How Lawn Mower Blades Cut Grass (at 50,000 FRAMES PER SECOND) - Smarter Every Day 196

[@ZetPerson0]

At 6:03 my stepdad walked in and told me to go mow the front yard

[@huntcringedown2721]

Hey Smarter Everyday. I really Hope you will find my comment. I need ya to rewatch your Rolling. shutter video and consider how is it 4D. I made a comment but it drowned in thousands of others so I will just past IT here. I know you will get what I mean. "SMARTER EVERY DAY, we think similar, I know you can analyse this topic well so PLEASE do: Consider this. This is actually badly made 4D video. Assumimg that time is the forth dimension we as the 3D creatures can see only points (like frames or pictures). Like stick is a never ending road for an ant (like time for us). There is infinite amount of dots (points) on the line but only when you see all of them at the same time you can spot the line. The same thing with time. These videos show you not only where the string was at this specific second. It also shows you where it was at every other milisecond. This is an actual 4D !!!"

[@chrishansen9323]

*Thanks for reminding him

[@mrcow202]

This is no surprize though, i pooped while writing this comment and didnt sign a press release. Get real man! 1.3 million people watched this video so far. It was bound to happen to someone.

[@jesussuperlightchris5797]

Seemed rubbish explanation, seems just brute force.

[@trayble5907]

ZetPerson mmm

[@benjaminwarren1577]

walks into barbershop Destin: you know lawn mowers? Barber: say no more

[@patrickcook2013]

i was the 100th like.. youre welcome

[@randomhunter1236]

I was 323rd, you're welcome

[@outra5810]

i was not 420, you're not welcome

[@981porsche3]

I was the somewhere between the 76,000th and 77,000th like. And nobody cares 🤷‍♂️

[@jaredellison326]

651st like and very ambivalent

[@Trailtrekker24]

Your sound guy did an awesome job on this one!

[@smartereveryday]

Gordon from A Shell In The Pit Audio is amazing. Did you know you can follow him on Spotify? I'd love it if you did. My favorites are "Mountain" and "Rings in Rings in Rings" open.spotify.com/artist/0HIiXblDOFPXxkuI35wOMx

[@drizzlingrose]

yeah, ever since that video where he showed how the sound is made, ive appreciated the sound design a lot more in the slowmo videos :D

[@skylarker9]

Great job!! My fathers old gravely walk behind had horrible air flow. 60 years old with years of brush hogging. When we straighten up the cowlings around the perimeter the cut improved tremendously.

[@shaunsurname8275]

@@gregkinney2565 glad it's not just me who noticed that

[@Spiderbro8]

I'd love to see how a scythe cuts grass. Does the curvature of the blade help or is it just for shape ? What's the technique etc

[@whatthewhat11]

Not sure how the curve helps, if at all. I do know scythes need to be much sharper than a mower blade, like kitchen knife sharp. They also need to be honed very often while in use

[@phillip3696]

the curve is because you kind of swing it around yourself and because your arms draw a curve the blade has to be that too the grass is getting cut due to the slicing movement

[@clivehorridge]

grassynole07 Speed is the key, blade to ground speed. Fast and consistent, it’s an inertia tool. Of course the blade should be razor sharp, done with light strokes of a fine grade stone every 4-5 minutes of cutting time. An impressive tool in the right hands, and the movement is all in the knees and hips.

[@johnstarkie9948]

whatthewhat11 A scythe is slicing tool, like a Katanga. The curve is so that the scythe blade hits the grass blade at a very small angle, about 10degrees, and slices it. The cut swathe is less wide than the scythe blade. It is not an inertia tool: an experienced user can move the blade quite slowly. This is quite different from the rotary mower blade, which hits the grass blade at about 90degrees and so depends on speed and inertia. The cut swathe is as wide as the blade is long. I was taught to use a scythe by my father, who (65 years ago) used it for mowing hay, and by the gardener at the Manse who used a scythe to mow the squire’s lawn (A British lawn; grass 0.5 inches).

[@Incredibletoo]

Don’t think it was invented for cutting lawns .

[@michaelduffy90]

Destin: Mowers don’t cut like scissors. Reel mowers: Am I a joke to you?

[@achilleonv]

The first thing I thought of when I saw this video last night. I wonder if he is aware of this since making the video.

[@Seriouslydave]

Haybine.

[@andyalbrecht4284]

Beat me to it!!!

[@johnjornod6429]

Obviously many people thought the same as me. The neighbor across from my parents mows his acre with 5 reel mowers he pulls behind his riding mower that is just pulling. He says it cuts sharper and straighter and from how manicured it always looks I'd have to agree. I think some golf courses use these as well.

[@somaday2595]

@@johnjornod6429 Fairway and greens- Reels..cut more evenly and closer to the ground. Rough - Rotary. The reel mower blades are harder to sharpen and require more overall maintenance from what I have been told.

[@Dirtmonkey]

Lets do a collaboration on a stump grinder. We can show how the teeth disintegrate the wood as they grind the stump away. That would be perfect for a slow mow sequence. I have a brand new one we can use. I've done a few heavy equipment videos like that and have plenty of gear to test out.

[@samantoniak1657]

Also your retaining wall videos saved my backyard.

[@MrRoboticeyes]

yes please

[@Mike-dk1wf]

That would be awesome

[@samuelyoung2671]

Would be awesome

[@Grumpy_old_Boot]

Throw in a Chainsaw and hedge trimmer as well, while you're at it. :)

[@Nictator42]

I love how Destin can turn something as simple as how a lawnmower works into a fascinating hands on science experiment

[@smartereveryday]

Because IT IS a fascinating hands on science experiment!

[@charstringetje]

Simple? I think its ex scythe ing!

[@Luka-xx5ve]

I just wanted to comment that, things we dont even think about are amazing.

[@WiseWik]

Who said it's simple? You just don't understand the complexity of the world created around you.

[@SoybeanFarmer3300]

@@Luka-xx5ve - it's like someone else did all the thinking and we were just amazed. yea, it happens.

[@slewp]

i love you Destin. Your personal hype for figuring stuff out is infectious. These videos, for many reasons, are some of the best pieces of content on the internet.

[@CaptainJacksIsland]

My barber can't even cut my hair, let alone give me physics lessons.

[@vast5853]

My barber get mad Bc idk what tapper means

[@bryanestrito]

I only got barber stories from my barber

[@bigcountrymountainman9740]

Just don't let him run a lawn mower across your head and you'll be a-okay

[@AGlimpseInside]

That intro was kind of “Mythbusters” Esque... I like it!!

[@pelufaz8435]

A Glimpse Inside I think that was the point

[@magic0418]

That legendary guitar riff!

[@graywolf3495]

And the welded plate

[@ahoes6369]

Esque

[@AGlimpseInside]

Aubrey Hoes Thank you I made the change. Appreciate it

[@Nighthawkinlight]

It's true. Neighbors must mow lawns whenever a camera is rolling. I don't know how that law got on the books but it is what it is. edit: Also, as a former landscaper: you can get high lift blades for your mower that cut way better than your standard blades.

[@notek_music]

Where would you find those high lift blades?

[@PS3RatBag98]

Jackson Kotecki Your local helicopter store of course

[@Dark0neone]

fuckgoogleplus lmfao

[@mattls7918]

NightHawkInLight hey dude, love your channel

[@XenoTravis]

I wonder if it will help my lawn mower not get clogged all the time.

