According to The Union of Concerned Scientists,

… the average lawn mower emits as much smog-forming pollution in one hour as eight new cars traveling at 55 miles per hour.

- Union of Concerned Scientists

Knowing this is what prompted us, two summers ago, to buy a reel mower. The one I chose was the Lee Valley 20-inch Reel Mower. This is not the reel mower of the olden days - those rusted, heavy things that were impossible to push. Push mowers today are precision tools, lightweight and easy to use. There are generally inexpensive, produce no emissions and there is no gasoline to buy or electricity to pay for. Yay!

We’re really happy with the one we have. It cuts well, is almost no effort to use and is almost silent. It is so quiet, in fact, that now, when a neighbour is using his gas or electric mower, it isn’t just background noise to me any more. I am really aware of it and it feels almost intrusive, like loud music. I’ve wondered how it would go over if I stopped such a person, gushed about our reel mower and all the environmental and dollar benefits and then maybe just toss in there, “… and then my family wouldn’t have to scream at each other in the backyard, just to be heard over your lawn mower. Cool huh?!!” Somehow, I doubt it would go over very well at all. ;)

But the good news is, when we got our reel mower, we hadn’t seen any others in our neighbourhood, but now there are several. They seem to be really catching on.

Using a reel mower is a little different from using a power mower, especially in that it (mine, anyway) doesn’t handle really long or wet grass very well. Those are difficult conditions for power mowers too, but the power mowers handle them a little better, I think. The best solution is to just be more mindful; to pay better attention to the weather and how fast the grass is growing. But mindfulness is a good thing, especially now as we try to connect better with nature and our immediate environment. Just plain paying attention is a big part of the process of reducing your ecological footprint.

If your grass does get really long, a rake and a little elbow grease go a long way. Cut in one direction, then cut again at 90 degrees. Use the rake to fluff up sections that get bent over and the run the mower across them again. Stop either when your lawn is a vision of clipped perfection, or you are just tired of mowing it. Resolve to pay better attention next time. Maybe. Have a tall frosty drink and feel good about yourself. Problem solved :)