Lawn Care

Back To The Future

Green energy.  Green Economy.  More and more people are going “green” wherever they can, in a conscious effort to deal with diminishing natural resources and to put a lid on environmental damaging.  Lot’s of new developments in technology have helped pave the way for cleaner and more efficient energy sources.  But there are times when we need to consult the past to find solutions for today and beyond.  A perfect example of this is illustrated by the reel lawn mower.

When many of us think of reel mowers, we probably recall images of cumbersome, dull-bladed, rusty mechanisms that required brute force to be kept in motion.  Furthermore, when this bucket of bolts gave way to electric mowers or the rotary lawn mower, we celebrated, or at least breathed a sigh of relief, now that these new time-saving devices had arrived to make life easier.  Through time, the reel lawn mower had essentially become a forgotten relic of the past.

Now, with mechanical improvements and a demand bolstered by the aforementioned economic and environmental reality, reel push mowers are growing in popularity.  While they are not likely to approach the ease of use and effectiveness of the typical Toro or Lawn Boy rotary lawn mower, for example, they have improved to the point that they can be easily operated by just about anyone.

Over the years most of us simply got into the habit of buying a rotary mower for our lawn mowing needs, regardless of the size of our lawn.  But a modern reel lawn mower can now do the job of nicely mowing a moderately sized lawn with only a tad more effort and time.

There are only a few areas of lawn maintenance where reel mowers are not as effective as their electric or gas-powered counterparts.  The reel lawn mower cannot usually cut as close to flowerbed and planter edges nor can it be as easily maneuvered on unusually shaped lawns.  The length of grass can be an issue as well.  The longer you let your grass grow, the more difficult it is to physically push the reel mower.

But these challenges can be mitigated by using an electric weed wacker to trim hard to get to areas, and by maintaining a shorter grass length.  Some slight inconvenience is a small price to pay for the advantages of the reel lawn mower. 

As theses mowers use a shearing action, your grass blades tend to stay greener than they do with the more damaging cutting action of the rotary mower.   Most importantly, when you take into consideration that a gas-powered mower can emit 10 times or more the hydrocarbon than the average car emits for the same amount of usage, the advantage of reel mowers is more glaring than ever.

Finally, adding a little exercise to your lawn care regimen will keep you healthy in addition to keeping the environment healthy.  Plus you’ll never have to buy lawn mower gasoline again -- savings to your pocket book.  So go green and save some green (as in money) and keep your lawn green with a reel lawn mower