US Culture Shock: Mowing My American Lawn for the First Time
Вставка
- Опубліковано 11 лип 2023
- After recently purchasing a lawnmower from Menards, the time has finally come to mow my American lawn for the first time.
Get your 'Lost in the Pond' tee-shirt at PondLand: my-store-ccb045.creator-sprin...
Subscribe to my channel: / @lostinthepond
- Support me on Patreon: / lostinthepond
- Follow me on Twitter: / lostinthepondus
- Follow me on Instagram: / laurence.m.brown
- Follow me on Facebook: / lostinthepond
- Visit my website: www.LostinthePond.com - Комедії
As this video goes live, I'm under a genuine tornado warning. Welcome to the Midwest.
Take cover in the basement.
@@vhondasorganizedchaosThe four of us are there right now.
Be safe! Away from windows!
Edit: wow this looks incredibly dangerous. Please let us know you're ok!
Ive been under the tornado warning too man, stay safe!
Thats why jesus invented basements. And home insurance.
Pip Pip cheerios.
Today we uncovered one of the mowers lost in the pond. Also today, I learned that manual lawn mowers didn't go extinct 45 years ago.
old is gold.
A friend of mine at work bought his first new house. A coworker and I convinced him to buy a push mower. He came back after his first lawn mowing sore and ready to kill us. We just mocked him for being stupid enough to trust our advice.
Homer Simpson uses one. The general term is "reel mower."
@@ambisinistralThats horrible of you. Money is really tight when you first buy a house.
@@ambisinistral Yea, I'm pretty sure they only exist to demonstrate to people that they need to upgrade.
This made me laugh immoderately. Clearly this is a channel I REALLY need to follow
I love an English front garden, with all different flowers in a seemingly random placement. My Canadian husband finds it looks messy.
Once, I had a landscaper ring my doorbell, informing me in a shocked voice, that I had MOSS in my front lawn, and that they could remove it for me.
Even more shocked was he, at my reply: "why remove it? It's green all summer, doesn't require any mowing, is soft to walk on; leave it alone!"
He would have a heart attack if he ever visited Seattle and its surrounding suburbs. Those yards are mostly moss, or at least, they used to be... haven't been back to the area of my birth in some 20 years now that I think about it. O.o;;
Moss helps clean the air. You only need to remove it if it's on patios or stepping stones, as it gets quite slippery.
I hate lawns, they waste water and if you don’t do it yourself, expensive. I want an English garden, but lack the climate (for the thirsty lawn too).
If I had a home with a yard, I'd fill it with moss, and wild flowers that sustain honey bees. Oh, and blackberry bushes, because blackberries are a top favorite food of mine. And maybe some Burning Bushes that briefly turn bright crimson in October where I live, which isn't for very long, but gorgeous when they do. I definitely couldn't live in an HOA neighborhood, though. 😂
@@dawnkindnesscountsmost5991 If it wasn't for the mention of burning bushes, I'd be accusing you of sneaking around my property. The part that I mow, is pretty much everything except grass. With a lot of trees blocking the sun, I have ample amounts of moss. Needless to say, I live well outside of town, and an HOA is simply not an option for me, not that I'd ever consider living in a development that had one. The only reason I do mow, is the fact that I don't want people thinking my house is abandoned.
Good job on the push mower. But URGENT !!! You need to clean your outside AC unit (condenser). It looks like it is covered with debris. Your garden hose should do the job. No need to turn off the power. Just hose off the outside coils. It will save your electricity and expensive repairs.
Hope he sees this, it needs sprayed from the inside out but anything is better than what he has going on there.
Honestly if it looks that bad it probably needs a full going over by a tech. The coils must be screaming.
YES. As an HVAC tech it is definitely worth it to have a tech come out and properly service/inspect it when first buying a home so you don’t have surprises.
Great advice!
Holy cow! I was so busy thinking about the down spout undermining the condenser pad that I didn't even notice the fuzz!😅 That's so thick that you might even be able to start off with a shop vac to take out the bulk!
Listen, Lawrence, this is IMPORTANT. Your HVAC unit is clogged with muck, presumably from the flood. If it still works after being submerged, it won't for long if you don't clean out the radiators. A hose may be sufficient to clear them, but you may need professional help, as you can damage the fairly delicate metal fins if you aren't careful. It depends on how badly embedded the gunk is. Regardless, if you use you central air without clearing the radiators, you'll damage the unit.
Often if you’re skilled to clean the heat pump you can use a air compressor or a wet/dry vac. That could be pollen. I’ve turned off the mains (should be out by the pump) and you can easily take the cover off, just hosed the radiator coils from the inside out if difficult used a wire brush. Then I’d hose off the outside panels.
How can you see it's clogged when I watched the entire video & the camera didn't even get close enough to the outside unit to even see anything..
@@jenniferv618more times than not after a flood your ac will be clogged because it was under water, even if only partially.
@@jenniferv618 Go to 06:48. It's on his left. You can clearly see how gunked up it is. It's bad. Kind of looks like the paint, but that's not paint.
@@rkolsenDon’t use a wire brush on air conditioner coils. Ever.
I have a reel mower and my one bit of advice to make your next mowing easier - it sounds like you have the cutter (spinny bit) too tight against the blade (flat choppy-fingers-off bit). There are a couple of screws next to the blade that allow you to set it closer to or further away from the cutter. You want almost zero friction between the spinny and the choppy which gives you the most spinny speeds for the least pushy effort.
Yep. The reel shouldn’t have any direct friction against the bar. There should be a gap about the thickness of a piece of paper.
Skinny, choppy, and pushy. You speak in words I understand and appreciate 😂
You, and your techno-babble 😂
I was had at spinny bits
Let him become American at his own pace 😂
My father's name was Laurence Brown. My Grandpa's name was Lawrence Brown!
