches, cold chisels, large punch, I still need more tools lots
more, to have anywhere near a complete set, but I have more than the
average guy. ;-)

Janice


I've got a few tools myself, including an old, but sturdy Craftsman
circular saw and a very basic Skil Jigsaw, but it's not like I'm Bob
Villa or Norm Abram (Norm on NYW: "Here's how to make the cut on my brand
new $2000 Flergilmeister XL. I saw it and just had to have it for the
shop. The rest of you poor mortals can just scratch it out with an awl
pick").

I have no idea what a worm drive skilsaw is, though I think I've heard of
it (back when Fred Flintstone was on TV, hehee). I wonder why you would
possibly need (or need for someone to need) a bolt cutter. I had to cut
the axle off a rusted wheelbarrow to replace the wheel assembly a while
back. I wish I had a bolt cutter for that, but used a Dremel rotary tool
with a diamond cutting disc. Probably took 100x longer than with a bolt
cutter and not nearly as safe, but it got the job done.

Janice wrote in
:

On Thu, 18 Mar 2004 12:24:30 GMT, Salty Thumb
wrote:

Janice wrote in
m:

I mowed the yard when I was 14 or so with a push mower, I even
managed to mow overgrown areas, but it required pushing the mower
into the jungle repeatedly until it ate through it all. If I was in
any kind of shape to mow at all now, I'd prefer a push mower just
because it's quiet. I have a self propelled gas mower because I
figured if I was ever to get anyone to mow here, it would require
that I own a mower. I need to get someone to try to start it though.
Same with a gas weedwhacker. Push mower would be nice though! I
saw some for around $98 but doubt they're as wide as the one
mentioned waaaay up above ;-)

Janice


Hi Janice,

Have you seen this?

http://www.peoplepoweredmachines.com/brill_accu.htm

Nope, I hadn't. Interesting.. battery powered reel mower
.
It's not self propelled, but it only weighs 35 lbs, and at $300, it's
in the ball park of some gasoline mowers. Ad says it cuts St.
Augustine and Zoysia, too. I guess it's one of the German engineered
ones that others have raved about.

dunno, haven't seen anything much published on mowers. I'm unable to
do any mowing myself. I'm homebound, nearly bed bound. I can go out
front and plant my butt, about the only thing I have planted, and
spray water around. I did scatter some lettuce, thyme, tatsoi, tia
tsai, mache and don't remember what all otherwise... in 5 of the half
whiskey barrels out front. There are some others that remain to be
planted.

I have a 2-3 year old Toro electric weedwhacker. It's not too bad for
edging a lawn. String diameter is only .050", so it can't really
compare to big gas trimmer as far as whacking stuff. The battery is
heavy and the shaft is kind of short for me, but I still like it. The
newer model seems even shorter, but weighs less.

I got the highest amp electric weedeater, it'll cut a 17" swathe, from
Sears. It has a straight shaft, so it is easier to get under stuff
with it. I can't go out and use it, but I got it so other people can
;-) Same reason I have a mower, and tools for those times people say:
If you had _____ (fill in the blank) I'd fix/trim/mow that for you.
And then I say, oh.. but I DO have ____! The watch the look of
terror/regret that quickly overtakes them. Muahahahahaha. I was never
a boyscout but I do believe in being prepared ;-) I'm missing a good
circular saw. I have an ancient worm drive skilsaw, but it needs a
grease seal, I'll be picking up a bolt cutter soon, and I already have
a set of wrenches, worm drive, sockets with 3 different size drivers,
set punches, cold chisels, large punch, I still need more tools lots
more, to have anywhere near a complete set, but I have more than the
average guy. ;-)

Janice


I've got a few tools myself, including an old, but sturdy Craftsman
circular saw and a very basic Skil Jigsaw, but it's not like I'm Bob
Villa or Norm Abram (Norm on NYW: "Here's how to make the cut on my brand
new $2000 Flergilmeister XL. I saw it and just had to have it for the
shop. The rest of you poor mortals can just scratch it out with an awl
pick").

