Consider lawn size, energy level when choosing lawn mower

As large black puffs of smoke billowed from the engine of my lawn mower this week, every fiber of my being groaned. “It can’t be dying, it can’t be dying, it can’t be dying,” I chanted to myself, as though it would help. “Please don’t die, please don’t die, please don’t die.”

Prayer is my best mechanical skill.

Although I have poor judgment about mechanical things, it was against my better judgment to run the machine anymore. But sometimes when you start something, you just don’t want to leave it unfinished. The darn lawn mower had picked the worst moment to take ill. Another two or three passes with the beastly machine and I’d be done. So I pushed and pulled on down the lawn as the cloud of smoke in my wake alternately grew and vanished into the air. Interestingly enough, in the end, the engine wasn’t the cause of my machine’s inevitable death. One of the plastic wheels on the front had split and dangled by a thread, making it impossible to push the machine through the grass.

I would enjoy lawn mowing if I had a postage stamp-sized lawn, but mine is probably best described in terms of acres rather than square feet. Lawn mowing has been a dreaded task. Until my mower died, that is.

My parents were sympathetic to my situation and lent me a self-propelled lawn mower that has been blissful to use. No, no, make that luxurious. Effortless. Divine. Take your pick. Whatever it is, it isn’t remotely the kind of work that an ordinary push mower entails.

I can’t believe I have been torturing myself for years with “the beast” when such a simple solution existed. Although it took a couple of passes through the yard to get used to being pulled by the machine (and having to jog behind it when turning a corner), it transformed a nearly intolerable job into something quite enjoyable. As I was mowing the front yard, my kids set out on the doorstep a glass of ice water with a sticker on the side that said “Good Work!” I tried to grab it on the way by, but I wasn’t quick enough. The lawn mower whisked me right by before my fingers could grasp the glass. When I finally turned the mower off, my girls were waiting on the step. “Boy, Mommy, I noticed you mowed the lawn really fast,” my daughter observed, as only 7-year-olds can. “Was the mower running you or were you running it?”

I just panted and smiled. And took the water. These things really give you a workout.

I remember when I was a kid that we had an old reel mower. It was fun to play with, but mowing an entire lawn with it was a living nightmare. The reel mower we had worked well if the grass was a reasonable height, but if it was too tall it was nearly impossible to get through.

Reel mowers since have improved dramatically in design and are growing in popularity. Human-powered reel mowers are quiet and are nonpolluting as well, since they don’t use fossil fuels. Curved blades pass over a fixed bed-knife on the bottom of the mower and make a healthy, clean, even cut. Reel mowers work well on soft grasses, not so well on tough weeds or fescue.

Rotary mowers are by far the most common among homeowners. They cut by beating the grass with a blade that is suspended below a deck. Whether a push, self-propelled or riding lawn mower, rotary mowers usually mow through anything. Where the lawn is uneven, these common mowers can scalp down to the soil bumps in the terrain. Some rotary mowers have mulching capabilities and effectively fertilize the lawn as they mow.

Choosing the right lawn mower model for your needs can sometimes prove difficult. So many styles and suppliers are available. Consider the size of your lawn, the level of physical energy you want to expend, safety, the ease of starting and what level of horsepower you’ll need to mow the lawn efficiently.

Keep in mind, too, that if it’s beyond your ability, you’ll need service for your mower when the big black puffs of smoke start to billow.

Diana George Chapin is the NEWS garden columnist. Send horticulture questions to Gardening Questions, RR1, Box 2120, Montville 04941, or e-mail them to dianagc@ctel.net. Selected questions will be answered in future columns. Include name, address and telephone number.