Seasonal Safety Mowing Madness
perpendicular or up and down. This helps prevent the mower from tipping over, which is bad 100 % of the time. If the slope is too steep to mow, consider using a push mower— or maybe even hire a tribe of goats.
Avoid Mowing Wet Grass: Wet grass is slippery and can clog your mower deck by clumping after being cut, leaving your lawn looking patchy and your mower clogged. Simply wait until later in the day to mow, if possible, when the grass is dry.
Be Aware of Fire Danger: Fires are nature’ s way of cutting the grass and are as essential to the health of the land and soil as nutrients and water. Brush fires are also forces of nature and can go from a spark to a wildfire in seconds.
The cautionary tale of the careless mower starting a catastrophic brush fire is far more fact than folklore. A study conducted by the National Forest Protection Agency, said that local fire departments respond to an estimated average of more than 300,000 brush, grass and forest fires every year, that’ s an average of 840 fires per day. A vast majority of these fires are caused by humans meaning they are as preventable as they are dangerous.
Prior to mowing, check with the National Weather Service to see what the fire-danger warnings for your area are. Dry, windy conditions create an environment perfect for brush fires, so being aware of the dangers and having a plan if a fire starts are the best ways to make sure your mowing task isn’ t interrupted by a pesky natural disaster. large areas, choose a spot directly in front of you, far off in the distance— like a tree or telephone pole. The first line you make is the most important, so if this one looks like a banana when you’ re done, they’ re all going to look just like it. When you start your first pass, fix your vision on that point while mowing— don’ t look down or to the side, just keep your eyes straight ahead. After a little practice, you’ ll be proud of baseball-fieldeque, laser-straight stripes you just created.
Mind the Slopes: When mowing on slopes, always mow at a 45-degree angle across the slope, rather than
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Post-Mow Rituals: The Aftermath
Inspect for Damage: While you’ re admiring your handy mowing work, take some time to also look over your mower— check the belts, tires and the chassis for any signs of wear or damage. It only takes a minute and can save you hours in the future.
Clean the Mower: Grass clippings are chalk full of moisture, which will facilitate corrosion if debris is allowed to accumulate under the mower deck, leading to rust and reduced performance. After sitting and drying under your mower, grass becomes a tinderbox, so giving your mower a good wash down to keep it in top condition is not only good for your mower, it’ s preventing a potential structure fire from happening.
Refuel and Store Properly: A 2021 study by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, said that about 56 % of the 38 million pieces of outdoor power products sold in the U. S.— from lawn mowers and string trimmers to snow throwers and chainsaws— were electric. If your mower runs on gas, let it cool for 20 minutes before you refill and store it. If it’ s electric, do yourself a favor and charge the batteries while you’ re cleaning the mower so it’ s ready to go next time.
The Best Part of Mowing
Now that you’ ve done your part to be safe, and have now ensured the grass is literally greener( and safer) on your side of the fence, slip on those flip-flops and admire your handy work.
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