I enjoy your videos so much! Thank you for sharing injecting some humor in our days!
Lawrence please call a HVAC company to clean and service that Air Conditioning unit. It looks like it's covered in a carpet of dirt and dead grass.
We put them on little platforms where I live to prevent damage.
Pro tip: If you use a rechargeable mower, you get to take a 4hr break after only 45 minutes of work. :)
I gotta get me one of those XD
I like the way you think.
Probably take 10 minutes to mow his whole yard.
Or the opportunity to buy another battery for more than half the price of the original purchase.
I love love love when the batteries run out!! Welp, I'd better have a pint a while.
I grew up in Indiana. Tornados are a terrifying part of the charm of midwestern life. Hence the basements. Not just a place to store canned goods and clutter but a gloomy refuge from DOOM. Congratulations on home ownership. I love your videos!
When we got a tornado warning in Kansas all the neighbors gathered on the street with drinks.
" a terrifying part of the charm" is the best phrase I have heard in quite some time.
Basements are also one of the most efficient ways to build homes in the upper Midwest. If you're up in MN, WI, and ND; your house has to withstand a 150⁰ F shift every year. If you're building slab on grade, you still have to get a frost footing down at least 5-6' below finished grade. If you're digging already, you might as well have some extra room and a storm shelter.
@@rich7447it’s the best way to experience a tornado tbh
Grow up
Lawrence and your canine co-star. My parents had one of those pushy mowers in the 1950s and 60s. Our lawn was the consternation of our Suburban NYC neighborhood. The otherwise lovely Czech couple across the street would often complain about the big bald spot in our fron yard (which was mostly caused by their own brawny kids who rough housed in our grass because their parents wouldn't let them play in their own yard.) My mother, with a passive agressive smile, would point that out to the Mrs Neighbor and the conversation would drop into oblivion.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Lawrence Sans Hardy building tutorial. I personally would have inserted a smaller tube into the inexperienced receiving end just to help it get used to the idea. Kudos on the Komedy.
I live in Mexico where we live in 8 foot high walled properties, so although we tried to grow grass in the beginning the walls and trees made sure it wouldn't continue. I prefer it that way. we have a Mexican gardener (imagine that!) who comes in once a month to get rid of weeds, mulches the trees and plants a few things here and there...more flowers. a few veggies (shady characters) to accompany the mango and avocado trees.
Thanks for the fun Jim Oaxaca
My man, you are an American citizen now. The most important question - and especially so during the summer is this - _can we call you Larry_ .
It looks like your lawn is colonized by white clover -- EXCELLENT! It stays short (unlike red clover), it's resistant to drought and insects, it doesn't have to be watered or mowed as often, and the little white clover flowers are a boon to pollinators. Not every lawn has to be planted with Kentucky bluegrass or whatever. You have a yard, not a golf course. Take the environmentally more beneficial route, and what will be easier for you. My dad had extensive vegetable and flower gardens in every home we owned. After we moved, the new owners would tear out the nice gardens and plant a monoculture of grass that they had to pour chemicals on every spring and fall.
They're weeds.
We live in the Mojave now, but in the house in CA where I grew up (nearly 30 years) the lawn was colonized by mint. Yeah, that. Mowing was no chore, smelled like a hekkin' peppermint patty factory. Never bothered (or even tried) to get rid of it. As far as we were concerned, if it was green and could survive the mower it could stay in the yard. Monoculture yards suck.
@@duncreg Not if you are a bee looking for food.
@@duncreg One man's weeds are another man's pretty plants. I think white clover is beautiful, and since it's so much more environmentally responsible, if I ever bought another house and had a lawn, I'd be sure to sow white clover, and encourage Creeping Charlie, the ground ivy. My last lawn had a lot of Creeping Charlie, and it stayed low to the ground, was green even in drought, and smelled nice when it was mowed. I also had extensive vegetable gardens, like my dad.
I LOVE that you said that about not being a golf course. I totally agree! I have all manner of vining groundcover that has choked out nearly all of the previous owner's grass and it's WONDERFUL. Never grows taller than about two inches high and in addition, the rabbits love the clover in my yard. I have all sorts of WI sparrows and finches in my yard as well, because my lawn grows what they like naturally, with no need to purchase seeds and feeders.
My life has sunk to the level of watching someone unbox a lawn mower.
I'm in the upper Midwest aswell, and one of the things that doesn't usually come up in lawn discussions is tick and rodent control. My yard is all native weeds and turf grass mixture for the most part, but once it approaches 5-6", I notice a major increase in the number of ticks I find on myself, and I start to see mice near my house. Lyme's disease and rodent infestations suck. Don't give the vermin any more cover than they already have.
In fact, I love videos of people who don’t know what they’re doing! I can’t imagine anything better
oOOoOo Lawrence, you are not only witty, entertaining, but also well edited and produced.
Much honor and respect.
omg, I just posted and then saw your comment and we both typed "oOOOOo Lawrence" the same way. Freaky.
@@mikeshahan1960 oOOoOo, Mike.
I might also add that his video topics are well researched.
@@maryellenthompson8261 indeed, oOOoOo, indeed
What a peach of a guy you are! ❤
My daughter loves her manual mower.She lets clover and wildflowers grow. Her yard has the most birds and pollinators in the neighberhood.
Watching Lawrence putting the mower together made my day! 😂
In 1972 or '73, I bought a similar model at a yard sale for $2. I had the advantage of old timers (my dad) showing me how to properly sharpen and adjust such a machine. That mower was a monster. A few years later, I had a riding mower, a gasoline powered push mower, and a weedwhacker; but that original old-timey rig was best for those hard to get to areas of several acres of land I needed to mow in my early years. Lucky for all involved child labor laws didn't interfere with entrepreneurial endeavors... I was 9 years old in 1972.
my friend had a reel mower for several years, when she bought a gas powered one, she never went back.She couldn't believe how much quicker it was to use the gas powered one.