I have no idea what a worm drive skilsaw is, though I think I've heard of
it (back when Fred Flintstone was on TV, hehee). I wonder why you would
possibly need (or need for someone to need) a bolt cutter. I had to cut
the axle off a rusted wheelbarrow to replace the wheel assembly a while
back. I wish I had a bolt cutter for that, but used a Dremel rotary tool
with a diamond cutting disc. Probably took 100x longer than with a bolt
cutter and not nearly as safe, but it got the job done.

warrenbo wrote in
:

kevins_news2 wrote:

On Fri, 19 Mar 2004 09:25:26 -0500, warrenbo
wrote:

The big danger with running with a push mower is that they are prone
to jam or stall on onseen junk -- something the dog or the neighbor's
kid or even you dropped and didn't see until it was too late. If
you're running behind one, there's a decent chance you'll end up
tripping yourself up and landing on it.

I've tripped badly a couple of times jogging over the years, and I
wouldn't like to think what it would be like if I had landed on a
lawnmower instead of dirt.

I guess they would jam if a twig or object got stuck in the blades.
But the thing is that they won't cut grass that is too long. So
you'll never be in that situation where you're mowing through a forest
that can easily conceal these objects.

Sure you will. The neighbor's kid decides to sprinkle your lawn with a
bunch of cool green wire that he found. The dog chews up a length of
plastic and ralphs it in the grass. Your kid decides to bury his army
men in the lawn so that only their rifles are sticking up. Never
underestimate the ability of weird stuff to hide in the lawn.

Considering that they're heavy and awkward and have protruding metal
bars and such, you could really mess up your knee or shin or ankle or
wrist or face.

Which mowers are you looking at?

It's a universal fact that the nicest, softest item will sprout deadly
protuberances when you least expect it. A push mower in general is not
going to hurt you, but when you fall on it, it's pretty much guaranteed
to have a nice solid piece of metal pop you one in a soft spot.

Yes there's always the possibility of one hurting themselves. Heck,
it's possible to hurt yourself with a Nerf ball if you think about it
hard enough. But of any machine that has a cutting blade, i'd say
reel mowers are the safest i've ever seen.

Oh, I'm not disagreeing in general. It's the specific question earlier
about running with one which I'm not crazy about. At a walk, the odds
are almost nil of falling on one that's hit a tough patch. But when
you're running, you're a lot more likely to find yourself falling.


Hi Guys,

Thanks for the comments.

I typically check the lawn for any wayward items before cutting and I am
anticipating not letting the grass to grow too long (and therefore not
able to conceal objects as well as long grass). If it does get too long,
I'll either break out the gasoline mower, or be forced to cut at a slower
speed with the push reel. That's the theory anyway.

I also don't plan on mowing when the grass is wet, which is supposedly
bad for the grass anyway.

I'm about 80% sure I'll get the Scotts 20-2000, with 20" cutting width
and it appears 4 wheels. That should make it safer than a two wheel
model, which I have to admit I can see myself flipping in the air with if
I slip while running with it. The other ones I might get is an American
16" (cheaper, can be had locally at $99) or a Brill Luxus ($$$, but
supposedly finely crafted, by mail).

warrenbo wrote in
:

kevins_news2 wrote:

On Fri, 19 Mar 2004 09:25:26 -0500, warrenbo
wrote:

The big danger with running with a push mower is that they are prone
to jam or stall on onseen junk -- something the dog or the neighbor's
kid or even you dropped and didn't see until it was too late. If
you're running behind one, there's a decent chance you'll end up
tripping yourself up and landing on it.

I've tripped badly a couple of times jogging over the years, and I
wouldn't like to think what it would be like if I had landed on a
lawnmower instead of dirt.

I guess they would jam if a twig or object got stuck in the blades.
But the thing is that they won't cut grass that is too long. So
you'll never be in that situation where you're mowing through a forest
that can easily conceal these objects.

Sure you will. The neighbor's kid decides to sprinkle your lawn with a
bunch of cool green wire that he found. The dog chews up a length of
plastic and ralphs it in the grass. Your kid decides to bury his army
men in the lawn so that only their rifles are sticking up. Never
underestimate the ability of weird stuff to hide in the lawn.

Considering that they're heavy and awkward and have protruding metal
bars and such, you could really mess up your knee or shin or ankle or
wrist or face.

Which mowers are you looking at?

It's a universal fact that the nicest, softest item will sprout deadly
protuberances when you least expect it. A push mower in general is not
going to hurt you, but when you fall on it, it's pretty much guaranteed
to have a nice solid piece of metal pop you one in a soft spot.

