US Culture Shock: Mowing My American Lawn for the First Time 

Take cover in the basement.

​@@vhondasorganizedchaosThe four of us are there right now.

Be safe! Away from windows! Edit: wow this looks incredibly dangerous. Please let us know you're ok!

Ive been under the tornado warning too man, stay safe!

Thats why jesus invented basements. And home insurance. Pip Pip cheerios.

old is gold.

A friend of mine at work bought his first new house. A coworker and I convinced him to buy a push mower. He came back after his first lawn mowing sore and ready to kill us. We just mocked him for being stupid enough to trust our advice.

Homer Simpson uses one. The general term is "reel mower."

​@@ambisinistralThats horrible of you. Money is really tight when you first buy a house.

@@ambisinistral Yea, I'm pretty sure they only exist to demonstrate to people that they need to upgrade.

Honestly if it looks that bad it probably needs a full going over by a tech. The coils must be screaming.

YES. As an HVAC tech it is definitely worth it to have a tech come out and properly service/inspect it when first buying a home so you don’t have surprises.

Great advice!

Holy cow! I was so busy thinking about the down spout undermining the condenser pad that I didn't even notice the fuzz!😅 That's so thick that you might even be able to start off with a shop vac to take out the bulk!

Good catch!

When we got a tornado warning in Kansas all the neighbors gathered on the street with drinks.

" a terrifying part of the charm" is the best phrase I have heard in quite some time.

Basements are also one of the most efficient ways to build homes in the upper Midwest. If you're up in MN, WI, and ND; your house has to withstand a 150⁰ F shift every year. If you're building slab on grade, you still have to get a frost footing down at least 5-6' below finished grade. If you're digging already, you might as well have some extra room and a storm shelter.

@@rich7447it’s the best way to experience a tornado tbh

Grow up

Often if you’re skilled to clean the heat pump you can use a air compressor or a wet/dry vac. That could be pollen. I’ve turned off the mains (should be out by the pump) and you can easily take the cover off, just hosed the radiator coils from the inside out if difficult used a wire brush. Then I’d hose off the outside panels.

How can you see it's clogged when I watched the entire video & the camera didn't even get close enough to the outside unit to even see anything..

@@jenniferv618more times than not after a flood your ac will be clogged because it was under water, even if only partially.

@@jenniferv618 Go to 06:48. It's on his left. You can clearly see how gunked up it is. It's bad. Kind of looks like the paint, but that's not paint.

@@rkolsenDon’t use a wire brush on air conditioner coils. Ever.

We put them on little platforms where I live to prevent damage.

I gotta get me one of those XD

I like the way you think.

Probably take 10 minutes to mow his whole yard.

Or the opportunity to buy another battery for more than half the price of the original purchase.

I love love love when the batteries run out!! Welp, I'd better have a pint a while.

Yep. The reel shouldn’t have any direct friction against the bar. There should be a gap about the thickness of a piece of paper.

Skinny, choppy, and pushy. You speak in words I understand and appreciate 😂

You, and your techno-babble 😂

I was had at spinny bits

Let him become American at his own pace 😂

He would have a heart attack if he ever visited Seattle and its surrounding suburbs. Those yards are mostly moss, or at least, they used to be... haven't been back to the area of my birth in some 20 years now that I think about it. O.o;;

Moss helps clean the air. You only need to remove it if it's on patios or stepping stones, as it gets quite slippery.

I hate lawns, they waste water and if you don’t do it yourself, expensive. I want an English garden, but lack the climate (for the thirsty lawn too).

If I had a home with a yard, I'd fill it with moss, and wild flowers that sustain honey bees. Oh, and blackberry bushes, because blackberries are a top favorite food of mine. And maybe some Burning Bushes that briefly turn bright crimson in October where I live, which isn't for very long, but gorgeous when they do. I definitely couldn't live in an HOA neighborhood, though. 😂

@@dawnkindnesscountsmost5991 If it wasn't for the mention of burning bushes, I'd be accusing you of sneaking around my property. The part that I mow, is pretty much everything except grass. With a lot of trees blocking the sun, I have ample amounts of moss. Needless to say, I live well outside of town, and an HOA is simply not an option for me, not that I'd ever consider living in a development that had one. The only reason I do mow, is the fact that I don't want people thinking my house is abandoned.

