>>I was making about 20 bucks a week at age 11 cutting lawns - of course that was summer 1976.
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>>I think a responsible kid of about that age can certainly use a regular push mower if they've been properly taught by an adult.
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>>As a rule, age 9 is still too young (though I'm sure someone will say they cut lawns at age 9 unsupervised, but as a general rule that's too young)
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>>I agree (from the article), 12 is entirely too young to be using a riding mower. 16 should be the min. age for a riding mower - assuming they've been properly taught.
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>Yeah...12 is too young for a riding lawnmower - too dang hard to control it properly in a wheelie (grin) - tho' I was on a riding lawnmower at 12 or 13. We'd moved to a house on 1 1/8 acre of land and my brother turned up conveniently allergic to grass, so it became my job...every week from February through November. In December and January it only needed to be mowed once a month.

I was on horseback before I can remember. Driving a pickup with my father in the back feeding hay at 6. Mowing the lawn by myself around 8.

I swear, you city folk raise your children in bubbles. ;)