Lawn mowers: buying guide

Features to consider

Ignition system
A major consideration when buying a mower is how easy it is to start. Electric mowers are relatively hassle free - a simple switch - however petrol mowers have a variety of mechanisms with different claims to ease of use.

The most common and traditional type is a ripcord which pulls the motor into life. This can be back-breakingly frustrating on some models, however moving the cord up the handlebar can be even more awkward.

Always test the ignition yourself before you buy to make sure you’ll have no problems starting the motor yourself.

Blades
Look for blades made from a strong material such as hardened steel. They will cut cleaner and last longer. Also, look for a mower with a four-blade system, to ensure it can cut through thicker grass.

The width of the cutting area is important. A good petrol mower will be able to cut right to the edge of the unit, but electric mowers generally have a smaller ‘cutting deck’ – the circle within which the blades spin. This means it takes longer to mow the lawn, and there’s more twisting and turning involved.

Catcher
A catcher is often not standard equipment on a mower, but if you want to avoid having to rake up the grass, you’ll want one. Look for one with properly located handles that make it easy to detach, hoist up, and empty into a bin.

Mulcher
Some mowers are able to process cut grass into a mulch that is then spread over your lawn. This is a great option that lets you nourish your grass while you mow it.

Cutting height
The more height settings, the more freedom you’ll have to work with rough terrain and patchy or regenerating grass. Electric mowers generally have less flexibility and are harder to raise and lower than petrol models. Test out the adjustment for yourself, and see if it’s easy to do before you buy.

Handles
Handles should not be underestimated. Height-adjustable handles allow for better comfort, but at a minimum your handles should be able to fold over for more compact storage. Upswept handles have a curve in them to allow for better ergonomics and easier pushing.

Types of lawn mowers

Lawn mowers can be grouped into categories based on the type of motor.

Petrol – four-stroke
This is the most common new lawn mower you’ll find. Its engine runs on standard unleaded petrol.

Pros

  • No need to make two-stroke mixture, simply use normal petrol
  • Much less pollution than two-stroke engine
  • Wider cutting area than most electric mowers – quicker mowing time

Cons

  • Need to fill and refill petrol can at station and store at home
  • Heavy and unwieldy
  • Noisy
  • Engine’s oil sump needs maintaining
  • Oil sump can be unsuitable for mowing steep terrain, especially on older models

Petrol – two-stroke
This mower has an older style of engine that runs on a fuel-oil mixture.

Pros

  • Simple engine with no oil sump needs less maintenance
  • Can be used on steep slopes

Cons

  • Fuel-oil mixture needs to be made
  • High pollution

Electric – mains-powered
This lawn mower plugs straight into a normal wall socket and trails a cord behind it while you mow.

Pros

  • No need to keep buying and storing petrol
  • Light
  • Less cumbersome than a petrol model
  • More reliable
  • Many mowers have as much power as petrol models
  • Much better for then environment than petrol models

Cons

  • Electric cord can be unsafe – you must install a safety switch
  • Extension cord may be needed to mow whole garden
  • Narrower cutting area than petrol models – longer mowing time
  • Height adjustment may be cumbersome, or have less settings

Electric - battery
This lawn mower has all the advantages of electric power but is charged before use.

Pros

  • Doesn’t have the safety problem of power cords
  • Unrestricted movement

Cons

  • Need to remember to charge before use, anywhere from half to one day.

Electric – hover
This entry-level electric mower creates a cushion as the motor spins, allowing it to over the ground.

Pros

  • Cheap
  • Very light

Cons

  • Ineffective height adjustment
  • Difficult to cut long grass properly

Push mowers
This is lawn mowing the old-fashioned way, with blades attached to wheels cutting the grass as you push the mower over it

Lawn mower maintenance

Most homeowners have a rotary-type lawn mower that requires periodic maintenance to keep it working efficiently and safely. Use the operating and service instruction manual provided with your mower, and consistently perform the suggested maintenance.

Basic engine maintenance is essential. Use the gasoline and oil recommended by the manufacturer. When working on the mower, be sure the blade and all moving parts have stopped. When accessing the underside of the mower for inspection or cleaning, always turn it so that the air-filter side of the mower is up. Otherwise, oil will drain out into the air filter and the engine won't start. Also detach the spark-plug wire so the engine won't start accidentally. Keep spark plugs clean; and have an expert adjust the carburetor. Check air filters regularly, and clean or replace them when dirty.

Be sure to regularly sharpen rotary mower blades, which operate on the principle of a sickle. It's advisable to have an extra blade on hand so a replacement is available when you detect poor cutting. Shredded or brown tips of grass blades is an indication of a dull or damaged mower blade. You can sharpen rotary mower blades with a grinding wheel and file, but be careful not to destroy the balance. To determine which end of the mower blade is out of balance, put a nail in the wall and hang the blade from the hole in the center of the blade. File more off the blade on the heavy end.

