@nolnocluap's Prepping & Homesteading Update #4: The Masport Cleveland 18" Hand Mower, A Great Addition To Our Garage.

Good afternoon Steemit! It's a sunny Sunday afternoon in Australia and what better opportunity to introduce the latest tool for our homestead, the Masport Cleveland 18" Hand Mower

We've been after a mower that will just keep our house pad tidy and have had success with push mowers in the past. They're no harder to push than a petrol push mower and are quiet, clean and require no fuel to run. What's more is the cylinder design makes for a really clean cut (same principle as a petrol cylinder mower) rather than the ripping impact that most horizontal blade petrol mowers produce.

There isn't much around on offer here in terms of push mowers. Bunnings was really the only choice having rung a few mower shops. We didn't want one from Bunnings as they're obviously cheap and nasty and I'm very much a believer of spending money on quality tools that will perform the task well and will last for a long time.

We found a mower shop that could order in push mower units and after a little research, decided on this model as it is a known brand, has online pictures and documentation and was stipulated as being capable of having the blades removed and sharpened, an important criteria. Furthermore, my experience with the cheaper push mowers is that they are difficult to use, partly because the cheap plastic wheels don't provide enough traction with the ground to spin the blades. This mower has solid wheels and as the unit is steel the weight provides great traction so the blades spin reliably.

The unit came very well packaged and the weight of the box alone indicated to me that it was going to be solid and reliable. Upon opening the box I was pleased to see these indications confirmed. In fact the mechanism would not be out of place in a petrol cylinder mower. There are adjustments for cutting height and blade tension. The blades come already adjusted from the factory and the settings work well. There's a grass catcher for use too but I have so far not used it.

There's significant gearing to the blades which spin much faster than the mower travels over the ground. The handle is sturdy and adjustable. It's a pleasure to use. I like knowing that I don't have to worry about fueling up a mower or maintaining the mechanical complexity just to keep my house pad looking sharp... and sharp it does look! It's a little hard to see but here's a video I took while pushing the mower. You can see the blades of grass being cleanly cut (not torn) and you get an idea of how quietly it runs and how easy it is to push.

The point here is that quality hand tools can sometimes be every bit as effective as their powered cousins. They can even provide a better ownership experience. I only had to hose off the mower and spray a little WD40 on it and it was ready for storage after use. Aside from the odd blade sharpening and adjustments, this unit will just keep working for me. No mixing 2-stroke, no filling up Jerry cans, no spilled oil on the garage floor. A dream and certainly something to consider for the homestead.

What mowers to you use around the home? Can you share any tips on keeping them maintained and in good working order?

Thank you,
@nolnocluap