REPLACING DEPRECIATED TOOLS. I recently took delivery of a new lawn mower, shown at the left. It's an offering from Improvements. The one it is intended to replace is at the right. It's an American Lawn Mower Model 1403-14 that I bought from Ace Hardware eighteen years ago. The local lawn mower service center advises me that it's now beyond further sharpening or adjustment. But it stood up well for eighteen years, and that included a rather rough breaking-in period when I used it to remove the weeds that were growing where the Victor E. garden now is. (One of the hazards of buying a house in the summer is that the current owners have no incentive to maintain a garden that will yield vegetables after their departure date.)


The new mower pushes much more easily on concrete, but it doesn't push through the grass as well. I may make a few adjustments, but it's possible that I'll exercise Improvements' 60-day return policy and purchase the 1404-16 from American.