That's what I'm doing with our lawn. One part is going to be a bee lawn I hope (I've not totally extinguished my wife's desire for lawn...), the rest will be a native garden. Far nicer, better for the environment, and less work.

Thank you..... I'm glad people are returning to sanity and common sense regarding lawns.. Lot of people felt pray to crafty marketing...

Amen! Grass lawns are mass insanity.

I have both native and non-native plants in my flowerbeds and the non-native plants don't require any more wok than the native plants. I also have a grass lawn which makes getting around the outside of the house easier, gives me a place to throw the weeds I pull from the flowerbeds before I mow, and serves a resting place and playground for the stray cats.

​@@loosilu Not always. Especially if you have kids or a dog. Or two. But then you do have yard art to pick up that the pooches leave behind. I do happen to agree about Native plants and if you do plant non natives pick non invasive ones. But even some natives are invasive. But even with a Native Garden you still gave weeds to fight. Invasive species I've had to deal with. 1) Joe Pie Weed. Looks fantastic when blooming against a privacy fence. But they send out runners. 2) Ligularia. I'm not sure if they are Native or not. Runners and prolific seeders. 3) Ferns. The kind we have can get out of hand. Once again runners. 4) Sumac. Absolutely stunning for about three days in the fall. But they spread. Via runners again. The best behaved 1) Hostas. They may not be Native but they are extremely well behaved. Long lived and minimal care. Dead head the seed pods. Cut them down in the fall and split occasionally. Plus they cover a lot of ground and will chime out weeds with dense shade. 2) Alium (my favorite). Gorgeous blue balls on tall stalks for early color. But site carefully. The leaves are unattractive. Plant amongst hostas to cover dieing leaves. 3) Huchera. Pick carefully for light conditions. Can be iffy. Spectacular when mature. In my experience pollinators will be attracted to just about any flower. Plus remember sny species of plant that spreads naturally from its origin area is invasive.

omg, I just posted and then saw your comment and we both typed "oOOOOo Lawrence" the same way. Freaky.

@@mikeshahan1960 oOOoOo, Mike.

I might also add that his video topics are well researched.

@@maryellenthompson8261 indeed, oOOoOo, indeed

What a peach of a guy you are! ❤

They're weeds.

We live in the Mojave now, but in the house in CA where I grew up (nearly 30 years) the lawn was colonized by mint. Yeah, that. Mowing was no chore, smelled like a hekkin' peppermint patty factory. Never bothered (or even tried) to get rid of it. As far as we were concerned, if it was green and could survive the mower it could stay in the yard. Monoculture yards suck.

@@duncreg Not if you are a bee looking for food.

@@duncreg One man's weeds are another man's pretty plants. I think white clover is beautiful, and since it's so much more environmentally responsible, if I ever bought another house and had a lawn, I'd be sure to sow white clover, and encourage Creeping Charlie, the ground ivy. My last lawn had a lot of Creeping Charlie, and it stayed low to the ground, was green even in drought, and smelled nice when it was mowed. I also had extensive vegetable gardens, like my dad.

I LOVE that you said that about not being a golf course. I totally agree! I have all manner of vining groundcover that has choked out nearly all of the previous owner's grass and it's WONDERFUL. Never grows taller than about two inches high and in addition, the rabbits love the clover in my yard. I have all sorts of WI sparrows and finches in my yard as well, because my lawn grows what they like naturally, with no need to purchase seeds and feeders.

My neighbor 2 doors down didn't mow his lawn for over a month. The city finally had to step in and do it. They charged him $350. It's less than an acre.

HOAs are only a problem for those who chose to live in them.

Replace it with a clover lawn.

It varies across the country. Too many yards in my town are filled to the brim with weeds and there ain't no penalties for that.

The problem is that an overgrown lawn can become a habitat for ticks and other vectors for disease, posing a public health hazard. Replacing the grass with clover or other low ground cover is probably the best option for most homeowners, though it's a time consuming process.

my friend had a reel mower for several years, when she bought a gas powered one, she never went back.She couldn't believe how much quicker it was to use the gas powered one.