[@thechewyMCchewy]

10:00 pm : just one more video 3:00 am : how lawn mower cuts grass

[@piffelpaff7297]

So you have the UTC Timezone

[@pags5zonda623]

Currently 9:57pm. I know that you've just described my night

[@jeremyneu5799]

@@pags5zonda623 currently 2:56 am est just clicked on this video, the prophecy is true.

[@Nate-bn5kk]

Try turning a blue light filter on your device and turning the volume to the lowest setting you can with out making it too hard to hear.

[@prateekpanwar646]

5:01 whoa wait... 5 I thought it's 3. By, I'm going after just this one

[@admiralshwartz3956]

“Don’t modify your lawn mower” Project Farm: *heavy breathing*

[@notchipotle]

he even replaced engine oil with banana 🤣

[@oldaccount-j8j]

Lol

[@THEMOWERMEDIC1]

@projectfarm

[@boomattack02]

Yes 😂😂😂

[@harveymccoy6426]

I understand that reference

[@Dirtmonkey]

I love this series! If you want more info on this I can take you to the engineering department of Toro and take you behind the scenes. We could also do a series on Heavy equipment with Volvo.

[@DavidLeon140m3]

volvo sucks.... cat is better

[@Dirtmonkey]

Thank you DMZ!

[@kristianvoulopos3352]

This would be neato

[@Tom2112Tom]

I was just going to comment that he should contact folks that manufacture lawn mowers and talk to a mower design engineer. Quit guessing and ask the people who already know.

[@AlejandroFerrariMc]

Please, make this happen!!

[@JakerMB]

I just watched a 10 minute video about mowing grass and didn't get bored. You know how to make a good video!! @smarter every day

[@TardyTardigrade1]

JakerMB I did tho

[@shure46]

Heck , just come watch me mow the grass , it's always in slow motion , I'm 60

[@jordanroyal9762]

Haha.

[@blacksmithbeta5337]

I hope I have even half the humor you have when I get there..

[@5.7virus75]

😂💯

[@b_f_d_d]

LOL

[@randomhunter1236]

@@yo848 dude wtf

[@th3_pl3b]

This is the most dad video I've ever seen

[@Jeremy-sf2xf]

I concur

[@joshuachampie15]

I feel attacked. 😄

[@trevorharley4475]

That's why I'm here. This is awesome.

[@colormesarge]

Wait until you come across Reel Low Dad

[@StraitD2]

I learned something today too... your lawn mower blades are super dull lol

[@tonysmith5077]

I noticed that to.

[@paulstandaert2042]

It is kinda interesting... at one of my first jobs, the guy I worked for had me use a lawn mower which was later found out to have the blade upside down. It did not cut well, but it did... far better than I ever expected it to.

[@rogerwillis7692]

@@tonysmith5077 *too

[@Popscotch328]

I just wanted to kiss those blades with a bench grinder. Or a file. For real.

[@paulsoetaert]

@@paulstandaert2042 I thought you were me lol

[@JonathanTash]

Well, the most obvious thing to study next is the weed wacker, but I'm curious about the garden hose sprayer. You know, the one with the dial that you can use to switch between spray options like, shower, jet, and mist. I'd like to see an explanation of how the water breaks up and spreads out as it travels through the air.

[@rattso6664]

You most likely put more pressure for jet with a different pattern and less pressure for mist with a different pattern

[@dash8brj]

I agree - the weed whacker (also known as a line trimmer or whipper snipper) would be a great second edition to this series.

[@paulengr]

Not exactly. Spray Systems does the science behind sprayers. The shape of the cavity is very carefully designed to get different spray patterns. A lot more to it than just pressure like turbulence and flow regimes.

[@marieflinchbaugh3326]

Jonathan Tash I want to see the weed wacker

[@seanobrien7568]

You always study whackers

[@bigfootandbananaman4746]

I want to see a chainsaw. It wouldn't be cool in wood(because wood is opaque) but maybe in clear plastic. I have always wanted to see the blade in slow motion tearing away wood chips

[@trentguymon]

A circular saw would be cool too, especially if you could see how each tooth cuts from a different side.

[@Tigerskunk]

Bigfoot And Bananaman for some insight. I would not say that chainsaw tears away the wood. It's more of a wedge that shaves the wood. Each tooth on the Chain just shaves a little more off as it's pulled through the wood. Similar to a wood plane shaving wood off. Circular saws do the same thing.

[@nerdygamer11]

I rarely bother to comment on KZbin videos, but I came down here to also request chainsaw footage.

[@WhoDatBoudreaux]

I agree with the chainsaw, including circular saws. My question would be about different chain types (not so common) or different circular saw blade types (more common). I know saw blade types are for rough cut (fast ripping) vs smooth cut (usually slower). I imagine there is a trade off between how much material you can knock off with each tooth VS bogging down the motor and loosing RPM & efficacy.

[@jaredlapierre1304]

I also want to see a chainsaw, a real nice gas one and maybe a comparison to a decent battery powered one. I'm curious about a few things.

[@SwedeGuy328]

This also shows why it's important to having a sharp blade while mowing, ie; cutting the grass. Great series BTW!

[@m4rvinmartian]

I'm glad I saw this near the top. Those blades were embarrassingly dull and rock pitted. I sharpen my blade at the beginning of the season, and then a couple times during.

[@TheOriginalFaxon]

Yea Destin is a smart engineer, and he has a workshop to boot, i'm surprised he didn't sharpen his blade for the video xD

[@skohcl]

Came here to see/say this... some of that grass looked sad post-cut...

[@LawofMoses]

Hey for fun you should so a slowmo to see if dandelions actually duck under the blade when you mow the lawn 😁

[@okaylars3248]

i agree it's weird how they always survive

[@juansolo1617]

@@okaylars3248 Try pulling your mower backward over them. They disappear. It's weird but it works.

[@okaylars3248]

@@juansolo1617 ... illuminati confirmed

[@juansolo1617]

@@okaylars3248 lol it took me a second but that actually sounds perfect.

[@okaylars3248]

@@juansolo1617 ahahaha

[@spencerwilton5831]

Cylinder mowers (called reel mowers in the US) have opposing blades. One is fixed to the frame, the other is wrapped around the cylinder (usually 5 or more separate blades) and as they rotate they shear the grass between them selves and the fixed blade. They make a much neater cut, and for that reason are used on fine lawns, putting greens, tennis courts etc.

[@jeffreymonceaux5926]

Spencer Wilton my first mower. No ethanol!

[@SlaveToMyStomach]

I was going to say the same thing. Reel lawnmowers have been around, I'd say, for more than 100 years. No, I can't provide a citation. They typically have a grass catcher on the back. For a push type lawnmower the reel is driven by the wheels via a ratchet system of gears so it can continue to spin even when the wheels were stopped. The sound of the ratchet was a sure sound of summer many years ago. Even today, the grounds keepers for golf courses use reel type lawn mowers on the greens. A rotary blade just wouldn't do, maybe on the fairways but not the greens.

[@VitaTuggummin]

oooh. thank you!

[@donjear2226]

They also get wracked but non-grass (sticks, rocks, toys, etc.) running through them more easily and more labor intensive, is also why they are better suited to highly manicured small areas.

