Hi folks, what do you put on to protect yourselves when mowing yards?
Bonus if you can specify exactly what they are. Extra bonus if you’ve a deal on said gears and share them. Inb4, inserted obligatory poll.
Thanks.
Protective Gear to Mow Lawn
Wat on 06/04/2025 - 08:50
Last edited 06/04/2025 - 11:52 by 1 other user
Last edited 06/04/2025 - 11:52 by 1 other user
Poll Options
- 78Commando
- 150Eye goggles
- 10Face mask
- 8Hazmats suit
- 4Motorbike helmet
- 30Others
Comments
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Yep. Don't waste your hearing on a lawnmower. Every exposure to loud noise slowly damages your hearing over time.
Sorry, didn't hear you.
Huh?
I think they said something about duff beer.
I only wear ear protection.
You won't have many safety issues using a maintained ride-on with ROPS.No glasses? Doesnt take much for a ricochet rock to get you in the face.
Recommendations? I use those foam ear buds, unsure if they block out enough decibels (using an ozito 36v (2x18v) mower)
I've always wondered if noise cancelling headphones work? I just use a pair of Bose qc35.
Yes it does
Not if you have electric one.
concrete
two ways
1. cup of concrete to harden the %#^$ up
2. concrete backyardyour choice
concrete backyard
Local Greek papou neighbour nods in approval
Then walks across the road in front of traffic giving cars the stink eye while rocking the singlet, right of way be damned.
The 'I'm too tough for PPE' mentality seems really outdated to me. Really corny. There's nothing tough about hearing loss or risking losing toes (and I know people who have).
I'm more than happy to hear people call me a sissy. It's music to my ears. My beautiful high functioning ears.
i dont know i see people with earbuds/phones in their ears all day long, electric mowers arent that loud (are they?)
My electric mower is 92db. That's some form of hearing damage after exposure for 30mins or more.
Ear muffs; sturdy shoes; gardening gloves; preferably long trousers when whipper-snipping.
Hospital Emergency Departments can tell you the horror stories of people attending on Sundays with mower/mowing injuries due to wearing thongs/flip-flops.
Have some dignity.
What sort of poor excuse for a man would go to a hospital even they ran themself over with a mower? Unbelievable.
Shorts, thongs and hat.
to be fair i dont remember one, i do remember a few chainsaws bouncing backs and opening hands, or splinters flying in and feet getting crushed but no mowers
Pluggers, board shorts and a t shirt (optional).
double pluggers surely?
Goes without saying.
Absolutely hate mowing the lawn, but the backyard looks amazing afterwards. Getting rid of the clippings is a nuisance too. But I'd prefer to burn the house down than have fake plastic grass.
I don't wear any protective gear, but earmuffs are probably a good idea if your lawnmower is noisy. Also face mask if you're mowing in a dry, dusty area.
i love it, its relaxing, i even mow my neighbours, i'd do the other neighbours one too but he snobs me when i say hi - i dont understand how people can be so lazy not to do it. (also dont understand some mediteranean oldies that like paving the whole place)
a few studies say some of the fake grass are either carcinogenic or we end up breathing small plastic particles in as it breaks down
(also dont understand some mediteranean oldies that like paving the whole place)
As people age, it becomes harder to maintain a garden because your body becomes weaker or you have other things you want to spend your time on. I understand the desire to create a low-maintenance garden. I'm only in my 40s and starting to do the same thing. I've got grass to mow, front and back, 3 hedges to trim, trees to prune or cut down, leaves to sweep up, veggies to take care of, etc. I'd like to pave 3/4 of the garden because good paving looks amazing and it's low maintenance. Problem is, it's extremely expensive if you don't do it yourself. And if you do it yourself, it takes ages and is extremely hard on your body.
a few studies say some of the fake grass are either carcinogenic or we end up breathing small plastic particles in as it breaks down
If definitely adds microplastics to your yard and these particles run into the rivers and the ocean when it rains. I also suspect plastic grass traps a lot of dust inside it, so I wouldn't want to sit on it or lay down on it, plus it feels horrible under your feet.
thanks for replying, i live in a suburb with a lot of mediteraneans but i didnt get the running joke. Its defnately not just them doing it though.
we are about the same age but nah if anything i like more garden, it doesnt have to be perfect and there are things like robot mowers.
paving still needs to be washed, fake grass more so it does trap crap that then grows weeds
I've stopped bothering with a catcher and had no bad side effects so far. If it gets real clumpy/built-up on the lawn I hit it with the blower when I do everything else to spread it out a little but other than that the lawn actually seems a little healthier
Same, the clippings are basically fertiliser/mulch so if you don't mind how it looks for a few days as it breaks down then I say leave them where they fall!
might seem like overkill, but i prefer a face mask with integrated ear muffs, shoes and long-sleeved shirt and trousers
integrated ear muffs, shoes and long-sleeved shirt and trouser
Where did you get a face mask with all that stuff integrated?
