push reel mowerA co-worker of mine here at the Alumnae Association office likes to keep the rest of us abreast of the air quality here in Western Massachusetts. The state recently exceeded safe ozone levels.

She recommended retiring that gas-powered lawn mower and relaxing in the tall grass. I agree with her to a point. I retired my gas mower some time ago and have used a push reel mower since, because my neighbors and wife frown upon tall grass in my yard.

There are many benefits to a push reel mower:

  • They are pollution free and I'm not just talking about air pollution, but noise pollution as well. I find the whispering whish of the blades actually relaxing.
  • They are less expensive to purchase.
  • They are practically maintenance free. There is no gas, oil , air filters, and spark plugs to look after. The blades should be sharpened once a year and it can be done easily by yourself.
  • They provide you with some exercise. Do we really need to sit on our butts to cut the grass?
  • They are better for your lawn. Reel mowers gently evenly cut the grass like scissors, instead of whacking it like a gas engine mower.
  • They are much safer. When you stop walking, it stops cutting. Children can learn to cut the lawn at a younger age because you do not need to worry about them loosing a toe. The trick is getting them to walk in straight overlapping lines.

Learn more at PeoplePoweredMachines.com, which feature the Brill mower, the Cadillac of push reel mowers that I aspire to own one day. I'll leave you with an intersting fact: Each weekend, about 54 million Americans mow their lawns, using 800 million gallons of gas per year and producing tons of air pollutants. Garden equipment engines, which have had unregulated emmissions until very recently, emit high levels of carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides, producing up to 5% of the nation's air pollution and a good deal more in metropolitan areas.

A conventional lawn mower pollutes as much in an hour as 40 late model cars (or as much as as much air pollution as driving a car for 100 miles).