Did a job the other day and the customer across the street was cutting his yard. He's about 80+ yrs old and he cutting his yard with the old reel mower. 4' at a time up and back, up and back....I just shook my head and felt sorry for the old guy, no tellin how long he was there before I got there. We finished our job and he was just starting to edge his curb line......with a set of hedge clippers. Clip-clip-clip-clip-clip..one step to the left-clip-clip-clip..one step to the left. With at least 100' of edging to do, might as well set up your cot and brew some sun tea. Thank God for gas. Schlep
chances are that "old guy" gave us the FREEDOM to do what we do today. If not him his generation at least, and I am talking about , WWII. Give him a break, sounds like he takes a lot of pride in his work. How many of us will do that when we are that old?
Don't knock him, he's just old school..A lot of guys across the pond care for their lawns in this same manner..They just aren't as concerned with making money as the rest of us. Nothing beats a nice , sharp reel cut lawn.. Except the Z tearing across the lawn at 9 MPH!!!!
I have to agree with Andyinchville. I hope to be able to do this at that age. I have become dependant on the gas powered tools of the trade. (I will probably live only half as long as the veterans of the past lawn & landscape maintenance generations.)
The old guy is 80. I don't think he is cutting the lawn for money. How nice it must be to actually take as long as you want to something. 'Thank god for gasoline the exhaust and dust I breathe all day long'!
instead of making fun of the man you may have offerred to help out or just plain mind your own business.
My Grandma ask Grandpa once why he ran around collecting knives? "Because it beats setting around collecting dust." The world is full of old people that wishes they could still get out and enjoy yard work. To most they were proud of how their lawn and landscaping looked and it was a showcase for them. I am glad that the ole guy is still able to keep his the way he wants. I am also willing to bet that 100 machines could not have made it look better.
Funny, but I remember those days of using the hand (scissor type) trimmers. They didn't start making the string trimmers until 1970 and my dad didn't buy one until 1972, but his trimming was done every week. By my brother and I....of course. I was only 6 years old when he put the new string trimmer in my hands, but that was nothing to him since he already had me using electric hedge sheers to do all that trimming. Just think of how bad his hedges looked.
Across the pond here I have lots of oldies, they like the gardens maintained in the "old way" i have used hand shears and edging shears, sometimes nice to go back although have everthing powered. I use hand shears on this driveway because it gives a better effect that trimmer and an edger. It takes longer and costs more....