Tall grass got caught in the wheels of ours and I had to stop to unclog it. I was about 9 or 10. While I was getting the grass out of the wheels sprockets my older sister sneaked up behind me and gave the mower a shove, with my hands in the blades. sliced right through the bone of my right index finger, the babysitter nearly passed out when she saw it.
I used to have a reel mower I got from my grandparents and the best thing is was a open reel mower with a 3hp gas motor on it and it was self-propelled...it was glorious in it's danger. Greatest and most dangerous lawn device since yard darts...then my wife made me destroy it so the kids wouldn't kill themselves with it. I said it made me who I am...and she said yea, that's why you have to throw it away.
Early 70s was the last time I saw one.
Oh wow! Your history and timeline is the same as mine. My dad was also the owner of a similar lawnmower. We lived about an hour north of Chicago in Wisconsin. My dad tried to make mowing the lawn interesting and I was a girl of a similar age to you. I didn’t fall for his tactics. Later in life I discovered that I’m allergic to most pollens and grasses which makes mowing the lawn a possible trip to the hospital (oh darn).
_watches Lawrence toss the instructions to the side first thing out of the box_
Congratulations!
Welcome to the Wonderful World of Masculinity! Your Man Card should be arriving soon! =)
We used a push-mower like yours for several years, until the yard became so rough and uneven (trees had been removed and the stumps had rotted) that there was a distinct danger of turning an ankle while cutting the grass. The electric mower we have now doesn't eliminate the risk of broken ankles, but it does make the work go faster.
Ooh, Lawrence, I have to tell you that you have me just cracking up with your wordplay, puns, and other verbal shenanigans. And also the looks you give to the side at nothing-in-particular as you make a funny dad joke, etc. Speaking of that, you make some of the funniest dad jokes on UA-cam. Are you sure you're not a dad?
The biggest reason to mow your yard in the US is because you will get fined by the HOA or even city if you don't keep it short. Even if it is actually worse for the environment to keep it trimmed short and fertilized
My neighbor 2 doors down didn't mow his lawn for over a month. The city finally had to step in and do it. They charged him $350. It's less than an acre.
HOAs are only a problem for those who chose to live in them.
Replace it with a clover lawn.
It varies across the country. Too many yards in my town are filled to the brim with weeds and there ain't no penalties for that.
The problem is that an overgrown lawn can become a habitat for ticks and other vectors for disease, posing a public health hazard. Replacing the grass with clover or other low ground cover is probably the best option for most homeowners, though it's a time consuming process.
When I first moved to a house with a lawn, I could start a load of laundry, go out and mow my front yard, stop & get a drink , mow the backyard, put away my mower and the washer would still be on the spin cycle. Less than 30 minutes. When my son got old enough to mow it, it would take him all day , with frequent breaks
We lived in mobile home with a really small yard
I feel that. My son sometimes takes 2 days. And its WAY less than an acre. Like what they call " a postage stamp". Lol
My son is kinda weird. He would have to “do stretches “ in order to empty the dishwasher. Occasionally he’d come into my bedroom “ to help me get over my fear of pillows “ by piling all my pillows on top of me. ( I don’t have a fear of pillows btw). The real reason he’d do this: he’d farted so much in his room that it was so stinky. He’s weird but I love him. He is actually a really good young man. Never got in trouble in school, has a really good job , and never has been arrested
@@user-hx6ye4jq1n mine too. All of that. Never in trouble, never arrested. All around good kid. And i like weird so its all good
You are 100% correct. I only ever mowed my lawn to keep the neighbors happy.
Central AL here....last week it was 103°F or 105°F and with the heat index factored in 110 °F to 115°F....at least that's what the weather lady said. NO ONE uses a push mower down here. Many riding lawnmowers even cutting a small yard like yours.
For the bare spot in your yard, turn it into a fire pit and put the Adirondack chairs around it.
I love your videos and your British sense of humour. ( I added the second "u" in humor for you!) LoL 😂!
Love the dramatic "Horror Movie" music....Very entertaining video. So glad you got the Lawn mowed before the storms roll through.
I haven't seen anyone using a push mower in over 60 years! My dad had one until about 70 years ago.
We found one in the shed of the house my family moved into in 1985 whe. I was 5ish. My dad saw my intense interest in the device and promptly destroyed it. I was probably trying to mow cats or something.
@@Martys-4x4 Good point. In the early 50's we called our reel mower a "push mower". Wikipedia calls on unpowered reel mower a "push mower". But it also calls an engine powered rotary mower a "push mower" if it isn't self-propelled. I guess the conclusion is that since I said push mower, I wasn't being specific enough, so you got me on this one.
You have a MANUAL lawn mower! I haven't used one of them in 65 years! Wow, you are brave!
a tip for weed eating. tilt the 'head' (the part that the string comes out of) about 15 to 25* from flat, and use the lower end as a cutting edge. it'll make cutting the grass much easier and you don't have to worry about bumping the ground with the 'head'.
I don't know anyone that uses a reel lawn mower. I suppose you have a relatively small lawn and it's not hilly so it makes sense for your situation, but I'm admittedly in awe that they're still in production!
I have one. I used to love to use my grandfather's but my yard is a bit hilly. I used it once and haven't touched it again. At least I had good intentions lol.
I have one, lawn is 1000'-ish sq feet. And level. I use it regularly.
