Has anybody done any push reel mower shopping recently? I am about to take
the plunge and get a Scotts 20-2000 for $120, mainly because of the 20"
cutting width. There was some message on the group about staying away from
Scotts and some other people saying they were looking for the 'Scotts
Classic'. There is also a 18" American brand for $100 that I'm considering
as an alternative. Yeah, they are from box stores, but I'm open to other
sources if someone can tell me what they are.

I found some reviews on Amazon.com, mostly good, but who knows if they are
just shill posts. In the group, there was also some guy raving about
German engineered push reel mowers (and another about some electric push
reels that I'm not interested in).

Some specific questions, I am a cheapskate, do these things ever go on
sale? Do these things still work okay when pushed at a running (vs.
walking) speed? I've been wasting a lot of time lollygagging behind a
gasoline mower and I'd to try shaving the lawn at brisker pace.

On Tue, 16 Mar 2004 11:35:17 GMT, Salty Thumb
wrote:

Has anybody done any push reel mower shopping recently? I am about to take
the plunge and get a Scotts 20-2000 for $120, mainly because of the 20"
cutting width. There was some message on the group about staying away from
Scotts and some other people saying they were looking for the 'Scotts
Classic'. There is also a 18" American brand for $100 that I'm considering
as an alternative. Yeah, they are from box stores, but I'm open to other
sources if someone can tell me what they are.

I did this shopping last year. I heard good things about the 'Scotts
Classic'. But only that one. No one gave rave reviews for the other
Scotts mowers.

Also remember that you will be pushing this thing. It's essentially
only on two wheels which makes it harder to push. And the wider the
blade the more friction it provides, once again making the mower
harder to push. Not to mention that the large ones get quite heavy. I
know a gas mower might be a heavier beast but it's easier to roll
along on 4 wheels especially since you don't have the blade friction
to deal with.

I found some reviews on Amazon.com, mostly good, but who knows if they are
just shill posts. In the group, there was also some guy raving about
German engineered push reel mowers (and another about some electric push
reels that I'm not interested in).

Reel mowers are great. I love mine. It was a tossup between the
Scotts classic and the lee valley mower for me. I went for the Lee
valley one. It's only 18" but my wife needs to use it too and the
Scotts one was getting kind of heavy. (price in Canadian)
http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page...&ccurren cy=1

Some specific questions, I am a cheapskate, do these things ever go on
sale? Do these things still work okay when pushed at a running (vs.
walking) speed? I've been wasting a lot of time lollygagging behind a
gasoline mower and I'd to try shaving the lawn at brisker pace.

I never saw them go on sale. They're kind of a specialty item so
stores don't bother.

Why do you 'lollygag' behind a gasoline mower? can't you push those
at a running pace too?

If you're only cutting a very small amount off your grass (1/2 inch or
so) then you should be able to run as fast as you can push it. If
you're cutting any more off your grass you'll have to go at a slower
pace so that the grass has time to stand up into the blades to be cut.

Like i said i love my reel mower. It doesn't work well on long grass.
It doesn't work well on wet grass. It doesn't work well if you try to
cut off too much at once. But it's quiet (i mowed my lawn at 5am
once), better for the grass (cuts instead of ripping), and of course
environmentally friendly.

Kevin

kevins_news2 wrote in
:

On Tue, 16 Mar 2004 11:35:17 GMT, Salty Thumb
wrote:

Has anybody done any push reel mower shopping recently? I am about to
take the plunge and get a Scotts 20-2000 for $120, mainly because of
the 20" cutting width. There was some message on the group about
staying away from Scotts and some other people saying they were
looking for the 'Scotts Classic'. There is also a 18" American brand
for $100 that I'm considering as an alternative. Yeah, they are from
box stores, but I'm open to other sources if someone can tell me what
they are.

I did this shopping last year. I heard good things about the 'Scotts
Classic'. But only that one. No one gave rave reviews for the other
Scotts mowers.

Also remember that you will be pushing this thing. It's essentially
only on two wheels which makes it harder to push. And the wider the
blade the more friction it provides, once again making the mower
harder to push. Not to mention that the large ones get quite heavy. I
know a gas mower might be a heavier beast but it's easier to roll
along on 4 wheels especially since you don't have the blade friction
to deal with.

I found some reviews on Amazon.com, mostly good, but who knows if they
are just shill posts. In the group, there was also some guy raving
about German engineered push reel mowers (and another about some
electric push reels that I'm not interested in).

