Seasonal Safety Mowing Madness confirmed that a projectile like a rock, shot out of a common lawnmower, packed more force than a bullet from Dirty Harry’ s trusty 357 Magnum.
The discharge chute on every mower is equipped with a protective guard or deflector to stop objects from becoming projectiles. However, for the deflector to be effective, it must remain clean and in place.
Know Your Enemy: Mower Types
This symphony of buzzing blades and whirring engines signals more than the return of mowing season, it’ s also a time to venture out to tame your sprawling, unruly lawns and fields. Rotary and Brush Mowers Think of rotary lawn mowers like the surgeons of the mowing world— they have thin, sharp blades designed to cut grass evenly in well-maintained areas. These mowers are best used for precise mowing in smaller areas where there’ s no chance of hitting a hidden stump, rock or toy robot.
On the other hand, rotary brush mowers are the bulldozers of the mowing universe, equipped with hinged blades that can pivot when hitting obstacles. These mowers are perfect for rough terrain and dense vegetation because they’ re built to keep going despite hitting rocks and stumps, kind of like your determination to finish mowing before the next episode of your favorite TV show starts.
These modern mowers come with myriad safety features including blade brakes and seat sensors. So, before mounting up, make sure these are working correctly because, let’ s face it, they only exist to keep you from becoming one of those sad mowing statistics. Stand-On Mowers First, decide the safest and most efficient way to cut the lawn with your stand-on mower. These mowers help add maneuverability and are designed for a full day’ s work. Stand-on mowers allow for a quick exit in an emergency, so you can safely jump off and get back on quickly.
Jamie Briggs, Exmark’ s director of marketing, told AcreageLife that safe mowing can be broken into three categories.“ Safety for yourself, the equipment you’ re operating and the environment where you’ re mowing should always be top of mind.”
It’ s important to follow these safety tips to maximize the productivity of a stand-on mower.
• Avoid mowing along drop-offs or waterside edges.
• Do not mow on slopes of more than 20 degrees.
• Mow hills side-to-side whenever possible.
• Familiarize yourself with the mower controls before mowing.
• Mow slowly until you have a good feel for the mower’ s balance and capabilities.
• Always engage the parking brake and wait for all moving parts to stop before stepping off the mower.
Mower Maintenance: The First Line of Defense
Before we delve into the dos and don’ ts of mower safety, let’ s talk about maintenance.
Regular maintenance is the key to ensuring that this beast behaves itself.
Checking the cutting blades regularly is the best way to ensure the job is being done the right way, dull blades tear grass, leaving your lawn looking like it just had a fight with a rabid raccoon. Sharp blades, on the other hand, cut cleanly and reduce the risk of flying debris and contribute to the overall health of the grass. Inspecting your cutting blades after every use is what most manufacturers recommend and it only takes a minute or two.
Mind the Zerks
If you don’ t know what a zerk is, you’ re so lucky you’ re reading this article! A zerk is a tiny, metal, teet-like fitting designed to keep the spindles in your mower lubricated and working properly. Zerks are named after an eccentric engineer from Kenosha, Wisconsin named Oscar Zerk, who invented them in 1929.
Inside the spindle of your mower are two sealed bearings that are responsible for the spinning action of the blades. For maximum efficiency, your bearings themselves must be greased behind their seals, using the zerk and a grease gun. The lifespan of your spindles is directly correlated with how much you use them and whether they’ ve been properly greased underneath the seal. So, don’ t be a jerk, mind the zerks.
Mowing: Where Fashion Meets Function
Now that your knowledge of mowers and your machine are both in tip-top shape, it’ s time to talk attire. Mowing is not the time to channel your inner fashionista— instead, it’ s better to think of yourself as a knight preparing for battle.
Footwear: Sturdy, closed-toe shoes are a must and while those flip-flops might be comfortable, they are a sure-fire way to become a statistic.
Clothing: Operators should wear close-fitting clothing to avoid entanglement in moving parts. Personal protective equipment is essential— this includes safety glasses, hearing protection, durable gloves and leather boots to ensure the best protection.
Moisture-wicking fabrics that keep you cool, dry and protected during long hours on a mower, baking under the sun, are the best options. Gearing up with UV-protected clothing is becoming a popular choice, with myriad brands offering work shirts, hats and jackets with ultraviolet protection factor( UPF) ratings from UPF 15 through 50, that add an extra layer of protection from the dangers of mowing under the sun all day.
Eye Protection: Safety goggles may not win you any fashion awards, but they’ ll keep your eyes safe from flying projectiles. You don’ t want to end up looking like a pirate because you were too cool for protective eyewear.
Hearing Protection: Mowers are obnoxiously loud, and prolonged exposure to their roar can damage your hearing. Amazon currently offers close to 3,000 different ear defenders, ranging from $ 3.99 to $ 399.
Buying some good ear defenders is an investment that your future self will thank you for when you can hear your grandkids complain about how you never let them drive the mower.
AcreageLife. com July 2024 AcreageLife 37