So the lawn mower died

Wasn’t going to log the exercise because 10 minutes with a mower for a postage stamp yard. But then it died and I had to pull out the old school reel mower. Which is 6 inches narrower and requires 2-3 passes to get everything. So 10 minutes becomes 30. I looked it up and for my weight, various sits out that at 250-350 calories. Gonna save myself some money and just use that sucker from now on.

Replies

  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
    edited September 2019
    Such was a plan I had decades ago when I had a similar 1/5 acre yard. I don't right well remember where that reel mower is now.


    The Snapper, though, is self-propelled.
  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
    edited September 2019
    I use a reel mower, too. It's definitely a workout! I just don't like gas powered lawn tools in my garage. 😞

    Even my leaf blower and weed whacker are battery operated.
  • dougii
    dougii Posts: 678 Member
    If I had to mow our 2 acres of old cow pasture with a reel mower, by the time I finished I'd be starting all over again. 3 hours on a bouncing, jolting, lawn tractor is enough once a week...... LOL
  • chelny
    chelny Posts: 179 Member
    Same thing happened to us. Gas mower not working. I went to Lowe's to get a reel mower for $99! It didn't do a great job, but it was ok in a pinch. It certainly was extra exercise yesterday for me!
  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,467 Member
    I bypassed the reel mower. When mine quit, I went straight for the self-propelled.😊😊😊❤️❤️❤️😊😊😊
  • cbstewart88
    cbstewart88 Posts: 453 Member
    edited September 2019
    I had to chuckle when I saw this post!! My siblings and I take turns mowing the lawn at my (elderly) parents' home. The mower died a couple of weeks ago. You would've thought we were debating the most polarizing topic in the world when discussing what type of new mower to purchase. EVERYONE had a differing opinion. I wanted the "old school reel" type which resulted in responses that I am not allowed to post here. Suffice it to say, I was outvoted. :/
  • Hannahwalksfar
    Hannahwalksfar Posts: 572 Member
    I did half an acre today on a push mower. Thick long grass. Serious workout
  • Notreadytoquit
    Notreadytoquit Posts: 231 Member
    I am a fan of real life exercise. You can pull some big burns just doing regular chores. Living on a homestead there is never a shortage of things to lift, carry, muck, build and tend. With my gym decades behind me, I'm grateful for a strong body and hope to never stop doing real life exercise.
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 8,883 Member
    I LOVE my reel mower! But it is definitely more of a lawn-maintainer than a lawn-tamer, as super thick tall grass tends to not cut as well with it, but moderate length grass it works like a charm.
  • hmhill17
    hmhill17 Posts: 283 Member
    My teenager just went to college and “forgot” to mow before he left so the lawn was a week behind. Not an easy task with the reel.
    I’m tempted to buy a robot lawnmower just to taunt him.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    My mower survived but still gave me a serious workout.....
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,214 Member
    We have between 1/3 and 1/2 an acre and I picked up a Fiskars reel mower for a $50 Craigslist experiment a few seasons ago. Worked well but I wasn't happy having to cut more than once/week and our backyard has a pretty good slope to it. Will definitely keep it in the garage as a backup given my gas-powered mower luck; I'm on my 3rd in 6 years, though only one was purchased, the other two I was given.
  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,983 Member
    Funny story...

    We have a small lawn (city lot). When I lived alone, I used a gas mower that my Dad gave me. It eventually died and was not fixable. By this time, I was married. I researched what mower I wanted to buy, and asked my husband to come to the hardware store with me to help me put the box in the car. After an argument at the hardware store that I'll not share details of, we walked out with a reel mower. The husband said he would cut the grass from now on. It's a great workout, he said. Guess who NEVER cut the grass. Not once.

    Fast forward a few years....we had a hatching of the 17-year cicadas. If you're not familiar, in my area, every 17 years, there is an enormous hatching of large, locust-like insects. They cover everything, including the lawn. I will not share the carnage of what happens when you run a reel mower through thousands of large insects in your lawn. I'm still emotionally scarred.

    After that, I called a weekly lawn service and have never mowed my lawn ever again. Amazingly, I am still married. :D