My across the street neighbor has a small front yard mostly dedicated to flowers, but she uses a push mower on the grass. She is a lively, energetic 90 year old. 😊
@@robinmills8675
And that’s exactly why I’ll never be a lively, energetic 90 year old! And I totally agree with you.
Last time I saw one was mid 70s and it was already considered a dinosaur.
Would love to see the progress as you plant out your garden/yard. Go for native plants! They're just as, some even more so, beautiful, as the non-natives pushed by most nurseries. As part of the local ecosystem, they will thrive where those other plants often require more work. They support pollinators and other critters that need plants to exist, many will improve the soil, others will guard against flooding, and there are beautiful natives for every landscaping need including ground covers, flowers, vines, shrubs and trees. There are selections that can give your space four-season interest. Many beautiful native plants are also edibles for both humans and wildlife, especially birds!
That's what I'm doing with our lawn. One part is going to be a bee lawn I hope (I've not totally extinguished my wife's desire for lawn...), the rest will be a native garden. Far nicer, better for the environment, and less work.
Thank you..... I'm glad people are returning to sanity and common sense regarding lawns.. Lot of people felt pray to crafty marketing...
Amen! Grass lawns are mass insanity.
I have both native and non-native plants in my flowerbeds and the non-native plants don't require any more wok than the native plants. I also have a grass lawn which makes getting around the outside of the house easier, gives me a place to throw the weeds I pull from the flowerbeds before I mow, and serves a resting place and playground for the stray cats.
@@loosilu
Not always. Especially if you have kids or a dog. Or two. But then you do have yard art to pick up that the pooches leave behind. I do happen to agree about Native plants and if you do plant non natives pick non invasive ones. But even some natives are invasive. But even with a Native Garden you still gave weeds to fight.
Invasive species I've had to deal with.
1) Joe Pie Weed. Looks fantastic when blooming against a privacy fence. But they send out runners.
2) Ligularia. I'm not sure if they are Native or not. Runners and prolific seeders.
3) Ferns. The kind we have can get out of hand. Once again runners.
4) Sumac. Absolutely stunning for about three days in the fall. But they spread. Via runners again.
The best behaved
1) Hostas. They may not be Native but they are extremely well behaved. Long lived and minimal care. Dead head the seed pods. Cut them down in the fall and split occasionally. Plus they cover a lot of ground and will chime out weeds with dense shade.
2) Alium (my favorite). Gorgeous blue balls on tall stalks for early color. But site carefully. The leaves are unattractive. Plant amongst hostas to cover dieing leaves.
3) Huchera. Pick carefully for light conditions. Can be iffy. Spectacular when mature.
In my experience pollinators will be attracted to just about any flower. Plus remember sny species of plant that spreads naturally from its origin area is invasive.
We have a beautiful gas powered lawn mower. We don't use it. We use our manual one and a weed wacker. Thank you Lawrence for showing us we're not the only ones to do this.
Lawrence, I got myself a battery powered lawn mower. I love it!! It's self-propelled (I'm 72) but I like how it works and it's pretty quiet. No more gas, spark plugs etc. And the battery works on my weed eater and my leaf blower too.
Good for you, killing the planet with toxic rare earths.
When I was young, my Daddy use to sharpen those push mowers (as they were called then). I didn't know they still made them. My daughter (American) and her British husband (they live in UK) turned their front yard into a wild flower garden--no mowing necessary--and looks good too.
Hope you are all well and safe from the tornado. My yard features NO turf. More and more folks here are replacing all or some of their lawns with other plants/flowers/shrubs and trees. Hooray.
Agreed! Lawns are moving out, thank goodness. Shrubs and gardens of drought tolerant and native plants are moving in 🎉
I've gotten complaints for over 15 years because my front yard is NOT a living blanket of green velvet.
@@Cricket2731 who is complaining? Unless you are breaking a law, it is no one's business but your own. I am sorry you live in an area where turf is so loved. Not sure if you can plant a living hedge for privacy out front-make sure to have a variety of shrubs that work in your area. Buy the smallest shrubs you can find, mulch the soil around them. In a year or 3 you should have some privacy. ugh, that is tough, my friend.
@@tgardenchicken1780, No HOA here, but some of my neighbors think the front yard should match the housing style (1950's). Fortunately, the biggest complainer moved!
@@Cricket2731 thank goodness no HOA- so glad the main complainer moved. Enjoy YOUR yard 😀😀😀😀
I have a reel mower, and used it for a few years. Quiet and good for small lawns as long as you don’t let the grass get too long between mowings.
“Instructions. I don’t need that. I’m a bloke.” As a retired technical writer, I found that hysterical.
I've heard it said that if you need more than 30 minutes to mow your lawn, you need a bigger mower. I think it was a mower salesman that said it.
They make robotic lawnmowers now. An old neighbor with a huge lawn had one.
You need a smaller lawn!
@@jubelet Lawns are stupid, honestly.
Robotic lawn mower FTW !
You brought back great memories of watching my grandfather use one of these when I was a kid. He said the yard was his primary form of exercise and kept him in good health. He lived to be 101 years old (1896-1997). I guess he knew what he was talking about. He was also a WW1 veteran! I am following in his footsteps only I cheat a bit, as I use a battery operated mower. LOL
Batteries keep you young.
I had my little red mower out in the front yard with me before I left for work one morning last month. At the time, I was in the catcher's squat operating on some weeds, but a guy in a truck drove by, stopped, and then backed up and rolled down a window. He asked me if I "really use that mower". It was a real time trip for him, because (as he explained) he hadn't used one for over 50 years. So I told him mine works great, it's nice and quiet, and I can pretty much run over my whole front lawn between the house and the sidewalk, including going back and forth in different directions over problem spots, in about 5 minutes -- but then there's some raking. Then I took him for a trip down memory lane by pushing the mower around a little bit to show him how easy it still is.
