Saturday, August 14, 2010

Mow the lawn, save the world

Once we finally had enough grass to mow, the decision to buy a push mower was a no-brainer. We never even considered buying a gas-powered mower. Why would you? Push mowers are...
1. Far less expensive to buy.
2. Far less expensive to maintain. Get the blades sharpened every Spring (about twenty bucks) and you're good to go. No gas--and at roughly a gallon a mow, that's a big savings these days. No spark plugs. No engine repairs. We did spray a little Soy Lube on the blades after it sat for a month, but that's no biggie.
3. Human powered, so you won't have a stinky gas can sitting in your garage.
4. Rather slim, so they don't take up as much room in your now fume-free garage.
5. Lighter, so they are easier to maneuver and carry. I can easily lift ours with one hand.
6. Engine free, so you won't have to do battle with the start cord or walk behind it inhaling engine fumes while you mow
7. Better for your lawn, thanks to the scissor-like cutting motion.
8. Totally adjustable for both grass height and operator height.
9. Quiet! Why does everyone within a 1/2-mile radius need to know you're mowing your lawn? They don't. I'd rather mow like a ninja! Babies will sleep through your lawn mowing and your neighbors will appreciate the courteous manner in which you don't wreck their barbeque with a stinky, noisy mower. If you can't sleep at night, just strap on a headlamp and go mow the lawn. It's that quiet. Oh, and you can listen to music while you mow and not destroy your eardrums.
10. A good first step. Giving up the things we think we're supposed to need is rough. Following the herd without question is never as much fun as striking out in the direction of fresh air and a clear conscience. The novelty of the push mower is still refreshing for us and I'm proud of our decision every time we mow.

We do have a weed eater to trim along the fence and help with the seemingly insurmountable weeds that we have yet to conquer in the backyard. The weed eater runs on rechargeable, Energy Star-rated batteries and it does a darn good job. Even more exciting is the hand-held weed cutter we picked up this afternoon. Now we can tackle the backyard in true bushwacking style!

...and since a video never hurts...


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