What is a Green Mower?
A green mower is a reel mower (a mower that relies solely on human push power). They come in all shapes and sizes, and can be obtained just about anywhere. Below is a rough sketch of one:
Here is how it works: as the mower is pushed foward, the blades (shown black in the picture) spin foward, cutting grass in the process. The arrows show the spin of the blades as it moves foward.
Electric Mowers are not "Green"
Although we posted this in our FAQs, it is worth being brought up again. A reel mower runs 100% off human power, while an electric mower runs off electricity. The odds are that your local electric plant runs off fossil fuels, which means that an electric mower would be run indirectly off fossil fuels. But, the electric mowers allow people with large yards to gain the advantages of a reel mower.
Pros and Cons
Here we will compare and contrast electric mowers, gas mowers, and reel mowers.
Electric mower:
Pros: saves gas money, almost silent, fast
Cons: more complex, not "green", pay for electricity, high cost
Gas mower:
pros: easy to push, most widely used, covers large areas quickly
Cons: bad on the environment, pay for gas, expensive repairs
Reel Mower:
Pros: inexpensive, "green", almost silent, relatively safe
Cons: bad for large yards, have to be sharpened, slow
How Much can You Save a Year With a Reel Mower?
Right now gas is around $2 a gallon. Gardenweb states that it takes a gallon of gas to mow 3/4 of an acre. If you mow 3/4 of an acre once a week the gas would cost around $104! That's enough just to pay for a new reel mower!
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