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Old 07-27-2012, 04:00 PM
 
Location: Florida
416 posts, read 628,763 times
Reputation: 373

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Quote:
Originally Posted by bluesea111 View Post
Thank you for your information.kitsunegames.
How do you think of cordless trimmer?
IMO corded is more reliable than cordless electric and corded grass trimmers are usually lighter(Battery adds weight) and more powerful(More capable of cutting tough weeds). The rechargeable battery will eventually die and you may go through a few bad ones that don't last as long as the manufacturer claims. But if you don't mind replacing the battery every few years and you'd rather avoid having to mess with a cord, a fully charged battery should have more than enough juice to work your yard.
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Old 07-27-2012, 04:39 PM
 
Location: On the Chesapeake
45,035 posts, read 60,063,169 times
Reputation: 60598
Quote:
Originally Posted by HB2HSV View Post
I admire all these macho talks but you have no idea of OP's gender, age, physical stature and conditions.

I am 6' 210 lbm male in good physical shape, but a gas power push-behind mower on a hot summer day have me pretty exhausted. Granted the OP's yard is on the small side but it is not the area that is exhausting, it is making the mower to do turns and and border mowing. If you enjoy pushing & pulling a 30 lbm weight in a hot humid summer day, I'd say go for it.

A manual mower is like shaving with a dull blade. It's okay if you are 17 yr old and like pushing through the same area multiple times.

Having a Honda lawn mower makes mowing lawn a much enjoyable experience. A self-propelled will literally make you "walk" with the mower as oppose to "push" a mower forward. It also has a one-pull start, no more frustration in trying to get a mower started. It has a bag catcher or a mulch option. I do occasionally like to catch the clipping to use them as mulch for my garden. Best of all, it's a Honda. Buy quality and you'll never regret it. Nuff said.

I'm 58 and had a "cardiac episode" July 4th. I've since cut my grass with my reel mower. With our highs being 90+ most days since. I've also split firewood since then, too.

My yard is a bit bigger than the questioner's and split up into areas. And I've had a power mower for it. It was a pain in the ass, so it's nothing macho. You're right, we don't know the questioner's physical condition so we all assumed it was normal. Your solution, a self-propelled machine, is overkill for a reasonably healthy individual and would be a pain on the corners. If you noticed, I did mention a disability which might necessitate power mower.

I have a Honda tiller, you're right it's a 1 pull machine.
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Old 07-27-2012, 04:53 PM
 
Location: Florida
416 posts, read 628,763 times
Reputation: 373
Quote:
Originally Posted by fisheye View Post
You don't have to worry about batteries or cords.
I guarantee that a list of things to worry about between gas/battery/cord powered equipment would result in gas having the longest list.
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Old 07-27-2012, 04:53 PM
 
Location: ๏̯͡๏﴿ Gwinnett-That's a Civil Matter-County
2,118 posts, read 6,353,341 times
Reputation: 3547
Manual reel mowers take less effort to use than a gas powered mower.
I should know. I have both.

The key is mowing often enough. The flip side is by mowing often, your lawn will look fantastic.

You don't need to use them in the hottest part of the day either. Early morning or dusk is when I like to mow and it doesn't bother the neighbors because they can't hear it. Or smell it.

I would much rather take out the reel mower then have to schlep around with the gas mower and stink from the fumes afterward.
Another nice thing is you can hang the reel mowers up on a bracket on the wall. Lawn mowers take up a lot of floor space.
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Old 07-27-2012, 05:44 PM
 
25,619 posts, read 36,555,520 times
Reputation: 23291
I would just get a push 21inch rear bagger with a 5.0hp briggs and stratton engine or similar. I have one from MTD that I got from Lowes three years ago for 149.00 on sale.

I have about 1500 sq ft of grass that I cut in about 30 minutes with mine. Yeah it will let you skip a week or two just dont mow the lawn wet. Keep blade sharp and it will cut your KBG as good as a reel mower.

Im a landscaper and have multiple commercial Toros, Snappers and Exmarks. My personal MTD is light quick and nothing to maintain.
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Old 07-27-2012, 07:28 PM
 
Location: Swiftwater, PA
18,755 posts, read 18,012,395 times
Reputation: 14732
Quote:
Originally Posted by kitsunegames View Post
I guarantee that a list of things to worry about between gas/battery/cord powered equipment would result in gas having the longest list.
You get the job done quick and – with plenty of power; if you had neglected your lawn. Today's gas mowers start easy. The OP said that he had lawn in both the front and the back. They would not have to worry where to find electricity - if it was a corded electric mower. The battery packs on cordless mowers do not last forever and run down quickly if the grass is heavy or tall. Push mowers are exercise and do have their problems with some grass and weeds.

I wish that they still made small gas mowers. I kept an 18 inch gas mower for years. The small mower was great for cleaning up where my tractor could not cut. It was very easy to push and maneuver. But even the 21 inch gas mowers will push easier than push reel mowers.
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Old 07-28-2012, 05:18 AM
 
Location: Prospect, KY
5,284 posts, read 20,004,273 times
Reputation: 6656
I've seen many posts here about cutting grass short but in the south (not sure where the OP lives but he is growing Kentucky Blue Grass so he/she may live in the south). Improper mowing is one of the most common causes of weed invasion and insect damage. Mowing heights that are too short will result in weakened grass plants and weed encroachment. Short grass is susceptible to disease and drought damage. Ants and other insects prefer to live in grass that has been scalped short.

When we lived in So. California, the lawn was kept short....but in the south, where we live now, things are different - mowing too short is not a good thing. We mow at a height of 4 inches during the summer. This means we mow more often but we are retired and have the time.