[@Sylvan_dB]

Also sickle bar mowers and similar used for harvesting hay (just drops it instead of pulverizing).

[@W94urndks9urneos]

You can learn from anyone if you are humble enough to ask. Great job showing this!

[@JustinSchmidt]

I felt itchy for you... 0:30

[@wormsyy9004]

Justin Schmidt hahe

[@giselle232008]

I'm allergic to grass and all I could do is cringe and scratch lol

[@dylannewton8934]

Lol

[@stacksack6060]

Yes

Why would grass make you itchy? it's soft.

[@RumbleLab]

A chainsaw blade/chain seems like it has some interesting science behind it. Any thoughts?

[@jerrytomas3136]

RumbleLab Really fast sharp thingies 👍

[@superdivinus987]

RumbleLab link the time

[@SgtJoeSmith]

RumbleLab it does. It cuts on the top not the side of chain for 1. Teeth alternate so cuts straight and not pull to the side. Ramps in between teeth so chain only cuts what it can handle without digging in and jamming. Plus chain has to remove the debris as you cut. Low kick back chains have higher ramps so you can't cut as much with each pass and won't jam as hard if it does get caught. That's based on my understanding. Sorry if I mis spoke about something

[@boogsc9715]

Yeah it would be interesting to watch the material being pulled out

[@RumbleLab]

Joe Smith isn't there a link that "slices" followed by a link that "digs" almost like a knife and a chisel?

[@claythomas9467]

You have just confirmed my theory which I have thought about once a week every week from March through November for about an hour since I was 12.

[@lucaskronbeck6805]

Clay Thomas same

[@putribaros3186]

Haha yea

[@CarlIngersoll]

Lawn series: Does a drop spreader spread more fertilizer when it's full (compared to the last quarter before empty)? Why do some garden hoses kink and others don't? Does a sprinkler apply water evenly, or more in some areas? Is a reel mower like a pair of scissors? How does an aerator really let the air flow in, although the holes are far apart? How can you reduce evaporation on your lawn? How does cutting your awn to different heights affect evaporation, spreading of grass plants, wear resistance, weeds...

[@DanielBisagni]

Oh you have to do how a chainsaw blade!!!!!! Please please please do a chainsaw blade!!!love this series idea.

[@HDDcam73]

Daniel Bisagni that was my first thought too

[@tannerbeverley26]

Daniel Bisagni going with the grain, vs against

[@kato249]

Especially looking into cutting edge angles and cutting depth and why they should be adjusted for the type of timber being cut.

[@PapaDutch]

A saw chain is an intricate mechanism made of many moving parts - that having been said, there are many videos on how to sharp a chainsaw chain - it is complex and I will not detail it here because it has been talked about elsewhere, most notably by "Swedish Homestead" at YT

[@southaussiegarbo2054]

Tanner Beverley they cut trees down across grain I belive

[@EmilBrikha]

I can’t believe I just watched a 10 minute video about mowing. I also can’t believe I was intrigued. You sir are my favorite hillbilly in the world 😂 and the world needs more of you.

[@smartereveryday]

Roll Tide.

[@HaunterOfKanto]

I learned that mowers pulled the grass up from "Honey I Shrunk the Kids"

[@tomward8640]

HaunterOfKanto that’s a good movie 🍿

[@herculesmclovin]

Great point, well recognised! And a fun example too :)

[@oliver__snow]

It cuts because the grass is wet and sticks to the super fast blades. Flymo lawn mowers blow the grass down.

[@SeanFerree]

Same 😁

[@kirkendauhl6990]

I’m 25 and younger than both you and your barber and I knew that about lawnmowers from a fairly young age. I’m glad you’re still learning and finding new information without being embarrassed in any capacity about little facts you may not have considered because that’s what I aim to do when I’m your age and beyond. This isn’t a condescending comment either, I’m both surprised I knew something you didn’t and also inspired by your motivation to keep learning even though your career and studies have left gaps that you’re still figuring out. Keep it up, I love seeing these videos because I don’t know everything either lol

[@joe-lw4nw]

A weed whacker has no vacuum so I wonder if the speed of the strings makes up for the need for a vacuum by just hitting the grass blades extremely fast. Also an analyzation of different weed whackers in slow motion would be awesome to watch

[@PapaDutch]

The purpose of a string trimmer is to be portable but for small areas. The line wears out, but will not cut your shoes... That is the trade off The OTHER aspect of it is that a weedeater can get into DETAIL spots where you CANNOT drive or push a mower easily So it is truly for trimming. This is why commercial outfits use a big mower - but generally have a team of followers trimming the walks and edges

[@okiemale1589]

Reel type lawn mowers do shear like scissors.... They have rotating blades that shear against a bed knjfe....

[@lennartvanschuilenburg3430]

Okie Male hahahaha I was thinking the same thing when he was talking about it....... he lost his point right away in the first minute 😂

[@lennartvanschuilenburg3430]

Cool video en sound effect btw

[@johnpike9612]

They also make sickle mowers that work like barbers clippers.

[@Pete-z6e]

Okie Male , and boy! do they do a good job.!

[@hotsauce2446]

I was thinking the exact thing about reel mowers when he was talking about that

[@Chrispmiller84]

Remember the old trick where you unfold a newspaper and lay it across half a ruler. If you hit the ruler fast enough you could break the ruler in half. The speed you hit the ruler at was just too fast for the newspaper to lift up, so the ruler broke. This is how lawnmower blades work. It's speed, not lift. I mean, the lift does help in various ways, but it's certainly not a pivotal part of the process. Please do a video with perfectly flat and straight blades and see what happens. I bet you it'll cut grass pretty well.

[@dbgarlisch]

Destin, I think you got this one wrong. I agree with Chrispm84. I assert that this is a turbulence + momentum phenomenon. Not a suction one. The little blades of grass are whipping around in the turbulence and eventually get hit by the mower blade. The mower blade is moving so quickly that the grass can't move out of the way (due to momentum) and get chopped. I would also suspect that some grass blades require two or more hits before they are chopped down to the mower blade's height.

[@jakkank]

david garlisch I think Destin is over thinking this. Where I live we don't use lawn mowers but grass cutters. It's basically a high speed fan on a stick that spins a thick nylon(can use steel blades but nylon strings are safer since you arent in danger of a blade chipping) very fast to cut grass and it cuts pretty well. No suction, no wind.

[@WhoDatBoudreaux]

I'd also point out that when using larger farm equipment (good ole bush hog), those blades are elongated chunks of iron swiveling around under a shroud. I don't think there is much of any lift in that equation. It's more like bludgeoning the grass until it short.

[@Justin-ou6gq]

Yeah I think it's more of an inertia effect

[@ecoloqito]

Chrispm84 Well yes, but what I believe the lift does beside help a little with the cut is eject the grass so is "clean" enough to keep cutting without interference. Thought I've seen mowers with straight blades.

[@louispotter9051]

No wonder why it’s harder to mow when the grass is wet. The blade can’t lift the grass up because the water/dew adds up to the weight. This is very educational. Thank you for posting this video. I highly appreciate it!

[@uncrunch398]

Mine appears to cut fine. I have to stop often to clean the under side or empty the bag and clean the chute. Letting it grow too long between cuts can add to this problem or even be necessary for this to be a problem.

