Our lawn mower wouldn’t start this spring. Sweet husband tried everything he could think of short of buying a new one to get it going and still nothing. With the number of hours he’s actually not been working lately, this trial and error process stretched out over a couple of weeks, meanwhile the lawn didn’t stop growing. We ended up getting creative and solving two problems at once by staking the horse out on the lawn to eat it down a bit–no HOA’s here. This actually worked pretty well, but isn’t really the best alternative to having your lawn looking its finest.
So after all the attempts to get the mower going, we went shopping for a new lawn mower. We even brought big brother along since he does the majority of the mowing. And here’s what we brought home.
A totally manual mower. We’re weird like that. So here’s the pros and cons of having a manual mower.
Pros:
- They are about half the cost of even the least expensive gas mower.
- There are NO spark plugs, motors, or other mechanical parts to break down or need replacing.
- They use no fuel, so you can’t ever run out of gas and have to stop mowing. Great for when your son does the mowing!
- They are quiet.
- Because they are quiet, you can mow during the really cool hours like the crack of dawn or even after dark and the neighbors won’t care.
- A good one is no harder to push than an average push mower with a motor (although we tried one of these at a yard sale a few weeks back and it took a lot of effort to push).
- They are lightweight and small which makes them easily portable.
- Excellent means of getting some exercise!
- The kids want to help. Well, at least for a little while. But they are much safer for youngsters to mow the lawn with than a motorized mower.
Okay, there are a couple of cons:
- They ARE totally manual–there is no self propelling here, only yourself propelling it. Good thing the boys do the lawn around here.
- The taller grass doesn’t get caught in the blades well, so they work best if your lawn is already under control. Mowing every 5-7 days is best.
- Because it cuts differently than a regular mower, it’s not as easy to tell where you’ve cut–you need to keep track of where you’ve been and be somewhat systematic about your mowing process. Most of us are, teenagers sometimes have trouble with this. ;)
We’ll see how this goes this summer–so far it’s working out fine. What about you? Do any of you use a manual mower for your lawns? How do you like them?
Keep preparing! Angela
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Oh, no way! My husband and I were literally talking about getting one of these a few days ago. I’m glad to hear you like it so well! What brand did you get? Also, is it faster than a motorized mower? (My husband insisted I ask that one.) I love that he could do it during nap times. :)
Thanks, Angela!
Heidi, I don’t think it’s any faster than a motorized mower, but it’s not slower either. According to my son, if you run with it it throws grass all over the place which is really cool. ;-) We got an 18″ Troy Bilt from the local farm/ranch store. The only reason it may take longer is you only have an 18″ swath instead of 22 or whatever your motorized mower is, but it’s really not that much different.
I love mine. It is easier to push than a grocery cart of a stroller. You did not mention that hands don’t get vibrated until they are numb. It is as fast as a regular mower. I used to mow 20 minutes each day I mowed, taking a part of the yard not in sun. Honestly, I never broke a sweat.
I was totally delighted to be able to hear the birds sing.
Also, I did not rip and arm from the socket trying to pull a cord. I am in love with mine…Sears brand 18″.
I “let” my friend try it out. Then, I decided to “let” all my friends who came by try it out. That worked out really well, since I did not have to mow. I have read Mark Twain but I had no fence to whitewash.
Great idea to let friends try it out on your lawn!
We’ve used a manual mower for years. Work just as well as a gas powered rig that stinks of gas and oil and creates a wide swath of noise pollution.
I much prefer to listen to the birds and natural sounds than the constant angry drone of motorized lawnmowers that inevitably are running ALL DAY throughout the neighborhood on weekends.
I have to laugh when my neighbor is dealing with gas and oil and trying to start his noisy mower – as I just grab my manual mower and quietly stroll across the lawn.
If you keep the blades sharp and mow the lawn every week, a manual mower works just as well as a gas powered mower. Plus it is very quiet, inexpensive to own and run, rarely breaks down, and is environmentally friendly.
I’ve been using one for 5 years and I like it – except now the blades really need sharpening, and I don’t know how, and neither does anyone else. The guy in the hardware store looked at me like I was crazy when I asked.
You might try a lawnmower repair shop.
It sounds great for small, flat lawns. I’m not sure that’s the greatest solution for larger fields and steep hills though.
I am thinking about getting one for my home.