We have an older John Deere gas mower that does a great job - we have taken care of it and it would be a fortune to replace. We get it serviced every year including the blade sharpened....this is so important. Many people do not take care of their lawn mowers.

Many people do not edge in the south, especially those with very large rural properties but in subdivision neighborhoods most people do edge - looks so much nicer to me.
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Old 07-28-2012, 05:21 AM
Status: "Mistress of finance and foods." (set 29 days ago)
 
Location: Coastal Georgia
50,096 posts, read 63,480,500 times
Reputation: 92718
Quote:
Originally Posted by LookinForMayberry View Post
I suggest having the grass removed and replaced with low-maintenance shrubs, trees, and perennial flower beds. Plan it with plenty of walkways and benches to enjoy the views -- or watch others mow.
There would be a lot more maintenance to keep ahead of the weeds in this scenario than to just mow the grass.
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Old 07-28-2012, 08:19 AM
 
Location: Prospect, KY
5,284 posts, read 20,004,273 times
Reputation: 6656
Quote:
Originally Posted by gentlearts View Post
There would be a lot more maintenance to keep ahead of the weeds in this scenario than to just mow the grass.
My thoughts exactly - also as much if not more water is needed to maintain a yard of shrubs and flowers - especially annuals. I know this from experience. At one time, in our So. California front yard, we converted the yard to a series of gravel pathways and flower gardens - it was a tremendous amont of maintenance and watering. When I broke my leg, no one in our household had the time or knowledge to put into maintaining the yard - it was a disaster. I was in bed for 2 months and I realized quickly that changes needed to be made. Within a year we hired a landscaping firm to convert the yard to a lawn with limited flower beds and added an irrigation system.....it was wonderful to have all the extra time and the beauty of a lawn. A green lawn softens, simplifies and complements the home structure.
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Old 07-28-2012, 08:49 AM
 
Location: ๏̯͡๏﴿ Gwinnett-That's a Civil Matter-County
2,118 posts, read 6,353,341 times
Reputation: 3547
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cattknap View Post
I've seen many posts here about cutting grass short but in the south (not sure where the OP lives but he is growing Kentucky Blue Grass so he/she may live in the south). Improper mowing is one of the most common causes of weed invasion and insect damage. Mowing heights that are too short will result in weakened grass plants and weed encroachment. Short grass is susceptible to disease and drought damage. Ants and other insects prefer to live in grass that has been scalped short.

When we lived in So. California, the lawn was kept short....but in the south, where we live now, things are different - mowing too short is not a good thing. We mow at a height of 4 inches during the summer. This means we mow more often but we are retired and have the time.

We have an older John Deere gas mower that does a great job - we have taken care of it and it would be a fortune to replace. We get it serviced every year including the blade sharpened....this is so important. Many people do not take care of their lawn mowers.

Many people do not edge in the south, especially those with very large rural properties but in subdivision neighborhoods most people do edge - looks so much nicer to me.

These are some fair points.
OP should definitely research the recommended mowing heights for their type of grass and be sure to get a mower capable of mowing at that height. For KBG, that will probably require the highest setting if it's a reel mower. A lot of the warm season grasses do best when cut short. The cool season grasses usually don't and cutting them too short stresses them. And stressed grass is more susceptible to pests and disease.

I had a special variety of KBG that I was testing out that was tolerant of super short mowing heights for athletic fields but that is definitely not the norm and it would be a full time job to keep it that way forever.

People in the south most definitely have to edge. The warm season creeping grasses that we have down here will completely cover a sidewalk in no time if you don't.

Mowing is a pain in the butt no matter what but I still believe it will be less of a pain in the butt for the size yard the OP has if a reel mower was used than if a gas mower was used. OP should try a reel mower. You can easily return one of those if it's not for you whereas once you have a gas mower, you're stuck with it.


Quote:
Originally Posted by HB2HSV View Post
I am 6' 210 lbm male in good physical shape, but a gas power push-behind mower on a hot summer day have me pretty exhausted. Granted the OP's yard is on the small side but it is not the area that is exhausting, it is making the mower to do turns and and border mowing. If you enjoy pushing & pulling a 30 lbm weight in a hot humid summer day, I'd say go for it.
The OP has KBG and KBG is most actively growing in the fall and spring when it's pleasant weather to be outside and mowing the lawn is an excellent excuse to do exactly that. Despite having a warm season lawn that gets compliments (not to toot my own horn), I would never ever get a warm season lawn again because I hate being out in the heat.

It does sound like you went in there trying to cut a thick stand of grass that hadn't been pre-cut for the setting of your reel mower. Again, the key is mowing often. KBG is not the thickest grass out there so it's not that bad to cut even when it is allowed to grow too tall.

I currently have bermuda in my front yard and this is peak time for bermuda in my area. I feed it monthly and maintain it at 0.625" and to do that it really needs to be mowed 2-3x per week. This past week I did not have time to mow it since last saturday. And I just came in from mowing it 10 minutes ago. I had to go over it twice to get it back to where it was and in some areas I had to do the ol' stop and rewind technique to cut it but considering it only took me twice as long to cut as it normally does isn't bad since I skipped mowing it during the week. And best of all, no scalping. If I went out there with my gas rotary mower it would have scalped assuming it would cut down that low. It was not worth the effort to drag out the gas mower. I use that beast in the back yard on a different type of grass. I would much rather use the manual reel mower there too.


Another thing to remember is
The faster you walk with a reel mower, the better it will cut whereas with a rotary mower, the faster you walk, the more grass it will miss. Therefore you can walk at a much faster pace and get the job done faster than with a rotary.
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