Beginners Gardening

A lawnmower is fitted with sharp blades in order to cut
grass cleanly and evenly. And since there are sharp objects
involved, safety concerns come with using this machine.

From the period 1996-2004 alone, almost 670,000 were
injured by lawnmowers according to the Annals of Emergency
Medicine.

Here are some tips on how you can use your lawnmower
safely.

1. Be careful of debris

- mowers, the motorized types in particular, can hurl
debris such as rocks with tremendous force. That is why
other people should steer clear of it when it is in
operation.

2. Be careful of hot surfaces

- there are other injuries caused by touching hot surfaces
of the lawnmower. People should therefore avoid coming into
contact with a mowers surface when it is being used or
right after it has been put into use.

3. When servicing the mower, make sure its turned off

- believe it or not, people are also injured by their
mowers when they tried to service the mower without turning
the machine off. This isnt only irresponsible, this is
plainly stupid.

4. Careful with those blades

- as mentioned earlier, the blades of mowers are extremely
sharp so people should be careful when handling them or
replacing them.

5. Avoid those feet and hands

- running a mower over feet and hands is another cause of
lawnmower-related injuries. People operating this machine
must avoid mowing where there are people or at least tell
the people to move away while gardeners do their job.

Lawnmowers began as human-driven machines which are used to
cut grass. While they still perform the same basic
function, many varieties of lawnmowers have been developed
throughout the decades in order to cater to clients with
different needs as well as to take advantage of new
advances in technology.

Below is a list of some of the most common types of
lawnmowers.

1. Reel/cylinder

- this is one of the most basic and common types of mowers
around. This maybe powered several ways such as human-power
and others by using an internal combustion engine. It
basically works by having a roller with blades which then
cuts the grass.

2. Rotary

- unlike the reel mower, rotary mowers have rotary blades
to cut the grass. Most mowers of this type are powered by
internal combustion engines although some operate using
electric power. Typical residential-type rotary mowers cut
the grass and either discharge it on the lawn or keep it in
a bag.

3. Ride-on

- this type of mower has a size thats fit for the job that
it can do. Ride-on mowers are typically used on larger
lawns such as school grounds. Because of this kind of
demand, they are usually fitted with several blades to cut
a wider area.

4. Hover mower

- as its name suggests, this type of mower hovers over the
ground to cut the grass. While they may look like novelty
items, hover mowers do a good job at cutting tall grass and
even shrubs because of their unique ability to float.

Lawnmowers are usually composed of several parts, each with
a particular job in making the entire machine work. This
makes mowers simple and complex at the same time.

Simple because being familiar with each of them makes
replacing each part easy as long as one knows what needs to
be changed.

They are also complex because it takes a competent mechanic
to know where a particular part goes and to service the
machine.

Dont worry though, because if youre just an ordinary
lawnmower owner, weve listed for you some of the basic
parts of a lawnmower.

1. Blade

- this is where metal meets the grass. The blade is
responsible for cutting the grass and doing it neatly and
evenly. Depending on the mower, it can be made of materials
such as steel, aluminium and plastics.

2. Engine

- if you own a motorized lawnmower, this is what keeps your
blades turning. Engines used in lawnmowers are typically
the single stroke types which pack enough punch for the
job.

3. Handle

- this is the part of the mower where you have the most
control, for the human-powered ones at least. When buying
this part, make sure to get that which is made of sturdy
parts like stainless steel or any lighter alloy and fitted
with rubber to prevent your hands from slipping.

4. Wheels

- help in moving the lawnmower, especially for large ones.
They can be made of different materials depending on the
type and size of lawnmowers.

For example, small, push-type lawnmowers are usually
equipped only with plastic wheels while larger ones like
the ride-on types have steel wheels.