Amputations and Lacerations: Your Front Lawn Is a Jungle

I have Louis and his guys. They come and do it all. I just pay them. Works for everyone.

the solution could also be giving up grass.

I know that my son doesn't read the NYT because if he did, he would print out this article and hang it prominently in the middle of our refrigerator. Every Sunday when I tell him to help with the yard work and to mow the lawn, this article would be exhibited A as cause why he should not be asked to do such dangerous work.

I'll never forget the breaking news at 10PM one night a very long time ago. The female newscaster looked into the camera and with the hint of a smile says, "man cuts off organ with chain saw, details at 11". Needless to say, we watched the 11PM news. Gives you much respect for properly operating a chain saw.

For the past 10 years I have been paying someone $75.00 monthly for cut my lawn. First to avoid injuries to myself and perhaps because I am allergic to the smell of grass. I now would have preferred living in a townhouse with just a small patch of grass.

When I was in college back in the 70's I worked for Sears at the counter in their regional service center and parts department. This center was where appliance service calls were scheduled and do-it-yourselfers could come to buy parts. Most customers at the parts department counter were men. I quickly figured out that by looking at the hands of the customers I could tell whether they were going to ask for lawn mower parts versus parts for, say, a washing machine. In every instance, a customer requesting lawn mower parts was missing fingers.

Where are those scientists toting the injuries up to? Are the injuries heavy to carry?

How about damage to hearing from lawn mowers and blowers? It's not only the equipment operator who suffers from the deafening sound, it's anyone who is close. For children the noise from lawn equipment is painful. Toro and the other makers need to devise quiet equipment. As to blowers, does anyone really think they beat the wind? i marvel at the energy spent by someone operating a blower, when the wind will do what it will with all the stuff that is so neatly blown somewhere.

Let's put that 51,151 injuries 2006-2013 by lawn mower into perspective. Averaging around 9,000 per year, for 2006-2013 there were about 72,000 homicides by gun in the US. Deaths, not injuries. Shouldn't that be more of a priority?

I use a pushmower. Never lost a finger.

The solution is safer equipment?? No, it’s a law prohibiting idiots from using lawnmowers. Putting your hand under a running mower?!

This is near and dear to me. Back in the late sixties when I was in high school I used to mow lawns with mowers that had NO safety features. No foot shield in the back, no auto cutoff and brake and I never gave it a thought until I read an article in Readers Digest explaining how and why these things are the most dangerous piece of equipment most home owners will ever use, next to a car. Heavy steel blade spinning at ~2900 RPM (!) powered by an engine with enough power to slice through any body part and the ability to throw things (rocks, gravel, sticks, etc) at up to 200 MPH. (My neighbors mower threw a rock through my basement shop window through two panes of glass and a screen and lodged in the sheetrock on the other side of the room. I was standing two feet away from the window). That one article totally changed my attitude and caused me to pass that knowledge on to everyone I have ever taught to mow a lawn. ALWAYS wear heavy shoes with good traction, never sneakers and NEVER flip flops or sandals. Wear safety glasses and ear protection. (Even with the rear shield on the mower I have been hit in the face and safety glasses with debris). NEVER, I repeat NEVER bypass the safety features on the mower. If you must mow on an incline, mow across so if you slip the mower is not going to roll back on you. Never let kids or pets in the area while mowing. Above all, make sure everyone who uses it knows how freaking dangerous they can be and how to use it safely.

I detest the chem lawn standard of lawn perfection. What a waste of time when it goes well, what a pointless injury when it doesn't. People laugh at me because I wear eye protection and kevlar gloves when I mow. Lately I simply let the lawn go for weeks without mowing. It's not all that unsightly for grass to go to seed. Seems rather natural to me. Some areas I simply mulch over with heavy tree bark.

Dig up the laws and replace them with something attractive. Think of how much less poison will go into the rivers and streams if we all stop obsessing about dandelions.

As someone who runs a mower bigger than most peoples cars in my spare time, I have some tips. Don't hurry or rush, this leads to mistakes. If you can't finish today, there's always tomorrow. Wear sturdy shoes. Rolling around in flip-flops is a recipe for disaster. Never, ever clean a running machine. Turn it off, take the key out, or pull the wire off the spark plug. Wear hearing and eye protection.

Time for xeriscaping! Regional plants that demand less resources and labor than turf, and provide food and shelter to native creatures.

It is stunning to me that after 75 years of lawn mower injuries people still "sometimes stick their hands into a mower, despite the whirring blades, to clear debris." I loved the last paragraph: “We’re working with university engineering departments, and our hope is to create lawn mowers that are smart enough so that no one gets their foot or hand chopped off.” How about working to create humans smart enough not to stick their hands under a running lawn mower?

Three acre yard, in a Wichita suburb. I do ALL the yard work, Year round. My very brief list of rules for yard work : Know your limitations. NO pets or children anywhere in yard, while mowing, weed eating, etc. Slow down. Most injuries occur when trying to “ finish up “ or outrace rain. NEVER, ever allow a riding mower to remain running, when you are NOT in the seat, alert and ready. Never, ever allow children to ride along on the mower. The number ONE RULE : slow down and pay attention. Don’t get distracted. Take plenty of rest and water breaks, indoors. Happy gardening.

Moved to a townhouse last year from a single family home with a 1/3 acre. We've probably saved more than $2000 per year adding up water, tool, time, mulch, fertilizer, plants, and gasoline costs. I don't miss mowing in the heat and having the work destroy half a Saturday or Sunday. Adding all this to the risk of injury (or heatstroke) I realize we should have moved years ago.

The season has a beginning and an end in most areas, so if you mow every week, or if you mow every four weeks, the lawn is just as mowed at season's end. But, as Ms. Bear says, one easy way to help planet earth is to mow a lot less, rake leaves a lot less, clean things a lot less, drive places less...all easy non-tasks requiring less, rather than more, effort.

Just another reason to replace your resource-hungry lawn with a habitat garden. Choose wisely, and you’ll have a beautiful, living garden that supports birds, butterflies, amphibians...