ypsi~dixit

When I lived in the Ozarks, I used to teather a goat to a spot and after about an hour you had a pretty nice circle of manicured yard. There are few things that a goat won't eat.

Oldgoat: I am very fond of goats, their weird eyes notwithstanding.

There was some talk of using a sheep to rid the KH lawn of its knee-high weeds. But it probably would have eaten the peonies and roses. The lawn hadn't been mowed since the beginning of the summer, so it was lookin' pretty ratty. We wanted to get it spiffed up before Art Fair.

Unfortunately, our neighbors have stopped taking us up on the "give the push mower a try" ploy, and we're still plodding along doing the necessary 1-2x per week. Hopefully our 6 year old Scotts reel mower is lighter and a bit less of a workout than your antique.

One great advantage, though, is that it's so quiet you can mow much earlier (or much later) in the day - when its cooler - than your neighbors would appreciate with a gas mower.

It is almost as easy to use a gas mower if you don't let the grass get too long (thus the 1-2x per wk.) - unfortunately, either my husband or I have to mow again tonight or tomorrow and the current weather reports predict a sweaty time ahead for us.

You're right about the relative quiet of hte push mower. It just makes a pleasant whisking sound. You could mow at 3 a.m. if you felt like it.

Yes, once the grass is of a normal height, it's almost effortless to use. It's certainly easier to use than my mammoth stupid gas mower at home (though I suspect a push mower might possibly be in the pipeline).

We mowed our lawn with a push mower for about nine years but finally got an electric last year when the push mower broke. The electric does a better job because we don't mow that often (you really do have to mow more often with a push mower 'cause it won't get the tall stuff), but I hate it. I loved the push mower. When it was sharpened and oiled up (and yes, the newer ones are much easier to use), it was a dream. I could mow our whole lawn in a half hour and now it takes about an hour with the electric. It definitely inspired a lot of discussion with people walking by. I am now angling to fix up the old push mower and go back to it, and just use the electric if we have to knock down the big weeds.

The KH needs to get its push mower sharpened, but even so, it cut well. Once we hacked down the weeds, you could just push it at walking speed over the grass. It throws up a cute little confetti of grass bits and is all around a million times more charming and fun than (ugh) gas mowers.

The AF, an expert on all things push mower, informed me that the original 19th-century mowers were developed from a machine used in the fabric industry. Investigation reveals that he is, unsurprisingly, correct:

"Mechanical mowing became possible early in the 19th century by an English engineer named Edwin Budding. While working in a textile mill, Budding noticed a machine that was used to shear the nap of velvet, which to Budding, was very similar to his overgrown grass at home that he had to cut with a scythe every Saturday afternoon instead of going down to the pub and listening to reports of the soccer game come in."

Oh and dandelions are *really* fun to mow with a push mower! The little sunny yellow heads pop all around. It is like those pop mowers they have for little kids.

Gracious, this humble blog seems to be ground zero for Washtenaw County's push-mower contingent! A distinction to be proud of. :)

Juliew, your comment created the most charming mental image possible. Heh. I can just picture that.

Beneath the rugged veneer of push-mower machismo, there's just a kid who wants a dandelion pop-mower. :)

Vanguard of the Push-Mower Contingent, I salute you!

But know this: the world is two clicks past the 19th-century mark, and there are forces intent on rendering the whole process obsolete.

(returns salute smartly)

Instead of Frankengrass, I vote for destroying *all* lawns in favor of Native Plants! All my trefoil, or whatever it is, is covered in 6-foot tall yellow flowers--dreamy.

[/derail] sorry. Back to lawns and push mowers. Check out these slick new 2006 reel mowers from PeoplePoweredMachines.com! and from this shop, which includes the "Prison Reel Mower: Mow Like You've Been Convicted!"

"Looking for a tough, sturdy reel mower? Well, now you can mow with the same lawnmower model that is commonly sold to prisons and correctional facilities."

OK, that tears it. I want the Prison Reel Mower for my birthday! At a mere $119, it's surprisingly affordable!

"If you are a prison and need a large number of mowers, visit Prison Mowers or contact us for a quote."

check out the PM logo in upper left...heh!

Downtown Home & Garden even has loaner push-mowers so you can try before you buy.

Of course, that woould be tough to bring home on a bike. New they fit in a small little box that is fully bike-able, but fully assembled on a bike, well, that would be something to see.

Nosir, I respectfully disagree: it would be EASY to bring home on a bike, because of the Porta-Pup 2000! Yes sir, I could transport a whole prison's worth of reel mowers on a bike, you bet! Sky's the limit!

I note that delivery time on the budget-friendly Prison Reel Mower is a mere 8 business days, plus 3 for handling.

Y. is dying to mow like she's convicted. I can tell you, kind readers, that I've got one conviction: that it's time for me to JUNK my HATED gas mower and get the Prison Reel Mower!

Y. has been brainwashed by the AF and his constant prating about the advantages of reel mowers. Needless to say, of course he's right as usual. It is useless to argue.

I live in Saline, and often go past the Huron Valley facility on Bemis & Platt - and thought it was very funny last summer when I saw a bunch of trustees out using the same Scotts mower that we have.

Laura, I think you really need to mow a larger swathe of grass to be absolutely sure you want a reel mower. I'll send you my address and offer the use of our mower and yard (this weekend would be good) if you like. I'll even make sure all the dog poop is picked up. ;-)

HA! Nice try, Sandy!

Madam, may I respectfully inform you that you cannot out-Tom Sawyer Tom Sawyer! Dandelion pop-mower or no.

What'll ya give me, a piece of string, a marble, a frog?

Heh. Slingshot?