@@merriemisfit8406 I have one too. It's quiet, and when it suddenly stops, I just take the stick out and go back to it. I have a gas mower that will just stop for no apparent reason that has left me screaming at it more than once.
@@andreacook7431I think the new gas we have is bad or something. The mower went weird after filling it up with it.
My weed wacker doesn't care though. Which is weird.
I was once assaulted by a battery.
VERY GOOD EXPLANATION of yard history! Thank you!
I stopped mowing my new yard for the summer and I have all kinds of cool stuff growing just like naturally. Ground cherrys, wild strawberries and rubarb all popped up along with wild flowers.
"I've paid other people to do it for me!" This year, for the first year ever in my case, I have that in common with you!
It's wonderful. The guy comes over with his lawn mower and starts cutting the lawn and in 5 minutes he's sweating like a pig. I sit in the shade with a beer and call out, "Hey dude, you missed a spot." If the neighbors complain about the lawn, I just blame the lawn service. The neighbors get sympathetic because everybody knows how hard it is to get good help. I'll never give up my lawn service.
Shoot! I haven't used a push mower in years. My yard is lumpy and bumpy so I have always bought the self propelled mowers with large back wheels........a push mower would be a nightmare where I live. Good on you Lawrence for getting an eco-friendly machine.
Depending on how lumpy and bumpy it is a ground pounder could flatten it out. Though, if it is a big yard it might not be worth the effort.
@@LWolf12 Thank you for that information. Always good to learn new things.
As long as the weather's not too hot while knowing his actually one of my favorite yard chores
That rotary push mower,it reminds me of my grandfather’s neighbor,and arch nemesis,Triffeletti!!!
These two ww2 veterans competed,tirelessly with their yards.
Grandpa was the clear champion of tomato science,Triffeletti,lawn and lettuce.
Grandpa mowed 3 times a week,with a varied approach,horizontal,vertical and diagonal,Triffeletti,he just pushed his around in whatever way.
Drove grandpa crazy!
The war is over now.
They are both gone.
But grandpa reigns victorious,as my family grow his tomatoes,from the seeds of his prized plants!
❤️
I used a manual lawnmower back in the 90’s. It was quiet, smooth and didn’t require any gas or electricity. I loved it. But - some yards are very large and for those I remember using a rider mower back in the 70’s when I was a kid. It was a lot of fun!
I actually enjoyed mowing the yard. Be careful of the dog holes. Twisted my ankles numerous times on those. ❤🌟
Armadillos do the same thing. =(
Lawrence, when you play American football for the first time, you can wear one of those leather helmets they wore back in the 1920s. And you can film your next episode with one of those cameras you have to crack while you are filming. While you're at it, you can play some Glenn Miller in the background.
Oooo Lawrence, You can buy self propelled “batteried” (my word for battery powered) lawnmowers at Lowes maybe Home Depot as well. Greenworks is a good US brand, made right here in North Carolina. Self propelled mowers cost more but some come with a battery pack and one 60-80v battery. plus you’ll want to buy an extra battery depending on your lawn size. My home is on a slope so I only engage the self propelled setting (engaging bar conveniently located on the handle) when mowing uphill. And here’s a money saving tip, whenever buying equipment ask if there are any ‘returned’ items of what you’re looking at. My $450 21 in. Self propelled mower cost me only $225 because original buyer said it didn’t work. Lowes checked it out and found there was nothing wrong with it. Mower has a thick little plug in key next to battery compartment as a safety feature so motor won’t start even with battery in the mower! You’d never know you needed to plug in that wee little key to operate the mower unless you read the instructions! And here’s the second tip, Lawrence, MAKE yourself read the instructions!!! In addition to safety tips and warranty info the instruction booklets often include tips to making the mind numbing task of mowing the lawn easier and less stressful to your body and peace of mind.
My Grampy is 80 years old and his first job as a kid was mowing people's lawns with a manual mower like yours. It's good to see that there is still a market for them, the only maintenance is the blade. You should also invest in a battery powered whacker, they cost a little more, but you don't have to worry about running out of cord, and for a single home you wouldn't need to buy extra batteries.
We had one and it was my job to mow lawn
I just changed from an electric weed eater to a battery one and it's great. I don't have a yard, I have acreage, so the corded option just wasn't cutting it (literally or figuratively). Also, this new one from Worx--so far, at least--isn't getting tangled up in high grass and weeds and vines. The old corded one knotted up if a piece of grass said "boo" at it. I'm in a constant battle to keep the woods from retaking the place; sissy lawn equipment made for manicured lawns of sod won't do.
They mainly make sense if you have Bermuda grass or you just like outdoor pushy exercise.
Rich people with Bermuda grass can have big riding front mowers like that. They look so weird.
Or do the sane thing and get a gas weedeater.
I know of someone who lives in a rather rural area with a decent sized front yard on a lake. The house built into a hill with a steep drop off between the front yard and back. They decided to build a pole barn in the front yard which managed to anger the locals for some reason even though most houses down that road had garages next to the road apparently it was taboo for them to have a pole barn. So instead of a pole barn they proceeded to park, 2 pickups, 2 suv, a medium sized motor home, a speed boat, a pontoon boat and a wave runner in the front yard without a pole barn. About five months later the local approved of said pole barn.
😅😅🤣😩
Kind of reminds me of my uncle's story of working with the city council. If the city wanted a street replaced, they would let it run down complete with pot holes. Then the residents would vote to pay for it.
