Help me, people with a backyard!

Hey everyone,

My fiancee are moving from PH to PS and our new place has a backyard. Its about 15X20 ft, mostly grass. I'd like to keep the grass, but I'm not sure what I should get to mow it. Is a small gas lawnmower excessive or cumbersome? Would a weed wacker be easier, or is that too hard to get an even mow?

I would really appreciate any suggestions!

Thanks!
Caaah

I had this debate with my husband. He wanted to get an electirc mower with a bagging attachment to mow a patch of grass that is 6x8. I suggested a weed wacker or a good old-fashioned push mower.

The bottom line is you can cut the grass on a 15x20 lot pretty easily with a weed wacker, especially if you've practiced a little and gotten a good feel for how long you want the grass. If you're not seeking to have the yard look like the infield at Shea, weed wackers are fine. My folks yard was 20x60 and I used to cut the entire thing with one. It's a little hard on the back and arms, but nothing that will kill you.

However, if you are planning on raking and bagging cuttings, you may want to get a mower that has a bagging attachment. The biggest problem is storage because even the smallest gas movers take up a bit of space. They also are a bitch to get up an down stairs, so also take into account where you'll keep the equipment as well.

As my folks got older (and I stopped being free labor) they got an electric mower, and a 60ft extension cord, which my dad swore by. It was a little heavy, but they stored it in the extension on the back of the house and just pushed it out and plugged it in when they were ready to go.

They make a mower that runs on an extension cord??

Hmm...blades vs rubber covered wire which could be run over? hehe.

Yeah, my first impulse was weed wacker. I'm not that picky about it being perfect, just nice enough to sit on.

Thanks for your suggestions!

PS-Can you buy a push mower at Lowes? I thought those things were totally an item of the past now.

push mowers are fan-tas-tic, and light to push
(okay, it's been about 10 years since I did this)
you could find an old one, and get the blades sharpened by the knife truck for a complete old-timey experience

Don't know if they are still sold, but my guess is yes.

Congratulations on the backyard - it is second only to an in-house washing machine for skyrocketing quality of life

Old Skool push mower. The maintenance guy occasionally cuts the grass in our yard and he uses a weed whacker... no good. Plus they stink. Double-plus ungood.

or....you can do what I did and get rid of it entirely AND brick it out. My area is approx 15x45, a portion is covered by a deck above (that area is concrete) the rest of my yard is bricked, with 2ft surrounding on the sides for vegetables and plants, the furthermost area is about 4ft deep for plants (and a spot for ma' dog to poop)
unless you adore the grass, bricking/pavers are easier to maintain and will definitely bring up your property value. gorgeous!

I just used my push mower today and we have a pretty large yard. It took me five minutes to do--so I got a quick workout. But more importantly, I didn't have to listen to that annoying sound of a weed whacker and I didn't have to use gasoline for a gas mower (most environmental organizations recommend a push mower). You can get one for $89 at Lowes.

I'll add another vote for the push mower. My lawn is about the same size as yours and it takes no time and doesn't take much effort (as long as you mow regularly)

pitu lillet wrote: push mowers are fan-tas-tic, and light to push
(okay, it's been about 10 years since I did this)
you could find an old one, and get the blades sharpened by the knife truck for a complete old-timey experience

Don't know if they are still sold, but my guess is yes.

I bought one at Tarzian on 7th Avenue a couple of years back, or you can find them online.

My old apartment had a small backyard with fairly patchy grass and about a third of the space taken up by a stone patio and we just used a weed whacker. Worked fine for us. I think it just depends on how much you want to spend and how much storage space you have.

Push mower, which you shd be able to get at Lowe's or Home Depot. It's just more pleasant, and the job will take you about 3 minutes.

linusvanpelt wrote: Push mower, which you shd be able to get at Lowe's or Home Depot. It's just more pleasant, and the job will take you about 3 minutes.

I agree, those things are almost fun.

I have a yard about the same size as yours and prefer the weed wacker w/ extension cord. It gets the job done quicker, and the grass looks more uniform. With the push mower, the grass often flops over and doesn't get cut. Also, you can't cut right up to the edge. I used to have to cut the grass along the edges with hand shears.

Yavel wrote: I have a yard about the same size as yours and prefer the weed wacker w/ extension cord. It gets the job done quicker, and the grass looks more uniform. With the push mower, the grass often flops over and doesn't get cut. Also, you can't cut right up to the edge. I used to have to cut the grass along the edges with hand shears.

I like the floppy grass. In fact I planted one of those eco-friendly, "no-mow" types of fescue, which thrives with little water, grows long and flops over in lush, pretty (to me) piles and therefore requires relatively little maintenance. (Despite the name it's not really "no mow," but I don't have to mow too often, and it also does well in shade, which most Brooklyn backyards have.)

A push mower does sound good for the no-gas reasons. How often do those need to be sharpened? I saw a mention of a "knife truck"? Is that something I could find in the area?

Again, thanks for your help everyone!

PS linusvanpelt-I like floppy grass too, but I don't feel like explaining the aesthetics of it to the owner.

The knife truck has made a few passes on my street in WT recently.

It's red and rings a bell - like an ice cream truck but with a different jingle.

I guess this answers my own question

http://www.ehow.com/how_118251_sharpen-push-mower.html

Is that realistic? 1-2 years?

Flexichick wrote: The knife truck has made a few passes on my street in WT recently.

It's red and rings a bell - like an ice cream truck but with a different jingle.

Red? Like an EVIL ice cream truck? :twisted:
Wow. I would have never known. Has anyone seen it in PS?

caaahyoko wrote: [quote=Flexichick]The knife truck has made a few passes on my street in WT recently.

It's red and rings a bell - like an ice cream truck but with a different jingle.

Red? Like an EVIL ice cream truck? :twisted:
Wow. I would have never known. Has anyone seen it in PS?

yup
except it might have been green
to hide the *evil* ? you decide...

the bells are actually BELLS, further adding to the time warp

I don't think you have to sharpen them very often - might be measured in decades instead of years, for the amount of yardage you are mowing.

pitu lillet wrote: yup
except it might have been green
to hide the *evil* ? you decide...

the bells are actually BELLS, further adding to the time warp

Real bells? oooooh.

I don't think you have to sharpen them very often - might be measured in decades instead of years, for the amount of yardage you are mowing.

Ha! That's true.

The blades on my push mower seemed to get dull pretty quick. It is sitting there in the backyard unused, if anyone wants it they're welcome to it.

Yavel wrote: The blades on my push mower seemed to get dull pretty quick. It is sitting there in the backyard unused, if anyone wants it they're welcome to it.

Hmmm...what brand and how old? I may be interested.

EDIT:
NEVERMIND- Amazon had free shipping and an extra 10% off so I bought the Scotts push mower.

Get the push mower. Gas mower/weedwacker are loud. They are also smelly. And, another source of pollution. All those fancy English gardens were maintened by mechanical push mowers way before gas/electric. Plus they take seconds to cut a small yard.

I bought one of those push mowers this summer but it rips up patches of my sad little "lawn." I think I let the grass get too long and the mower can't cope. I had better luck in the past with the weed whacker. Takes 10 minutes and the results look nicer.