Not looking forward to lawn mowing

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
I get heart fibrillations just thinking about it. I have a quarter acre lot (minus the house and garage footprint). The front yard is on a slope. I bought a new walk-behind lawnmower last year that does have a self-propelling option, if I can get it started. I was think of hiring it done, but after getting estimates of $70 - $90 (I thought those estimates were for the season, but it was for every time one has to come), I figure 50¢ of gasoline and an hour of my time will get it done. All I can do is have a heart attack or stroke, then I won't have to worry about lawn mowing.
 

debodun said:
I get heart fibrillations just thinking about it. I have a quarter acre lot (minus the house and garage footprint). The front yard is on a slope. I bought a new walk-behind lawnmower last year that does have a self-propelling option, if I can get it started. I was think of hiring it done, but after getting estimates of $70 - $90 (I thought those estimates were for the season, but it was for every time one has to come), I figure 50¢ of gasoline and an hour of my time will get it done. All I can do is have a heart attack or stroke, then I won't have to worry about lawn mowing.
Click to expand...
Reminds me of the good old days. What I used to do was just cut half of the property and leave the rest for the next day. And with a self propelled? A piece of cake. Let the mower do the job, just walk behind. There's only two things that can go wrong with a mower so it won't start. Either no spark or no fuel. Easy to check. Take the spark plug out. Attach the wire again while it's out. Give the mower a crank. If there is a spark then the ignition is o.k. Most of the time the mower is flooded.. So take the plug out and clean it.
 
Camper6 said:
What I used to do was just cut half of the property and leave the rest for the next day.
Click to expand...

I did that a few times last year. I usually do the front first since it is what most people see and it is the more difficult section being on a hill (just to get it over). The backyard is more level. I tried pushing it without engaging the drive, but I couldn't.
 
Last edited:
Lee said:
Deb, since you have the mower already, is there a neighborhood teen that might be interested in doing the lawn for money?
Click to expand...

The woman in charge to out local senior's club was supposed to be looking into that for me since she has connections with the high school teen work program. Haven't heard anything back and that was last fall when I was looking for a leaf raker.

This is my front yard looking from the nearest corner. It doesn't look like much of a slope in the photo, but on a hot summer day, it feels like Mt. Everest:

front yard.jpg
 
Bonnie said:
One of many things on my long list of reasons for selling my house and moving to an apartment. Mowing wasn't all that bad and I split it into parts, but I just didn't want to deal with it anymore .... like so many things with a house.
Click to expand...
Amen to that, Bonnie. I feel exactly the same when something needs a contractor to fix or all those little indoor and outdoor jobs. Then I think that when I live in my own house, I can make my own rules, have the TV on as loud as I want when I want, eat when I want, come and go as I please. When I looked into senior housing a few years ago, I was stymied by all the rules they had.
 
debodun said:
The woman in charge to out local senior's club was supposed to be looking into that for me since she has connections with the high school teen work program. Haven't heard anything back and that was last fall when I was looking for a leaf raker.

This is my front yard looking from the nearest corner. It doesn't look like much of a slope in the photo, but on a hot summer day, it feels like Mt. Everest:

View attachment 102238
Click to expand...
Even the tree looks like its growing on a good size slope!
 
debodun said:
The woman in charge to out local senior's club was supposed to be looking into that for me since she has connections with the high school teen work program. Haven't heard anything back and that was last fall when I was looking for a leaf raker.

This is my front yard looking from the nearest corner. It doesn't look like much of a slope in the photo, but on a hot summer day, it feels like Mt. Everest:

View attachment 102238
Click to expand...
Oh go on Deb...roll your sleeves up and get on with it, it's a piece of cake. I hate mowing too, and I have a lot more than you, and do it all the time ( just 2 days ago in fact,)..and a bad back and a dodgy knee. into the bargain ..so if I can do it, you can too... think of that saved $90... :LOL:
 
Lee said:
Deb, about your yard slope....could you instead of going up and down the slope, instead go left to right along the slope, might make it easier.
Click to expand...
Yes, I do that too, but it strains my hip on those sharp turns. Had to have a cortisone shot 2 years ago. When my dad did it, he started out mowing the perimeter, then worked inward in ever shorter squares, like a square spiral.
 
Last edited:
debodun said:
Amen to that, Bonnie. I feel exactly the same when something needs a contractor to fix or all those little indoor and outdoor jobs. Then I think that when I live in my own house, I can make my own rules, have the TV on as loud as I want when I want, eat when I want, come and go as I please. When I looked into senior housing a few years ago, I was stymied by all the rules they had.
Click to expand...