Tall grass got caught in the wheels of ours and I had to stop to unclog it. I was about 9 or 10. While I was getting the grass out of the wheels sprockets my older sister sneaked up behind me and gave the mower a shove, with my hands in the blades. sliced right through the bone of my right index finger, the babysitter nearly passed out when she saw it.

I used to have a reel mower I got from my grandparents and the best thing is was a open reel mower with a 3hp gas motor on it and it was self-propelled...it was glorious in it's danger. Greatest and most dangerous lawn device since yard darts...then my wife made me destroy it so the kids wouldn't kill themselves with it. I said it made me who I am...and she said yea, that's why you have to throw it away.

Early 70s was the last time I saw one.

Oh wow! Your history and timeline is the same as mine. My dad was also the owner of a similar lawnmower. We lived about an hour north of Chicago in Wisconsin. My dad tried to make mowing the lawn interesting and I was a girl of a similar age to you. I didn’t fall for his tactics. Later in life I discovered that I’m allergic to most pollens and grasses which makes mowing the lawn a possible trip to the hospital (oh darn).

Batteries keep you young.

I had my little red mower out in the front yard with me before I left for work one morning last month. At the time, I was in the catcher's squat operating on some weeds, but a guy in a truck drove by, stopped, and then backed up and rolled down a window. He asked me if I "really use that mower". It was a real time trip for him, because (as he explained) he hadn't used one for over 50 years. So I told him mine works great, it's nice and quiet, and I can pretty much run over my whole front lawn between the house and the sidewalk, including going back and forth in different directions over problem spots, in about 5 minutes -- but then there's some raking. Then I took him for a trip down memory lane by pushing the mower around a little bit to show him how easy it still is.

​@@merriemisfit8406 I have one too. It's quiet, and when it suddenly stops, I just take the stick out and go back to it. I have a gas mower that will just stop for no apparent reason that has left me screaming at it more than once.

@@andreacook7431I think the new gas we have is bad or something. The mower went weird after filling it up with it. My weed wacker doesn't care though. Which is weird.

I was once assaulted by a battery.

I have one. I used to love to use my grandfather's but my yard is a bit hilly. I used it once and haven't touched it again. At least I had good intentions lol.

I have one, lawn is 1000'-ish sq feet. And level. I use it regularly.

My across the street neighbor has a small front yard mostly dedicated to flowers, but she uses a push mower on the grass. She is a lively, energetic 90 year old. 😊

@@robinmills8675 And that’s exactly why I’ll never be a lively, energetic 90 year old! And I totally agree with you.

Last time I saw one was mid 70s and it was already considered a dinosaur.

Agreed! Lawns are moving out, thank goodness. Shrubs and gardens of drought tolerant and native plants are moving in 🎉

I've gotten complaints for over 15 years because my front yard is NOT a living blanket of green velvet.

@@Cricket2731 who is complaining? Unless you are breaking a law, it is no one's business but your own. I am sorry you live in an area where turf is so loved. Not sure if you can plant a living hedge for privacy out front-make sure to have a variety of shrubs that work in your area. Buy the smallest shrubs you can find, mulch the soil around them. In a year or 3 you should have some privacy. ugh, that is tough, my friend.

@@tgardenchicken1780, No HOA here, but some of my neighbors think the front yard should match the housing style (1950's). Fortunately, the biggest complainer moved!

@@Cricket2731 thank goodness no HOA- so glad the main complainer moved. Enjoy YOUR yard 😀😀😀😀

We had one and it was my job to mow lawn

I just changed from an electric weed eater to a battery one and it's great. I don't have a yard, I have acreage, so the corded option just wasn't cutting it (literally or figuratively). Also, this new one from Worx--so far, at least--isn't getting tangled up in high grass and weeds and vines. The old corded one knotted up if a piece of grass said "boo" at it. I'm in a constant battle to keep the woods from retaking the place; sissy lawn equipment made for manicured lawns of sod won't do.

They mainly make sense if you have Bermuda grass or you just like outdoor pushy exercise. Rich people with Bermuda grass can have big riding front mowers like that. They look so weird.

Or do the sane thing and get a gas weedeater.

