Q: Our lawnmower quit. We got just two mowings out of it this spring. The cost to repair it will be more than it is worth. I was thinking we should get an old-fashioned mower that doesn’t require gasoline, but my husband thinks they’re heavy and they don’t cut very well. Have there been any improvements in lawnmowers besides the gasoline ones? I am hoping for a mower that’s quieter and pollutes less.
A: I remember using the old heavy manual reel mowers that your husband is thinking about. They were horrible to use, but they eventually did the job. There have been several improvements in all kinds of lawnmowers. Some of the newer gas engine ones are not nearly as polluting or noisy as the older models. Many still use a mix of gas and oil, so they still pollute, but some have an oil reservoir like a car and pollute less.
