Rational consumption – Husqvarna Novocut 64

I bought a 17-pound Husqvarna reel mower, I like it.

Several years ago I got tired of paying other people to mow my yard, and a couple of years after that I got tired of pushing a noisy stinky Great Whirling Blade around my yard. So I bought a Husqvarna reel mower, on the strength of a good review and the fact that it weighed only 17 pounds.

What’s good about this mower? Everything, near as I can tell. It seems to be my lot in life to break equipment; I snap “lifetime warranty” fiberglass shovels, rip bicycle handlebars in half, bend shovel blades in half digging holes. I have not managed to destroy this mower.

Light weight is a feature two different ways. I can one-hand this mower into my basement, twirl it in a tight circle in the yard, it just goes where I want it. Number two, the blade does not have a huge dangerous momentum; though I would not want to stick a finger in there, I think the finger would survive the experience. Little oak twigs a pieces off rope stop it, so I think a finger would too.

The mower’s also delightfully easy to service/adjust. Tiny tweaks with a 10mm wrench keep the blades just flush with the whatever-it-is that cuts the grass. The front blade guard is held on by two tiny (inadequate, if you ask me) screws that had come loose and fallen into the wheels, where they would periodically jam the mower. With a small screwdriver, I popped the dark centers out of the wheels, and with the same small screwdriver I easily removed the retaining clip. The wheel lifts right off, making it easy to reinstall the blade guard, and the blade gear/freewheel also lifts right off (it’s a cute little mechanism). I cleaned it all up, added new grease, it went back together in a flash.

It’s hard for me to understand why anyone would buy a gasoline powered mower. Most people could use the exercise, and this mower is quieter, safer, cheaper, less polluting, easier to store, more reliable, and easier to service. What’s not to like?