One interesting side note…prior to WW2, many people in rural areas did not have a “front lawn”. Their homes were located close to the road (or street) and they would keep the yard utterly devoid of any vegetation, except for shade trees and carefully planted flower patches. It was a regular practice to pull up any heathen weeds or grass and then to “sweep the yard” of any offending rubbish (leaves, twigs, etc). You can catch a reference to the practice in Mark Twain’s “Tom Sawyer”, when he is told by his aunt to “sweep the yard”. Many older folks in our area can still remember doing exactly that.
I love the concept of those handheld push lawn mowers, but I've never come across one that wasn't dull and ineffectual. Ooh, Laurence 😅 I've never seen a brand-new one!
We had an acre designated as "lawn" on our farm. I had to push mow it up to every week for about 9 months of the year. The year I left for college, my grandfather bought a riding mower. Push mowers are the devil.
When my two baby yard slaves split the nest as God meant 'em to do (growl!) I too began to work the yard and garden more errrr..... Weeellll....jes to say, smarter.
I saw the tornado warning. Get to your safe spot. By the way, how about a Japanese rock garden? Just trying to help. Smiling at you. :-)
Hi from Southern California. Born in Connecticut and have fond memories of Saturday morning listening to my father mowing the grass with a manual lawnmower. The smell of fresh cut grass is one of my favorites.
We used to have a lawn, and still have the gas lawn mower to prove it. Over the decades, our lawn has been encroached on by flower beds, raised planter, fruit trees, etc. until now the lawn is a three foot by eight foot patch of grass (kept mainly for the dog). Kind of funny looking, dragging out that behemoth mower to make one pass over that patch once every two weeks.
At some point in the near-ish future those blades are going to oxidize and become dull and you'll have a boat anchor. For the size of your yard go electric. The blades are easier to sharpen if not, then cheap enough to just get a new one. Also, my neighborhood is pretty cool about lawncare, no one is trying to win the Best of in the Home and Garden landscape competition. In fact, the nice old lady across the street stopped me one Friday afternoon as I was mowing. She asked me why I was mowing and added it was the weekend, go on an adventure, it'll be there when you get back. Something to that effect. I have electric so it's quiet and it wasn't like I was ruining her soap opera or anything, she was being genuine.
Take her advice. Please take her advice. I am also an old lady, can no longer go on adventures and was too busy raising kids and working when young to do so. Check online for things happening in your local area and attend them. Maybe grass will die while you're out having fun, and no longer need mowing!
Except you don’t sharpen reel mowers unless something is terribly wrong. They work like scissors, and there are simple adjustments that need to be tweaked to get a good cut
You need to have a neighbor, Old Man Stan, to come over to help you. Everyone needs a neighbor Stan to come with his tools to help put things together and all it will cost you is a beer. When you get your Menards rebate, you can get another outdoor extension cord... or buy a cordless weed-whacker. (I love mine). Thanks for the update, I was just wondering how well you liked the reel lawnmower. It seems to work well for you.
I use a push mower for my yard (albeit it's rather small) so it's both hilarious and heartwarming to know a Brit uses it for his lawn.
Subscribed recently....I live in the UK and we have precious little to laugh at...you make me laugh out loud...something that I never thought I would ever do again...thank you from the bottom of my heart...keep em coming !!!!....
I grew up in the 1960's, had to use one of these abominations (VERY old, weighed a TON, blades as sharp as butter knives) to cut the family yard (I was the oldest brother). BAD memories.
Your dad should have shown you how to sharpen the blades.
@@jeanjazMy father was NOT a good, smart, person (sorry to say). He would have had no CLUE how to sharpen the blades, and if he DID, he would just rather yell at me to GET GOING!!! That was his solution to everything. Yeah, that was my childhood. Thank God for my Mom, or I would have been a disaster.
LOL....I'd love to see someone try that mower on St. Augustine grass we have in the south.
Mine works on my clover and Bermuda. Is St. Augustine really tough?
@@linguaphile42
St. Augustine is super tough!!
At the very least you need an electric mower but gas is your best bet.
Clover and Bermuda grass has nothing on St. Augustine.
Wow, I haven't seen a manual lawn mower since I was a very little girl in the early 60s. But I guess they make sense for small yards on level ground.
Thanks so much for you being you. I totally enjoyed your adventure in lawn mowing! You make me smile 😁
I had a reel mower for 1/4 acre lot. I loved it and called it the alcohol powered mower. When I moved to a place with a larger yard, I gave it to a neighbor who called it the “weed” whacker. Get the sharpening kit, it’s a lapping paste that is brushed on the reel bars to get them and the cutting blade back in agreement with each other, then you turn some screws so that bars and the blade are close to each other again (instructions are with the kit). I only did it once a season.
I do it several times a week. ⛳
Arthur might like a dig pit in the space he currently likes to dig. When they have a designated dig pit, it's easier to prevent them from digging more holes.
Love that you opted for a reel lawnmower... mine has served me well for 6+ years. I too enjoy the quiet and the simplicity of maintenance.
I like the idea of wildflowers in a can for yards. Flowers everywhere. Dunno how they fit with mowing though. My parents didn't do lawn building. They had tulip beds, a rock garden on both street sides of our corner lot, dwarf fruit trees, berry canes, daffodils and a climbing rose on the front porch trellis. The yard itself, what fit in between all that, was native grass, dandelions and red clover. 😄
Then we moved to a small farm in the country, and the fenced off area/yard around the house was used for extra grazing when it needed cutting. The cattle if we wanted longer grass, horses and donkeys if we wanted shorter. Otherwise, didn't do a thing. It stayed beautiful.
My grandpa used a push mower every day in the summer. His lawn was like velvet. The most beautiful lawn I have ever seen.