[@Keldor314]

I'm not entirely convinced that the upward force from the lawnmower blade plays an especially significant role in the cutting part of mowing. Certainly it's useful overall, since it's what lets the lawnmower collect the grass in a bag or in the case of mulching mowers, suck it up so it gets hit by the blades again and again until it's shredded into little pieces. However, an object moving at 200 MPH will rip or cut through grass regardless of airflow. There's just too much friction against the edge of the blade and inertia making the grass fold over onto the blade as it moves past for there to be any chance of it somehow whipping back around and sliding under the blade intact. I'd like to see a control test with the curved lifting portions cut off to give a flat blade. Also, what if you installed the blade upside down so that it provided down force? A comparison of the quality of the lawn cut under these conditions would be very interesting! This would test the assumption that the lifting blade pulls flattened blades back up straight again so they're cut to the same length as all the others. If this is the case, doing a comparison immediately after mowing might be a mistake since any blades that were flattened by the mower may still be laying flat. Better to give it 24 hours after mowing for the wind to straighten them up again first. As far as I can tell, the lifting lawn mower blade is a relatively new invention. Before this, blades were presumably flat, though sadly I can't find pictures of old lawn mower blades anywhere on Google. Apparently there are no antique lawn mower blade collectors for some reason. Now, what about cylinder blade lawn mowers? The geometry on those makes no sense to me. How do they work?

[@vertxxyz]

cylinder blade lawn mowers' paddles/blades push grass into another blade and operate like sissors in that respect.

[@gregorybogart5200]

I can tell you as a Lawn Maintenance Provider that the lifting tab on the back of the blade makes a HUGE difference as to how well that blade will cut. If I use a "Low" lifting tab type of blade, the grass doesn't get cut as evenly or I have to make several passes over the lawn. The "High" lift tabs allow me to make a single pass. Also note that the "High-end" Commercial mower have tall decks (5"+) to maximize airflow under the deck to provide that perfect cut. Great video as always!

[@centurion726]

The old rotary mowers cut like a pair of scissors as he explained in the video (cutting blade and bed knife blade), but there are commercial mowers that are in the Flail Mower category. They have a ton of little blades on a shaft/drum that spins and cuts grass like a knife cutting paper pretty heavy duty machines.

[@dmarsub]

i don't necessarly agree but i upvoted it for visibility. it is interesting to answer these questions in more depth. 7:15 doesn't look like it cuts the grass right now. also the cutting efficiency heavily relies on the bility of the cut thing being able to move away. if you jus a grass blade from the side it will be way easier.

[@ericmaedgen2352]

Yes it is. Actually one of the most important aspects besides sharp blades. Yes it will cut, but cutting ALL the grass is the end game. And airflow will provide that. If the grass blades aren't lifted up they will just lay down never making contact with the mower blade. 26 years commercial mowing experience here.

[@devonwilcock155]

Anyone else wanna see a weed whacker in slow motion?

[@laurenm1630]

Yes

[@terrimorrison8888]

Yes

[@Zuul47]

Yes

[@JurgenUffink]

Jup, with wire and blade please :)

[@Andy81ish]

Not just wire and blade but there are two types of wire, round and the twisted square type. Why is one better then the other?

[@Forssa1]

You just went with your assumption that your hypothesis was correct; that the blade wing is what makes it work. You never tested it without.

[@989567567]

Yes that is what I thought. Please cut the wings and compare the results to show the effect. At 5:50 I thought the grass could also be lifted by its own stiffness.

[@Highstranger951]

He doesn’t have to because it’s not an assumption, it’s fact.

[@Forssa1]

Then show me.

[@jpe1]

Highstranger951 that is not how science works. Hypotheses are considered potentially factually true after empirical testing, not before.

[@Highstranger951]

Forssa1 do your research guys.

[@davidgibson9866]

The scythe deserves its own segment...I’ve seen people mow a field faster than a weed eater can be fueled and started .

[@lutherwallingford4773]

One guy wasn't a guy. Yikes. Hope you're still with us.

[@phhiggins]

The scythe is remorseless

[@CleaveMountaineering]

Collaborate with Mr Chickadee on the traditional scythe.

[@rhymereason3449]

Nothing like a razor sharp, just peened scythe... love mine!

[@allendean9807]

YES

[@meetim6271]

The blade does create 'lift' (read airflow) but it's not required to cut the grass, or else line trimmers wouldn't work. The grass breaks when the blade speed is high enough that the grass can't get out of its way (inertia). The bent blade is a fan that lifts & blows the cut grass into the catcher or out a chute. That effect stops when the bent bit wears out.

[@etherealemily4901]

Lawnmower blade, blade of grass Mowing is actually a sword fight with nature

[@NINJABDUDE]

Why didn't you use smoke to show the airflow?

[@hcoyhis]

NINJABDUDE probably too much turbulent air around the mower from ambient wind, not to mention he's shooting the video at home so what would he use for smoke? He would probably have to use smoke balls which would get sucked up into the blades unless anchored. The grass does a well enough job at showing airflow.

[@spldrong]

NINJABDUDE yea, or put babypowder or something in the grass and see it get lifted out.

[@MindBodySoulOk]

I was going to suggest explosives and rupert gum drops.

[@RumbleLab]

NINJABDUDE that's a cool idea but perhaps Hunter is right.

[@rjjarecki]

Yeah Destin, why didn’t you make a better video?!?

[@greenshui]

How wonderful! As an engineering student, I always wondered what was going on under the lawn mower engine. Thanks for the remarkable video.

[@HowToGuys]

"No Grass is harmed during this video?"

[@EPhotoAlbum]

Kedar Nimbalkar that's funny

[@shrekdonkey9551]

Tell that to my ripped meat eating friends that dont like u messing w there food’s food

[@JoeCubicle]

12 year lawn business owner-operator here. The blade lift is how you get a 'sweet' cut. That and a sharp blade. If you cut with hearing protection on your ears then stop and sharpen your blades to razor-sharp then start cutting with the same hearing protection on you can hear the difference. The sharp blades make more of a "swish" sound vs a "swap" sound. That's the best I can explain it. I've done this a thousand times over the 12 years I cut professionally. When I sharpened my blades I did it with a file by hand and got them scary-sharp which is not totally necessary, regular-sharp is good enough.

[@rabie4x4]

Same. And blades also last a LOT longer when sharpened with a file.

[@nathannutter3424]

I literally just hand filed my blades 2 days ago...after never sharpening them over the 10+ years I’ve owned my mower! Hopefully it works better than it was!

[@KeepItMowed]

I agree. I prefer scary sharp! 😂

[@drelliott2833]

When you sharpen the blade that sharp it will dull faster. Using a file is a good idea because a grinder causes heat weakening the temper of the blade .Also could make it unbalanced.

[@pungpinan]

Andrew Phillips ...in fear of the scary sharp blades... I got it. Makes perfect sense.

[@VicMorrowsGhost]

You know what you have to do. Make your own blades without the lift tab. Check the slow mo and see if the grass doesn't stand up. Shouldn't be too hard it's just a flat slab of steel.

[@bigwooly8014]

VicMorrowsGhost better to just heat and hammer the lift edge down. Balance is very important for those blades, mainly for the integrity of the blade deck. The vibration of an unbalanced blade will eventually rip the pulleys out of the deck.