No shoes or shirt attachment
Hat sunscreen
A free sun-smart show for the neighbours
Beer. I have a ride on with a cup holder. No point letting that feature go to waste.
Line trimmer or ride on mower - in ear earphones with ANC (neck band style so can't lose one), wide brim hat, boots, long pants and sleeves if sunny
Brush cutter - per above but swap out hat for face mask
Tractor - per ride on except no need for hat as the tractor has a tin roof for sun protection
.+1 for my exact setup!
The face shield has been a game changer vs safety glasses, no more insane sweat-rash on my face for a week after doing the edges…
Shoes
White ASICS
Soon to be green Asics. lol
Username checks out.
My current setup is safety glasses, Bogs ultra mid gumboots, shorts/t-shirt, wide brim straw hat and in ear anc headphones playing some tunes. Gloves are optional depending on the situation and long sleeve shirt/sunscreen if it's hot outside, but I tend to not mow grass if it's hot.
I absolutely wear ear muffs. It's very easy to put on and my hearing is very important to me.
Tbf not all mowers are loud (i.e electric) but f**k me, the "I'm far too cool to wear piss-easy hearing protection and I'd rather degrade my hearing" mentality is bizarre to me.
I protect myself with various essential oils and raw goat milk
Steel cap boots but only because they are a beat up old pair and I hate that feel of dirt/grass under my feet if using flip flops
Line trimmer I always use safety sunnies too (uv wraps from Bunnings)
using flip flops
….
flip flops
What a sad day, can't believe I witnessed you write these words Jimothy.
Sorry , jandals*
Muffs, sunnies, old sneakers, old jeans.
Usually just chinese work boots (thongs) and sunglasses
Safety glasses that are also sunglasses, generally gloves as well but that's because I'll spot a weed or something while mowing and want to reach in and grab whatever it is without having to think about thorns, spiders etc.
Mine only takes an hour so steel caps, crew socks, safety glasses for whipper snippering and a wide brim hat sometimes. Air pods if I CBF.
Safety sunnies and earmuffs are going to be the ones that add the most immediate improvement to your risk profile.
In general though if you're doing big yards where lots of bits of tree falls on to them (so you're quite lkely to knock up sticks etc), it's also a good idea to wear enclosed shoes and long sleeves and shirt - there's reasonable cheap stuff at kmart and big w you can buy.
Let's be real we're all hitting in thongs, singlets and shorts until the whipper snipper comes out.
This isn’t just for the person mowing. My other half was whipper snippering and it kicked up a stone that hit me a fair way across the yard. Fortunately no injuries but a good argument to keep kids and animals out of the way.
Definitely with you on this. Husband's aunt lost sight in one eye from a stone being thrown up.
Some idiot my father knew actually let his toddler stand on the mower… kid fell off and had dreadful foot injuries.
Just “no” on so many levels; that poor kid and the poor aunt.
WCON
this is why i always wait for the arsehole neighbour to park his black range rover out front before i do the nature strip / gravel strip.
I'm in Adelaide.
What is mow lawn?
What is lawn?
Bit dry over there at the moment?
It's so dry at our place, even wild olive trees are browning off
.
It’s the green stuff growing to waist height all around all the dead commodores parked in people’s front yards.
And before you ask, I don’t think you can smoke it.
Just waist high!? Hold my XXXX.
heh. literally just mowed today for the first time since November. let the grass that did survive the melbourne summer go to seed to reseed the inevitable bare patches.
the elm tree on the nature stip is just about to start dropping all its leaves. i'll mow again once that finishes instead of raking them up.
Big hat and ear plugs.
Shoes (usually my work boots), long pants, gloves, eye protection, and a hat. I use electric stuff, so hearing protection isn't required, otherwise I would use it.