Reel mowers are great. I love mine. It was a tossup between the
Scotts classic and the lee valley mower for me. I went for the Lee
valley one. It's only 18" but my wife needs to use it too and the
Scotts one was getting kind of heavy. (price in Canadian)
http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page...ory=2%2C2160&S
ID=&ccurrency=1

Some specific questions, I am a cheapskate, do these things ever go on
sale? Do these things still work okay when pushed at a running (vs.
walking) speed? I've been wasting a lot of time lollygagging behind a
gasoline mower and I'd to try shaving the lawn at brisker pace.

I never saw them go on sale. They're kind of a specialty item so
stores don't bother.

Why do you 'lollygag' behind a gasoline mower? can't you push those
at a running pace too?

If you're only cutting a very small amount off your grass (1/2 inch or
so) then you should be able to run as fast as you can push it. If
you're cutting any more off your grass you'll have to go at a slower
pace so that the grass has time to stand up into the blades to be cut.

Like i said i love my reel mower. It doesn't work well on long grass.
It doesn't work well on wet grass. It doesn't work well if you try to
cut off too much at once. But it's quiet (i mowed my lawn at 5am
once), better for the grass (cuts instead of ripping), and of course
environmentally friendly.

Kevin


Hi Kevin,

Thanks for the tips. I am starting to think the Scott's 20-2000 might be
also be a "Classic" mower, although it has 4 wheels. You are right, it
is HEAVY, at least it is while still packed in a box. I didn't they'd go
on sale, but thought I'd ask anyway ... can't be a cheapskate without
doing as such.

When I could push the gasoline mower at running pace it doesn't cut as
well ... going really fast, I imagine it has the same problem you
mentioned with the grass not popping back up fast enough to get a clean
cut. I'll probably mow more often with a reel mower, so it shouldn't be
a problem.

Luckily the local temperatures took a real dive, so I've have more time
to look and waffle.

kevins_news2 wrote in
:

On Tue, 16 Mar 2004 11:35:17 GMT, Salty Thumb
wrote:

Has anybody done any push reel mower shopping recently? I am about to
take the plunge and get a Scotts 20-2000 for $120, mainly because of
the 20" cutting width. There was some message on the group about
staying away from Scotts and some other people saying they were
looking for the 'Scotts Classic'. There is also a 18" American brand
for $100 that I'm considering as an alternative. Yeah, they are from
box stores, but I'm open to other sources if someone can tell me what
they are.

I did this shopping last year. I heard good things about the 'Scotts
Classic'. But only that one. No one gave rave reviews for the other
Scotts mowers.

Also remember that you will be pushing this thing. It's essentially
only on two wheels which makes it harder to push. And the wider the
blade the more friction it provides, once again making the mower
harder to push. Not to mention that the large ones get quite heavy. I
know a gas mower might be a heavier beast but it's easier to roll
along on 4 wheels especially since you don't have the blade friction
to deal with.

I found some reviews on Amazon.com, mostly good, but who knows if they
are just shill posts. In the group, there was also some guy raving
about German engineered push reel mowers (and another about some
electric push reels that I'm not interested in).

Reel mowers are great. I love mine. It was a tossup between the
Scotts classic and the lee valley mower for me. I went for the Lee
valley one. It's only 18" but my wife needs to use it too and the
Scotts one was getting kind of heavy. (price in Canadian)
http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page...ory=2%2C2160&S
ID=&ccurrency=1

Some specific questions, I am a cheapskate, do these things ever go on
sale? Do these things still work okay when pushed at a running (vs.
walking) speed? I've been wasting a lot of time lollygagging behind a
gasoline mower and I'd to try shaving the lawn at brisker pace.

I never saw them go on sale. They're kind of a specialty item so
stores don't bother.

Why do you 'lollygag' behind a gasoline mower? can't you push those
at a running pace too?

If you're only cutting a very small amount off your grass (1/2 inch or
so) then you should be able to run as fast as you can push it. If
you're cutting any more off your grass you'll have to go at a slower
pace so that the grass has time to stand up into the blades to be cut.

Like i said i love my reel mower. It doesn't work well on long grass.
It doesn't work well on wet grass. It doesn't work well if you try to
cut off too much at once. But it's quiet (i mowed my lawn at 5am
once), better for the grass (cuts instead of ripping), and of course
environmentally friendly.

Kevin


Hi Kevin,

Thanks for the tips. I am starting to think the Scott's 20-2000 might be
also be a "Classic" mower, although it has 4 wheels. You are right, it
is HEAVY, at least it is while still packed in a box. I didn't they'd go
on sale, but thought I'd ask anyway ... can't be a cheapskate without
doing as such.

