On Side Discharge Lawnmowers

The timing, if it's to be called that, of Grandma's death very nearly lined up with some adult transitions in my life. I'll always be grateful that Grandma got to know about my having my first apartment, & even got to come by & enjoy a meal there - along with Mom & Dad. At the same time as I was in the apartment, I was simultaneously looking to buy a house. Grandma did know about this wish of mine, yet she died in the Winter before the Summer when I made the house purchase.

When she died there were many things of Grandma's Mom knew I'd be able to use. One of them being her lawnmower, remember this post 😉. It'd be one more thing I wouldn't need to purchase - either at a store - or, at a garage sale 😊, to further complete my "list" of "needed items" for my house.

Trouble with this was that Grandma's lawnmower wasn't state-of-the-art; it was quite the opposite. It had a side dumping area with no bag, like this one, which meant it really only made sense to mow using her mower from one side, not in actual rows. The side discharge flap wasn't flush, so the task was never "clean" looking. If any landscaping would be nearby, the grass clippings would end up in it, or any cement structures, like front steps/stoops, simply couldn't get close enough - since the cement wouldn't move.

It would seem a driveway would be a welcome alternative as to where to turn, yet that just meant that the mess of fresh grass clippings would spew out onto the driveway, thus needing to get brushed up - which never fully happened; some remnants of the project were always sure to be remaining.

It was a gas powered mower, which was great since the house I got was right down the street from a gas station. Whenever I would happen to run out of gas for the mower, I could easily just walk on down, add a bit of gas into the can I stowed in the garage, & be back on my way.

I've never used an electric lawnmower, though, with a neighbor a few houses down from Mom & Dad's house using one, I have seen one in action. It was always odd to see them mow a bit, then reach for the cord, toss it to get it far enough out of the way, then continue on; it seemed rather efforted. I was glad I didn't have to bother with one of them.

Grandma's mower didn't mulch. The only plus that came with the mower - a while after I had it - was when, as a birthday gift to me, Mom & Dad, looked up the information about the bag that matched the mower, a side collection bag like this one. Then at least, for the remainder of the time that mower worked for me, I didn't have to deal with it spilling everywhere. I simply had to strategize the bag/side dumping area - that they wouldn't be butting into higher landscaping or front stoops.

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