Rules?? .. At my senior apartments they are certainly fair and make good sense for everyone's well-being ... like maintain the apt. in good order. All they ask is that you are clean and neat, and they do all the rest ... any work and repairs when needed.

It's not prison .... can come and go, have visitors, eat, and do whatever at any hour of the day or night - like in a house!
 
debodun said:
I get heart fibrillations just thinking about it. I have a quarter acre lot (minus the house and garage footprint). The front yard is on a slope. I bought a new walk-behind lawnmower last year that does have a self-propelling option, if I can get it started. I was think of hiring it done, but after getting estimates of $70 - $90 (I thought those estimates were for the season, but it was for every time one has to come), I figure 50¢ of gasoline and an hour of my time will get it done. All I can do is have a heart attack or stroke, then I won't have to worry about lawn mowing.
Click to expand...

Mowing has become close to torture thanks to a torn rotator cuff and labrum in the left shoulder, and bone-on-bone arthritis in the right hand, elbow, and shoulder. The only way to complete the task is with the unhealthy combo of Aleve or AdVil combined with Tylenol. And when mowing day (every 10 days) falls on a Sat. or Sun., I skip the Tylenol because those are alcohol evenings.

There're three acres on a hill along with trees to go around. One tractor has power steering to ease the task a bit but the other doesn’t. I like to use both each mowing session but sure wish both had power steering. In 2016 when I purchased them, the upper extremity symptoms were tolerable and power steering wasn't really required. Also have self-propelled walk behind mowers for close work but it’s really hard to pull that starter cord. Feel worthless and over-the-hill these days when doing tasks.
 
debodun said:
Yes, I do that too, but it strains my hip on those sharp turns. Had to have a cortisone shot 2 years ago. When my dad did it, he started out mowing the perimeter, then worked inward in ever shorter squares, like a square spiral.
Click to expand...
You need some young help. Advertise on a bulletin board. No need to hire professionals. If only for the front.
 
I treated myself to yard service when I turned 70 and our hot/humid summer temperatures got to me. Fortunately, my gas mower died about the same time. When I factored in the cost of a new mower, edger, and weed whacker, It just seemed that hiring someone else to do it made sense and would not cost that much more. I always hated messing with gasoline, and getting these things operational at the start of every season was a pain. The crew I have comes in every two weeks and completes everything in about 30 minutes. It is not that expensive, and to the best of my knowledge I am not going to "take it with me" anyway.

With the effects of my medical issues to contend with, I would not dream of taking up this task again.

All I have to do now is hush the dogs who seem to be particularly interested in barking at their edger.
 
Lawn mowing for me is a three machine event. Walk behind mower for around the house, riding mower for the larger lawn areas, belly mower on my tractor for the orchard, fence lines and forest perimeter. Takes two days to do it all. I'm going to have to find help after my hip surgery late this month.
 
ef468324923ad0768deefdce11c70ea8.jpg
 
Lawn mowing not an issue for me - I got help moving it out of the shed, pumped up the tires, charged the battery, added gas. It tried to start twice. The third time, there was an awful "clunk" underneath. I may try to analyze this today. For the good news, a neighbor kid has mowed it once with his giant riding mower. He offered to do it for free, but I gave him $10.00. My lot is much like yours, but almost a half-acre minus the house, so I know it was a real deal!
 
Last edited:
Llynn said:
Lawn mowing for me is a three machine event. Walk behind mower for around the house, riding mower for the larger lawn areas, belly mower on my tractor for the orchard, fence lines and forest perimeter. Takes two days to do it all. I'm going to have to find help after my hip surgery late this month.
Click to expand...
I would call this a mild understatement at least for the first few weeks. You may bounce back surprisingly fast and I hope you do.
 
I just did mine today. I sort of enjoy the workout sometimes but sometimes not. It's a walk behind self propelled but needs help at times since the lawn is uneven. What I do enjoy is how it looks when I am done. I bought a gas string trimmer a few years ago and it has been a pain. Apparently the carb was adjusted by the manufacturer for emmissions but certainly not for trouble free operation. I had to buy a special tool since it was made without an adjustment that could be turned with a screwdriver. I'm getting it better now. A neighbor has his done for $45 per cut so I may go that route someday.
 
We've only been living in our house for a little over a year. Last year we had a lawn service,but now my husband insists on doing it himself. I get soo angry because he has health issues , but he also has a hard head and won't listen to me. My daughter,her husband and both my grandson's offered to do it for him,but he refused all of them. I wish I could change his mind.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top