Look all ways when mowing the grass

With temperatures rising and grass growing, homeowners and entrepreneurial kids have begun putting their mowers in gear. We hope they're also gearing up to avoid becoming one of the 86,000 lawn-mower casualties who end up at emergency rooms each year. Mower-related injuries range from amputations to serious eye and head wounds caused by flying rocks and other debris. 

Certain types of mower injuries have decreased since 1983, thanks in large part to improved safety standards established back then to protect against blade-contact. But the incidence of other types of mishaps hasn't dropped, and operating a ride-on mower in reverse is particularly risky. A small but significant number of injuries and deaths related to ride-on mower use (approximately 5% and 7%, respectively) occur when bystanders, mostly children, are run or backed over.   

We think addressing this problem is a good idea; however, based on our testing of lawn tractors, we find that the current procedure comes up short. All models require some form of additional action in order to activate cutting while moving in reverse, which is intended to prompt the operator to check the cutting path behind the lawn tractor. Most models incorporate this into the ignition switch, requiring an additional turn of the key, while some have a separate switch that must be activated. 

We think dedicated switches are a good idea, but in our recent test of lawn tractors, we found they had serious limitations. On some models, such as those from Husqvarna and Craftsman, the inconspicuous switch only needs to be flipped once during a mowing session. Convenient, yes, but it's too easy to forget that you have overridden the no-mow-in-reverse feature. The models that make you flip the switch each time you you shift into reverse, such as the John Deere, or the models made by MTD, Inc., which require two actions (flipping a switch and pushing a button), are a bit of an improvement. But we think the best design was one that Toro used on a past model we tested; it locates the switch on the side of the seat, forcing the rider to turn around — and hopefully notice what's behind him — before mowing in reverse. Toro no longer uses this system.   

The system makes so much sense, we wonder why tractor and ride-on mower manufacturers haven't adopted it. Putting the reverse switch toward the rear compels drivers to turn and look behind when they mow in reverse, and seems to be an easy and obvious way to prevent injuries. Until manufacturers add a reliably safe system to all models, it's up to you to take the step of looking back before you reverse. 

ConsumerReports.org has more safety tips and information on buying and using mowers. 

Also: CR's Complete Lawn & Yard Guide

Video: How we test lawn mowers