Herb and Jamaal by Stephen Bentley for March 02, 2025

I remember using these back in 1992 when I was a 7. Ugh, the blisters. Glad my parents also had enough and sprung for a gas mower.

I mowed with a gasoline powered reel mower. No safety handles. No clutch. You killed it by shorting out the spark plug. It would run loose like the ones in cartoons.

We had a Sears Silent reel mower. Wasn’t so silent when someone had to push it in the Illinois heat and humidity. As the only boy, I got the honor.

With what idea? You never say. Burr came up with an improvement to reduce clogs in the mower. He didn’t invent the mower itself, that would be Amariah Hills.

Those reel mowers didn’t cut very neatly, but the process sure smelled good.

I have only had ones like theirs. I loved it. My lawns were small, and since I killed all the grass, I don’t have to mow anymore.