Push Mowers - yeah!!

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Harrow said..

Reflex Films said..
i am going for the upgrade!

Here's the big boy. I was trying to figure out how to get an extra couple of cm's on the cut height, when my neighbour put out an old kiddies bicycle for the council cleanup. Couldn't believe my luck - the solid foam rubber tyres were a perfect fit!

This is the best thing ever posted on Seabreeze!

Are you wearing Blue espadrilles with black socks in the lounge room scene Matt?

Wow.

Great thread!
A favourite quote from the video.... "Ozito was the gateway drug...... "

Fiskars Momentum (Made in China) @ $380 in the the long run you may save if you keep it lubed and don't mind performing the adjustment/cutting paste sharpening procedure every so often. Looks like most push/reel mowers need to have this performed every so often to keep that scissor cut finish and healthier cut lawn. The cheaper smaller types may be fine for a final cut after a mower or regular cuts on smaller lawns.

www.rockaroundtheblock.com.au/garden-tools/push-reel-mowers/fiskars-staysharp-max-reel-mower-460mm-push-cylindrical-reel-mower-113880.html

Had to be done...

Okay, time to post the downside.

About 1/3rd of my block is natural bush with a lot of large gum trees. That means a LOT of gum leaves and twigs on the lawn. The twigs jam in the blades and the leaves get chopped up smaller and smaller until they choke the lawn. That means that I need to rake my lawn before I mow it, although I think the regular raking actually has an unintended beneficial effect by removing the thatch.

Otherwise, without the raking, I'd say the push mower doesn't really take much longer and is actually easier to push than my petrol mower. If I didn't have the gum trees, it would be an absolute no-brainer for me - I really don't see a single benefit for a petrol mower, except for chewing through really long grass when we've been away for a few weeks holiday.

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Harrow said..

MDSXR6T said... How often do the blades need sharpening?

As far as I can tell, never. The blades seem to self-sharpen faster than the grass can dull them. I've had mine for about 20 years and it still cuts as clean and sharp as the day I got it. I've got just over 200m2 of lawn, so it's done a reasonable amount of work over the years.

The only thing you need to do is adjust the blade clearance as they wear, but that is dead easy and literally takes about 5 seconds once or twice a year. There is a thumb screw adjustment on each end of the blade and I give it an eighth to quarter turn to close the gap whenever the cut is not sharp and clean. You know if you have turned it too far as the blades jam, too loose and the grass does not cut well. When it's right you hear that beautiful slinky metallic sound like a samurai sword being unsheathed. Makes you feel like a lawn mowing Ninja!!

Ours was the same, kept adjusted and it was great.

I did have to resharpen twice though, once after running over a porsche, and later a bike tyre lever.

I put the blade drum in my drill press and used a belt sander to polish out the damage and all was good.


stephen

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airsail said..
I might be wrong but due to the cutting action the blades are self sharpening. The scissor action of the blade passing over the lower cutting plate cuts the grass and keeps the blades sharp. I guess pebibles etc could cause nicks to the blades but I haven't noticed this.
The reason the one I picked up cheap wouldn't cut was the barrel had lost contact with the lower plate, just needed adjusting so you get a light touch between the two. Too much pressure and the barrel won't spin freely, too little and it won't cut. Only adjusted it the once when I pick it up, all good since.
Not a good mower if you have trees dropping twigs etc above your lawn, these immediatly jam the barrel.

Yes I agree, spot on in every aspect.
This is why I love the Pushy.
Also they are just so light weight that it surprises all that it's so easy to push.
It is also good for the environment.
The compost you collect it is not compromised in anyway at all.
I guess you feed it to cows or horses as well.

I have always thought "burn fat not oil !!
Maybe some day this retro idea might catch on.

What a great birthday gift idea !
Especially for someone who's got all the toys...boards/sails/guitars etc....

after a particulary noisy saturday night after party at my mates batchelor pad we awoke to the dolciet tones of a unmanned and stationary 2 stroke mower at WOT right up against the boundry fence and not far from the bedrooms. Seemed we might have annoyed the neighbor the night before

It seems to me Flymo won't be making that much at all from this "review".
From what I've read most are waiting for a second hand Flymo.

Actually I now own 3 flymo's all of which were given to me.
Jaime do you want one for free for your front lawn?

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felixdcat said..

dmitri said..
What a great birthday gift idea !
Especially for someone who's got all the toys...boards/sails/guitars etc....

Yea! my wife will enjoy it............. she keeps asking me to cut the grass! She could do it and no need to worry about starting the mower!

Let us know how that idea works out for you

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MDSXR6T said..
Not mower related but has anyone had any issues with portugese millipedes eating lawns? The past 24hrs i've completely lost 100sqm out the back and tonight i could see thousands of the ****ers munching away on the remaing 100sqm. The back lawn i'm ok with as i was planning on replacing it next springut if they hit the front velveteen lawns i'll be devo. The mower would get rid of them easily but that wont go down so well at midnight

I have millions of these, but they don't appear to be damaging the lawn. I don't see any reference on Google to them damaging lawn. Is it possible that it is something different doing the damage? Supposedly the millipedes eat decaying matter, so maybe they are cleaning up after something else kills the lawn?

Are you able to lift sections of the damaged lawn off the ground, ie. it no longer has roots attaching it to the ground? Possibly you have army grub or lawn beetle.

A good way to help find out what is eating your lawn is to mix up a scoop of laundry washing powder in 20 litres of water, and then dump it it all in in one spot where you suspect the pests are located. Come back 5 minutes later, and any grubs will have come to the surface. In fact everything comes to the surface. It is amazing to see all the critters that are normally lurking just a few centimeters below the ground. Couldn't believe the number of earth worms that came up for air.

OK reflex, you've converted some readers to near silent push mowers

Can you pleeeeeeaase now produce a video on push powered leaf blowers?

This is the one. Li-Ion battery, and most importantly it has a variable speed trigger. It just so happens that using only 20% power is almost as effective as full power, so not only does it end up being very quiet, but you also use much less battery than the other models that are 'on' or 'off', so even using it every day it can last a couple of weeks between charges.

www.bunnings.com.au/our-range

Wifey doesn't have to muck around with petrol motor, it's very light, and the neighbours can't hear it.

I've got a way better idea than those annoying blowers, it's called a broom!!
Why are we sooo addicted to gadgets?
OK if you are a pro you might think you need one to blow crap around the neighbourhood but for the
average Joe do you really think we need one??