How old to mow?

[Bethieboo]

Mowing can be a very dangerous thing but sometimes a teenage boy is ready to do it to make some money. How old should you be to be mowing with a riding mower?

 

[stuckinnj]

IMO size of the operator is almost as important as age. You can be 20 and if you don't fit the equipment properly i.e. too short to fully depress pedals, too weak to turn steering etc. you increase the risk for 'opportunities' to occur. Age is really a matter of maturity. Operation of a mower can be fun but with the blade spinning, it is dangerous if the operator is inattentive or playing or even hurrying to get the job done.

Having said that, it is also a great way to teach responsibility, safety and vehicle maintenance. There are many pre teens helping on the family farm using equipment much larger then a riding mower.

Again, this is just my opinion.

 

[JDgreen]

Mowing can be a very dangerous thing but sometimes a teenage boy is ready to do it to make some money. How old should you be to be mowing with a riding mower?

I was driving my dads 9N Ford farm tractor at the age of 12, plowing and disking and pulling a hay wagon. No seat belt, ROPS, or safety switches...

I'd say the minimum age to use a riding mower would be 15 and up, and only then if the machine had all it's guards, safety cutoff switches, etc. operational. And then only if the kid had plenty of common sense. A rider is usually safer than a walk behind mower as you are less likely to stick a foot underneath it. I was using push mowers at the same age as I was driving tractors, but I was pretty mechanically aware of the hazards.

 

[Berniep]

My 10 year old can run the zero turn better than a lot adults I have seen. She is very tall for her age. She has been running it around for a couple of years now. Someday I will let her turn on the blades. She also has operated my little kubota tractor following me around so I could throw rocks in the bucket.
Here she is last year the first time I let her on the tractor by herself.

 

[Thunder]

It all depends on the child I would think. Some ten year olds can do it, while some 20 year olds just don't catch on.

 

[bret]

I agree as well, it depends on the kid. I know some who are young but act so much older and are older and act so much younger, it totally depends on the kid.

 

[Robin]

Every person has a different maturity stage. Others have explained this already so there is really no specific age when a person can use the machine or not. You will eventually know whether your kid can handle a mower or not. If not then you can teach him the right way.

 

[jacko]

Thanks for the great video of your daughter, she looks like she is having fun. I have a son and a daughter and I find my daughter is more mature than my son. He is more likely to come up with some crazy idea and get himself hurt. We are working on that with him but until he learns how to handle responsibility better then he won't get to Mow. (or at this rate drive a car) :confused2:

 

[old tractor nut]

i agree it just depends on the person. i have 4 kids and i try to show them how to run stuff as much as i can and i think my youngest one witch is a girl does better than her older bothers.then my oldest is a girl and she will not even look at them.

 

[touree]

I am not certain age should really be an issue. For me, as long as the kid can do the job really well, there shouldn't be a limit on age as such.