Growing up in Alberta Canada - Our neighbors were British - He a Bobbie - She a Housewife -Their lawn was Immaculate ! Vera took great pride in her yard -She also used a reel mower & scissors to achieve that look ! Secret - dont let it get too long before you cut
I moved into my first suburban home 5 years ago. My property had .5 acre of lawn. Naively I thought getting a non powered lawnmower would be good exercise. Unfortunately there a lots of trees that litter the lawn with acorns and twigs that get caught in the mower blades, and the terrain is lumpy and uneven, making it challenging to mow. Finally covered the whole property with wood chips and called it my mind “native garden.” It has been 3 years of low maintenance, and gradually adding in ground covers and meadows. Got the wood chips from local arborists. Around here they are charged to dump chips at the town fill, so it’s a win win.
I had asked in the video when you bought the mower how it worked out! I’m happy to see that it’s sufficient! Great job! We pay more attention to the front lawn so we have an edger. Your relative and I agree about electric weed whackers but honestly over 25 years of owning this house we’ve had all kinds! Good for you Laurence! *Sorry about the storms! Out here in LA we are more concerned with earthquakes! 🙈
Make sure you clean the blades before putting it away. You may need to sharpen the blades at some point
My grandpa had the best vegetable garden. It was enormous, it would have to be since he was supporting a family of ELEVEN.
I mean, his kids were all grown by the time I came along, but it explained why he grew such a massive garden.
And grandma used to do tons of home canning. Their basement had a whole wall of of shelves with 1qt mason jars of canned fruits and vegetables. And they were delicious!
They both came of age during the Great Depression, so they learned to be frugal. Although they always said it wasn't so bad here in Michigan because we didn't have to deal with the dust bowl. Water is far more abundant in this area than out on the great plains.
But I think even having a small vegetable patch is something everyone who can should do.
The produce is usually better than what they sell in stores, it's a very satisfying hobby, gives you something to take pride in when so many people feel alienated by their day jobs. And if you have little kids, it's great for them to experience and learn where their food comes from.
Frankly, I think gardening should be taught in schools. I know it is in some, but it should be all of them.
In the last few years (turning 40), I've become a huge proponent of everyone having some sort of food-bearing plants, even just a tomato in a bucket on a balcony. Just think how quickly you'd start shrinking food deserts, much to the chagrin of dollar stores.
I'm slowly trying to branch into growing some of my own vegetables but the land that I'm on isn't ideal for it. So for now everything is above ground in pots/grow bags. Nobody tells you that there's a learning curve to growing things, even if you use the "correct" soil for something.
My dad's side of the family all had anywhere from 7-11 kids per set of parents pre-1960. They were poor but either grew their own garden produce or lived near farms where they could get them cheaply.
I wish that my neighborhood was more environmentally friendly but all they care about is that you have a green manicured lawn. You're not allowed to keep chickens or anything of that sort either. Does make the large backyard feel a bit wasted. Though it's wet here too so the yard probably isn't ideal for either growing poultry or anything that doesn't like practically swimming in water.
Agreed, a year ago we built a raised bed garden in our backyard, figuring we should actually use the space instead of viewing it as an ugly nuisance. The whole yard, not just the garden part, is now so much more beautiful and pleasant to spend time in. And we’ve grown plenty of vegetables, some more successful than others (broccoli was a bust), but it’s fun to get to use things in recipes that we grew ourselves :) We just pulled a ton of potatoes out of the garden, so that was a huge success and we will probably try growing a lot more next year.
@@thegracklepeckNo chickens is annoying, but no roosters is something I can get behind. I lived next to people with roosters once. NEVER AGAIN. They wake up screaming at 4 in the morning every day and never shut up.
@@thegracklepeck
Gardening is always kind of experimental I guess. Compost bins and garden worms can be useful for improving the soil. I wonder how your neighbourhood feels about garden ponds and water-loving plants… 🌾🪷
Wow! I didn’t know they still made those things! I think I want one. Thank you Laurence! 😊
I love how you talk about "my producers." Funny and marriage-saving all at once!
I'm in the US, and we keep up the lawn because otherwise the town fines us. And we have a big, uneven monster of a lawn on a corner lot where everyone can see all parts of the lawn. Loads of fun.
Mulch it all. Woodchips and cardboard boxes.
Do what we do in Nevada, dig it all up and put gravel down. Much easier to maintain,
@@arcanescroll I don’t think that’s legal either. Besides, there would just be weeds growing in the gravel that would have to be pulled up every week.
@@arcanescroll I can't speak for ShadoeLandman, but in my corner of the Midwest, the city would fine me into oblivion for daring to have a gravel front, back, and/or side yard.
@@thomasmestre1232 Plants would just grow in the mulch. They will grow right on top of sidewalks if you let them. There’s too much rain here for that to be a real deterrent.
Yeah, with this one at the very least you don't need hearing protection. Also, it should work slightly better with damp grass than a power one.
I might be part British. I'm more into the plants and flowers than I am the yard. I do keep my grass short but I don't kill the weeds and such...They go away and the bees like them. When I moved in, I just had shrubs...but since I've planted more blooming stuff around them. I now get chubby bumble bees and more regular bees hanging out. I think I may be becoming more British next year as I plan to expand the garden!
Love the physical comedy in this one. The mower handle to the back of the head cracked me up!
I'm a big fan of getting rid of lawns. We're working, slowly and deliberately, on a permaculture garden around our house. Slowly killing the grass a bit at a time as we add more useful plants and pathways. ♥️♥️♥️
Lawns are a pain. But, so is everything else, unless you cover it all up in weed barrier cloth and rocks.
@@user-qr8ki8ue4i in some areas lawns don't even make sense and you should actually go with some rocks and succulents. It's all about native species.
@@kitsmashing3267 I'm sorry to hear this! I feel for you. Not being sarcastic either We made a requirements list when we were house shopping and no HOA was in the top three most important requirements.
