Manual lawnmower
Comments
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Alternatively......Mini digger. Lawns - ugly wastes of space, horrible things. Ecological deserts that waste water, require lots of maintenance and achieve nothing (beyond being a good place for children to play which is really the only point to them); only slightly better than concrete. Dig it up. Do something nice and constructive with your garden! Put proper plants in. Wildflowers etc.Faster than a tent.......0
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Rolf F wrote:Alternatively......Mini digger. Lawns - ugly wastes of space, horrible things. Ecological deserts that waste water, require lots of maintenance and achieve nothing (beyond being a good place for children to play which is really the only point to them); only slightly better than concrete. Dig it up. Do something nice and constructive with your garden! Put proper plants in. Wildflowers etc.
There's a place I drive through where they use wildflowers on verges and roundabouts (I think it is deliberate). Much better than boring old grass.0 -
Rolf F wrote:Alternatively......Mini digger. Lawns - ugly wastes of space, horrible things. Ecological deserts that waste water, require lots of maintenance and achieve nothing (beyond being a good place for children to play which is really the only point to them); only slightly better than concrete. Dig it up. Do something nice and constructive with your garden! Put proper plants in. Wildflowers etc.
How does a lawn waste water? Surely only if you are mad enough to water it. But if it's just what grows between the plants you've chosen, somewhere for the children to play and food for the rabbits I don't see a problem.1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
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rjsterry wrote:Rolf F wrote:Alternatively......Mini digger. Lawns - ugly wastes of space, horrible things. Ecological deserts that waste water, require lots of maintenance and achieve nothing (beyond being a good place for children to play which is really the only point to them); only slightly better than concrete. Dig it up. Do something nice and constructive with your garden! Put proper plants in. Wildflowers etc.
How does a lawn waste water? Surely only if you are mad enough to water it. But if it's just what grows between the plants you've chosen, somewhere for the children to play and food for the rabbits I don't see a problem.
People water them a lot during dry weather. Part of the mentality of the obsessive lawn owner - but obviously most peoples lawns aren't that bad. The problem is that domestic gardens are usually pretty terrible for small scale wildlife - non pollinating flowers and lawns are a prime example. If everybody actually grew stuff that did more than just look good the biodiversity in this country would be a lot less catastrophically bad than it is (not that it isn't the farmers who are primarily culpable but we should be doing our bit). For the most part, lawns are a waste of land that could be so much better used. Basically, if we don't look after the bees we are dead. And we aren't looking after the bees.
You said it yourself - " it's just what grows between the plants you've chosen"; it's filler. Nothing more. Get the mini digger in and grow more plants! Good ones. Useful ones (RHS website has great lists). You can tell the good parts of your garden - those will be the ones buzzing in summer; if the whole lot is buzzing, you are doing well.
Robert88 wrote:There's a place I drive through where they use wildflowers on verges and roundabouts (I think it is deliberate). Much better than boring old grass.
You are lucky. Most councils use our taxes to actively discourage biodiversity..........Faster than a tent.......0 -
Don't discount cordless on account of battery life, I have a lawn that takes an hour to mow with the old Hayter petrol, managed it with 46cm cut cordless (twin battery) and still had 70% battery life left. Also comes with 'free' cordless hedge trimmer, now even I can be @rsed to cut the hedge more than twice a year.All lies and jest..still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest....0
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bompington wrote:
Ha! Yes, only just noticed that. Bridge....0 -
bianchimoon wrote:Don't discount cordless on account of battery life, I have a lawn that takes an hour to mow with the old Hayter petrol, managed it with 46cm cut cordless (twin battery) and still had 70% battery life left. Also comes with 'free' cordless hedge trimmer, now even I can be @rsed to cut the hedge more than twice a year.
Which make is that, do the two batteries together make 36v, Is it still ok when the grass is a bit wet?
Save the Earth!
Cheers.0 -
I have tons of lawn. Front of the garden is like a mini woodland garden and it will stay that way. 4 silver birch, 2 Sitca Spruce, 1 oak tree, 1 Cotinus Grace, 7 apple trees, 2 Sycamore's and underneath is lawn. I have no intention of planting anything else in there. The perimeter is a mix of Beech, Copper (purple) Beech and Hawthorne. The latter of course flowers one a year and I have been cutting the hedges short to encourage density and therefore better nesting habitat.
I don't cut the grass too short or apply much in the way of weed killer. I do not cut the grass too short because that way the Buttercups and Daisies come up pretty quickly after mowing.
The rest of the garden comprises of a raft of flowering bushes/shrubs from a hug bank of Rhododendron, 2 clematis, 2 Ygelia Floridensis, a huge honeysuckle, a large hydrangea, Dahlia's, Azalea's etc etc and I am in the process of planting many varieties that flower in mid season and in late season for bees. The Rhododendron is a cacophony of bee activity at this moment as it is in flower.
I don't know why you have to single out lawns. It doesn't have to be at the expense of other foliage.
Blackbirds, Sparrows and Thrushes are very busy pecking about the lawns looking for insects, particularly during leaf fall and during heavy rain, worms.
