Lawn mower meets rocket science

It’s been pretty wet so far this spring. Lush, green and vibrant.

Not so great for tender tomatoes and such. And floods are still a real issue in some areas.

Floods aside, I’d call the weather a big relief over last year’s severe drought. Naturally, this spring’s climate also means thick lawns with lots of mowing on tap.

A lawn mower race, August 2012. Photo: Teresa Musser, Creative Commons, some rights reserved.

Some of us walk behind the noisy mechanical beast. Others ride. Some are on souped-up speedsters that zip though acreage in no time. And we probably all know small-engine buffs who have cannibalized lawn mowers to build interesting custom contraptions.

Well, those crazy folks at Top Gear are taking that to the next level. According to this from the BBC,

Honda engineers are racing to build the world’s fastest lawnmower after being put up to the task by Top Gear Magazine.

They are targeting a speed of 130mph (210km/hr). That would easily beat the current record of 96.5mph claimed by the fuel additive firm, Gold Eagle.

A first look at the machine – showing flames coming out of its exhaust – has been posted online.

Yep. A lawn mower that goes 130 mph. And (presumably?) still cuts grass. It would not be pretty but it would be fast.

We groom our half-acre with a walk-behind mower. It takes well over an hour – and that’s with part of the back yard left as meadow. And that’s nothing, I know. Lots of folks have property that takes a half day, a full day (heck, several days!) to mow.

Mowing can be pleasant in a meditative sort of way. But right now, especially, I often find myself resenting how that chore represents time lost for other garden tasks – many of which are past due already.

What do you think? Is 130 mph fast enough?

How long does it take to mow your grass and what do you do to keep the chore tolerable?