Depressing signs of the times

[jducoeur]

Burlington is a low-crime area -- aside from some GPSes stolen out of cars at the Mall, almost any crime is noticeable. So I take it as a bit worse than most places might that, sometime in the past three days, someone apparently stole my lawn mower.

(Poor timing, too -- with the party coming on Monday, I can't wait for the police to possibly track it down. I suspect we're going to have to go buy a new one...)

Comments

[corwyn-ap.livejournal.com]

Let me make my plea for buying an electric one. Either battery or corded (Nueton and Black & Decker are the brands I know, respectively).

Ours is so nice to use, B uses it.

[new-man.livejournal.com]

I'm sympathetic. My guess is some enterprising teen who saw it as a all he needed to launch his yardwork job this summer.

We use a push mower, but we have much less land than you do.

Let me recommend using Craigslist to find a used one. It'll save you money and keep something out of the landfill. They even have electric ones.

[dsrtao]

If you'd like a loaner, you could borrow our electric. I don't think we'll need it for a while.

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

Borrow one.

Coincidentally, ours came back from being tuned today...

[jducoeur]

Hmm. Thanks for the offer, but I think the chances of recovering the old one are low -- I gave it 24 hours (and did a quick look around the neighborhood) in case this was just a "joyride" by some kids, but if that's not the case, I consider the chances of recovery no better than 20%. And I need the thing often enough that at this point, I'm inclined to just replace it, and Craigslist the old one if by some chance it does come back...

[oakleaf-mirror.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear it. Having had my GPS stolen out of my car at the movie theatre in Burlington, I got the sense that the police have zero interest in tracking down stolen goods.

On the lawnmower front, I quite liked the battery electric lawnmower I had, and I think they should be up to handling a yard your size.

[jducoeur]

Doing a little research, Consumer Reports disagrees -- most battery-powered units conk out within 45 minutes (some in considerably less), and that's not nearly enough for our yard. We've got a good half-acre *and* it's not flat: an 18-inch electric would take at least 1.25 hours to mow it. And I'm reluctant to commit to a push mower for our gentle but persistent slope: there are days that I just don't have that much energy. They are quite explicit that current electrics are appropriate for lawns that are relatively small and flat: we're neither.

(It would have been perfect for our old house; sadly, electric mowers barely even existed at that point...)

[oakleaf-mirror.livejournal.com]

I tend to think of your yard as being not that big, but that's probably because it's so much longer than it is wide. (Or maybe it is that I grew up mowing a four acre lawn.)

The mower that was stolen was a riding mower? That adds to the planning/resources of the theft, I guess.

Of course, there is an electric riding mower... :) Yeah, I'd wait for the market to mature a bit, too.

[corwyn-ap.livejournal.com]

The electric-trac (spell?) riding lawnmower has a huge cult following. They have been around for at least 30 years. I doubt you can find one at anything less than ridiculous prices, but...

[jducoeur]

No, it's a walk-behind, but a nominally self-propelled, and self-adjusting speed. Basically, the good Toros are very good at picking up on your hand pressure, and adjusting their speed accordingly -- you walk naturally, and the mower deals. So it's more work than a riding mower, but much less than a pure push mower.

Our lawn is borderline in terms of size. It's half an acre (yes, much longer than wide) -- big enough that some people consider a riding mower appropriate (indeed, our next door neighbor has one), but I think that's kind of ridiculous. But given the slope, it's just a bit much for a push mower: I consider self-propelled essential, and most of the electrics don't claim to be...

[corwyn-ap.livejournal.com]

Mine usually conks out about the time I do. :-) We have a lot more grass, and a lot more slope than you. Personally if you are worried about energy you expend, I would judge a lawnmower strictly by weight. The heavier it is the more effort it takes to man-handle it around (driven wheels not withstanding). I recall your lawn was mostly a single planar slope, that makes it easier, only one uphill push at the end.

See if there is someone around who will lend you one to try. The vibration really is the largest factor making me tired, and it is vastly better with the electric.

[cellio]

Well that sucks.

Short-term. I suggest borrowing, renting, or hiring. You won't want to end up with two if they do recover it, after all.

[snarkyman.livejournal.com]

We happened by an estate sale Saturday where we saw a used (corded) electric mower. I'm sure I can pick it up for you on Sunday for cheap. Let me know if you're interested.

Ayden
s n a r k y m a n AT g m a i l D0T c o m

[hfcougar.livejournal.com]

People steal lawnmowers?

[crschmidt.livejournal.com]

I had someone steal my snowblower a couple winters ago, so I'm not particularly surprised.

[jducoeur]

That's pretty much what the policewoman and I were agreeing when she wrote it up, yes...

[etherial.livejournal.com]

A lawnmower was stolen from the Camelot construction site 2 years ago, but we assumed that was pure malice.

[cvirtue.livejournal.com]

We have a corded electric, and a lot of bright orange extension cord. I like it very much.