# Nail launched by mower.



## mark_kershner (Mar 11, 2017)

Someone or someone near them is pretty lucky. This wheel took one for them.










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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

I hate to see people mowing with the chute tied up so they can miss trees, etc. It has a purpose and could prevent things like this from happening, or lessen the impact.

Not to belabor a point, but last century, while mowing a small patch for wifey to plant things in, the mower picked up one of those three pronged diggers that she had lost the previous year. Now we're talking a 41 acre farm. She was standing about 40 feet away. The mower slung the digger and hit her squarely in the face with each prong spreading across her forehead above her right eye. The handle was traveling at a greater speed and took out her jaw. She lost central vision in her right eye and had to have her jaw reconstructed from bone from her palate and teeth implants.

To this day, however, due to the expertness of the surgeon, you cannot see a single scar.

Be careful with mowers. AND KEEP THE CHUTE LOWERED !! I was guilty.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

That is a scary story, man.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

God's hand:

1)This was before hand held cell phones. She had driven my F150 back to the field rather than walking. She ALWAYS walks. It gave me a way of calling 911 rather than running 1/4 mile and leave her laying in the field.

2)Cows are creatures of habit. They were supposed to be in the field where I had to gate in the Ambulance and first responders. They were not there. They were still in the lower field.

3) When you go to an ER, you have the luck of the draw as far as which doctor is on call. It just so happened, that day, that time, the #1 Maxofacial surgeon in Athens, GA was on call. Not having to delay fixing her face, he did it right away, thus no scars.

Sorry Mark, didn't mean to hog your thread. It is shocking to see what can happen with mowers.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Wow, that is unreal, The Lord was watching over y'all that day.

My sister was cutting her grass and hit a 16d nail, it drove the nail into her leg bone. She had to have it removed at the ER. I have dented doors, busted front door glass and a few places have put holes in siding from a lawnmower. You just never know.


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

While I agree with chandler48, a chute is no guarantee of avoiding a mishap.

A few years ago, I was mowing my back yard and heard something small ping out from the chute. I did not think much of it.

After finishing the mowing, I was sitting in my living room cooling down before taking a shower. As I was sitting I began hearing a sound similar to an electrical short circuit. As I was trying to locate the source I noticed it got louder near the sliding glass door. I pulled back the blinds and was greeted with a spiderweb across one section of the door. The noise was the glass slowly shattering.

Whatever went "ping" while I was mowing apparently hit the glass door shattering it.


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## Missouri Bound (Apr 9, 2011)

When I was a small child I was playing alongside the house on a nice day.
Suddenly my mother came out to yell at me for breaking the glass in the storm door. I wasn't anywhere near that side of the house. Maybe if I wasn't a little brat she wouldn't have accused me.
Anyway....while she was going off on me, a neighbor approached. He lived about 200' away. 
I don't know how he knew, but while he was cutting grass his push mower propelled a rock through our front storm door.
He came to apologize and offered to pay for it.
Back then the old mowers were maybe 2 - 3 horsepower at best.
I guess this would have been in the late 50's.
Thanks to the OP for triggering memories.


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## surferdude2 (Nov 21, 2019)

I won't mow if anyone else is in the yard. I feel fairly safe on the rider... don't gamble by pulling up the chute to close mow a tree... get it on the other side.

Back in the 50's, my niece was playing in the yard while her dad was mowing... got a nasty cut when the mower launched a jagged tin can into her leg. Those early mowers had the blades lower and the spout bigger with no deflector chute. Rules were made that day that should have been made sooner.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

Yeah, I have never understood the logic of raising the chute. On my ZTR, the blade is probably 8" from the edge of the metal with the chute raised. I always trim around things on the left. Would not know how to do it on the right effectively.

BUT, every day, I see chutes tied up, and the driver just cutting away, oblivious to the dangers.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

When I lived in fla where you almost needed to mow more than once a week, I would sometimes use a bungee cord to hold the chute open. I'd only do so when I had to cut the grass while wet or in the rain. The wet grass would plug up the mower otherwise. _I always made sure my kids were inside!_


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

I only pull up the chute one time while mowing and that is to get between a lamp post and set of stairs. I reach down and pull up the chute just before getting to the lamp post and let it go as soon as I clear it.

The risk of briefly raising the chute is greatly reduced since I installed a mulching cover. By design, the chute helps hold the mulching cover in place which is why it was never removed.


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## Missouri Bound (Apr 9, 2011)

Drachenfire said:


> I installed a mulching cover. By design, the chute helps hold the mulching cover in place which is why it was never removed.


I fabricated a mulch plug that doesn't require the chute.
Works fine and without the chute you aren't constantly raising and lowering it.

There are also some commercial mowers that actually have a metal plate they can raise or lower by a lever. They use it when making passes near driveways, houses, etc where blowing grass would mean more cleanup.

But after years of mowing I have just learned to walk or drive around the yard with the blades disengaged to see what needs to be picked up. A bucket and a pair of pistol grip grabbers will pick up anything that shouldn't be there.
Here in Missouri we apparently grow rocks.


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

Missouri Bound said:


> I fabricated a mulch plug that doesn't require the chute.
> Works fine and without the chute you aren't constantly raising and lowering it.
> 
> There are also some commercial mowers that actually have a metal plate they can raise or lower by a lever. They use it when making passes near driveways, houses, etc where blowing grass would mean more cleanup.
> ...


I just bought the mower a little over a month ago. I need to be careful not to do anything to it that could void the warranty. :wink2:


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

chandler48 said:


> God's hand:
> 
> 1)This was before hand held cell phones. She had driven my F150 back to the field rather than walking. She ALWAYS walks. It gave me a way of calling 911 rather than running 1/4 mile and leave her laying in the field.
> 
> ...


Yike. :crying:

Methinks this is about the best response one could give to illustrate hazards. 

So sorry it happened.

I used to move lawns for a living, and we never even had bags, just an ee-ject chute close to the ground.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

chandler48 said:


> Yeah, I have never understood the logic of raising the chute. On my ZTR, the blade is probably 8" from the edge of the metal with the chute raised. I always trim around things on the left. Would not know how to do it on the right effectively.
> 
> BUT, every day, I see chutes tied up, and the driver just cutting away, oblivious to the dangers.


Maybe post a pic of a tied-up chute to illustrate?


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

This is a crappy pic due to the contrast, but:


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

I remember reading about the late George Jones (_that_ George Jones) got so bombed so often he lost his license to drive and instead started going to bars on his riding lawn mower. 

I suspect the tale's a legend, but, supposedly, he rode the mower across a gravel driveway or parking lot and peppered people nearby with pieces of stone. 

Bet that hurt. 

Hope it's NOT true . . . .


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## Jchicago (Jun 27, 2020)

I have some large rare earth magnets stuck into some shrink tube that i dangle from a wire in my boot eyelet.. 

I find a lot of metal nails and screws in other peoples yards this way. 

If I'm ripping down fascia etc.. I don't have to worry about nails that get away, because my boots will find them.. and more!

Now I'm thinking of adding a couple to the lawnmower wheels.


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## Missouri Bound (Apr 9, 2011)

Jchicago said:


> I don't have to worry about nails that get away, because my boots will find them.. and more!
> 
> .


I don't have to worry about nails or screws either.....my tires always seem to find them.......:vs_laugh:


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