I do take exception to manicured lawns.seanoconn - gruagach craic!0 -
Pinno wrote:I don't know why you have to single out lawns. It doesn't have to be at the expense of other foliage.
Blackbirds, Sparrows and Thrushes are very busy pecking about the lawns looking for insects, particularly during leaf fall and during heavy rain, worms.
I do take exception to manicured lawns.
Arguably I singled out lawns because this is a thread about lawns! But I also picked on crap, non pollinating flowers. Thrushes don't need lawns to find worms etc and close mown lawns really are pretty terrible for wildlife. A lot of people probably wouldn't count your lawn as a lawn anyway. Mine gradually just evolved into a pseudo natural grassland and is all the better for it.
Your garden sounds rather nice; probably needs pictures.....Faster than a tent.......0 -
Erbauer comes with 2x 18v 5ah batteriesFocusZing wrote:bianchimoon wrote:Don't discount cordless on account of battery life, I have a lawn that takes an hour to mow with the old Hayter petrol, managed it with 46cm cut cordless (twin battery) and still had 70% battery life left. Also comes with 'free' cordless hedge trimmer, now even I can be @rsed to cut the hedge more than twice a year.
Which make is that, do the two batteries together make 36v, Is it still ok when the grass is a bit wet?
Save the Earth!
Cheers.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-36v- ... ower/158fy
B&Q sell them as well, they had the cordless trimmers or strimmer offer on a couple of weeks ago
Grass was wet yesterday when I cut, although not too long, all good!All lies and jest..still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest....0 -
Must say I've been pleasantly surprised by how long the battery lasts on our cordless Bosch. We have a small front and a medium sized back lawn, and I can cut both twice and still have something in the battery.
Very quiet and no power cables. Win-win.0 -
bianchimoon wrote:
Erbauer comes with 2x 18v 5ah batteriesFocusZing wrote:bianchimoon wrote:Don't discount cordless on account of battery life, I have a lawn that takes an hour to mow with the old Hayter petrol, managed it with 46cm cut cordless (twin battery) and still had 70% battery life left. Also comes with 'free' cordless hedge trimmer, now even I can be @rsed to cut the hedge more than twice a year.
Which make is that, do the two batteries together make 36v, Is it still ok when the grass is a bit wet?
Save the Earth!
Cheers.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-36v- ... ower/158fy
B&Q sell them as well, they had the cordless trimmers or strimmer offer on a couple of weeks ago
Grass was wet yesterday when I cut, although not too long, all good!
Cheers Bianchi.0 -
offer for free tools hereFocusZing wrote:bianchimoon wrote:
Erbauer comes with 2x 18v 5ah batteriesFocusZing wrote:bianchimoon wrote:Don't discount cordless on account of battery life, I have a lawn that takes an hour to mow with the old Hayter petrol, managed it with 46cm cut cordless (twin battery) and still had 70% battery life left. Also comes with 'free' cordless hedge trimmer, now even I can be @rsed to cut the hedge more than twice a year.
Which make is that, do the two batteries together make 36v, Is it still ok when the grass is a bit wet?
Save the Earth!
Cheers.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-36v- ... ower/158fy
B&Q sell them as well, they had the cordless trimmers or strimmer offer on a couple of weeks ago
Grass was wet yesterday when I cut, although not too long, all good!
Cheers Bianchi.
https://www.diy.com/departments/erbauer ... 276_BQ.prdAll lies and jest..still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest....0 -
bianchimoon wrote:
offer for free tools hereFocusZing wrote:bianchimoon wrote:
Erbauer comes with 2x 18v 5ah batteriesFocusZing wrote:bianchimoon wrote:Don't discount cordless on account of battery life, I have a lawn that takes an hour to mow with the old Hayter petrol, managed it with 46cm cut cordless (twin battery) and still had 70% battery life left. Also comes with 'free' cordless hedge trimmer, now even I can be @rsed to cut the hedge more than twice a year.
Which make is that, do the two batteries together make 36v, Is it still ok when the grass is a bit wet?
Save the Earth!
Cheers.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-36v- ... ower/158fy
B&Q sell them as well, they had the cordless trimmers or strimmer offer on a couple of weeks ago
Grass was wet yesterday when I cut, although not too long, all good!
Cheers Bianchi.
https://www.diy.com/departments/erbauer ... 276_BQ.prd
Cheers again. I like the idea of a generic battery fitting. It looks like the deck is metal too.0 -
yes, looks and feels like a 'real' lawnmower, I did check out all the others including Stihl and Bosch If you were to look just compare the feel of the Erbauer over others in a B&Q store, It'll probably make your mind up pretty quicklyFocusZing wrote:bianchimoon wrote:
offer for free tools hereFocusZing wrote:bianchimoon wrote:
Erbauer comes with 2x 18v 5ah batteriesFocusZing wrote:bianchimoon wrote:Don't discount cordless on account of battery life, I have a lawn that takes an hour to mow with the old Hayter petrol, managed it with 46cm cut cordless (twin battery) and still had 70% battery life left. Also comes with 'free' cordless hedge trimmer, now even I can be @rsed to cut the hedge more than twice a year.
