Fix It: The right lawn mower

If you are considering purchasing a lawnmower, there are basically gas-powered, electric and reel (manual) mowers.

By YOSEF KRINSKY, NACHUM EILBERG
lawn mower 88 (photo credit: )
lawn mower 88
(photo credit: )
It is the time of year when cutting your grass is a weekly chore. If you are considering purchasing a lawnmower, there are basically gas-powered, electric and reel (manual) mowers. A gas-powered mower is certainly the most powerful. If you have a lawn with a hill, or you tend to let your grass grow long between mowing, you would need the power of a gas-operated mower. Even gas-operated mowers come in various horsepower, so size and landscaping would determine how much power you need. Gasoline mowers have their disadvantages as well. Firstly, you always need to have gas on hand and that will involve storing it outdoors. This requires using a container for gasoline that is made specifically for that purpose. Gasoline should never be stored in a juice, water or soda bottle. Gas-powered mowers are also noisy and cause pollution. An electric mower is plugged into an electric cord and is run on a long extension cord. The advantages of electric are numerous. There is no need to buy and store gasoline. Price is another advantage as electric mowers cost about half the price of gas mowers. In the absence of gasoline, pollution concerns are also eliminated. The main disadvantages are power and the cord. An electric lawnmower does not deliver anywhere near the power of a gas mower; an electric mower would not have the power to mow tall grass. Therefore it is only suitable for a small lawn where the grass is trimmed often. The cord is also a main disadvantage. It takes practice to be able to maneuver the lawnmower without running over the extension cord and cutting it. It is not uncommon to see multiple areas on an extension cord that were repaired with electric tape. In recent years, rechargeable batteries have been used in electric mowers. The mower needs to be plugged in for up to 16 hours prior to mowing. Once charged you can use it with all the advantages of an electric mower without the main disadvantage of the extension cord. However, it still does not offer the power of a gas mower and could not be used to cut tall grass. A reel (manual) mower is also an option for a very small property. Without any gas or electricity, you push a mower that has multiple blades that circulate and cut the grass as you push. I remember as a young boy growing up in Monsey, New York, my father purchased one of these mowers. However, we had a decent-sized property and it took him all Sunday to cut the grass. His intention in purchasing this type of mower was to keep me - then four years old - from being near a dangerous machine. When I was about 10, I went to a yard sale and purchased a used gas-powered lawn mower for $15. I came home with it and showed my father how we can mow the lawn in one hour instead of eight. It is important to remember, though, that lawn mowers are not toys; It is best to mow the lawn without any young children nearby. Shira P. asks: I have one computer in my home office and another in my bedroom. I want to network them so that they can both share the internet connection. A cable leads from one to the other. The cable runs out from the office, down a hallway and into my bedroom. I would like to get the cable into the wall and also drill holes so they do not run thru the doorway. How do you deal with these solid walls? Answer: In order to drill through the walls, you would need a hammer drill. You would need a grinder to grind out a small trench to place the cables in the wall, which then needs to be patched. The grinding will cause lots of dust as well as sanding the wall after it is patched. Another alternative may be to set up a wireless network. Instead of just connecting your computer to a modem, you connect the modem to a wireless router. Then you can connect one computer to the wireless router with a cable. The second computer would then need a wireless card. Without any cable, it will be able to connect to the other computer and share the internet connection. If the second computer is a notebook, you also have the advantage of using it in different rooms without worrying about any cables. I would advise you to check with your local computer store to find out exactly what you need to set up a wireless network prior to drilling and grinding. Readers' tips, questions and comments are always welcome! The authors can be reached at wallsrus@ureach.com.