Trying to decide whether to buy a lawn mower or hire someone

This kid isn't working out. He shows up when not asked and when I tell him how much to cut, he says cutting more than a half an inch at a time will damage the lawn. I think cutting no more than half an inch means he has to come back sooner and get paid again. When will these people realize when I'm paying them I'm the boss?
 

debodun said:
This kid isn't working out. He shows up when not asked and when I tell him how much to cut, he says cutting more than a half an inch at a time will damage the lawn. I think cutting no more than half an inch means he has to come back sooner and get paid again. When will these people realize when I'm paying them I'm the boss?
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Maybe it would be best to go shopping for a lawnmower.:unsure:
 
I had previously used a battery mower, which was heavy, cumbersome to use, didn't last very long, but on the plus side was motivation to get a corded one. Since then I've been using a Black & Decker corded mower that's light and easy to push along with one hand. A long cord, plus extension, is easy to flip back and forth and is part of my exercise program. ;)

The switch eventually wore out after many years of use, so I replaced it with an outdoor electrical switch <-- that should last a long time. Then a neighbor put his worn out corded mower on the curb, which was easy for me to repair <-- and now I have two of them! Personally I prefer to cut the grass quite short (setting #2) so it doesn't need to be mowed as often.

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My EGO battery powered, self-propelled lawnmower works good. Thanks to Win for the recommendation. I also picked up an EGO string trimmer, which uses the same battery. I'll be selling my old, internal combustion engine powered lawnmower as soon as I get a chance... maybe this weekend.

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I can still mow the lawn.....it is simply a job that I do not want to do,....boring, I hate it.

The man I have charges a flat rate of $25 and for this he mows with a ride on, fills in spots with the mower, whipper snips, spot weeds and uses a blower to make sure nothing goes on the neighbor's driveway. I give him a $5 tip, he is worth it. And if he stops doing this in the community I am moving.
 
debodun said:
This kid isn't working out. He shows up when not asked and when I tell him how much to cut, he says cutting more than a half an inch at a time will damage the lawn. I think cutting no more than half an inch means he has to come back sooner and get paid again. When will these people realize when I'm paying them I'm the boss?
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Finding a teenager willing to do yardwork, in today's world, is probably wishful thinking. You will likely either have to do your own yard, or hire a professional lawn service. If you are still physically fit, mowing your own yard is little more than going for a good walk, and would probably help keep you fit. A good self propelled mower is pretty easy to maneuver, and probably wouldn't consume more than 2 or 3 hours a week, in most urban lots.

Insofar as how short to cut the grass...3 inches is a good general rule....any cuts much shorter weakens the grass roots, and allows more weeds to grow.
 
@debodun, from Google. How long is your grass?

The general rule of thumb for determining what the grass height should be on your lawn for a cool-season grass generally is about 2 1/2 inches. And at each mowing, only remove about the top 1/3 of the grass blade. Consequently, a good time to mow lawns is when your grass is about 3 2/3 inches high.
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Jules said:
How long is your grass?
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It varies around the yard. There are places where wild thyme grows that is barely a ground cover. In other places right now it's probably a good 6 - 7 inches. I also received an email from him this morning saying he is going to have to raise his price due to increased operating costs.

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Trying to decide whether to buy a lawn mower or hire someone​

I would hire a responsible local teenager. Then all involved would benefit.
 
Ron used to own our acre himself but he had trouble with the owner.

He fixed it himself once. He had someone come fix it next. He fixed it himself again. One more time he had someone fix it and he mowed the entire yard after that.

Then it died. When he was coaxing it back from the ditch it does in, and got almost to the back of the garage where he keeps it, it randomly backfired and THEN BURST INTO FLAMES!!!

No more. We’ve been hiring someone at $50 a time to get it done ever since. Worth the money to no longer have the stress and anxiety!!
 
Are their lawn care services, run by adults, where you live? I would hire one. Here, we have plenty of them, but one has to get on the roster by April, or they are full up with work to do.
 
My new teenager came yesterday and mowed my back yard. He did a bang-up job and charged me $10. I gave him $15. He was very professional. He told me that after evaluating his costs, gas, a special file to sharpen the blade, bags, etc. he has realized that he has underpriced his work. So, as of July 1 he will charging $20. Then he scheduled me for another mowing before July 1 at the low price. The price hike is fine with me. That's still less than the going rate and I like to pay kids fairly so he will still get a tip if he does good work. I asked if he got a lot of customers by starting at $10 and he said he did. I think a little ingenuity was at work there.
 
3/4 of an acre is a fairly large piece of property to maintain. I would say if...
-you're in good health
-you enjoy cutting, edging, and blowing the lawn
-are fairly handy at maintaining equipment
-you see this as healthy exercise
-you have the time

Then yes, invest in some gardening equipment. Otherwise gets some quotes from landscaping companies or teens in the neighborhood.

Personally, I love landscaping and ground maintenance. As a master gardener, I wouldn't let anyone else maintain my property. I have a rider and full set of garden equipment. I love cutting the lawn and caring for my shrubs, plants, and trees. It's actually relaxing. But that's me. If it's a burden for you, hire someone, you don't need the stress.
 
PeppermintPatty said:
But will it cut more than 1/2 an inch at a time. 🤔
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Ok! I must have forgotten about this thread.
With the amount of lawn you have, maybe a good self propelled lawn mower. Honda makes a great one but they are very pricey.
Some of the suggestions you’ve been given are really good ones. With the hassle you’re getting just to get your lawn cut, getting your own is the best solution. ( in my opinion )
 
I was shopping at the local "big box" hardware store online pages. Right now the selection isn't very abundant. They probably sold a lot in the spring and now that summer is half over, aren't ordering more right now. Last week I stopped at Country Living and they only had one mower in stock - a Skil electric.

Questions for those "in the know" - how many times can lawnmower batteries be recharged before having to get new ones? How much assembly is required out of the box for an electric mower?
 
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Don M. said:
Years ago, teenagers used to earn some spending money by mowing neighbors yards. I know I did that starting at about age 12, and by the time I was 16, I had enough saved for my first car. Try finding that now....good luck getting a teenager off their cell phone or video games.
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Good point. You might try a crow-bar to separate a teenager from their phone but then, if they are Canadian, they would complain to the "Human Rights" people and you would be investigated for cruel behaviour. Many here would call you "abusive" for even thinking that teenagers should be separated from their phones. WHAT A COUNTRY!
 
Packerjohn said:
Good point. You might try a crow-bar to separate a teenager from their phone but then, if they are Canadian, they would complain to the "Human Rights" people and you would be investigated for cruel behaviour. Many here would call you "abusive" for even thinking that teenagers should be separated from their phones. WHAT A COUNTRY!
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Exactly the same thing happens here in the UK...
 
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