Hand operation accompanied with any combination of large forces, awkward positions and repetition
may lead to upper limb injury or illness and may be exacerbated by vibration. Commercial lawn mowers
expose operators to these factors during actuation of hand controls and therefore may be a health
concern. A nontraditional lawn mower control system may decrease upper limb illnesses and injuries
through more neutral hand and body positioning. This study compared maximum grip strength in
twelve different orientations (3 grip spans and 4 positions) and evaluated self-described comfortable
handle positions. The results displayed force differences between nontraditional (X) and both vertical (V)
and pistol (P) positions (p < 0.0001) and among the different grip spans (p < 0.0001). Based on these
results, recommended designs should incorporate a tilt between 45 and 70, handle rotations between
48 and 78, and reduced force requirements or decreased grip spans to improve user health and comfort.