When I could push the gasoline mower at running pace it doesn't cut as
well ... going really fast, I imagine it has the same problem you
mentioned with the grass not popping back up fast enough to get a clean
cut. I'll probably mow more often with a reel mower, so it shouldn't be
a problem.

Luckily the local temperatures took a real dive, so I've have more time
to look and waffle.

On Thu, 18 Mar 2004 03:26:06 GMT, Salty Thumb
wrote:

kevins_news2 wrote in
:

On Tue, 16 Mar 2004 11:35:17 GMT, Salty Thumb
wrote:

Has anybody done any push reel mower shopping recently? I am about to
take the plunge and get a Scotts 20-2000 for $120, mainly because of
the 20" cutting width. There was some message on the group about
staying away from Scotts and some other people saying they were
looking for the 'Scotts Classic'. There is also a 18" American brand
for $100 that I'm considering as an alternative. Yeah, they are from
box stores, but I'm open to other sources if someone can tell me what
they are.

I did this shopping last year. I heard good things about the 'Scotts
Classic'. But only that one. No one gave rave reviews for the other
Scotts mowers.

Also remember that you will be pushing this thing. It's essentially
only on two wheels which makes it harder to push. And the wider the
blade the more friction it provides, once again making the mower
harder to push. Not to mention that the large ones get quite heavy. I
know a gas mower might be a heavier beast but it's easier to roll
along on 4 wheels especially since you don't have the blade friction
to deal with.

I found some reviews on Amazon.com, mostly good, but who knows if they
are just shill posts. In the group, there was also some guy raving
about German engineered push reel mowers (and another about some
electric push reels that I'm not interested in).

Reel mowers are great. I love mine. It was a tossup between the
Scotts classic and the lee valley mower for me. I went for the Lee
valley one. It's only 18" but my wife needs to use it too and the
Scotts one was getting kind of heavy. (price in Canadian)
http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page...ory=2%2C2160&S
ID=&ccurrency=1

Some specific questions, I am a cheapskate, do these things ever go on
sale? Do these things still work okay when pushed at a running (vs.
walking) speed? I've been wasting a lot of time lollygagging behind a
gasoline mower and I'd to try shaving the lawn at brisker pace.

I never saw them go on sale. They're kind of a specialty item so
stores don't bother.

Why do you 'lollygag' behind a gasoline mower? can't you push those
at a running pace too?

If you're only cutting a very small amount off your grass (1/2 inch or
so) then you should be able to run as fast as you can push it. If
you're cutting any more off your grass you'll have to go at a slower
pace so that the grass has time to stand up into the blades to be cut.

Like i said i love my reel mower. It doesn't work well on long grass.
It doesn't work well on wet grass. It doesn't work well if you try to
cut off too much at once. But it's quiet (i mowed my lawn at 5am
once), better for the grass (cuts instead of ripping), and of course
environmentally friendly.

Kevin


Hi Kevin,

Thanks for the tips. I am starting to think the Scott's 20-2000 might be
also be a "Classic" mower, although it has 4 wheels. You are right, it
is HEAVY, at least it is while still packed in a box. I didn't they'd go
on sale, but thought I'd ask anyway ... can't be a cheapskate without
doing as such.

When I could push the gasoline mower at running pace it doesn't cut as
well ... going really fast, I imagine it has the same problem you
mentioned with the grass not popping back up fast enough to get a clean
cut. I'll probably mow more often with a reel mower, so it shouldn't be
a problem.

Luckily the local temperatures took a real dive, so I've have more time
to look and waffle.

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

Janice wrote in
:

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

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.

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.

Salty Thumb wrote in message . ..
Has anybody done any push reel mower shopping recently? I am about to take
the plunge and get a Scotts 20-2000 for $120, mainly because of the 20"
cutting width. There was some message on the group about staying away from
Scotts and some other people saying they were looking for the 'Scotts
Classic'. There is also a 18" American brand for $100 that I'm considering
as an alternative. Yeah, they are from box stores, but I'm open to other
sources if someone can tell me what they are.

I found some reviews on Amazon.com, mostly good, but who knows if they are
just shill posts. In the group, there was also some guy raving about
German engineered push reel mowers (and another about some electric push
reels that I'm not interested in).

Some specific questions, I am a cheapskate, do these things ever go on
sale? Do these things still work okay when pushed at a running (vs.
walking) speed? I've been wasting a lot of time lollygagging behind a
gasoline mower and I'd to try shaving the lawn at brisker pace.

Running with a reel mower --or any lawn mower-- is akin to running
with scissors.

