My uncle and my dad have shared the same lawnmower for 20 years. A week ago, my uncle finally went out and bought a new mower — a Cadet Cub riding lawn mower, or tractor if you prefer. The one he chose is bright yellow with the black stripe, it looks like something you might ride in a race.

I tried it out and it was pretty easy to use, even in our mess of a yard. This was the first cutting of the year, which meant the grass was tall and juicy. There were plenty of hidden sticks and mole hills to grind up against the blade when you least expect it. Still, that mower cut through the grass super easily, and it was fun to drive.

For speed control: Under the steering wheel is a little shifter that lets you take it from tortoise all the way up to hare.
For braking: Your left foot controls the break.
For going: Your right foot controls the accelerator.
For reversing: Your right foot controls the reverse pedal. You cannot back up without lifting the blade first.

The blade controls are next to the seat, in easy reach of your right hand. Though once you’ve got the blade down and you’re ready to mow, you shouldn’t have to do a whole lot of shifting or whatever. Basically everything is controlled with your feet and all you have to do is drive.

I had fun driving the mower and I might not complain about having to mow the lawn next weekend.