The first man-powered sickle mower will soon be on the market. After a year of testing on his hobby farm, Paul Rizzo is going into production on his unique mower. The push mower is designed to cut grass, grain crops and even brambles and light brush.

“It has scissoring action that really takes a bite out of grasses and wheat,” he says. “Depending on the density of the stem, it can handle light brush too.”

Rizzo designed and built his YardSickle with the help of his father, Olympio. He knew the drive system would be key. It had to be able to produce the required torque and blade speed. His prototype proved out the transmission and general design and established potential customer interest.

“I had enough positive feedback that I formed a company and moved ahead to produce it,” he says.

However, the prototype weighed in at close to 50 lbs. and would have cost several hundred dollars to produce. After testing and making a number of refinements, Rizzo now has the YardSickle under 20 lbs. With the help of a friend who owns a CNC-controlled cutting assembly, Rizzo is now set up to produce the new, improved version.

“We will be producing the new version in December,” he says. “It will be a two-part frame so the handlebars can fold and be adjusted,” he says.