[@hotchef1984]

Symmetrically grinding opposing blade faces across a central axis is as difficult as it sounds. Add into that keeping it balanced as the previous comment noted does not make it any easier.

[@SgtJoeSmith]

VicMorrowsGhost you can buy mulching blades like that. No tabs. I've had stupid employees put blades on upside down and could barely tell a difference. Rpm fast enough to still cut.

[@joshh2860]

Just go buy some

[@UncleSpence]

He also should make a clear deck to let it do it's thing properly. Opening the hatch like that will effect the upward flow, wouldn't it?

[@durangodave]

Another great video, thanks. At 7:23 if you look close at the left over grass (or shorter old grass) after the cut, your blade is ripping the grass because its a dull blade. Thats how the grass gets the brown jagged ends because of a dull blade which opens the door to grass disease and harder / longer to heal, so your causing unhealthy grass as well. Professionals may carry several blades with them and even switch them out during the busy day of mowing if they see this effect.

[@GaviLazan]

That Mythbusters reference lol

[@JoelGibsonBagelator]

Do not click this link, it's just self-promoting spam to a trash song. However, I did not notice a mythbusters reference... Anyone care to enlighten me?

[@GaviLazan]

Indeed that is spam. at 0:25-0:28 the part with the name of the channel on a metal plate is just like the way Mythbusters would do a transition. And if I am not mistaken the music itself is the same (or I have been watching SED for so long that his music has been embedded in my brain and I no longer can tell the difference).

[@JoelGibsonBagelator]

Ahh! Good catch, you're totally right, very mythbusters-esque.

[@DeathbyPixels]

Gavers23 No, that’s definitely Mythbusters music. Makes me happy to hear it again :’)

[@ChaseWeeks]

Reel mowers cut like a pair of scissors, you could go to a golf course and get high speed video of them mowing a green.

[@LTVoyager]

I think he's too young to know about reel mowers. 🙂

[@dangerrangerlstc]

Reel mowers are still very much a thing. My uncle has a couple antique ones too

[@LTVoyager]

BW Tractors They are practically extinct. Only in a few specialized applications like golf courses and often used by the Amish.

[@dangerrangerlstc]

LTVoyager they're also often used on pro ball stadiums with real grass. They're not extinct, just specialized. Because specialized places are the only ones with the training and maintenance department to keep them running effectively

[@LTVoyager]

BW Tractors I call that nearly extinct. You can still by buggy whips also...

[@PHX787]

lawn tool series... a slow-motion video of one of those hammer-type sprinklers! I know it's fluid dynamics and the force of the hammer that moves the sprinkler back and forth....but man, i would love to see how that looks in slowmo!

[@WhatIsKenDoing]

Or better yet, one of those giant water cannon sprinklers they use on farms!

[@alejandrosalazar6975]

“You’ve spent a ton of your life on a lawn mower” New Yorkers: am I a joke to you

[@davep6977]

New Yorker: what's a lawn? Grass? isn't that something you buy

[@gavinkvinlaug692]

I like in NY on a farm and mow 10 plus hours a week

[@alejandrosalazar6975]

Gavin Kvinlaug NYC

[@gavinkvinlaug692]

@@alejandrosalazar6975 ok but u didn't specify

[@joshuar3632]

Yea dont lump the rest of the state in with the "California of the east" (nyc is its own mess that ruins it for the whole state.)

[@anasmrright]

A grazing cow will also lift and chop the grass leaving a nice short lawn. Thank goodness they don't spin at 200 mph.

[@fhdhdhfjdjdjd444]

anasmrright what, are you afraid of lawn mowers?

[@korishan]

ROFL!! 😂 If it did, make sure to dump buckets of chocolate over it first

[@BrassStacks]

anasmrright , You ain't ever been in a twister, have ya!? 😁

[@Gloworm17]

Twister (1996) Anyone? Cows do spin in the air. Sometimes multiple times. (The 200 mph moo)

[@fmkwvejf]

Lawn mooers

[@denniswingerstad9424]

Using smoke would probably visualize it better

[@Chamdar17]

the mower acts like a leaf-blower on everything outside the deck - the air-pressure is all outward, not in/upward. It doesn't draw smoke in, it blows it away. Once you park it over the smoke, it's in a low-pressure center by the pivot, but no uncut grass ever reaches there since the grass is cut by the outermost edge of the blades.

[@KrisBendix]

Also this one is called - SlowMo-wing.

[@venre-gamingandmore4330]

Damnit

[@valeniusthekat]

Kris Bendix i see what you did there 😃😂

[@ZesPak]

Get out.

[@deluxeassortment]

why do people hate puns? I love them

[@alexgrigoreas4825]

Excellent video to show how important it is to keep your mower blades sharp.

[@nerdyhustle]

1.7K blades of grass have disliked this video.

[@schmuelinsky]

They are very edgy, it seems.

[@aaahhh1180]

Nah, they are just being grass.

[@astrokid7664]

lol

[@MustafaMuhalab]

939+

[@rudolfkallang9077]

I think there are so many cow watching this and dislike it.

[@XPStartupSound]

What about a manual lawn mower with no engine?

[@woodsy900]

Matthew Shultz that uses the same principle as scissors or the two blade method

[@MadorePhotography]

That's a rotating scissor/shear at work there.

[@nathanr5846]

Do you mean like an old fashioned push mower?

[@rdmsh]

Here’s a video of mine cutting paper kzbin.info/www/bejne/p6mngGmXiMeGfa8

[@MesquiteAutomotive]

They're called reel mowers. They have a back edge and work like the scissors do.

[@MiniPeugot]

Youre barber is a lowkey mechanical engineer. Times must be tough

[@ianzurek6984]

Maybe being a barber was his true passion or just a more chill job as you get older and have acquired a hefty retirement already.

[@ianzurek6984]

or times are hard too lol

[@djjazzyjeff1232]

It's like Mike Rowe says. There's no reason why a plumber can't quote Friedrich Nietzsche, and there's no reason a philosopher can't fix his own bathroom.

[@produKtNZ]

0:23 " i'm just E X C I T E D - LETS DOIT! " - that was infectious and made me smile for quite a while 🙃

[@sdmarlow3926]

It's not to "pull the grass up." The lift is designed to expel/discharge the clippings, unlike mulching blades, that have less of the lifting force and are designed to make secondary cuts.

[@valeniusthekat]

This may seem like a simple one, but you should do a vid on the power of leafblowers. It's always amazed me that a tiny little motor could move so much air. Love your vids and keep up the great work 😍👏👍🖖

[@No-je9mj]

5:35 Your Welcome :)

[@CommentsRage]

HotDog thanks

[@alexplante6566]

Thanks

[@edwardkrazek2740]

God bless you son

[@user-jm1lz6zg6m]

You're

[@_JS96]

My Welcome what?

[@MrHeavyzz4]

Love your channel. Thanks for putting your advertisement at the end of your video I enjoyed all 10:27 minutes worth.

[@gaberouse3351]

Slow-mo starts at 7:13

[@chosenArchitec]

Whew, Thank you ~ can't believe it took that long, all that yapping

[@efdbjon2114]

you have to watch the whole think if you want to appreciate the science of it

[@iwantmytacobacc.2040]

thankyou.