Armadillos do the same thing. =(

It's wonderful. The guy comes over with his lawn mower and starts cutting the lawn and in 5 minutes he's sweating like a pig. I sit in the shade with a beer and call out, "Hey dude, you missed a spot." If the neighbors complain about the lawn, I just blame the lawn service. The neighbors get sympathetic because everybody knows how hard it is to get good help. I'll never give up my lawn service.

Depending on how lumpy and bumpy it is a ground pounder could flatten it out. Though, if it is a big yard it might not be worth the effort.

@@LWolf12 Thank you for that information. Always good to learn new things.

Your dad should have shown you how to sharpen the blades.

@@jeanjazMy father was NOT a good, smart, person (sorry to say). He would have had no CLUE how to sharpen the blades, and if he DID, he would just rather yell at me to GET GOING!!! That was his solution to everything. Yeah, that was my childhood. Thank God for my Mom, or I would have been a disaster.

They make robotic lawnmowers now. An old neighbor with a huge lawn had one.

You need a smaller lawn!

@@jubelet Lawns are stupid, honestly.

Robotic lawn mower FTW !

Take her advice. Please take her advice. I am also an old lady, can no longer go on adventures and was too busy raising kids and working when young to do so. Check online for things happening in your local area and attend them. Maybe grass will die while you're out having fun, and no longer need mowing!

Except you don’t sharpen reel mowers unless something is terribly wrong. They work like scissors, and there are simple adjustments that need to be tweaked to get a good cut

When my two baby yard slaves split the nest as God meant 'em to do (growl!) I too began to work the yard and garden more errrr..... Weeellll....jes to say, smarter.

We found one in the shed of the house my family moved into in 1985 whe. I was 5ish. My dad saw my intense interest in the device and promptly destroyed it. I was probably trying to mow cats or something.

@@Martys-4x4 Good point. In the early 50's we called our reel mower a "push mower". Wikipedia calls on unpowered reel mower a "push mower". But it also calls an engine powered rotary mower a "push mower" if it isn't self-propelled. I guess the conclusion is that since I said push mower, I wasn't being specific enough, so you got me on this one.

I know you are joking, but when I was a Military Training Instructor, a drill sergeant, at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. we had the trainees use these to mow the grass around our buildings. They were much safer for the trainees than using powered mowers. Not sure if they still use those.

We had a manual push mower in the 90s. It got lost somewhere when we moved, I think, and when we bought the house on one acre we have now, my dad was in his 70s and he finally bought a riding lawn mower that did a lot of other stuff besides mow.

When I lived (briefly) in the midwest I got grief for having a gas powered but push mower, for a very large lawn. It's what I was used to in western Canada, but the rain and humidity OMG. Where I live there is no rain for about 2 months in the summer. In Iowa that was the 'rainy season'. Also the clackety clack mowers are popular up here, i guess it's a 'green' thing, or we just like the exercise...and it isn't 100 degrees :)

We lived in mobile home with a really small yard

I feel that. My son sometimes takes 2 days. And its WAY less than an acre. Like what they call " a postage stamp". Lol

My son is kinda weird. He would have to “do stretches “ in order to empty the dishwasher. Occasionally he’d come into my bedroom “ to help me get over my fear of pillows “ by piling all my pillows on top of me. ( I don’t have a fear of pillows btw). The real reason he’d do this: he’d farted so much in his room that it was so stinky. He’s weird but I love him. He is actually a really good young man. Never got in trouble in school, has a really good job , and never has been arrested

@@SheilaRough mine too. All of that. Never in trouble, never arrested. All around good kid. And i like weird so its all good

😅😅🤣😩

Kind of reminds me of my uncle's story of working with the city council. If the city wanted a street replaced, they would let it run down complete with pot holes. Then the residents would vote to pay for it.

I mean, lawns are stupid in the first place!

Most I've seen are more shocked he found a rotary cutter. I think it's fine, maybe a bit small for his yard size, but it's a decent choice for where he lives.

Mine works on my clover and Bermuda. Is St. Augustine really tough?

@@linguaphile42 St. Augustine is super tough!! At the very least you need an electric mower but gas is your best bet. Clover and Bermuda grass has nothing on St. Augustine.

