BRILL REEL MOWER BENEFITS: 5 Blades -- The optimal number of blades for superior cutting and ease of pushing. Weighs only 17 pounds -- light enough to hang on the garage wall or pick up with one hand 8 inch diameter wheels Silent cut design -- The blade misses the bedknife by less than a millimeter. This reduces friction and allows the mower to cut the grass like scissors. It also increases the blade life, which means you won't have to sharpen for a decade or more. Flame hardened, welded steel blades -- harder than tempered alloy, which also helps increase blade life. Dry powder coat on metal components -- Powder coated surfaces are more resistant to chipping, scratching, fading, and wearing than other finishes. And colors stay bright and vibrant longer. Powder coating is also highly protective of the environment, because it contains no solvents. Sealed bearings. No extra maintenance required, because the bearings are sealed. Brill mowers feature a 2 year manufacturer's warranty. The Silent Cut Design reduces wear and tear on the blades. In this system, the reel blade and the bedknife don't come in contact - instead they remain separated by less than a millimeter and shear the grass like scissors. This clean cut also helps the grass recover, because it doesn't mangle the stem or leave a jagged edge. Cutting height ranges from 15mm to 45mm (0.7 inches to 1.8 inches). This lets you cut low enough for the golf course look, and high enough for an average length cut for a wide variety of grass types.

There are many misconceptions about lawns and the enviroment. People feel that they are not as healthy for the enviroment as say trees and shrubs.  Many studies have been performed in this area, a recent study found that properly managed turfgrass (lawn) has many benefits.

Below is a brief article on there findings!

For Carbon Offset, Look No Further Than Your Own Backyard

By Kris Kiser
Vice President, Public Affairs, Outdoor Power Equipment Institute

Corporations and shoppers in the United States spent more than $54 million in 2007 on carbon offset credits toward tree planting, wind farms, solar plants and other projects to balance emissions, according to a New York Times report in January 2008. While consumers scramble to find a way to reduce their carbon footprint, many homeowners overlook a carbon offset right in their own backyard.

Three times more acres of lawns exist in the U.S. than any irrigated crop.* And, in all of these lawns, the basic principles of photosynthesis and respiration are taking place – plants taking carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it in the soil. Unlike cropland that is turned over each year, most backyard lawns are left undisturbed, allowing roots to grow deeper and lock away relatively large amounts of carbon.

But as any good home gardener knows, plants grow faster and better when pruned, fertilized and watered responsibly. For turfgrass, this means mowing regularly, to the proper height, to encourage healthy growth. But, wait a minute. Doesn’t a mower emit carbon?

The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) recently set out to unravel the question. In early 2008, OPEI asked Dr. Ranajit Sahu, an independent environmental and energy expert, to conduct a study of existing literature to assess the carbon benefit of well-managed turfgrass.

Well-managed backyard lawns mean those that are cut regularly to the appropriate height, fed with nutrients, such as leaving grass clippings, watered in a responsible way, and not disturbed at the root zone.

The report, titled Technical Assessment of the Carbon Sequestration Potential of Managed Turfgrass in the United States, led to some surprising results.

“We were unsure about the study’s outcome, but existing data shows that a net carbon benefit exists from well-managed turfgrass, such as the typical American lawn,” says Dr. Sahu, who reviewed existing data to determine the carbon sequestered, or stored, by turfgrass, such as household lawns, golf courses, and sports fields, as well as wild grassland systems. “When you take care of your lawn and promote a healthy root system, your lawn acts as a carbon sink, pulling and storing away carbon.”

As a matter of fact, Dr. Sahu’s study showed that turfgrass can capture up to four times more carbon from the air than is produced by the engine of today’s lawnmowers. The largest amount of carbon intake occurs with the recycling of nitrogen contained in grass clippings. So, by all means, leave those clippings on the ground to break down and recycle.

But, don’t sit back, relax and let lawns go to seed. According to Dr. Sahu, the key is to actively manage your lawn to improve its carbon intake, and not letting it go into a “dormant state.”

So, with the high price of gas keeping many of us home, you can now look out on your lawn with a little more pride. All it needs is a little “TLC.”