I hope you have a level lawn. These things are not very good on
steeply sloped or uneven land--I speak from experience.

Be prepared to cut the grass more often. They don't do well on long
grass.


Be sure to get a proper blade sharpening jig and stone too. You will
also spend time keeping the blades adjusted properly to get a clean,
even cut.

Good luck.


J. Del Col

(J. Del Col) wrote in
m:

Salty Thumb wrote in message
. ..
Has anybody done any push reel mower shopping recently? I am about
to take the plunge and get a Scotts 20-2000 for $120, mainly because
of the 20" cutting width. There was some message on the group about
staying away from Scotts and some other people saying they were
looking for the 'Scotts Classic'. There is also a 18" American brand
for $100 that I'm considering as an alternative. Yeah, they are from
box stores, but I'm open to other sources if someone can tell me what
they are.

I found some reviews on Amazon.com, mostly good, but who knows if
they are just shill posts. In the group, there was also some guy
raving about German engineered push reel mowers (and another about
some electric push reels that I'm not interested in).

Some specific questions, I am a cheapskate, do these things ever go
on sale? Do these things still work okay when pushed at a running
(vs. walking) speed? I've been wasting a lot of time lollygagging
behind a gasoline mower and I'd to try shaving the lawn at brisker
pace.

Hi J. Del Col,

Running with a reel mower --or any lawn mower-- is akin to running
with scissors.

Do you know of any specific risk factors or are you just being prudent?
It may well be a stupid idea, but I can't see how it could be more
dangerous than 3.5 horses or running with a baby jogger. I've been
stabbed by a piece of wood flying out from a table saw, so I'm probably
more safety conscious than most people. Actually I have wondered if any
of these push mowers can be rigged with something like a 'cow catcher' to
knock hidden debris out of the way.

I hope you have a level lawn. These things are not very good on
steeply sloped or uneven land--I speak from experience.

Yup, nice boring, level suburban lawn. Well, it's sloped for drainage,
but not lumpy.

Be prepared to cut the grass more often. They don't do well on long
grass.

Yeah, that is one of the reason why I am thinking of getting it. A guy
in the neighborhood, lawn greener than leprechaun underwear, says the
trick is to mow often. Doesn't use any chems or have lawn sprinkler (at
least nothing he'll let on to).

Be sure to get a proper blade sharpening jig and stone too. You will
also spend time keeping the blades adjusted properly to get a clean,
even cut.

Yeah, that's probably my only big concern. I figured I'd cross that
bridge when I came to it, but I have seen some posts referring to
'reverse lapping' that seems easy enough.

Good luck.

Thanks and thanks for the comments.

P.S. Also for anybody interested, the Brill that I mentioned in my reply
to Janice also comes in a non-electric models with cutting widths of 13"
and 15" (and $$$). I'd like something wider, but the ads sure are sexy
(for a lawn mower anyway).

(J. Del Col) wrote in
m:

Salty Thumb wrote in message
. ..
Has anybody done any push reel mower shopping recently? I am about
to take the plunge and get a Scotts 20-2000 for $120, mainly because
of the 20" cutting width. There was some message on the group about
staying away from Scotts and some other people saying they were
looking for the 'Scotts Classic'. There is also a 18" American brand
for $100 that I'm considering as an alternative. Yeah, they are from
box stores, but I'm open to other sources if someone can tell me what
they are.

I found some reviews on Amazon.com, mostly good, but who knows if
they are just shill posts. In the group, there was also some guy
raving about German engineered push reel mowers (and another about
some electric push reels that I'm not interested in).

Some specific questions, I am a cheapskate, do these things ever go
on sale? Do these things still work okay when pushed at a running
(vs. walking) speed? I've been wasting a lot of time lollygagging
behind a gasoline mower and I'd to try shaving the lawn at brisker
pace.

Hi J. Del Col,

Running with a reel mower --or any lawn mower-- is akin to running
with scissors.

Do you know of any specific risk factors or are you just being prudent?
It may well be a stupid idea, but I can't see how it could be more
dangerous than 3.5 horses or running with a baby jogger. I've been
stabbed by a piece of wood flying out from a table saw, so I'm probably
more safety conscious than most people. Actually I have wondered if any
of these push mowers can be rigged with something like a 'cow catcher' to
knock hidden debris out of the way.

I hope you have a level lawn. These things are not very good on
steeply sloped or uneven land--I speak from experience.

Yup, nice boring, level suburban lawn. Well, it's sloped for drainage,
but not lumpy.

Be prepared to cut the grass more often. They don't do well on long
grass.

