Mowing the lawn?

Question

My boyfriend says that you cannot mow the lawn when the grass is wet, that you would get electricuted. I say you can. Who is right?

Answer 1

You can mow it, but it's not very effective. The grass tends to lie down and not cut. It is also heavier due to the water which bogs down the mower.

Answer 2

You can't get electrocuted from a gas powered lawn mower, ever.
You can be shocked using an electric mower if it is not grounded properly.
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I would not mow the lawn when the grass is wet no matter what lawn mower I used.
You could slip on the wet grass and wind up with your feet under the mower.
Mowing wet grass is not good for the lawn, and the clippings ball up and lay in clumps all over instead of being mulched.
You also compact the soil as you mow when the soil is wet.
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Answer 3

All UK-sold electric mowers are double-insulated. Unless you cut the wire you will not be harmed. For extra safety use an RCD.
For you lot 'over the pond' THEY ARE NOT GROUNDED.

You will find it easier to mow if before cutting you drag a rope/rake over the grass to break the surface tension and allow the water droplets to run down the blades of grass.

It is easier to cut completely dry grass though. If it is still wet I usually give it a high cut and then go over with a lower cut.

Answer 4

If it's an electric mower you might depending on weather it uses line voltage or a battery. But, you still should not mow a wet lawn as the cut grass all bunches up and not good for the lawn or mower.

Answer 5

Your boyfriend is handing you a line...

As long as the cord is not frayed, and he doesn't run over it... he can't be electrocuted with a properly grounded mower. If it is a particularily old mower (well over 15 years), it could be ungrounded, and he might be at risk...if he pushes it into a deep puddle.

Avoid the problems, buy him a push mower!

However, you are *both* right. You can mow wet grass, but you shouldn't... Well, if only because the clippings clump, clog the mower, and weigh ten times what they have any right to weigh.

Answer 6

Forget the argument, the turf wins in this area! Unless it is an absolutely need you never mow turf when it is wet!!
Turf needs the moisture to be absorbed toward the roots to promote the health and to allow the minerals and chemicals to be taken in. Aside from making tracks and a mess of the mower, you are disturbing nature. If you have an Electric type mower your boyfriend should watch you cut with a phone in hand to call emergency.
Sometimes weather does not allow us to have a Golf Course type turf. When the turf is dry it will be more able to cut cleanly and recupurate. Cutting a wet turf, without any reason, leads to the onset of potential disease and insects.
If he can be electrified, your turf infested with disease and insects, what have you gained aside from the loss of both a boyfriend and turf?
Good Luck and God Bless to your Boyfriend.

Answer 7

You won't get electrocuted unless you are carrying around a live electric line. The worst that can happen is your mower will get clooged up with wet grass and eventually won't cut anything. You will then have to clean out the mower blades and the underside of the mower, which is a pain.

Answer 8

I mowed the lawn yesterday when it was wet its fine as long as its not actually raining at the time your doing it. The lawnmower doesn't pick the grass up as well when it is wet and my one tends to get clogged up but otherwise its fine. As for the it not picking up the grass just rake it up after.

Answer 9

You can mow it when its wet but it wouldn't be very successful. The weight of the mower combined with the rain would flatten the grass & make it almost impossible to cut. You would not be electrocuted.

Answer 10

He might be right if you use an electric mower--if its gas, you are right. I mow sometimes when its wet, but grass cuts better when its dry.