What do you hate about lawn mowing?

[on-ramp]

Originally Posted by mikez

I like mowing, the smell of newly cut grass is like a perfume....but I hate it when wet grass clogs the catcher. Not enough horsepower for thick grass.

well, you're not really supposed to mow the lawn when it's wet, for this reason.

[Teutonics]

My qualifiers: 1/2 acre, Crapsman 42" rider (new last year), Kawasaki push mower for detail work. I use a fuel shutoff switch, so my mowers always start on the first crank (eliminates carburetor issues). I know 1/2 acre is small for a rider, but I HATE PUSH-MOWING THE LAWN!

To begin with, what do you dislike about mowing your lawn?
The noise and the dust. Mowing is fine (rider cut time to 1/3 of push mower), it's the detail stuff (edging and whacking) that sucks. Emptying the bagger is pure torture with all the dust. Also, the new rider leaves an uneven cut (can't figure out why because the old one with the same design cut beautifully)

What hassles do you have cutting your grass?
Mowing the few spots that the rider can't get

What could be done to remove the hassles & make you like it more (or dislike it less)?
- Redesign the mower layout. Put the cutting deck out front to where you could mow right up to the obstacles, and put the steering wheels in the back so you could turn on a dime (like a forklift). Sit over the driving wheels with your feet over the mowing deck.
- Or even wackier, allow the deck to be shifted to the side to get closer to obstacles (think sickle mower). Having a control to push the deck out under controlled movement would be cool.
- Make the bagging bins the perfect size to hold those brown paper lawn bags so you just remove the bags when it is full instead of having to transfer the clippings from one container to another

What do you like about mowing your lawn?
Not much, although the rider has made it better

What could be done to make the experience better?
Improve all of the above.

What do you dislike about maintaining your lawn mower?
Deck removal is a pain.

How could the maintenance hassles be eliminated or reduced?
Pretty simple stuff on mine (I like the push/twist to open oil drain through a tube). Make the deck removal simple for blade sharpening. Easy to access grease zerks where applicable (wheels, steering, spindles, etc.)

If you were designing a walk-behind or riding lawn mower, how would it be different from what is currently on the market?
See above

What features would the perfect lawn mower or riding mower have? Don't hold back -- go crazy.
- Most mentioned above, but storage cubbies/trays would be helpful (hold iPod, hand tools, gloves, earmuffs, blah, blah, blah. I've never used the cupholder except to hold a spray bottle of weed killer.
- Real headlights. Not for mowing, but I also use the mower as a poor-man's ATV. At night headlights would be good.
- A higher speed "drive only" gear (too fast to mow) would be very useful.
- Locking differential. I know it is available on more expensive tractors, but it sure would be nice when pulling implements (trailer, aerator, harrow rake, etc.)
- Okay, over the top now... heated seat and steering wheel for the winter, built-in fan and/or perforated seat for the summer.

[Shuie]

I hate it when the yard guy runs his commercial mower over the random stuff my wife plants in yard with no absolutely no regard or forethought to mowing or weed eating. Actually, I laugh a little inside every time I hear his mower hit one of these little gifts, but I have a subversive sense of humor.

[VaSteve]

I would like an integrated weedeater thing on the corners so I can cut around the fence without getting the actual weedeater out.

I like mowing the lawn. (I'm a desk jockey). When I cut the lawn I have no boss, nobody to supervise, no client, no budget and little time constraints. When I'm done I can see that I accomplished something and if I screw it up, I can try again next week.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Lawn mowing. Pfft. If I even ever do buy a place with a lawn, I'm ripping it out and doing rockscaping, maybe some wood chips and native plants, possibly koi ponds and water features. The notion of having a golf course green lawn is idiotic, IMHO, as is most of the whole domestic suburban "June Cleaver-esque" crap. It's completely out-of-place in virtually all locations. Native plantings make much more sense.

If the neighbors hate what I do, even better.

[JavaBrewer]

I never understood the need for a power mower until I started travelling back East for work. Holy crap you Eastern folks have a ton of grass. Entire medians in grass. Gigantic yards all in grass. Fields and fields of grass. I'll let you in on a little SoCal secret...concrete, pavers, and rock. I've lived 45 years never owning a lawnmower. Another 30-40 should be cake The couple strips of grass that I do have are taken care of for $100/month. Soon those will be gone if I have my way. Grass (that you mow) is evil.

[pwd72s]

I use a 21" walk behind self propelled commercial grade snapper...the Honda OHV engine. 1/3 acre or so of lawn. No complaints with the mower...Oh, mine has an oil drain plug...takes a 10 mm wrench. Thought of getting a rider, but so much of my lawn is trim work around the edges, I don't see how I'd save any time.

Love the Honda engine...a lot more grunt than the Briggs powered mower I had before.

[Zeke]

Quiet. That's all. Every lawn jockey revs their mower to the max. Most mowers will cut fine (if sharp) at half the speed. My old mower (see destroyed thread) would not throttle down. Before that, I had a POS mower that would run at any speed and often it would do a fantastic job at half speed if I hadn't neglected the lawn duty. Now, I have a self converted electric job running at 1750 RM and I love the thing.

