The Hands-Free Lawn Mowing Hack You'll Want To Try Out In Your Yard

In the summer, it can feel like your grass grows like it's chugging energy drinks and your to-do list groans under the weight of weekly trims. You'd rather be sipping lemonade on the patio than sweating behind a mower, right? Enter TikTok, the internet's favorite idea machine, with a hands-free mowing hack that's part genius and part chaotic, but might be worth the try.

In a now-viral video, TikTok creator, FJerry, straps his lawn mower to a rope anchored in the center of the yard, hits the start button, and lets physics do the rest. The mower spins outward in perfect spirals, slowly working its way across the grass like a Roomba with a blade. It's mesmerizing, oddly satisfying, and kind of brilliant. But while it may look like a hands-free miracle, this trick walks a fine line between smart shortcut and backyard mishap. Before you start tying up your Toro, it's worth taking a closer look at what's really happening in this video and what could go wrong if you're not careful.

Some DIYers have pulled off this hands-free mowing trick with clever precision, while others have learned the hard way that it's not exactly a set-it-and-forget-it solution. With a little planning and a healthy respect for what could go wrong, it may still shave some time off your weekend routine. Still, you must always follow proper pre-mowing tips like sharpening the blades no matter how you're mowing.

Here's the gist: Hammer a sturdy stake into the center of a square patch of lawn. Make sure it's solid; wobbly stakes are a no-go. Walk the area in a circle to clear obstacles. Then, cut a strong rope to the distance you want the mower to travel. Tie it to the side of your mower, keeping it well away from blades and wheels. Fire it up, using another rope or bungee cord to engage the safety handlebar, but keep in mind, most mower manufacturers caution against bypassing safety features this way. As the rope winds tighter around the stake, the mower spins inward in neat circles, cutting the grass as it goes. Remember to set your mower at the right height so you don't mow too short; you never want to remove more than one-third of grass blades at any one time. When the mower gets to the end of the line, voilà, you've got a trimmed lawn and you didn't push a thing.

This hands-free mowing trick might look like magic, but there are definitely a few ways it can go sideways. On YouTube, Nathans Lawns and Gardens tried it, saying, "I thought I would give this old trick a try as it looked so simple. Well I think the video shows what really happens." He tied the string to the handle, and the mower never progressed forward, but commenters said tying the rope to a more central point or the front of the mower would work better to guide the machine in the right direction.

Nik Rijavec also posted a video of his attempt at this mowing strategy on YouTube, and his approach turned out much better. "I think this is the easiest way to mow your lawn, but it only works on big and flat fields," he said. While the mower certainly does the heavy lifting, this isn't a time to kick back and scroll your phone. You need to supervise the whole process in case something goes wrong. If the rope snaps or the mower tips, you'll want to be close enough to shut it off right away. Ground evenness and lack of lawn clutter matters, too. Rocks, dips, or stray sticks can interrupt the spiral, snap the rope, or send your mower into the neighbor's yard. As one commenter noted on this video, "Lawnmower: mows by itself. A rock: I'm gonna end this man's whole career." So, while this trick is clever, a little extra prep and a lot of common sense will keep it from turning into a viral mishap of your own. It might even inspire you to take a second look at robot lawn mowers.