Prior to this summer, Steve Angiletti and his son cut my lawn for at least three or four summers. I loved it. They were reliable, reasonable and did a better job in half an hour than I could do in half a day. But as the recession set in at the end of 2008 and everyone looked for ways to cut costs, my family decided that “we” could cut the lawn ourselves. I didn’t like the idea because I knew it was going to take me three times as long to do a worse job than the Angilettis. The thought of driving around my half acre on a fancy new tractor was the only appeal.
By the time we started shopping for mowers in February and March the plan had been scaled back a little more. We would not get a tractor, but instead a self-propelled mower that you walk behind. The family also decided that instead of just letting the grass fall on the lawn, we would get bag attachment for the back of the self propelled mower. As the bag fills, it adds an extra 10 to 20 pounds to the weight of the mower.
When I started in the spring my family thought it was great, but my neighbors were concerned. Almost all of them have tractors and they were worried that I was cutting a good-size lawn with a walking mower. The offers came pouring in. A couple offered to let me borrow their tractor. One offered to cut the lawn for me and another said he could get me a really good deal on a rebuilt tractor. The reaction of one of my neighbors when she drove by as I was mowing summed up neighborhood feeling: “Are you enjoying that?,” she called out.
At first I have to admit I was a little bitter. Especially since the original family plan that “we would cut the lawn” morphed into yours truly cutting the lawn. My wife did do it once and I appreciated it.
By now I’m used to it and “enjoy “it because it allows me to get in about an extra hour’s worth of walking twice a week.
Let me know what you think.
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1 comment:
Good subject for a blog.
I have to admire your perseverance with the stand behind mower. I also have a half acre, but use a tractor. I tried using a regular mower (21 inch), but it would take forever to mow. Previously, we had a lawn service, which was good for many years. However, you really were at their mercy. If it rained and they got behind in their mowing schedule, you were never really sure when they would come to mow. Also, with all of my boys' trucks, digging tools, and other toys in the yard, I was always having to make sure everything was cleaned up just in case they came...and they didn't. Or sometimes the opposite would happen where they would come on a regular basis to mow--whether or not the lawn needed it--and a couple of times, part of the lawn would burn out. At least now, I can control the mowing schedule and the job gets me outside for a while.
For me personally, the weed wacking is the worst of the lawncare job since it is most labor intensive.
(I thought I heard that leaving grass clippings on your lawn prevents burn out???)
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