Mowing the lawn might seem like a simple task: grab the mower, start it up, and get to work. But there’s more to it than meets the eye. Being aware of possible hazards can help you stay safe and keep your mower in top shape. Swipe left to learn the 15 things you should look for when lawn mowing.
Sticks
Before you mow, walk through your lawn to remove any sticks or wooden objects. These can shutter that damage your mower’s cutters or become dangerous darts. Clearing your lawn ensures smooth, safe mowing and prevents unprecedented accidents and breakage.
Children’s Toys
Children often leave toys scattered across the lawn—small cars, action figures, marbles, legos, and balls. When these relics get stuck in the mower, they can ruin the blades and cause injury through projectiles. Doing a clean sweep using a rake can help you gather and pick up the toys.
Rocks
Big or small, rocks can dull blades, halt the engine, or become deadly missiles. Before mowing, do a quick walk-through of your lawn, especially near gardens and walkways, to remove lurking rocks. This simple measure ensures a leveled and safe trimming experience.
Garden Hoses
A garden hose left on the grass can entangle the blades, wrecking the hose and the mower. Even though most hoses are visible, you may still miss them. So, to avoid double destruction, always coil and store hoses properly after using them.
Pet Toys
Chewy pet toys, balls, and plates can be forgotten and left in the yard. If they break apart, their pieces can damage your machine and pose a choking hazard for pets. Collecting all pet toys from the grass minimizes damage and keeps your furry friends safe.
Lawn Furniture
If you do not remove temporary lawn furniture such as chairs, tables, and umbrellas, they slow you down, making a 20-minute session an hour long (or more)! Now, if you do not want to be stuck in the hot sun cutting grass all afternoon, start by moving that furniture.
Yard Decorations
Don’t let tiny treasures turn into mower troubles! Yard decorations like gnomes, statues, wind chimes, and solar lights can break down over time. Before you mow, look around to see if any pieces are missing. A stray shard caught in the mower could lead to costly repairs.
Tools and Equipment
DIYers and gardeners can leave their tools lying around, such as rakes, shovels, power tools, nails, and screws. The golden rule is always to return any tool you’ve used after a project. Quickly checking for forgotten items can save you from costly repairs and injuries.
Sprinkler Heads
If you do not retract pop-up sprinkler heads, they can wreak havoc when they contact the mower blades. They can break the pipe, causing a splashy mess, and the cut head can get stuck between the blades. To eradicate these risks, ensure you first retract all the sprinkler heads.
Trash and Litter
Trash, litter pieces, and dry leaves blown by wind can accumulate on your lawn. Plastic bags, bottles, and wrappers, in particular, can jam your mower, seizing the lawn tending session. This will leave your yard looking messy, but the good news is that most of the trash is visible, so clearing it out is fast.
Pine Cones
While these are squirrels’ favorite snacks, these creatures do not regard you or your mower. Unfortunately, if the cone meets the cutter bit, it can harm the device. Because pine cones are difficult to spot among the grass, walk your lawn, drag your feet, and collect any pine manually.
Hidden Tree Stumps
Small tree stumps can hide behind overgrown grass, posing a serious hazard to your mower. If you were present during the tree-cutting, mark any protruding stumps or trim them to ground level. This limits any impact accidents, as you can safely mow around the stump.
Animal Waste
Animal waste makes mowing unpleasant, and if you or the mower come into contact with it, it could spread diseases, pest eggs, and other nasty things. To handle this, ensure your pets have a designated spot to relieve themselves. And if you release your birds out to eat worms, use a rake to gather and collect the waste.
Glass Pieces
Yard BBQs, brunches, and picnics are fun, but if glass breaks, the pieces scatter over the grass. When crushed glass meets a moving mower blade, it can be set flying, posing a danger to anyone nearby. The solution? Wherever you or anyone breaks glass, rake and remove any grass pieces.
Mulch and Soil Bags
Gardeners, store your bags of mulch, soil, or fertilizer well when you finish using them. This also applies to the soil hills you create to mix soil and other nutrients! Loose soil can block your mowing path and cause significant damage to your mower.
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