[@gaberouse3351]

MJM Productions I agree 100%, but sometimes I like to watch the slow mo first so I can think about the footage while he discusses it throughout the video.

[@TheSpiffyNeoStar]

*Slow-mow.

[@Mockturtlesoup1]

I would be interested in seeing a video(or segment) on the old school rotary style lawn mowers(the sort of barrel shaped ones with no motor.) I used to do lawn care(fertilizer, pesticides, etc.), and every class I took(often from people with post grad degrees in agronomics) and all my bosses, and everything I've ever read claimed that those are actually superior to the tradition walk-behind/ride-on spinning blade mowers. supposedly they cut the grass much cleaner, as opposed to tearing the grass the way rotary mowers can do(if you look closely in this video, you can see the blades of grass are often raggedy at the ends after being cut(though this could possibly be due to a dull mower blade.)) this is bad because it hurts the appearance of the lawn(the tips are stringy and discolored), and also because it causes the plant to use more energy fixing the "wound", does more damage to the cells, causes a greater loss of moisture, and in particular makes the grass much more susceptible to disease(just like how getting your hand cut off by a shark, or chainsaw is more likely to become infected(due to the much larger surface area of exposed tissue) than getting your hand cut off by saw, a single clean slice by a very sharp samurai sword.)) however, I do not know why the rotary mowers cut more efficiently. I doubt they cause much of the suction you refer to in this video, and I can't help but think the blades are traveling far slower. it also seems like each section(or even blade) of grass would only have one chance to get cut with a rotary mower, whereas the rotating blade mowers(even though the cutting surface of the blade is only a few inches long at the extreme end of each side of the blade) has several chances to cut each blade(depending on how fast you are going) and thus is less likely to leave little "mohawks" of uncut grass behind.) I suppose it could be due in part to the fact that the blades on rotary mowers are moving more or less straight in into the grass(almost like a scythe) whereas the blades on the type of mower in this video are rotating in an angular fasion, and may be more likely to "rip" the blade as opposed to making a clean cut, but since the blade is moving so fast, and the moment of contact between the blade and any individual piece of grass is so incredibly brief, I can't help but think that the direction/way the blades are moving would make no difference(if the blades were cutting right near the center of blade, where the linear velocities would be lower, then maybe.) the only other thing I can think of is that maybe the blades on drum style rotary mowers are sharper(please sharpen your mower blades regularly people), possible due to them being just simple pieces of think stamped metal(at least I think they're stamped, i could be wrong.) wow. god bless whoever took the time to read that ridiculously long comment about lawn mower blades. lol.

[@dbeierl]

The reel-type mower works exactly like scissors, by trapping the grass between the blades on the spinning reel and a fixed cutter bar.

[@Mockturtlesoup1]

ooooooh. lol. you'd think I should have known that. no wonder it works so good.

[@silasmayes7954]

For the grass what is the healthiest way to cut the grass? How do weedwackers and edgers work? After this video, I'm not convinced it's as simple as I think it is.

[@justadbeer]

I believe the old style "reel" mowers are the best for getting a good clean cut but those things went out some time in the 60's when i was a kid cuz they were also so dangerous. Now the only place I see the powered ones used is for mowing the greens at a golf course.

[@dangerrangerlstc]

Yes, reel type mowers slice the grass like scissors instead of rotary motors which beat the grass into submission. Reel type mowers require more maintenance and finer adjustments more than just being dangerous. It's easy to make them safer, but because the blades have to be kept very sharp and clearance between the blades have to be adjusted, that's more than the average homeowner is capable or willing to do. Rotary mowers take less maintenance and are more reliable.

[@cowardly_wizard]

weedwackers do just what their name implies. they spin very quickly and whip at the stuff you poke them at. Grass is very ridged at that speed and it shatters or explodes where the line hits it. To me the spray off of a lawn mower or weed wacker always feels damp from the aerosolization of the liquid in the stalks

[@hardlyb]

Probably a pair of scissors is the best for the grass, because most of them will never get cut! Realistically, a reel mower does the least damage to the grass, and the manual ones give you quite a workout on even a very small yard. Makes you learn to keep the blades sharp and properly adjusted, too, as it's even harder to push when they are dull.

[@MidnightMarrow]

Best thing for grass is the good old fashioned Scythe. Proper technique means it's not too short and just the simple way it cuts via the extremely sharp blade as it all funnels into it.

[@Fltnrs]

Hi. I watched your lawn mower blade cutting grass video. I think you should revisit this for a few reasons one being the blades were super dull. This results in the grass being ripped in half vs cut. Second if you have sharp blades the grass is cut at the tip of the blade as the blades travel across the grass. If you look at your video the tips of your blades are rounded and dull. I would love to hear your thoughts. Great job spreading science. Thanks

[@Chamdar17]

yup, grass is cut by the outermost edge of the knife where there isn't any lift at all, indeed it is just passed the area where the air and clippings are being blown OUT and AWAY from the deck.

[@CullenCraft]

I've always wondered if theres and ideal leaf blower pattern to not get caught in a corner. Edit: at first i thought this was kind of a silly thing to wonder... But there are serious fluid dynamics at play here! (and i hate getting leaf dust blasted in my face haha)

[@smartereveryday]

Please shoot me an email and explain this. I'm intrigued.

[@skylarker9]

I know what you’re talking about. Getting into the corner of say two stone walls or the foundation and you have to carefully choose the attack angle to avoid that blow back. It’s like trying to land a helicopter in a close steep walled area, the turbulence deflects and comes back down from above making the landing really wonky.

[@killstrees]

Aim the end of the tube at the wall just above the material you want to blow away (maybe a foot) and it won't blow straight up into your face as much. Also can use a similar technique to keep debris from going back into the corner by placing the tube above it but aimed away from you (still pointed at the ground) and the debris will come back to you. You can then kinda flick your wrist to twist the machine and blow stuff the other way. This is just my experience with a hand held blower, backpacks will be similar and of course way more power. Takes some practice but if you pay attention to where everything is blowing (pay more attention to stuff that doesnt blow directly away from you) and you will start to figure out how things behave around the front of that tube and how to use it to your advantage. Air speed doesnt make much of a difference in how materials move but rather how efficiently you can get your work done. This is just my experience after many years in the lawn care industry.

[@Cheesus-Sliced]

same physics as reflectors on vehicle lights and road reflectors. When you project a light or high pressure fluid into a corner, it is deflected to the other side and exits at the opposite angle from which it entered. Just like looking at two mirrors that are angled towards each other. You can't actually see yourself in either mirror, but you are seeing the reflection of yourself from the other mirror. /→\ ↑ ↓

[@itsthesola10]

Slow mow

[@harlitherainingwolf7289]

That is one awesome comment!

[@nocarebear8301]

Bwhahahaha! I see what you did there.

[@prime6091]

Not as slow as 343,000, which I've seen

[@lawrence9536]

No.

[@itsthesola10]

lawrence offley Yes.

[@brianriddle8389]

Smartereveryday please try reversing the flap direction on a lawn mower blade in order to see the cut difference between the two blades.

[@evans.1448]

Just watching that first clip of the mower cutting grass in slo-mo was well worth it. Amazing work, as usual!

