Talk:Lawn mower/Archives/2016

Brits
As has been observed, there's a British (English?) passion for a stripey effect. It's also routinely said here that a quality lawn should be mown *every* weekend of the growing season - and to a height of about 1/2" (12mm). (There's a difficulty at the start of the season, when the grass is likely to be an inch high or more.  It's reckoned important not to reduce the height of the grass by more than 1/3 in any one cut - to avoid "shocking the plant" (ie the grass) - so the season starts with one or more "control cuts" to reduce the height in stages as necessary.)  I suspect all this is a difference of background / context that could helpfully be addressed directly, in the text of the article or by cross-reference? - partly to assist everyone when evaluating *other* sources? 2.30.254.32 (talk) 13:30, 11 June 2016 (UTC)

Push-powered mowers: rear-roller- rather than sidewheel-drive
The British passion for a stripey lawn is met by using a mower that incorporates a roller. (A cylinder / reel mower is usual for quality work - but I think rotaries are available that have a roller for this reason.) Last century, the usual type of domestic mower was a push-powered reel machine - and the reel was driven by a large, fairly heavy roller, at the back. A handy bodge, when tackling (for example) a neighbor's grass that had overgrown to 6inches or whatever, was to push down on the handle of the mower, so the front of the mower was a few inches in the air and you could cut long grass without gagging / jamming the mower. These days I only ever see push-powered units with side-wheels - so the trick doesn't work. Are rear-roller-drive units still made? Does anyone know why the design was abandoned, if not? 2.30.254.32 (talk) 13:55, 11 June 2016 (UTC)