About two years ago, Josh and I had a little discussion that went something like this. If you can’t mow the lawn and do it right, then you certainly can’t drive a car with your learners permit. It didn’t take him long to realize that I was serious.
Skipping forward, Josh, had done a good job of keeping the yard mowed. And I really appreciate that. There comes a point of time, where there the son takes on the mantle of yard boy… at least until he moves out. And honestly, considering how much I haven’t been able to do, it has been a huge help.
That said, this has been a learning process… for both of us. Here are some things that we have learned together in this wonderful transition:
• You have to be sit on the seat, with the blade disengaged, and the brake on to start the mower. Seems pretty simple, but we had this conversation a few times.
• There are two gas tanks. One is for the mower, and has regular gas. The other is 2 cycle for the trimmer. Don’t confuse them.
• You have to walk the yard before mowing. We are still working on this one. But it is easier to clear the area before you ride around to mow the lawn.
• Don’t mow over sticks or rocks, especially if they are large.. Last year after I paid to get it tuned up, Josh mowed over a something pretty big. It ripped one of the belts. So back to the shop it went. That $80 cost was a life lesson.
• This is one I learned from my father. It is better to mow slower and over lap then have to go back and re-mow all the places you missed.
• Turn the blade speed down when you are driving through the patch of dirt. There is nothing to mow there and it only causes huge list clouds.
• You need to turn the mower off when trying to talk to someone. I can’t tell you the number of times he has tried to have a conversation with me while the more is full blast and the blade is engaged.
• You need to clean the mower after mowing the lawn. We need to have a refresher course on this one. Otherwise there is a tremendous buildup of clippings inside the mower.
And finally, yes…. you shouldn’t drive the mower like a race car.