[@Thesoundsmithtech]

Ok, so a lawn mower lifts the grass with a lift tab on the blade in order to cut it. However, a weed eater has no lift tab. I believe that the inertia of the tip of the blade of grass has something to do with a weed eaters cutting ability. Please do a video explaining the physics of a weed eater.

[@farmhousegamer6710]

Good idea! This is Interesting.

[@JayJonahJaymeson]

Are you talking about a Whipper Snipper?

[@ahmedelsheikh1987]

Jmac James well, I didn't really see the need for a 'lift tab' cause even the air flow done by the rotating blade is enough for dropping down the pressure on the altitude where the pressure difference is enough for lifting up the grass upwards and that's probably how the grass eater AND lawn mower work.

[@Thesoundsmithtech]

Jayden Corbett I have never heard it called that!😂 I love it 😂 I’m gonna call it that from now on 😂👍 whipper snipper 😂

[@AlienGuy16]

I'm not sure its fair to compare a metal blade with intentional aerodynamic designs to the free-hanging wire on a (I can't help it, I have to say it too now lol) whipper snipper. The friction, momentum, and impacts would all be different.

[@TheGrassFactor]

Reel mowers utilize shearing. This is how turfgrasses are able to be maintained at unnaturally low heights of cut. Overall, reels provide a superior cut because of the lack of injury that occurs to the plant.

[@grimzly]

Now we need high speed of a reel mower

[@HolyThunder460]

As a greens keeper I agree

[@AMalas]

The Grass Factor I thought you were saying real as if these are fake lol

[@nickmagee-brown739]

The Grass Factor a reel mower being a cylinder mower in the U. K. Is that correct?

[@TheGrassFactor]

Nick Magee - Brown yes sir

[@hilham89]

I'm 29 and I knew that the tab which is also called a lift and the more lift on a blade the more suction you have hence why they have low, medium and high lift blades. The high lift blades can also cause more stress on a mowers motor bit in my own opinion cuts better now look at a mulching glad that has a high lift but also has slots cut out in the lift and what this does is that makes some of the grass and or leaves to fall back down to the ground and not exit the chute of the mower. Great video by the way.

[@bumbaclotboi4476]

Im 12 and I knew the exact same thing before I watched this video, smh.

[@jazar02]

I love SmarterEveryDay, but I challenge this one. I suspect the tab on the mower blade is more about pulling the loose clippings up and channeling them out the discharge. I think it is more likely that the grass is being cut because the mower blade is moving sufficiently fast enough that the grass blades can't bend fast enough and they break. String trimmers are also very effective at cutting grass and there is no suction pulling the grass up.

[@Chamdar17]

Use a sharp blade and it doesn't have to be moving so fast. Always use a sharp blade. The tabs act just as they do on a snowthrower - they throw. The grass is being bent AWAY from the mower as your approach because the air-pressure from the spinning blades is OUTWARD, but this pressure is highest just as you reach the edge of the deck, then it drops away once you are under the deck and the grass can spring back up to be cut (or bludgeoned) by the outermost edge of the blade. The uncut grass experiences no lift.

[@svenservette4197]

Scythes.

[@mendmywings7238]

Sven Servette i was literally looking at if I could buy a scythe in the next tab lol x

[@Cheesus-Sliced]

like cutting tomatoes. its a slicing motion instead of a chopping motion. Just watch a video on them and watch the way it moves through the grass and the way the taper interacts with the grass.

[@ToriKo_]

Cheesus Sliced what's the difference between those two? Genuine question

[@Cheesus-Sliced]

Tori Ko between slicing and chopping? Slicing uses the sharpness of blade with minimal force to cut the material with an extended motion. Sliding the edge of the blade across something, all the energy being applied parallel to the cut. When chopping, the energy is applied perpendicular to the direction of the slice, and its a weight or force applied directly to the knife to push the blade through something, using only one part of the blade. Axes chop, scythes slice. In terms of food again, you can chop through bones with a meat cleaver, or slice it from the bones with a boner knife Edit: a way to think of the kinetic energy difference is pulleys. If you use a series of pulleys, you achieve the same lift with less force but longer motions, while without the pulleys its shorter motions but more force for the same lift

[@ToriKo_]

Cheesus Sliced thanks!

[@stanfoofoo610]

This is not a question, but I just wanted to say that I usually listen to your No Dumb Qs episodes while lawnmowing.

[@MyMateNate]

I learned so many new things from this video!! Looved it man. Keep it up.

[@rickatkinson1000]

This video illustrates the reason for a sharp well designed blade. As well the need for a well designed deck. I have had a number of lawn mowers over the decades. My 15 year old Ariens has the best suction, pick and even cut.

[@crimson_siphyr]

0:38 Him: what do you cut a piece of paper with? Me: a KNIFE! Him: Scissors! Me: oh...

[@daithi154]

doomseaker 4 ha

[@Browndogdiesel]

Hahaha sane!

[@res1dentcyn1c]

He's not as fun as us

[@Belboz99]

Try a manual push mower with rotary blades, they are scissor action. Newer ones are actually a lot easier to use as well.

[@lucdestrube]

Golf courses primarily use "reel mowers", basically ride-on push mowers. Pretty cool

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I use one of the new ones. It's very easy to push, and good exercise. Biggest drawback is if the lawn puts up seed heads. They get too tall and I need to attack them with a machete.

[@frenchvanilla343]

This is the most science-y dad thing a dad can do.

[@fiveseven15]

TheMysteryMan physics of deck building

[@rodneyoneal8428]

Good job you guys thank you. 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@_madcrafter_8141]

Do a scythe. I don't think they manipulate the air around them to pull the grass up, and you also only have to swing it a fraction of the speed that a lawnmower blade goes. Is it just the sharpness?

[@Cristian-vl8pg]

_ Madcrafter _ yes

[@LowerLawns]

Yes, scythes work by sharpness and technique. The user carries a pouch with water and a refining stone to keep it sharp as they go along. They sharpen every few minutes.

[@jkbrown5496]

The peening method of sharpening would be a good physics/engineering explanation.

[@Coyote0874]

Hi Destin, I think a video about bowling physics would be great. I’m not telling you to do it, it’s just a suggestion

[@karlkastor]

Vox did a pretty interesting video about the importance of the patterns in the oil on bowling lanes.

[@VAXHeadroom]

2nd and needs to do a series on the different TYPES of bowling games! Duckpins, Candles...

[@tls5870]

Destin, Ruben is suggesting you do it and I am telling you to do it.

[@Coyote0874]

T L S ok then so am i

[@DaFinkingOrk]

So cool! I'd love to see how the other main type of lawnmower works (the ones with the drum-like helix blade that rotates along the horizontal axis - they're common on small older lawnmowers and on those really big ones that cut the grass by the sides of roads). Could also do hovercraft-type (Flymo) lawnmowers - how do they hover when the blades should theoretically be sucking them down to the ground?

[@gondras123]

The term you want is a reel mower, as opposed to a fake mower. :-) Seriously though, it's called a reel mower.

[@louf7178]

RedButtonProductions A shear mower. The blades are made helically and mounted on rings which resembled a reel (which is typically used for winding things about).

[@Chamdar17]

the hover mower is a perfect example - it draws air in from above and forces it out around the blades, the blades generate effectively zero lift and are not designed to (tab-less) because you aren't bagging the clippings. The tabs on mower blades are for bagging clippings, not lifting grass to be cut. The blade cuts identically on a hover-mower vs a wheeled (non-reel) mower, it is a spinning knife. You can buy such blades for weedwhackers as well (deckless). The mower deck protects you and the engine (a shield) and allows you to bag the clippings.