I keep trying to do that, but the (ugh) neighbors expect only grass, thoroughly soaked with weed killer, and all flowers tightly confined to brick enclosures. Nothing must be allowed to act natural or appear even a tiny bit random. I'm selling my house and going someplace way out in the boonies...

So you are Ire Land?

@@gl15col This is why I love not being in an HoA. Can do whatever I want with my lawn, except let it grow to be obnoxiously tall. But I personally would hate that anyways.

I do it several times a week. ⛳

Good for you, killing the planet with toxic rare earths.

I have a yard even bigger than that. With a riding garden tractor with a 42 inch deck, it takes me more than *three hours* (excluding trim and weeds) to mow the lawn. It's probably, I don't know, easily 10x the size of Lawrence's lawn. It might be nice to have a yard to run around in, but if you have any sort of fulltime job and if you're lacking a family to help you take care of it, it's difficult to find time when it's not raining and you're not working to actually mow it, especially when mowing it is an all day job.

@@Dhalin Sounds like the perfect place to replace grass with a tapestry lawn.

In the last few years (turning 40), I've become a huge proponent of everyone having some sort of food-bearing plants, even just a tomato in a bucket on a balcony. Just think how quickly you'd start shrinking food deserts, much to the chagrin of dollar stores.

I'm slowly trying to branch into growing some of my own vegetables but the land that I'm on isn't ideal for it. So for now everything is above ground in pots/grow bags. Nobody tells you that there's a learning curve to growing things, even if you use the "correct" soil for something. My dad's side of the family all had anywhere from 7-11 kids per set of parents pre-1960. They were poor but either grew their own garden produce or lived near farms where they could get them cheaply. I wish that my neighborhood was more environmentally friendly but all they care about is that you have a green manicured lawn. You're not allowed to keep chickens or anything of that sort either. Does make the large backyard feel a bit wasted. Though it's wet here too so the yard probably isn't ideal for either growing poultry or anything that doesn't like practically swimming in water.

Agreed, a year ago we built a raised bed garden in our backyard, figuring we should actually use the space instead of viewing it as an ugly nuisance. The whole yard, not just the garden part, is now so much more beautiful and pleasant to spend time in. And we’ve grown plenty of vegetables, some more successful than others (broccoli was a bust), but it’s fun to get to use things in recipes that we grew ourselves :) We just pulled a ton of potatoes out of the garden, so that was a huge success and we will probably try growing a lot more next year.

@@thegracklepeckNo chickens is annoying, but no roosters is something I can get behind. I lived next to people with roosters once. NEVER AGAIN. They wake up screaming at 4 in the morning every day and never shut up.

@@thegracklepeck Gardening is always kind of experimental I guess. Compost bins and garden worms can be useful for improving the soil. I wonder how your neighbourhood feels about garden ponds and water-loving plants… 🌾🪷

Push mowers are GOOD. They save the cost of gym equipment and/or memberships and they help to get you outside to mow before the grass grows too high. Yes, I do have a push mower (and an electric mower and a gas mower 😇😇😇).

He seems to have a pretty small lawn. Can't imagine it taking him more than half an hour (if that) to mow with the push mower.

it also goes by how old you are. I know older people with riding mowers who almost have no room to turn around .because their yard is so small.

The only issue I have with his mover is that the blades did not appear to spin freely. The blade assembly should continue to spin freely after a good push. There might be a packing thing designed to keep the blades from moving during packing and shipping that should be removed before use.

the biggest problem with a reel mower is, they don't work worth crap if you let the lawn get away from you.

And then you could paint the house and there could be long section while we watch the paint dry and you can make ongoing commentary about the differences between paint drying in America and in Britten. Jolly well.

Lawns are a pain. But, so is everything else, unless you cover it all up in weed barrier cloth and rocks.

@@user-qr8ki8ue4i in some areas lawns don't even make sense and you should actually go with some rocks and succulents. It's all about native species.

@@kitsmashing3267 I'm sorry to hear this! I feel for you. Not being sarcastic either We made a requirements list when we were house shopping and no HOA was in the top three most important requirements. I know some people don't have a choice or they really do like lawns. My statement was a suggestion in case they hadn't considered the option. In my last place (also no HOA) we slowly replaced most of the lawn with inexpensive river rock and left a little kidney shaped lawn in the front and a small patch in the back for our pup. And by slowly, I mean we only did a tiny change every year after we saved up enough for the change.

