Following my wife's recent decision to let me to ride her mobility scooter, my neighbour (who is responsible for looking after the best part of forty acres of grounds) asked if I would be interested in doing some mowing for him during the coming spring/summer months (see below).......
Mower magic
More observant readers may have noticed that the mower has no steering wheel and, from my own point of view, it took me down Memory Lane because it uses hand-levers to steer - rather like the amphibious tracked vehicles I was trained on before going to Christmas Island in 1958 (below left).
There was, however, a significant difference between the military vehicle and the lawn mower because - unlike the 'tank' - the mower had no conventional foot pedals. In fact, the hand-levers are the only controls. When separated (above right - 'click' to enlarge) the machine is in 'neutral; however, when drawn together (uppermost photo), the drive mechanism is engaged and pushing both levers forward causes the mower to move forward. Thereafter, pulling either lever backwards introduces the steering mechanism; i.e. pull the right lever towards the driver's body to turn right and so on. Pulling both levers as far back as they can go engages the reverse gear. Pulling one lever whilst pushing the other causes the machine to turn on a sixpence.
On either side of the driver's seat there are some smaller levers which engage and adjust the height of the cutting blades (below the seat). There is also a hand-brake. It's a really clever system and, once mastered, provides very precise control (see video).
On either side of the driver's seat there are some smaller levers which engage and adjust the height of the cutting blades (below the seat). There is also a hand-brake. It's a really clever system and, once mastered, provides very precise control (see video).
