ALSO: Invest in steel toed and sole plated boots. Never, ever mow in shoes, trainers, rubber boots or sandals!!!!!
A fellow worker of mine cut off 2.5 toes while wearing what we used to call rubber 'Wellingtons'.
Later the cut off boot (sans the severed toes!) was exhibited at safety seminars around this town.
Also; I still have and still use my work boots; the leather completely gone from the steel reinforced toes of one boot.
What happened; was using our 3 HP (petrol) mower on grass under the edge of a small bush the mower was caught; it came out rather suddenly and ran over my foot.
Blessedly I WAS wearing my safety boots and there was just a slight bruise. Many years ago I bought my son now aged 30, similar safety boots. The sixty or whatever dollars were well worth it. And glad to say he has adopted the same safety stance and will never mow or allow his wife to do so without foot protection. Even to lending his boots to others; one of whom is a medical doctor who HAS worked in the ER! One would think that of all people HE would know better!
So apart from the mower itself .................... strongly recommend .................... BUY steel toed boots!
Yes I know we'll have a hundred people write in that they've cut their grass for eons, 'barefoot' ....... don't listen. Get proper boots!
Speaking personally; I'm 76 now and apart from the above incident have annually survived mowing at two one quarter acre of grass properties since 1960 using a variety of older, fixed up, second hand, repaired and one electric mower. Presently using previous mower base and the
5.5 HP (petrol) engine from my neighbour's mower. He had bought a brand new mower.
Don't favour electric mower, they often die, need a long extension cord and are not as powerful as petrol. My daughter/son in law who live close by have 6.5 HP self propelled. Find it a bit heavy and I don't the bag that fits on it and adds to its weight. There's nothing wrong with letting the cuttings go back into the soil to fertilize.