Which make is that, do the two batteries together make 36v, Is it still ok when the grass is a bit wet?
Save the Earth!
Cheers.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-36v- ... ower/158fy
B&Q sell them as well, they had the cordless trimmers or strimmer offer on a couple of weeks ago
Grass was wet yesterday when I cut, although not too long, all good!
Cheers Bianchi.
https://www.diy.com/departments/erbauer ... 276_BQ.prd
Cheers again. I like the idea of a generic battery fitting. It looks like the deck is metal too.
All lies and jest..still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest....0 -
I've a petrol mower but a Makita cordless hedge trimmer. It's a brilliant piece of kit and takes the same batteries as my other Makita stuff.0
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Buy the right lawnmower for your lawn size. I have a ride on as with the ride on it is a 60 minute job. With the self propelled petrol mower is is nearer 3 hours with most of this down to the basket emptying frequency. If I had a small lawn then petrol or battery self propelled will be fine. A good petrol lawnmower will likely outlast the batteries in any electric mower.0
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john80 wrote:Buy the right lawnmower for your lawn size. I have a ride on as with the ride on it is a 60 minute job. With the self propelled petrol mower is is nearer 3 hours with most of this down to the basket emptying frequency. If I had a small lawn then petrol or battery self propelled will be fine. A good petrol lawnmower will likely outlast the batteries in any electric mower.
We always let the lower meadow grow so the farmer can cut it for hay. It's pleasant of a warm summer evening to hear the grasshoppers chirruping away in the distance.0 -
No-one has mentioned scythes yet. Did wonders for that Aidan Turner chap's profile.1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
The bloke who goes around cutting people's lawns here, is called 'Pedro'.seanoconn - gruagach craic!0
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I have a scythe, use it at the side of the house on the grass, nettles and various wild flowers there which I let grow 3-4 ft high before cutting.rjsterry wrote:No-one has mentioned scythes yet. Did wonders for that Aidan Turner chap's profile.
Hasn't done wonders for my profile :? , but the rhythmic swishing has its own enjoyment.0 -
knedlicky wrote:
I have a scythe, use it at the side of the house on the grass, nettles and various wild flowers there which I let grow 3-4 ft high before cutting.rjsterry wrote:No-one has mentioned scythes yet. Did wonders for that Aidan Turner chap's profile.
Hasn't done wonders for my profile :? , but the rhythmic swishing has its own enjoyment.
I don't mind admitting I'm slightly envious.
Perhaps you need to do a whole field.
With your shirt off.
That seemed to do it for Turner. People swooning all over the place. Supposed to be much better for the wildlife than a mechanical mower, too, as it doesn't mince everything up.1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
rjsterry wrote:knedlicky wrote:
I have a scythe, use it at the side of the house on the grass, nettles and various wild flowers there which I let grow 3-4 ft high before cutting.rjsterry wrote:No-one has mentioned scythes yet. Did wonders for that Aidan Turner chap's profile.
Hasn't done wonders for my profile :? , but the rhythmic swishing has its own enjoyment.
I don't mind admitting I'm slightly envious.
Perhaps you need to do a whole field.
With your shirt off.
How long have you felt this way?seanoconn - gruagach craic!0 -
Pinno wrote:rjsterry wrote:knedlicky wrote:
I have a scythe, use it at the side of the house on the grass, nettles and various wild flowers there which I let grow 3-4 ft high before cutting.rjsterry wrote:No-one has mentioned scythes yet. Did wonders for that Aidan Turner chap's profile.
Hasn't done wonders for my profile :? , but the rhythmic swishing has its own enjoyment.
I don't mind admitting I'm slightly envious.
Perhaps you need to do a whole field.
With your shirt off.
How long have you felt this way?
Who doesn't want a scythe in their shed?1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
I'm a scythe man, or rather un faucheur comme Monsieur Poldark (I scythe only when in France).rjsterry wrote:Pinno wrote:rjsterry wrote:knedlicky wrote:
I have a scythe, use it at the side of the house on the grass, nettles and various wild flowers there which I let grow 3-4 ft high before cutting.rjsterry wrote:No-one has mentioned scythes yet. Did wonders for that Aidan Turner chap's profile.
Hasn't done wonders for my profile :? , but the rhythmic swishing has its own enjoyment.
I don't mind admitting I'm slightly envious.
Perhaps you need to do a whole field.
With your shirt off.
How long have you felt this way?
Who doesn't want a scythe in their shed?0 -
rjsterry wrote:Who doesn't want a scythe in their shed?
Ive always fancied a scythe as a solution to gardening as youd need a lawnmower like that forest eating machine from the last Indiana Jones film to get through my back garden as it is now, Im sure wildlife loves it, well the foxes & cats seem to but Id actually quite like to sit in it sometime too when the weather decides its actually summer, 3hrs I spent cutting back brambles the other week, filled a whole wheelie bin, and the neighbour popped their head over the fence and went, you havent done much have you :roll:
however I fear Id probably be lethal with the damn thing and end up in A&E, and Im sure as hell not taking my top off to use one 0