[@Kurtdog63]

I saw a video years ago that talked about what LENGTH of the mower blade needed to be sharpened for the actual cutting of the grass. The answer was, the OUTSIDE 2 inches as this did the majority of the slicing of the standing grass. The reasons for sharpening the rest of the length of the blade, were to aid in the chopping up of the grass AFTER it was cut off, AND to maintain blade speed by reducing blade friction against the air, moisture, and grass particles. I have mowed commercial and residential properties for sixteen years, so this video was extra interesting too me. Thanks for sharing.

[@CodeRedCody]

All the dislikes are from grass

[@nawtmyrealnamelol]

can confirm. I am a blade of grass and I hated this video

[@Boodieman72]

Or they thought it was the other type of grass :D

[@PsychoticBovine]

got your grass kicked, didn't you?

[@theRealRindberg]

No from people that realizes that he's wrong

[@awsomedude12345678]

Dislikes are from people who realize how stupid this rich kid is

[@ericconley8699]

How does a weed wacker work

[@smartereveryday]

On it. Several people will probably try to scoop me on this one, but I have an interesting idea for it. If you know any tool companies wanting to partner let me know.

[@jamesflood7985]

Literally was just about to comment this! Great suggestion 😊

[@ericconley8699]

Thank you and I like your videos

[@Warm_Ice0]

It's simple. It wacks the weed

[@fiveseven15]

Yes. Weed whacker doesn’t have lift tabs, it’s just a whip what manner of sorcery is this? Also what’s better the weed whackers that use line, or the ones that have those plastic blades

[@PeregrineChurch]

For the series: Can you do something talking about how the linkages in heavy-duty branch clippers create so much leverage?

[@hurley954]

This is what turned me on to reel mowing! Reel mowing is a clever way of "scissor" cutting grass using a spinning reel cylinder with blades, referencing against a bed knife. You can imagine this method is better for the grass because if properly "tuned", the reel mower avoids (or minimizes) tearing of the grass blade. You're probably aware of this already, and the rotary method is certainly more interesting to investigate! But I hadn't seen this mentioned yet.

[@SlyPearTree]

How about push lawnmowers that are entirely human powered, i.e. no engine.

[@yosefmacgruber1920]

Those have scissors and get jammed up on the tiniest twig.

[@the3nder1]

If you keep the blades sharp that isn't as much of an issue. Also for certain jobs they are way better at getting even length.

[@MmeHyraelle]

you talk about the roller type weird looking blade? I am curious too!

[@Trident_Euclid]

I do that only using a sickle

[@ArcticCustomProps]

They are basically a rolling pair of scissors. There is a moving blade, and a stationary blade, and they create that shear point that he talked about at the beginning.

[@EmanuelFrias]

Upside down helicopter.

[@nick4819]

Actually...helicopters are upside down lawn mowers. Lawn mowers were here first.

[@sarveshk09]

nick4819 😂😂😂

[@rsjabba]

and then there is the flymo, a miniaturised helicopter that we use for mowing lawns

[@mattyboy141]

haha for as long as man has wanted to fly, he's always had to cut his grass.

[@Xixu.co.6]

rsjabba And it SUCKS. Actually it blows i guess. It pushes the grass down and you get a horrible result. But it's cool, so you have that.

[@TyDurr1]

When I mow my lawn, I inevitably hit a tree root or a ball or some other thing. You ought to show what happens in those cases!

[@tripleflip7]

At 50-75K FPS you'd see a wave of deflection and vibration ripple through the blade depending how hard of an object you strike.

[@jackle7896]

Mythbusters already did

[@annabeeee2093]

"If you're like me, you've spent a ton of your lives on a lawn mower..." On a lawn mower? Boi i gotta push my lawn mower i aint that privileged 😂😂😂

[@lemonaid8678]

Mcr and Green Day are life. Dont question it. I got a half acre that I cut with a weed eater due to roots and it’s on a slope.

[@MoarteaLunii]

Stfu emo

[@benn454]

I haven't used a lawn mower in years. Lived in an apartment before I moved to where I am now and I pay somebody to cut my grass now.

[@cbasalt12754]

He could be referring to a lawn tractor, or riding mower.

[@lemonaid8678]

Christian Basulto that’s the same thing isn’t it?

[@trippybruh1592]

Mid 20th century: invent lawn mower 2019: How do they work exactly?

[@andrewnguyen3613]

How does a weed wacker work because it’s just a plastic wire spinning really fast without any lift tabs.

[@rebecamugwort862]

Og Dumpling and how does it break? It’s deigned to hit grass, and somehow it always fails hitting grass. 🤔

[@occultninja4]

If you're talking about push mowers and edgers that use string, I believe they work simply but applying a lot of pressure to a small area, resulting in shredding. It's not hard to simulate, if you hold a flat sheet of paper up perfectly flat and get a clean hit on it with lawnmower string, it will slice the paper. individual grass stems and leaves are much weaker and or thinner than paper, so they get shredded. it's more akin to the grass being pulverised you could say, as you can look at the deck of a weed eater and see the remains of shredded grass splattered against it. Also a more dark way to look at it, of you were unfortunate enough to get your leg clipped by one, it would most definitely draw blood and slice clean through the skin even though it's not 'sharp.' It doesn't have to be sharp to cut. To grasp this you just have to grasp the physics of cutting. Cutting is applying enough force to break the bonds that hold a material together. Sharp objects do this by focusing the force over a small area, which increases the pressure, however you can also achieve it by increasing the amount of force you use over the same area. Can you cut a block of wood with a dull kitchen knife? There's 2 ways you can do it. Sharpen the knife until it's rediculously sharp, or swing the knife with a rediculously amount of force. The later is how an ax basically works. If you feel an ax blade, it's not exactly going to cut you. But if you swing it, there is so much force behind the swing it plows through whatever it hits regardless of how sharp it dull it is. That is sort of what is happening with the weed eater string. it's being swing around so fast it doesn't matter that it isn't sharp. It has enough force concentrated in a small enough area (force / area = pressure) that it can 'cut' the grass it touches. As for why the string breaks. Well, the string is still plastic and being subjected to huge amounts of abuse. Like everything else made of plastic it will give out, especially if you try to cut something with it it wasn't meant to cut or cannot cut that well, such as really thick patches of grass, or if it gets clipped by a stump or a fence or a piece of metal.

[@philb5593]

Basically the same wacking motion without the lift. The grass can't bend out of the way so it gets torn

[@BlackEpyon]

I've also gotten clipped from the weed whacker before. Didn't break skin, but left a REALLY sore welt. This was also a commercial-grade 28.9cc beast, so I was fortunate that I didn't have it at full throttle at the time (it was spinning down).

[@segatore1295]

BlackEpyon I got a weed wacker on my ankle it drew blood

[@neilisalive4892]

Your slomo sound guy did an amazing job with this video

[@mattyboy141]

haha so true, i'm sure I heard paper tearing at a few points. 7:42

[@mr.flintstone7314]

Awesome video, and found just in time to save me from cutting the front off of my lawnmower in search of similar knowledge.