And the Old Mower said "We have to talk. Cough, Cough, I don't think I can do this any more."
Buck and I are on the verge of getting a tractor with a PTO mower so I thought I didn't want to spend a ton of money on a stop-gap hand mower.
And so I went out looking for a new casual partner.
I looked for someone who could take a beating and keep on mowing.
I looked for someone whom I could fix when times got tough.
I searched garage sales and estate sales.
I searched big box stores and little box stores.
But none were to my liking.
I mow about 14 miles at a whack (I wore a pedometer last time), I know my mowers. So what was wrong with them?
Plastic wheels. I tried those once. Lasted less than 6 months.
Front wheel drive (exactly how do you get over a gopher hill without killing the engine? Lift the rear wheels???)
A ridiculous "innovation" in which the handle itself regulated the mower speed. I could see going slower and slower as I attempted to mow up a steep hill. I use the mower to pull me up the hill.
Grass bagging option only and no side discharge option. Imagine the TONS of grass I would have to dump from a bag. Plus, the grass clippings going back onto the soil are an important nutrient.
Low horse power. Not on this hill.
And that's not mentioning the long list of parts and features that I could tell, just by looking at them, were going to break before the honeymoon was even over.
So, off I went to our Snapper dealer and he made me a great offer. He bought back the bagger that I will never use and swapped out the wheels for sturdier ones. SOLD!
I have had 3 Snappers over the last 16 years. Each one has been a workhorse. Each one I used and abused and then swapped their parts out and used again. Even if we do get a tractor as soon as planned there will be many places on the Homestead that will need "That personal touch" of a hand mower.
And if there is anything I have learned over the years, it is that buying cheap tools is money and time wasted.
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Sounds like you definitely need a sturdy machine, I am glad you worked things out to your benefit.
ReplyDeleteDoes everything need mowing? My husband and I are letting some areas of our homestead be wild this year to minimize mowing. We chose this for many reasons: time, money, use of gasoline, flowers for honeybees, and general beauty of the wild look. Around here, families are very proud of their lawns since it's so mountainous and large lawns are rare. I can only imagine the looks of disgust from the previous owners who drive by on a daily basis. Oh well!
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