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Novara

(6,115 posts)
Sun Apr 19, 2015, 06:44 AM Apr 2015

Question about mowing the grass

I don't know if this belongs here, but does anyone use one of those old-fashioned, push-type blade mowers? Are they hard to push? Do you have to rake up the clippings afterwards, or can you leave them? I know you need to keep the blades sharp - would a hardware store be able to do that?

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Question about mowing the grass (Original Post) Novara Apr 2015 OP
We have a reel mower angstlessk Apr 2015 #1
We got ours from Wallyworld angstlessk Apr 2015 #2
I used a reel mower for years... N_E_1 for Tennis Apr 2015 #3
Thanks for the replies, another question Novara Apr 2015 #4
I have a push mower hermetic Apr 2015 #5
I have a battery electric mower, Curmudgeoness Apr 2015 #6
Hm, lots to think about. Novara Apr 2015 #7

N_E_1 for Tennis

(10,779 posts)
3. I used a reel mower for years...
Sun Apr 19, 2015, 08:51 AM
Apr 2015

Yes every once in a while the blades do need to be sharpened. You can buy a kit for about 30 bucks from Scotts. I stopped using my reel, I have a very small piece of lawn, last year. It just got to be too time consuming. We are converting more and more of the property into edibles. I needed more time to tend to that project.
So long story short we purchased an eletric mower, battery run. The Worx mower. Looks like a toy when you get it out of the box, but cuts awesomely. It's just 14 inches (deck measurement) but no pushing thru the grass. Lots easier.

Here's a link to the mower. It won't do exactly what a gas mower will but it's very quite and very easy to use. This will be my second year with it. Now I have the ease of a gas mower and a clearer conscience about the environment as I did with the reel.

https://www.worx.com/en-US/24V_mower_wg782.aspx

Hope this helps. Do some homework, you may be able to get a better price from some online dealers.

Novara

(6,115 posts)
4. Thanks for the replies, another question
Sun Apr 19, 2015, 09:30 AM
Apr 2015

So neither of you rake? Just leave the grass clippings? I don't really care all that much about what it looks like as long as it's decent and not overgrown, so some grass clippings might not bother me.

I was also thinking about a battery powered electric, but they're more costly.

I have nearly an acre, and small twigs can be a problem. I just raked up all the pinecones from the winter - it took about 3 hours in total - and I raked a lot of twigs as well. Can either a push mower or an electric handle little twigs or will I need to rake those first? It's windy enough that there are always twigs.

Thanks for the help. I'm new at this!

hermetic

(8,622 posts)
5. I have a push mower
Sun Apr 19, 2015, 04:46 PM
Apr 2015

I bought it last fall. It doesn't like twigs or pine cones. If you are pushing it and it stops, you need to turn it on its side or upside down to find what's stopping it and pluck it out. Wear gloves. Leave the grass on the ground, it provides nitrogen to the soil. Unless there's a big clump. Move that or spread it around.

Mowing is very aerobic. I'm 66 and used to exercise but a push mower can be a real challenge. I just bought a weed whacker because a push mower can't get close enough to edges.

I used to have an acre plus, and I had a rider mower. It was worth it, plus great fun to ride around. Lots of trade offs with that.

Best of luck and feel free to ask me any other questions I could help you with.

Curmudgeoness

(18,219 posts)
6. I have a battery electric mower,
Sun Apr 19, 2015, 08:06 PM
Apr 2015

and I love it. However, I have a small lot and I have to recharge halfway through the yard. I think that you will have to consider that for a yard as big as yours. It is possible, but think about how you will do the yard in sections. I bought a rather expensive battery and charger that lasts about 25 minutes on a charge and can recharge in half an hour---but like I said, it was more expensive. The other option I was given was to buy two batteries so that I could use one while the other was recharging. The good thing is that I always have tons of twigs all over and have no problem with this mower cutting them.

You might want to rethink a reel mower for a lot your size too. They take some work to use, not like a gas mower. You would not have to catch the clippings, however, you cannot let the grass get very long or the work to mow will be hard. Reel mowers just will not get through longer grass. I had one and had to mow twice a week so that the grass didn't get too long. The good thing about doing that is that the clippings will not be seen and will be good for the lawn. You would not have to catch or rake. The biggest problem is when it rains too long to get out to mow and the grass gets too long.

I hate to say it, but with about an acre, I would not want to use either of these mowers....but that is because I don't want to be mowing every day of my life.

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