Yeah, that is one of the reason why I am thinking of getting it. A guy
in the neighborhood, lawn greener than leprechaun underwear, says the
trick is to mow often. Doesn't use any chems or have lawn sprinkler (at
least nothing he'll let on to).

Be sure to get a proper blade sharpening jig and stone too. You will
also spend time keeping the blades adjusted properly to get a clean,
even cut.

Yeah, that's probably my only big concern. I figured I'd cross that
bridge when I came to it, but I have seen some posts referring to
'reverse lapping' that seems easy enough.

Good luck.

Thanks and thanks for the comments.

P.S. Also for anybody interested, the Brill that I mentioned in my reply
to Janice also comes in a non-electric models with cutting widths of 13"
and 15" (and $$$). I'd like something wider, but the ads sure are sexy
(for a lawn mower anyway).

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

Janice wrote in
:

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

Salty Thumb wrote:

(J. Del Col) wrote in
Running with a reel mower --or any lawn mower-- is akin to running
with scissors.

Do you know of any specific risk factors or are you just being
prudent? It may well be a stupid idea, but I can't see how it could be
more dangerous than 3.5 horses or running with a baby jogger.

The contents of a baby jogger are probably more dangerous than a lawn
mower, but for very different reasons, mostly psychological and
emotional damage caused when the baby is about 12-15 years older.

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.

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.

There's also the risk of slipping on a wet patch of grass or mud and
getting a toe or finger caught in the blades. I'd say that's less
likely, but it's another risk.

Mainly, what I've found is that if you're looking for a good workout,
just let the grass grow a little longer and soon you'll be burning more
calories and exercising the cardiovascular system better than a typical
run anyway. And that's a good thing, from my perspective.

Salty Thumb wrote:

(J. Del Col) wrote in
Running with a reel mower --or any lawn mower-- is akin to running
with scissors.

Do you know of any specific risk factors or are you just being
prudent? It may well be a stupid idea, but I can't see how it could be
more dangerous than 3.5 horses or running with a baby jogger.

The contents of a baby jogger are probably more dangerous than a lawn
mower, but for very different reasons, mostly psychological and
emotional damage caused when the baby is about 12-15 years older.

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.

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.

There's also the risk of slipping on a wet patch of grass or mud and
getting a toe or finger caught in the blades. I'd say that's less
likely, but it's another risk.

Mainly, what I've found is that if you're looking for a good workout,
just let the grass grow a little longer and soon you'll be burning more
calories and exercising the cardiovascular system better than a typical
run anyway. And that's a good thing, from my perspective.

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

Salty Thumb wrote:

(J. Del Col) wrote in
Running with a reel mower --or any lawn mower-- is akin to running
with scissors.

Do you know of any specific risk factors or are you just being
prudent? It may well be a stupid idea, but I can't see how it could be
more dangerous than 3.5 horses or running with a baby jogger.

The contents of a baby jogger are probably more dangerous than a lawn
mower, but for very different reasons, mostly psychological and
emotional damage caused when the baby is about 12-15 years older.

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.

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?

There's also the risk of slipping on a wet patch of grass or mud and
getting a toe or finger caught in the blades. I'd say that's less
likely, but it's another risk.

Might be true with the old ones. But the ones nowadays are pretty
darn slick. It is virutally impossible to get a toe (assuming you're
wearing a show) caught in it. And the the housing covers up enough of
it that even fingers would be difficult to stick in there.

The other good thing is that they stop as soon as you stop pushing
them. They won't roll for another few feet. They pretty much just
stop dead which also stops the blades

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.

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

Salty Thumb wrote:

(J. Del Col) wrote in
Running with a reel mower --or any lawn mower-- is akin to running
with scissors.

Do you know of any specific risk factors or are you just being
prudent? It may well be a stupid idea, but I can't see how it could be
more dangerous than 3.5 horses or running with a baby jogger.

The contents of a baby jogger are probably more dangerous than a lawn
mower, but for very different reasons, mostly psychological and
emotional damage caused when the baby is about 12-15 years older.

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.

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?

There's also the risk of slipping on a wet patch of grass or mud and
getting a toe or finger caught in the blades. I'd say that's less
likely, but it's another risk.

Might be true with the old ones. But the ones nowadays are pretty
darn slick. It is virutally impossible to get a toe (assuming you're
wearing a show) caught in it. And the the housing covers up enough of
it that even fingers would be difficult to stick in there.

The other good thing is that they stop as soon as you stop pushing
them. They won't roll for another few feet. They pretty much just
stop dead which also stops the blades

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.

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.