* A Strategy for Mapping and Modeling the Ecological Effects of US Lawns, C. Milesi, et al.,using satellite data and GIS mapping techniques

For Editors:

You can reprint this article and include the following: Reprinted with permission by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute. Copyright © 2008

New Study Shows Responsibly Managed Lawns Reduce Carbon Footprint

Thursday, June 5, 2008
  Alexandria, VA – June 5, 2008 – A turfgrass study conducted by Dr. Ranajit Sahu, an independent environmental and energy expert and University instructor, on behalf of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), shows that responsibly managed lawns sequester, or store, significant amounts of carbon. In fact, healthy turfgrass can capture up to four times more carbon from the air than is produced by the engine of today’s lawnmowers. The findings are based on several peer-reviewed, scientific studies and models where carbon sequestration had been measured in managed and unmanaged turfgrass. The full report is available at our page dedicated to the Carbon Report.

“We were unsure about the study’s outcome, but existing data shows that a net carbon benefit exists from well-managed turfgrass, such as the typical American lawn,” said Dr. Sahu, who reviewed existing data to determine the carbon sequestered by turfgrass, such as household lawns, golf courses, and sports fields, as well as wild grassland systems. “When you take care of your lawn and promote a healthy root system, your lawn acts as a carbon sink, pulling and storing away carbon.”

The report, titled Technical Assessment of the Carbon Sequestration Potential of Managed Turfgrass in the United States, assesses the carbon benefit of well-managed turfgrasses that are cut regularly and at the appropriate height, fed with nutrients, such as grass clippings, watered in a responsible way, and not disturbed at the root zone.

“It turns out that you can reduce your carbon footprint right in your own backyard,” said Kris Kiser, Vice President, Public Affairs, OPEI. “Mowing grass and pruning shrubs and trees keeps plants in a growing state. This, in turn, ensures they are actively pulling carbon dioxide – a greenhouse gas -- from the air.”

Added Dr. Sahu, “your lawn, if managed properly, can be essentially a decent foot soldier in our quest to reduce our carbon footprint. The key is to actively manage your lawn to improve its carbon intake, and not letting it ‘go to seed’ and into a “dormant state.”

Dr. Sahu has taught and continues to teach numerous courses in several Southern California universities including UCLA (air pollution), UC Riverside (air pollution, process hazard analysis), and Loyola Marymount University (air pollution, risk assessment, hazardous waste management) for the past fifteen years.

Dr. Sahu has and continues to provide expert witness services in a number of environmental areas in both state and Federal courts as well as before administrative bodies.

Editors Notes

Stock video footage of lawn care activity and Dr. Sahu speaking about the report is available to media outlets at http://www.prnewswire.com/broadcast/33322/press.shtml.

Downloadable, high res photos of Dr. Ron Sahu and Kris Kiser are available at http://www.prnewswire.com/broadcast/33322/press.shtml.

Requests for interviews with Dr. Sahu or the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute can be made to:

Reducing mower emissions

Emissions from small gas engines manufactured today average 74 percent less than 1990 models. In addition, up to half of emissions from outdoor power equipment is preventable.

Here are some ways homeowners can help to reduce outdoor power equipment emissions even further:

FUEL TIPS

Use fresh, clean, lead-free gasoline.

Fill the fuel tank only three-quarters full, allowing room for expansion without overflowing.

Reduce fuel evaporation by closing the fuel container’s vent and keeping it out of direct sunlight.

When storing your unit, Fuel Stabilizer is recommended.

Tune-Up Tips

Clean or replace the air filter at least every three months or after 25 hours of use.

Keep the engine tuned, which can add years to a mower and help reduce a mower’s emissions up to 50 percent.

Change the engine oil after 20-25 hours of use, and recycle the old oil according to your community’s guidelines.

Use 30W or 10W30 small engine oil to help reduce emissions. Oil should be at or above the add mark, never above the full mark; do not overfill.

Keep the mower blade sharp, the underside of the deck clean and engine-running time to a minimum.

Other Ways to Help

Mulch or compost your grass clippings, rather than sending them to a landfill.

Plant more grass and trees to absorb carbon dioxide.

Mow later in the day when the temperature is lower.