The Mowing Rectangle calculator estimates the area, distance walked, calories burned mowing and time required to mow a rectangle shaped area of grass.![](https://www.vcalc.com/attachments/4380e910-4b70-11ef-98f1-bc764e203090/mow-rectangle.PNG)
INSTRUCTIONS: Choose units and enter the following:
- (L) Length of Area
- (W) Width of Area
- (M) Your Weight (used for calorie calculation)
- (w) Width of Mower (cutting swath)
- (ms) Mowing Speed (default of 3 mph: human walking average)
- (RP) Riding or Push Mower
Miles Walked Mowing (eM): The calculator returns the distance traveled while mowing in miles, the area in acres, the time it took in minutes, and the calories burned. However, these can be automatically converted to compatible units via the pull-down menu.
Useful Stats
- Humans walk at a rate of approximately 3 miles per hour, ranging from 2.1 for women over 80 to 3.2 for men in their 30's
- 4 miles per hour (mph) is considered a good speed for a riding mower. 5.5 mph is considered very fast with an upper limit of 7 miles per hour.
- Most push mowers cut 21" wide swaths.
- Riding mower range from 36" to 54" for larger zero turn mowers.
According to a report from Valdosta University, the following calories per hour are associated with mowing (cutting) grass. These are approximate numbers based on the person's weight, and there are numerous other factors that can change the total calories burned.
Calories Burned per hour Mowing Grass by Person's Weight
Exercise Type |
130 lbs |
155 lbs |
180 lbs |
205 lbs |
Using Push Mower |
325 |
387 |
449 |
512 |
Using a Riding Mower |
148 |
176 |
204 |
233 |
The Math / Science
Very few yards are perfect rectangles. In order to estimate the distance walked while mowing, one must first estimate the total mowing area. This calculator uses the width of the swath created by the mower to then compute the linear distance walked. Most push mowers are between 18" and 24" wide. This calculator assumes that there is an overlap of two inches (2") when mowing rows.
Mowing Calculator: Estimates the distance walked, area covered, calories burned mowing and time required to mow an area of grass based on mower cutting deck width, speed and whether its a push mower or riding mower.
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![](https://www.vcalc.com/attachments/104dd5e8-1200-11ee-b65f-bc764e203090/lawn-spreader-rectangle.png)
![](https://www.vcalc.com/attachments/104dd5e8-1200-11ee-b65f-bc764e203090/spreader-lawn-area.PNG)