I know some people don't have a choice or they really do like lawns.
My statement was a suggestion in case they hadn't considered the option.
In my last place (also no HOA) we slowly replaced most of the lawn with inexpensive river rock and left a little kidney shaped lawn in the front and a small patch in the back for our pup. And by slowly, I mean we only did a tiny change every year after we saved up enough for the change.
I don't know about getting rid of lawns, but I will say our lawn (almost fully recovered finally!) is just whatever grows. If the mower doesn't kill it, it's a permanent fixture. I just want it to be green. Or honestly any color other than mud lol.
When I was little, I had a couple friends up in Pennsylvania where my grandmother lived. One of them had a MASSIVE yard behind a big fence. I always wanted to play there, but we couldn't because that was the dogs' area. I finally convinced them to let me see the yard one day. Imagine a space 2-3 times the size of your lawn with several very large trees...and ALL of it looked like that patch in your lawn.
I have a yard even bigger than that. With a riding garden tractor with a 42 inch deck, it takes me more than *three hours* (excluding trim and weeds) to mow the lawn. It's probably, I don't know, easily 10x the size of Lawrence's lawn. It might be nice to have a yard to run around in, but if you have any sort of fulltime job and if you're lacking a family to help you take care of it, it's difficult to find time when it's not raining and you're not working to actually mow it, especially when mowing it is an all day job.
@@Dhalin Sounds like the perfect place to replace grass with a tapestry lawn.
I love the hand powered "basket of blades" lawn mower!
I really like your yard! Such a nice place to spend an afternoon or to grow a little garden.
My man. For a new weed wacker I suggest a cordless from Black and Decker. Then when you’re ready you can get a hedge trimmer and blower that use the same exact battery. All those items are pretty economical. I used them all when I had a smaller yard and they worked great.
I have a 20 volt cordless B&D string trimmer, then I got a 20 volt B&D hedge trimmer, both use the same battery. Convenient!
This is obviously up in production. Good Job 👏
I remember mowing our Chicago, Illinois lawn in the 1960’s as one of my chores. We had a little basket attachment in the back that caught the fresh clippings to you didn’t have to rake up the loose grass. I remember that we would need to take it in periodically to get the blades sharpened when they became dull and didn’t cut as well. Good luck. Haven’t seen a manual mower in about 50 years.
Mow, mow, mow your lawn,
Gently down the green,
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Push the grass machine.
Reel mowers are better for the grass than rotary mowers. They do a cleaner job of shearing, so you don't get brown or yellow tips. A push mower is also better for the environment, and you get more exercise.
Lawns are not king in areas of the country where there are a frequent droughts. Where I live, the water company gives a rebate for planting a drought-resistant garden in place of a lawn.
Those push mowers are meant for really small lawns. Maybe look into an electric for smaller yards, gas powered mowers for medium yards, and riding mowers for larger properties.
Push mowers are GOOD. They save the cost of gym equipment and/or memberships and they help to get you outside to mow before the grass grows too high. Yes, I do have a push mower (and an electric mower and a gas mower 😇😇😇).
He seems to have a pretty small lawn. Can't imagine it taking him more than half an hour (if that) to mow with the push mower.
it also goes by how old you are. I know older people with riding mowers who almost have no room to turn around .because their yard is so small.
The only issue I have with his mover is that the blades did not appear to spin freely. The blade assembly should continue to spin freely after a good push. There might be a packing thing designed to keep the blades from moving during packing and shipping that should be removed before use.
the biggest problem with a reel mower is, they don't work worth crap if you let the lawn get away from you.
Oooh, you’d love cutting the lawn in high humidity and already 85 degrees F at 830am down here in Louisiana! Been mowing since early March and it doesn’t stop till November.
hahaha the tonal shift and subsequent shock for the intro is positively brilliant!
A suggestion, my British brother. Loc-tite.
It's a brand of thread fastener that chemically holds the threads of fasteners in place until you intentionally force it loose. Buy a bottle of blue 243. Remove every threaded fastener that you put together and apply one drop to the first three threads of each male fastener. Screw it back in and give it a few hours to dry.
You'll be able to force it loose again if you need to, but now they won't ever come loose if you don't want them too.
Cheers mate!
The only time i saw a push mower was at my grandma's house when i was very young. It was rusty and not in use at the time. I thought it was really neat though.
Fun fact! Where I'm at, having a maintained lawn is enforced! Like, if your lawn looks trashed, you could receive a fine. And if you decide that you'd rather have an alternative ground cover, you have to make sure that it's okay with your neighbors and city counsel (rock gardens, xeriscaping, and elaborate gardens that take up the whole yard are ok... for the most part. They're just picky about ground cover). And, ya know, we're in the Utah desert, so it makes ALL THE SENSE to even have a lawn in the first place. It's not like we could ever run out of water or anything.... oh wait
Thank you Lawrence! I'm an American Britophile, and you always make me laugh.
My just 6-year old gas-powered mower has been having carburetor issues for the third time this season and the grass was getting high. Then I remembered several years earlier, I thought I’d “get a workout in while cutting grass” and bought a beautiful Fiskars manual reel mower. It truly saved the day and I think I’ll use that primarily from here on out. It helps that we’ve shrunk our lawn since then by adding a flower garden and a big sedum stonecrop succulent patch, so it’s less work, and pollinators are happy too. 🐝
Rechargeable battery weedwacker will let you go all over your yard without the cord.
I had one of those push mowers at my first house. “Going green.” However, it got really irritating really quickly. Purchased a rechargeable battery lawn mower and the battery lasted through 15 years of recharging every week. We never noticed an increase in the electric bill, so that was good. Had a little over a third of an acre. Only half needed mowed. Lawn mower did it on one charge.