2flowerboys
Member
My son is about to be 10. We have a self propelled mower. And dad is out there w/ him now!
My son reads every warning there is! LOL! So naturally he tells dad, the mower says do not let children near. Do not let anyone under the age of 12 use.
I wanted to get an average age so I can let him know. He tends to worry about things that go against "the law" as he puts it! :)
Thanks
4myboys
Member
My 11.5 yo mows the neighbour's lawn with the lawn tractor. It's basically just a big, flat rectangle. Our lawn has more hills and hollows and stuff to mow around. I think that part of it is your son being physically big enough and mentally responsible enough to operate the machinery. There is no magic thing about turning 12 that makes a child suddenly physically and mentally ready to handle jobs like that.
12 years old with Dad walking nearby.
13 years old on his own. He stays in a lower gear.
Bookworm
Member
We do 12. I used to work in an emergency room. Twelve seems like a fair place for emotional maturity and (hopefully) the common sense not to stick one's hand under the mower. :-)
2flowerboys
Member
We don't have a riding lawn mower..just the old fashioned kind. Didn't know if I made myself clear :)
My two oldest are 12 and 11. They are learning this summer. We have both a non-motorized push mower and a gas-powered self-propelled. Dad is deploying soon so we needed the boys to be able to take care of the yard while he's gone. Otherwise I probably never would have let them near it! I had a friend chop his toes off. I insist that shoes are worn - no mowing in flip flops!
Ours is a riding lawn mower. We have 1+ acre though.
My DH used a push mower at 8. YIKES! Needless to say my FIL would absolutely be furious if we let his grandsons mow at 8 years old. You live and learn.
I think for a push mower, it really depends on the size and age. I am barely 5 ft. tall and it is all I can do to push a push mower. So I would say size is a definite factor, though many boys 10 or older are as tall or taller than me. Well some even younger than that LOL! I am admittedly short!
Rebekahy
Member
We don't have boys, but have two neighbors who have both let their sons at age 12 start mowing with the self-propelled mowers.
2flowerboys
Member
Yes! My dh insists he was 7-8 yrs old! And my FIL says it is so! FIL used to be a principal and my dh help cut the school's grass!
I too am not hardly 5ft! And I have a hard time w/ our old mower...it is not self propelled. But the new one is!
I do know that my ds is an extremely cautious boy! And dad gave him steady flat land to mow! He did some now and feels proud of himself! I, however, am freaked out about it! LOL!
And the new lawn mower has a nice safe guard surrounding it too.
Thanks ladies
My 12 yodd just mowed the lawn yesterday with some help from me - she is tiny, but wants and needs the additional responsiblility. Our mower has a bag and is the kind you can "self-propel" with.
My brothers mowed the lawn at about 8-10 years old and did it for several people too.
I suspect that training and teaching will have a big part in their abilitity to be safe. =)
Sue
Member
DD started mowing last year when she was 13. I discussed/demonstated safe & proper use, took several swipes across our rather small city lawn, then watched while she did the rest. A couple of times, I had to make suggestions on how to handle the somewhat sloped parts, but she was fine. I watched her mow the next few times to make sure she could handle it and was observing safety rules, and this year, she does it completely on her own.
I should add that she is average-sized for her age, not petite. The only problem she has ever had was once this summer when she let go of the thin bar that keeps it running, and it pinched her finger. Just a question of her finger being a little bit in the wrong place at the wrong time, but not a serious injury or issue.
Misty
Member
Mine start around 11 - 12 dependent on maturity. My 13yr old does the rider now! Yeppie,,, though dad now has to ask to cut his own grass! LOL
ds10 - has grown up on property, but either myself or his father is around and we do the harder bits, with the push mower and ride on at grandparents farm, with adult always there.
My son is 8 and started this summer with our self propelled mower under daddy's supervision. I was using the riding lawn mower when I was 9-10 on the flat parts. I think much is dependent upon the maturity of the child and the level of supervision.
Sue in MN
Member
My husband said 12 or 13. I did catch one of my sons borrowing the neighbor's lawnmower so he could try it mowing their lawn for free before that age.
Oh and by the way, girls can mow the lawn too. We have three sons but all three girls know how to mow the lawn too!
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