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Mowing with COPD

nigeleeezzzznigeleeezzzz Posts: 4
in Tools and techniques
I suffer from quite severe COPD and have a lawn which runs slightly up hill towards the house.
I'm currently using a battery hand propelled mower but I'm finding it increasingly more difficult to push it up the slope so I'm considering self propelled petrol mowers. 
The lawns about 20 meters long and 7 meters wide. Obviously it'll make the mowing easier in a straight line but manoeuvring what will be a considerably heavier mower will probably become more difficult. 
Anyone else with a similar predicament able to give me any advise? 

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  • Pauline 7Pauline 7 Posts: 2,246
    I don't know about  the mower in your query,  but I have a sloping lawn and I mow across the lawn not up and down the slope.  This might make things easier for you.  
    West Yorkshire
  • NormandyLizNormandyLiz Posts: 788
    Have you thought of a robotic mower? Once you've got it set up you do nothing other than a tiny bit of maintenance (cleaning, replacing blades). 
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I'm a fan of Hayter mowers.
    I've had a Spirit 41 for about 20 years and never had a problem with it.
    My lawn also slopes upward and I'm considering one of these powered mowers -

    https://www.hayter.co.uk/osprey-46-ad-petrol

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • rowlandscastle444rowlandscastle444 Posts: 2,612
    Have you tried using a strimmer? That way you would only have to walk up the lawn once each time, wherever you keep the strimmer. 
    Admittedly it won't give the lovely mowing lines, but it's a possibility.
    Another alternative is to hire someone else to do the work - maybe once every couple of weeks. Obviously this requires further outlay, but it might be worth it.
    As a teenager, I earned a little cash in mowing lawns for elderly people, whom my Mum befriended. Actually, my Mum told me she'd offered my services, but it was worth the effort.
  • nigeleeezzzznigeleeezzzz Posts: 4
    NormandyLiz said:
    Have you thought of a robotic mower? Once you've got it set up you do nothing other than a tiny bit of maintenance (cleaning, replacing blades). 
    We've got a dog that poops in the garden and wildlife (badgers and foxes) that use it like a toilet! My sons got a robotic mower that he leaves on and his lawn looks lovely. This wouldnt work with a dog and badgers though

  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    I have a lot of grass and my garden is on a hillside. Some of the slopes are very steep. I had a big heavy mower but when it died I replaced it with a small electric Flymo on wheels. Admittedly you have  to manage the cable and  it being smaller means I cut a smaller amount on each pass, so need more of them, but it is much lighter and easier to manoeuvre than the old mower. It follows the curves of the beds better and doesn't chew up the grass on awkward corners like the old one.
    I always start at the top and work my way downwards.  I do try to mow across the slopes but in my 3 dimensional garden that may also be on a gradient so I often just stand in one place and push the mower to and fro and cut all the grass around me before moving on to another spot.
  • WaterbutWaterbut Posts: 344
    Saw a gardener with a rope attached to his fly mower. He stood at the top of the slope  and lowered it down. Then of course pulled it back up. You could invent some pulley and tackle system to get it back up if it is to heavy.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Could you plant clover instead? Doesn't need cutting.
  • NormandyLizNormandyLiz Posts: 788
    nigeleeezzzz said:
    NormandyLiz said:
    Have you thought of a robotic mower? Once you've got it set up you do nothing other than a tiny bit of maintenance (cleaning, replacing blades). 
    We've got a dog that poops in the garden and wildlife (badgers and foxes) that use it like a toilet! My sons got a robotic mower that he leaves on and his lawn looks lovely. This wouldnt work with a dog and badgers though

    We have 2 dogs (sadly no badgers or foxes) and it is in fact not a problem as on the highest setting the mower passes over any poos. It obviously depends on the size you're talking about, though!

  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    @nigeleeezzzz if you can't cope with a hand pushed battery mower I don't think you would cope even with a self propelled petrol mower.  They are heavy and turning them takes quite a bit of effort even with the mower moving itself forward. 
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