Yes there's always the possibility of one hurting themselves. Heck,
it's possible to hurt yourself with a Nerf ball if you think about it
hard enough. But of any machine that has a cutting blade, i'd say
reel mowers are the safest i've ever seen.

Oh, I'm not disagreeing in general. It's the specific question earlier
about running with one which I'm not crazy about. At a walk, the odds
are almost nil of falling on one that's hit a tough patch. But when
you're running, you're a lot more likely to find yourself falling.


Hi Guys,

Thanks for the comments.

I typically check the lawn for any wayward items before cutting and I am
anticipating not letting the grass to grow too long (and therefore not
able to conceal objects as well as long grass). If it does get too long,
I'll either break out the gasoline mower, or be forced to cut at a slower
speed with the push reel. That's the theory anyway.

I also don't plan on mowing when the grass is wet, which is supposedly
bad for the grass anyway.

I'm about 80% sure I'll get the Scotts 20-2000, with 20" cutting width
and it appears 4 wheels. That should make it safer than a two wheel
model, which I have to admit I can see myself flipping in the air with if
I slip while running with it. The other ones I might get is an American
16" (cheaper, can be had locally at $99) or a Brill Luxus ($$$, but
supposedly finely crafted, by mail).

On 03/20/2004 08:16 AM, Salty Thumb said:

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the comments.

I typically check the lawn for any wayward items before cutting and I am
anticipating not letting the grass to grow too long (and therefore not
able to conceal objects as well as long grass). If it does get too long,
I'll either break out the gasoline mower, or be forced to cut at a slower
speed with the push reel. That's the theory anyway.

I also don't plan on mowing when the grass is wet, which is supposedly
bad for the grass anyway.

I'm about 80% sure I'll get the Scotts 20-2000, with 20" cutting width
and it appears 4 wheels. That should make it safer than a two wheel
model, which I have to admit I can see myself flipping in the air with if
I slip while running with it. The other ones I might get is an American
16" (cheaper, can be had locally at $99) or a Brill Luxus ($$$, but
supposedly finely crafted, by mail).


I bought mine used - it has an L.L.Bean name on it, but a little
research showed me that it's really made by American Lawn Mower
Company - http://www.reelin.com/ - they were even kind enough to
send me the manual free of charge when I asked. I really like the
mower and cut quite a bit of lawn with it. The only drawback, like
you say, is that these mowers don't do well on tall grass. So I
have an old cordless electric mower to fall back on when that's a
problem.

I have a real dislike for the sound of gas-powered lawn equipment
all over the neighborhood in the summer. I wish more people would
use push mowers.


--
Joe
http://www.joekaz.net/
http://www.cafeshops.com/joekaz

On Sun, 21 Mar 2004 13:11:24 -0500, Joe wrote:

On 03/20/2004 08:16 AM, Salty Thumb said:



I have a real dislike for the sound of gas-powered lawn equipment all over
the neighborhood in the summer. I wish more people would use push mowers.

I use a vintage push mower - it is heavy and the blades need sharpening
other wise it works great. It has to be over 30 years old.

Check it out at satrea.netfirms.com

Trev

Trevor wrote in
news
On Sun, 21 Mar 2004 13:11:24 -0500, Joe wrote:

On 03/20/2004 08:16 AM, Salty Thumb said:



I have a real dislike for the sound of gas-powered lawn equipment all
over the neighborhood in the summer. I wish more people would use
push mowers.

I use a vintage push mower - it is heavy and the blades need
sharpening other wise it works great. It has to be over 30 years old.

Check it out at satrea.netfirms.com

Trev


That's great! Looks sort of like a vacuum.

Trevor wrote in
news
On Sun, 21 Mar 2004 13:11:24 -0500, Joe wrote:

On 03/20/2004 08:16 AM, Salty Thumb said:



I have a real dislike for the sound of gas-powered lawn equipment all
over the neighborhood in the summer. I wish more people would use
push mowers.

I use a vintage push mower - it is heavy and the blades need
sharpening other wise it works great. It has to be over 30 years old.

Check it out at satrea.netfirms.com

Trev


That's great! Looks sort of like a vacuum.