I recall seeing a farmer back in the 1970s lifting 44 gallon oil drums off a truck up on to a deck about 5 feet off the ground. He did this all by himself for days at a time. He never suffered from a sore back a day in his life. He was a very strong man and every thing he built was big and strong. If he put in a corner post he had to find the biggest, broadest tree in the paddock to fell.
I tried to lift a Rover mower up on to my workbench once. I got around like a lame duck for a week after. I suffered severe back spasms, leg cramps, pins and needles in feet and hands, stiff neck, the works. I also managed to pull the muscles in my chest and shoulders.
Lifting a mower into the boot of the car is not so bad, but lifting up on to a bench is just TOO high.
I owned a ride-on mower for a short time. I say "short time", because it was forever breaking down and my back would go out every time I had to lift the ruddy great lump of a thing up to repair a tyre or make an adjustment. I bought it to make my life easier. It didn't. It made life a lot harder. I then purchased a newfangled belt-drive self-propelled mower, again thinking it would make life easier. It didn't. The belt kept running off as soon as I went through a patch of damp grass. Then it was a major operation to get the belt back on. So I have gone back to using a small utility push mower and life has actually been easier! Bigger is not always better!
