I wish I could say that I purchased this mower after seeing Al Gores "inconvenient truth" and my life was changed by it.  The truth however is that I finally got fed up with my old power mower failing to start for the ump-teenth time after repeated repairs and promises of it now "running like a champ".  This old time mower will take some getting used too, and also don't kid yourself, it doesn't do the job as easily as a power mower by any means.  However on the plus side you will never again suffer through a mower that fails you, needs fuel, requires any real maintenance like oil changes or plugs, and best of all if you take care of it, will be the very last mower you ever buy.  The only way this mower will up and quit is if you do.  Any maintenance it does require is easily handled by a screwdriver or wrench.  Even for those whose knowledge of small gas engines doesn't go much beyond kicking it and swearing when it disappoints you. I fully agree with the reviewer here who stated it is best used on pristine lawns with lush healthy grass. (Unfortunately a lot of people that have lawns of such quality often don't cut their own lawns. If you happen to be the exception, read on) This mower cuts thick grass of reasonable length straight and evenly very easily.  Where it fails you is on long loose weeds fluttering in the wind.  The mower passes right over them no matter how many times you try again and again to sever it.  I solved that problem by putting a little more effort into trimming with the weed whacker, and leaving the heavy grass to the mower.  And it by far is most efficient when used regularly once or twice a week.  A time table you will find effortlessly fits most peoples lifestyle since the mower is so light and easy to use that mowing the lawn will no longer be an all day Saturday event.  Unlike lawns where power mowers are used that usually get long and seedy looking in between jobs, you will find yourself taking this mower out far more often just to hit the "high spots".  Thus your lawn comes to have the appearance of a man that gets his hair cut every three weeks and thus never looks like he is long overdue.  You can also get away with using this mower early in the morning or late in the evening since it makes very little racket. And one last thing, I didn't notice much difference in the physical effort needed to push it considering that most people use walk behind push mowers in any event.  Aside from having to use it a little more often, and its lack of cutting power on long weeds, I consider this mower to be well worth one's investment.  You will eventually come to find your lawn never looked better.