I don't know about getting rid of lawns, but I will say our lawn (almost fully recovered finally!) is just whatever grows. If the mower doesn't kill it, it's a permanent fixture. I just want it to be green. Or honestly any color other than mud lol.

Mulch it all. Woodchips and cardboard boxes.

Do what we do in Nevada, dig it all up and put gravel down. Much easier to maintain,

@@arcanescroll I don’t think that’s legal either. Besides, there would just be weeds growing in the gravel that would have to be pulled up every week.

@@arcanescroll I can't speak for ShadoeLandman, but in my corner of the Midwest, the city would fine me into oblivion for daring to have a gravel front, back, and/or side yard.

@@thomasmestre1232 Plants would just grow in the mulch. They will grow right on top of sidewalks if you let them. There’s too much rain here for that to be a real deterrent.

I feel "very hilly" is an understatement. LoL

@@WolfOU812 Like the 'hill' that goes up toward the shrine? 🤣😂

Plus, we get news stories about goats eating the brush on Mt. Washington.

I live in Pittsburgh area, and sell lawn and garden equipment. We call it western Pennsylvania level. Only level spot in the yard is the garage floor.

I have both, and I really like both. Go figure. The rotary is for when I just am so lazy I don't even want to go get the batteries. Or when I need it even quieter. My new pet peeve is loud lawn equipment, so there's that.

My grandfather had one... splintered handle, rusty blades and wheels, and all the tetanus a growing boy could hope for! =)

I keep trying to let the tall, spikey plants with the pretty blue flowers on the verge grow but someone keeps complaining and the town code enforcement sends us a letter. Sigh.

Our neighbor gets on his riding mower and goes around on it several times and sometimes you start to see a cloud of dust. We use a a auto propelled battery. One pass each way. He has 2 batteries for it. When one is charging, he can use the other. We usually take breaks too. Both of us are 65 and older. We have tried calling lawn service but when they’re no shows, it’s back to doing it yourself. We are checking out some ride on with battery vs gas.

@@wartgin That certain someone needs a hobby ! What you're doing improves the environment !🌻💚

@@catw6998 Mowing is hard work no matter the method ! At 70+ yrs. old , I've said for years I'll mow half one day , half the next , but once I get going , I might as well hang in there to finish - one 'n done ! 😂 My neighbor is 80+ yo. & not only mows her acreage but also works her veggie garden like a job - tough act to follow !🥰 ( we live in the country so lots to mow ... sigh ... )

I agree with you! It is important in drought ridden places to STOP HAVING LAWNS! Grass is the biggest water waster.

It's what I'm doing, gradually rocking areas that get full sun and are prone to looking bad anyway. Subsequently, I don't have to mow those areas and save both time and fuel. I'm moving to the country soon and my next house will be xeriscaped and I will leave my mower with my current house for the next owner who will need it.

@@elizabethdurham1657 My thoughts exactly. The need for "perfect" lawns is some sort of pointless and ridiculous bourgeois pursuit emulating the english lawns in front of manor houses- every man's home is his castle!

Fwiw, I have NO lawn.

New electric mowers are much quieter, like EV quiet, than all that mechanical clanking. Not to mention all the grunting and swearing I remember from using my grandfathers push lawn mower.

@@shannonlawhorn1674 if you were having that much trouble, someone did a lousy job of adjusting the cutter bar .

@@bobbrinkerhoff3592 Either that or I was 8.

I live in the country. I don't have to worry about that. I do, however, have to worry about copperheads, skunks, and assorted other creepy crawlies that folks don't seem to get in town. Keeping the yard trimmed makes it easier to spot them. =)

@@jamesanthony8438 in the Los Angeles area we have so much more wildlife than people realize. I get skunks, coyotes, opossums. Closer to the hills you get black bears, mountain lions, foxes. We also have rattlesnakes.

@@XSemperIdem5 LA has a perpetual water shortage! have you considered grass alternatives that don't require ridiculous amounts of water?