Green Riding Mower
Submitted by: dunno source via Submit a Kludge!
Well I guess it’s red, but the carbon imprint would make it green, but then again it’s designed for executing plants, but then also grass grows back, but then again I don’t really know anything about lawn-care other than to not use fire as a means of keeping your grass trim. – Frankie Fix-It
Favorite Comment: IamREBEL says: “Orville and Wilbur’s little known ‘Plan A.’”
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Well, that’s interesting. There are a number of reel mower/bike combinations out there, but I’ve only found a couple of other things like this one.
Notably at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/frockenstein/4357955410/
and:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/srab/4781011876/
Cycle Mower.
Based on the lawn it looks like a perfect fit.
There’s another Flickr set that identifies it as an “SK Cycle Mower”. Way cool.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chauss513/sets/72157603342579788/
Looks to me like the right handlebar has a controller for a 3-speed hub at the back. Blades run at fixed speed in relation to pedals, rear wheels run at one of three speeds. I hate to think how hard it would be to ride this: 3-speed hubs are notoriously inefficient on their own! One hella workout.
Doesn’t look like they need their lawn trimmed anyway.
This is pure win!
Where can i buy?
a commercially available product is NOT A KLUDGE! lawn looks awesome, though.
is it though? it looks well kludged, but still kludged…
IMO, the definition of a kludge is that it is something improvised, be it temporary or permanent, with an emphasis on creative use of materials. This is a purpose built machine. We can debate or question how well or poorly it works, but it was NOT assembled from found parts. Just my opinion.
we did that on the alternating treads staircase.
forgot at this point on how many posts were done on that one.
and that was a professional job that stair case. as well as been posted on several other sites before this one.
Ditto.
Fine whatever, just tell me where I can get one!
Yeh, lawn looks awe…some? It’s a baron desert. This thing works great, I want one, I am already tired of chasing my lawn mower for an hour and a half every Saturday.
Torches are legit lawn care tools:
I’m not sure what this is, but don’t want to try to ride it. You would do a LOT of pedalling to get anywhere with the sprockets like that. There is no grip in the tires, and the center of gravity is way to high for even the smallest slope. Green or not, it is not practical.
With gearing that low, I wonder why it even has brakes. Unless you pushed it down a hill it would never go fast enough to need them.
This is awesome.
But we need some kind of method for catching the cut grass. Having to follow behind with a rake kind of defeats the purpose.
I’m thinking taped together garbage bags…
green… hmm
mow down oxygen producing grass while increasing output of that ‘evil’ carbon being exhaled from a human doing all that pedaling.
..which gets me to wondering on how long it will be till humans have to get inspections and licenses for exhaling.. perhaps we’ll wear meters.
the prototype
http://www.slashgear.com/gallery/data_files/2/7/4/bike-mower-1.jpg
That actually looks far more practical
Everyone knows the red ones go faster!
From an engineering perspective, this looks like a win. As fat as most Americans are, we all should have one. Geared way down, the bottom rotary blade has to cut grass with a rotating blade normally reserved for a MINIMUM of 3.5 HORSEPOWER. Since man is like, 1/10 horsepower at best, the rate of the work (definition of power) would be way down, but it would actually work. Not for deep tall grass of course. And plan for an entire afternoon doing it for a small yard. But hey, most people spend way more for exercise machines.
If you race this against a push mower, I think the push mower will win.
talking about the non-motor one?
the one that is still sold at various stores.
That thing is amazing. Amazingly well build for a kludge, and a genius idea. Surprised I’ve never seen one for sale.
There’s a reason for that–mainly because it’s a commercially produced ‘kludge’.
Seems to have cut the grass awfully short, though. Might need to adjust the blades a bit.
I thought…this was already on the site before…
First, I think it would take less effort to just use a pair of scissors to cut those three blades of grass. Second, I think a regular push reel mower would be more comfortable to my butt.
You’re all assuming there’s a blade under there. In fact there’s an anti-gravity pad! First man powered hover bike!
Date: December 16, 1903.
Orville and Wilbur’s little known “Plan A”.
Thank you for choosing the ACME Eco-Friendly Mower. We hope you enjoy your purchase, and will continue to purchase our eco-friendly products from the ACME company (Cue Wile E. Coyote trying it out and accidentally running himself with it five seconds later).
It makes mowing the lawn fun for little Johnnie and it gives him some exercise. It’s a win-win
especially after hemows the yard. that he needs to have a rake afterwards to get the cut grass.
yeeeaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!
thats after you have to explain to him that there is no start button on it…still remember my brother asking our aunt about her mower when asked to mow her yard…
And yet that garden looks like they used the fire method…
OMG WANT. That’s awesome!
More like RedGreen mower!
Actually a human on a bike can put out 400 watts or more. 746 watts = 1horsepower, so a human can do 1/2 – 2/3 hp.
anyway, this thing rocks. really want one, even if it is a little tippy.
Someone in our town has one of these displayed on their front lawn, except the front tire of it is the blade of one of those non-motorized push mowers.
I wonder if someone could just pedal, then use one of these : http://mo-to.synthasite.com/About.php to steer.
First in line to buy one, Ed Begley, Jr.
that’s actually a very good idea