Contents
Intro
There is a high chance that you may face strange objects, such as pine cones, on the ground while using a lawn mower. Yet are pine cones bad for lawn mower? Keep scrolling down for further information!
Are Pine Cones Bad For Lawn Mower?
The answer is No.
Pine cones cause no significant damage to your mower. They are even beneficial, as their rough surfaces can polish the underside of your mower deck thoroughly. If you still feel unsure, you can check it next time and notice a glossy luster in this position.
Yet in the long run, you should not mow over them if you don’t want the blades to become blunt and need replacing more quickly.
Besides, pine cones can wreak havoc on some mowers, which are not equipped with the bagging attachment or are unable to mulch. So you should pay close attention to your lawn mower types with the prospect of taking precautions against these hazards.
Read more: [Top 5] Best Grit For Sharpening Lawn Mower Blades
Can A Lawn Mower Go Over Pine Cones?
No.
Although pine cones do not damage your lawn mower in most situations, they could become potential projectiles, especially large ones. Therefore, it would be best if you could remove them before starting to mow your garden.
More specifically, they can be propelled out of the shoot or cut by the lawn mower blades into pieces of different sizes. If they are chopped up repeatedly, your blades will likely be dulled as a result.
They are a hidden danger to bystanders as well. Due to the strong force caused by a mower, some small pieces of pine cones can be thrown so far and cause severe injuries to humans and animals. It would help if you determined the direction pine cones could be launched to avert worse scenarios.
As we have mentioned earlier, moving over them also has repercussions for some lawnmowers whose physical features are unsuitable.
Read more: Black+Decker BESTA512CM Electric Lawn Mower 3-In-1
Do Pine Cones Dull Mower Blades?
Yes.
The blade is a device created to puncture, slice, chop or scrape surfaces and objects. They are usually made of materials such as flaking stones, copper, iron, or bronze. Except for being susceptible to corrosion, it is also vulnerable to being dulled.
If you hit pine cones too many times, that means your blades have constant contact with the rough and undulating terrain. When this issue persists, they are apt to become blunt and gradually dull over time due to regular exposure.
Can You Use A Lawn Mower On Rocks?
No.
Undoubtedly, rocks pose a great menace to your lawn mower and bystanders. To dive deeply, the collision between your mower and rocks exerts a bad impact on your blades.
They can be dented or lose their sharpness. Some may even break apart, or their shapes are deformed. The damage intensities vary depending on the rock’s size, hardness, and frequency of collisions.
Other parts, such as the mower’s neck, blade adapters, or clutch, are also affected. After a while, the engine’s efficiency seems to decrease, and you also notice a reduction in the cut evenness and quality.
Concerning the injury risks, when you use your lawn mower at high speed, the problem of flying rocks, stones, or pebbles is a nagging worry. They can break windows, and fragile objects or harm bystanders, unfortunately.
How Far Can A Lawn Mower Throw A Rock?
Suppose a mower spins at the velocity of about 200 miles per hour, the force generated at the end of the blades is great at that time. It can launch small stones or pebbles roughly 100 feet at 180 miles per hour.
With this speed, objects like windows, flower vases, or other structures within a close distance can suffer significant damage. Humans and animals are also likely to be injured.
There are various contributors to the distance that a rock can travel after interacting with your lawn mower. Below is a detailed list:
- The angle of the impact
- The launching force
- The weight, size, and width of the rock
- The rock’s hardness
- Your lawn mower type
- The velocity of your lawn mower
- The density of surrounding weeds and grass
Can You Use A Lawn Mower On A Gravel?
No.
It is strongly recommended you avoid mowing over a gravel surface, as gravel and lawn mowers do not match. Your blades could be blunt, dull, chip, or break apart if you do so. Other parts of your lawn mower might also be prone to wear.
You are not advised to mow grass growing in the graveled area as well. Blades of some modern devices can resist the force and pressure when they contact gravel, but that of traditional ones could be heavily damaged.
Instead, you can rely on gardening tools, like scythes, trimmers, or grass whips, to remove weeds, which not only protects your mower device but also help you attain a well-manicured landscape.
Apart from that, there are some tips you should take notice of:
- It would be best if you cleared everything, including rocks, stones, and gravel, from your garden before starting to mow.
- You only use a grass whip if the grass grows to the knee-deep point.
- Once your garden is full of invasive weeds on a large scale, using a scythe is recommended to save time and effort.
- To create a polished look for the landscape, use a string trimmer.
- You can settle for pulling out the grass by hand, as this practice would uproot the grasses and prevent them from growing too quickly.
The Bottom Line
Hopefully, after this post, you will explore a reasonable answer to the question: Are pine cones bad for lawn mower? Besides, you could gain deeper insights into the damage extent rendered by other hazards, namely rocks, stones, or gravel.
If you are still in the dark about some information presented above, don’t hesitate to contact our hotline or simply comment below. We will try our utmost to respond as soon as possible.
Thank you, and have a nice day!