I ran over a rusted metal coathanger once that the kids had dropped in the yard. If I were wearing thongs and shorts, I would have spent the afternoon and evening in the ED waiting for a tetanus shot and maybe some stitches. It only takes one occurance for PPE to pay off.
Safety glasses when using the whipper snipper. Other than that, hat, tshirt, shorts and thongs. It's usually too hot to wear anything else.
Different people have different scenarios.
A 3m x 6m lawn in back of a townhouse/mcmansion will have little chance of hitting stones, and is done so quickly there is no real danger from noise or sun exposure.
My old 1700m2 block on 5 levels took most of a day to mow properly, had plenty of sticks, rocks and stuff kids had left out as obstacles.
I used to mow in boots, sunscreen and a hat. Add a mask if I was having lots of hayfever.
I have an adapt-a-cap for maximal cranio-cervical sun protection
https://www.sunsafeaustralia.com.au/headwear/p/sun-protectio…
Looks hilarious
Nothing racist about sun safety my friend
No but I think your comment is.
carhart bib n brace;
longsleeve;
covered shoes (boots);
boonie (tigerstripe camo);
oakleys sunnies w/ high reflective lens;
1 wireless earbud (casefile podcast);What's the bib for? Messy eater?
1: Stihl helmit with face shield, ear muffs https://stihlshoposbornepark.com.au/product-category/shop-by…
2: sun glasses- prevent long exposure under the sun causing cataract
3: face mask— prevent inhal bateria from dustsBut you may think if I am worries too much, I should get someone to mowe the lawn. Prefer do it on sunset or cloudy day. Try ego battery system before, expensive and weak. Now using second hand Stihl fro marketplace, love the sound and power, unbeatable
As an EV owner it’s my main chance to inhale the petrol and burnt oil fumes!
Did not realuse safety gear when mowing was a thing… does sunscreen count?
Shorts, thongs, T shirt and sunglasses.
negged but I wasn't joking. I have a small lawn, no sticks or stones to worry about or anything to hit. It takes only 10 mins to do. when I used to do my parents lawn that was a 2-3 hour job and for that I would wear jeans, shoes etc.
Sunglasses, headphones for music, hat, shoes, sometimes undies.
Safety glasses at a minimum. You only get 2 eyes.
I have damaged hearing and tinnitus, so I use earmuffs as well.
Also, having had a few foot injuries in the past, I almost always wear composite toe safety shoes any time I use any power tool of any type. Being able to walk comfortably is very underrated.
If your hearing is damaged you probably don't even need the earmuffs.
Before gardening, I always make sure to employ a gardener.
Closed shoes, eye protection (sunnies), sun protection (hat, shirt), gloves and AirPods under old pair of noise-cancelling headphones that are not wireless.
Safety crocs (all terrains, purchased on sale. One has a broken strap, I'm mad about it) +/- Zasel white bond socks with holes in.
Sometimes Bose Quietcomfort SC (studentbeans deal). Quiet mode ON.
If I'm thinking ahead, craftright clear safety glasses (very dirty), though odds of me getting them are slim if I forget.
Gumboots and chemical gloves for handling / for when applying pre-emergent. And hazmat
Sun Glasses, earmuffs, boots
Face mask (there are a lot of places that have dust/ asbestos fibres - and you’re making them go in the air)
Gloves
Sunscreen
Wide brim hat
Water bottle to stay hydrated
Long sleeves and pants
Muffs over earbuds and my old work boots. Now I’m full r/nolawn
Earmuffs - mostly. Since i got a battery mower and trimmer its not so noisy. Definitly with a petrol mower. Why waste your hearing of a mower when you can save it for doof doof.
Sunglasses always. Offen safety glasses if they are handy. No need for full goggles with a regular mower.
Hat if its middle of the day.
Enclosed shoes. Used to be an old oair of steel caps until the sole fell off, now its joggers.
And yes, keep your kids out of line of sight of the snipper and mower. They can fling little missiles a long way. Mostly unlikely to cause an injury, but if it hits an eye itll be bad.
Amazed that nobody uses sock covers to keep grass off socks! I always use them.
I use them if doing 'serious' whipper snipping. Dont feel they are necessary for a mower with a catcher, they dont shoot much stuff out.
But what do you use to keep grass off your sock covers?
Steel cap boots, boot covers and earmuffs.
Thongs and shorts. Thats about it.
don't forget your beer
I wear thongs during bindy season.
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Ear muffs?