Mower with thumb wheel throttle control

A mower for cutting grass, which comprises:

• (a) a traction frame supported for movement over the ground;
• (b) a power source carried on the traction frame, the power source having a variable power output;
• (c) a grass cutting unit carried on the traction frame;
• (d) a hand operated rotary wheel operatively carried on the traction frame for rotation about an axis in first and second opposite directions, wherein rotation of the wheel operatively increases and decreases the power output of the power source as the wheel is rotated in the first and second directions, respectively, wherein the wheel rotates about a substantially horizontal pivot axis, and wherein the wheel is located below a hand grip carried on the traction frame such that the wheel can be accessed by a thumb or index finger of one hand of an operator without requiring the operator to remove the one hand from the hand grip;
• and
• (e) wherein the wheel is carried on an upwardly and rearwardly extending handle assembly that is attached to the traction frame, wherein the handle assembly comprises two laterally spaced, upwardly and rearwardly extending handle tubes whose upper ends are joined together by the hand grip with the hand grip being long enough to allow the operator to grip the hand grip with both hands, wherein the handle tubes have a control panel extending therebetween, wherein the control panel includes an upwardly facing top surface located below the hand grip with the top surface of the control panel having an upwardly projecting housing along one side thereof for rotatably journaling the wheel.