The First Motor of Spring

Sunday, April 2nd, 2006

Spring is here! The first powered mower has officially roared to life, and drown out the noise of the birds chirping. Soon too the fragrance of unfiltered, uncatalyzed, petrochemicals will fill the air. What a joy springtime is in the city.

What is the American obsession with lawns? Is it not a fundamental disconnect to burn fossil fuels in smog producing, noise blaring, stench producing machines to make a little patch of nature? Ok, I'll admit that for the first cut of the spring I usually use my sister's power mower to cut through the thick of the early spring growth, but for the vast bulk of the season I use a hand push mower to cut the lawn.

Technology (or good sharp machinery) has caught up with the push mower. For those readers of sufficient age to remember the monsterously heavy hand mowers of the past, you owe it to the environment to go test push a modern push mower. There is absoluetly no difference of effort between a push and a powered (though not self-propelled) mower. A power mower will produce a cleaner, flatter topped cut, but not by much. My push mowed lawn looks, from my window, every bit as good as a power mowed lawn.

The only significant difference is the ability to cut through a seriously overgrown yard. Then a push mower will become difficult. But if you stay even a little on top of the game a push mower is a superb, easy, effective tool (not to mention cheaper, cheaper to maintain, picnic-friendly, nose-friendly, and non-terrorist supporting).