So, why not reduce the overall speed allowed by the governor?

[911Rob]

I've had several large yards with elaborate landscaping; some over an acre of lawn alone. About 10 years ago I was too busy to deal with my yard work... pool, hot tub, leaves, lawn, flowers; so I called one of these lawn boy services. The guy came over and I explained what I wanted and took off. My wife said him and another guy worked there for a full day. They bagged everything and took it away even.

I came back and was very impressed and wondered what this was gonna cost me? $80 was the bill. I've never cut a lawn or raked a leaf since. The guy still works for me. He provides his own tools and truck.

He doesn't own a Porsche though, so I don't think he can comment on your survey here; sorry.

W or L
Try the Winner mentality in Life; it works!
LOL

[island911]

It HAS TO HAVE functionality to pick up and replace items such as lawn gnomes, pink flamingos. . . above-ground pools. ..

Oh, and remember, as Jeff Higgins will say; Loud pipes save lives! (lawn care - it's all about safety too)



Kidding of course.

the feature sets of lawnmowers are all ready all over the map. ...like asking Homer Simpson to design a mower. ..and of course it needs to sell for $49.99.

[Chocaholic]

Yellow Jackets. Riding along minding my own business when out of nowhere........ATTACK!!!! Must have gotten stung a dozen times as I flailed and ran in circles trying to gain some relief. Neighbors probably laughed their collective asses off. Once I finally found the underground nest, a gallon of gasoline poured down the hole one night did the trick. Environment? I don't need no stinkin' environment. I wanted those little fuchers DEAD. And I won.

[Jeff Alton]

I don't like that my mowers show up around 7:30 on Tuesday mornings. That is when I am sitting down for breakfast with my son. We love this time as we are talking about the great day he will have at kindergarten and what we are going to do that afternoon/evening. Then we get interupted by the sound of a leaf blower or a lawn mower...

Cheers

[rob justice]

just luv the smell of two-stroke in the morning!

[madmmac]

I mow about 5 of my 10 acres. I'm on my 2nd rider in 14 years. The first was an MTD, great engine the deck and everything else fell apart. The second is a JD LX model for the last 9 years. It's on its second deck and I will only use a mulching deck. I have bagged and I will never, ever do that again on this yard.

I agree with a lot that has already been put out there, higher blade speed, better blades, less noise, better suspension, easier cleaning and maintenance, some tunes/accessories, better built decks, and my 2 cents, I can't believe that no one mentioned a built in ice chest for like a 6 pack. I don't want to dehydrate and get a cramp.

[GDSOB]

I have about 1/2 acre to mow. I have a Honda mower which works great once I changed out the mulching blade with a normal one. I would like to see an oversized version of a standard lawn mower that would cut a 36" swath. I don't want a rider or commercial equipment, but feel that this would be desirable if designed properly.

[tubwreck]

One acre of grass, I use a cheap commercial walk behind:



(no sulky or bag, though).

Wish it was quieter. Appreciate the zirk fittings. Wish it had tube instead of tubeless tires. Could've been less expensive.

In general, wish there was a consumer-oriented 32-36" walk-behind mower. Hate riding mowers.

[Porsche_monkey]

I have a 1/4 acre lot. Two indestructable Lawn-Boys (both from the neighbors garbage). One is push (for trimming and the smaller areas) one is self propelled (for the large straight areas).

I enjoy cutting the grass, I can't hear my cell phone ring, no-one talks to me, and I have time alone without any interuptions. And when I'm done an hour later the yard looks good.

I keep my blade sharp by filing it each week before I start, and I keep my lawnmower in good shape by replacing the piston and rings every few years. It's easy.

Dislikes? 1. Mixing fuel 2. Dispensing fuel (I always spill). 3. Neighbours that cut, weedwack and use leafblowers on Sunday 4. Lawn services that start at 7AM Saturday.

What would I like? A lawnmower that doesn't choke on leaves in the fall, and a blade that produces finer clippings in the spring. (I do not rake).

[azasadny]

Doug,
This is my 2nd season with a Honda Recycler lawnmower and it's great. We have to mulch (not allowed to put yard waste at the curb) and the blade does a great job mulching the grass. We mow once a week (my son usually does it) and I edge the lawn once every 2 weeks. I use Ringer's Lawn Restore to fertilize and control weeds and our lawn looks great with a minimum of work/fuss. I wish all mowers worked as well as our Honda!

[911Rob]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Lawn mowing. Pfft. If I even ever do buy a place with a lawn, I'm ripping it out and doing rockscaping, ....../....... If the neighbors hate what I do, even better.

Ha Ha! Love it!
Yeah, Grass is like having a Job? WTF?
There's only a million other things to do other than those two things?

[pavulon]

When I did my research 3 years ago, Wisconsin was #1 in mower sales for the nation. Thsi summer, I sold my JD 445 and am currently pushing a 21 incher for 2 hours each week (sucks). I mulch and my lawn thanks me w/ thick turf. I'd very much like a JD 647 stander though!!