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[Roger Austin <raustin3 AT nc.rr.com>]

Steven Champeon wrote:
> on Fri, May 18, 2007 at 05:26:10PM -0400, Magnus wrote:
>
> > Hey INW,
> >
> > With rising fuel costs and the apparent likelihood that we've already 
> > reached a peak oil state, I'm looking at ways I can cut back on my use 
> > of combustion engines.  I've already started telecommuting a couple of 
> > days a week for the last few months.  Now I'm looking at my lawn mower.
> >
> > Anyone have experience with something like this?
> > http://www.amazon.com/Scotts-20-Inch-Push-Mower-2000-20/dp/B00004RA3E/
> >
> > I have about 0.66 acres but with all the big oaks the amount of lawn I 
> > need to mow is quite a bit less than that.  I'm probably going to pull 
> > the trigger and buy that mower next paycheck.
>
>
> We got one from Sears when we first moved into our house; it works great
> but is highly dependent on having the right kind of grass, and can often
> require that it get "up to speed" before it really starts cutting well.
> It ends up looking kinda like you've mowed your lawn with a few lazy
> machete chops if the rollers aren't really spinning well throughout, and
> this means you have to make multiple passes through from different
> directions, which depending on your lawn, may or may not be possible. It
> is exceedingly difficult, for example, to get up speed from within a
> hedge or under a porch in order to mow the lawn directly in front of it.
>
> We have zoysia, which stays brown for half the year and in our case the
> hand mower didn't work well due to the geometry. You might want to see
> if you can borrow one (heck, I'll even sell you mine) and mow with it
> for a bit to see if it's going to work out.
>
> All in all, though, a goat might work better. :)

 I really like the goat idea, but a city council lady down the street
already dislikes me. Her honor would probably turn me in to the Raleigh
SS inspectors if she got even a hint that I had livestock. Do goats
count as pets? Maybe even a little biddy one?

 Your lot sounds a lot like ours with all the oaks. We have cleared out
a lot in the front to have some flower gardens and bushes, but the back
is like an oak forest that will not grow grass. The best idea for going
green is to not grow grass, but plant perrenials, shrubs, ground cover,
etc. (or tomatoes, squash, etc.)
 I also got one of those push mowers. I bought it over at Burke Bros
Hardware on Hillsborough St. years ago. I agree completely with Steve
and others about how you need the right grass (or other green stuff) to
have it work properly. Those push mowers work best on wide bladed
grasses or clover. The fine grained grasses will be tough to mow
manually since I found they clog up the reels as they try to spin. It
can be rough on your back.

 I also have one I will sell you. I bought a gas mower as well for the
few places where I haven't mulched and some other property. I think a
better idea would be an electric. They have rechargables now that I have
read about. I have no experience with them. I saw that Sears has a
programmable RoboMower that you just set up and watch. As geeks, that
would be an obvious alternative.

 No matter the mower you buy, you should either service it regularly or
take it somewhere to service it. A sharp blade is critical to get that
quafted look on the lawn no matter the fuel used. If you use gas, a
sharp blade will definitely help the environment since it keeps the oil
from getting burned and you can mow faster.

 Enjoy, Roger

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