We all want a perfect lawn. Statistics reveal that an average American spends about four hours per week taking care of their lawn. However, many times, we finish mowing the lawn only to get disappointed in the end. It could be your lawn lacks that plush green look or the cut seems inconsistent and choppy, or maybe you hate the sulky type you are using. Let’s look at whether the sulkies you are using are helping or damaging your lawn.

Advantages of Sulkies on Your Lawn

The best part about having sulky lawnmowers is that there is little that could go wrong with them. If you like striping on your lawn, sulkies are a great aid at that. They will help you cut and shape your grass to your liking. 

The two-wheel sulky is advantageous over the single wheel sulky. This is because having two wheels reduces the PSI that the single-wheel sulkies have by half. Twice as many wheels and half the PSI: that's pretty easy to understand. It also removes the dark line from the single-wheel sulky, but this also depends on your wheelbase. 

Platform-type sulkies help take care of your grass in a way that will rival that neighbor who always seems to have the best lawn in your block. Sulkies glide over bumps, helping you achieve a relatively flat ground while mowing. There are no stripes left with platform sulkies. Also, they help reduce soil compactness, especially after rains, which is often related to your lawn’s health. Platform sulkies leave almost no trail after mowing. Therefore, they're the best if you want a seamless mow.

Cons of Using Sulkies on Your Lawn

The bad side of using wheeled sulkies is the stripes that appear on your lawn after mowing. Two-wheel sulkies with a narrow wheelbase could also leave a trail on your lawn. With the two-wheel sulky, you have double the wheels that could leave a trail on your lawn grass. These trails often seem unattractive and often appear as dirt strips on your lawn. For some people, this is a deal-breaker, not to mention the high PSI on the soil it comes into contact with, which leads to soil compaction. 

Compact soil does not favor root expansion. If your soil is compact, water and nutrients will barely get down to the roots zone, promoting a shallow root system. Your turf’s root system will have a hard time expanding if the soil is compacted. With time, your lawn looks more and more unhealthy. Wheeled sulkies are also known to jackknife, which potentially damages your lawn. Jackknifing leaves patches on your lawn at the point it occurs if you are not cautious.

With that said, you now know how sulkies affect the end-product after mowing your lawn. Consider both the pros and cons. If you feel one side weighs more than the other, be wise in your decision. Always consider the health of your lawn before all else.

Working with heavy machinery requires preparation. Sulkies are no different. Before you head out to mow, double-check your footwear. The right shoes can make your job easier, less frustrating, and much safer.

Safe Shoe Features for Riding Sulkies

To understand what features make a shoe appropriate for riding a sulky, you have to consider the potential risks. Sulky accidents may involve slips, falls, crushing weight, and deep cuts. 

Sulkies roll behind a mower, and the blades on the underside of a lawnmower don't distinguish between grass and toes. If you hit a bump and stumble forward, you want something between your foot and the blade. At the very least, this means you should choose close-toed shoes. 

Next, look at your shoe’s tread. Your favorite pair of old tennis shoes may not have the grip you need. Well-worn shoes may be tempting for a long ride around the lawn, but they aren’t reliable. The grip or tread on the bottom of your shoes plays a massive role in stability and safety on a sulky. Although sulky rides are usually smooth, random rocks, branches, molehills, and other obstacles could threaten your footing. 

It's also important for shoes to stay securely on your feet, so make sure your footwear isn’t slip-on. If it slips on, it can slip off. Good grip on the bottom of your shoes doesn’t matter if they stay on the sulky without you. As convenient and comfortable as partially open-back shoes like Crocs may be, they aren’t appropriate for work with heavy machinery. Keep them for working in the flower beds, but don’t trust them on a sulky.

Best Shoe Styles for Mowing With a Sulky

If you’re new to riding a sulky, use older machinery, or simply want to stay as safe as possible, steel-toed boots may be your best bet. They offer the most protection and protect against both crushing and cutting injuries. If one foot slips into the blades, the steel can protect your toes. If the other foot goes under a heavy wheel, the steel keeps the weight off the delicate bones in your feet.

Sturdy, newer tennis and athletic shoes also make good sulky footwear. They usually have great grip, they lace up securely, and they’re close-toed. If you're comfortable on a sulky and need shoes that stay comfortable over a long mowing job, these may be ideal. 

It's worth mentioning that the most important feature for a sulky-safe pair of shoes is a closed toe. The toes face a lot of risk with any kind of lawn maintenance machinery. No matter how securely fitted your sandals are, even if they have excellent traction, they'll always be a bad choice. 

Secure, close-toed shoes with good traction are the safest option. Investing in a pair of steel-toed boots is also a good idea, and many industries mandate their workers utilize them for a reason. Whatever shoes you pick, remember to use caution and go the extra mile ahead of time to avoid unnecessary accidents.