Excess vibration is an indication of a damaged blade, mounting, or crankshaft. Frequently tighten the blade and engine mounting bolts, as well as any other nuts, bolts and screws. Check mower wheels, bearings and axles for wear and lubrication. If there are grease fittings, check them every couple of months. Replace loose, wobbly wheels. Be sure to keep the drive mechanism on self-propelled mowers in good working order. Check belts and gears for wear and fit.

After each use, clean the underside of the mower with a strong stream of water. The metal deck can rust out if residue builds up. To reduce fire hazard, keep the engine free of grass, leaves and excessive grease. Check the grass-catcher bag for wear or deterioration, and replace when necessary. At the end of the mowing season, be sure to drain the gas and follow the winterizing instructions in your owner's manual.

To keep your mower in tip-top running condition, have a competent service person thoroughly inspect your mower at least once a year.

Tuesday, 12 January 2010

My Lawn Mower Tips

How Much Lawn Fertilizer Does My Yard Need?

The good news is you can measure the width and depth of your lawn, multiply the width by the depth, subtract the square footage of your house and driveway and you have the approximate size of your yard. Armed with this information you are ready to go shopping for what is known as turf fertilizer or lawn care fertilizer.

Don't sweat the details. Fertilizing and grass fertilizer are not rocket science. You just need an approximate size of your lawn. As an example, your yard is about 110 feet deep and 150 feet wide. Multiply those numbers (110X150) and you get 16,500 square feet. If you house is about 1800 square feet and your driveway is about 1700 square feet you have 3500 square feet (1800+1700) not in grass. Subtract the 3500 from the 16,500 and you have approximately 13,000 square feet in grass.

When you go shopping for fertilizer, don't get confused about green fertilizer or organic lawn fertilizer or organic grass fertilizer or organic liquid fertilizer. You will probably end up with Scotts lawn fertilizer or Lowes lawn fertilizer or Home Depot lawn fertilizer or the brand from your local lawn and garden store. You will find it comes in bags that treat 5,000 or 10,000 or 15,000 square feet. Since you have 13,000 square feet in grass, get enough fertilizer to treat 15,000 square feet. It is better to have a little extra (put it on your yard - it won't hurt it) than to run out and have part of your lawn looking nice and the other part untreated and ugly.

If you are a perfectionist, you can call your local university extension office and send them a soil sample and they will tell you what nutrients your lawn needs. This is probably not necessary. Buy the bags Scotts or your local lawn and garden supply store recommends and put it on. Years and years of experience on millions of lawns says you'll be just fine.

Do My Lawn Mower Blades Need To Be Sharpened?

Keep in mind a lawn mower blade is suppose to cut your grass, not beat it into submission. A sharp blade is critical for the appearance of your yard and the performance of your lawn mower. Sharpness really affects the performance of a mulching lawn mower blade.

If you're a mulcher, take a look at a gator lawn mower blade. They have a unique design that allows the grass to stay trapped in the mowing deck longer and therefore get cut multiple times. The result is superior mulching and therefore a lawn with fewer noticeable clippings sitting on top of your yard. You can get a gator lawn mower blade that is an exact replacement for your John Deere lawn mower blade, your Toro lawn mower blade, etc.

Our Buy Lawn Mower Parts link is designed to help you find replacement lawn mower blades and other lawn mower parts. We suggest you have 2 sets of

Make Your Grass Thicker

The good news is grass that is well fed and watered and cut will get thicker, even filling in bare spots in your lawn.

The bad news is weeds fill in bare spots faster than grass.

So there are 3 important steps in making your grass thicker. The first thing to do is get those weeds out of your yard. You can apply weed killer separately or as part of a fertilizer treatment. You can apply it as a dry granular powder or as a liquid.

Liquid is best. Why? Because the weed killing mechanism is for the weed killer to be absorbed thru the leaves into the plant and down into the roots. The result is a weed, dead all the way thru and it will not regrow. A dry weed killer must be applied to a wet weed. Forget it – it’s too much work, hit and miss with less than satisfactory results. Use the liquid weed killer.

Now that you have the weeds out of the way, there is a place for the grass to grow. This is the place for step 2 – feed, water and cut your grass to make it healthy. Healthy grass will spread and fill in the bare spots. If the bare spots are too large, speed up the process and go to step 3 by planting grass seed.

You are probably wondering… what is the perfect patch grass seed? It depends on your area and its climate. If you’re in the hot south, zoysia grass seed is good. If you are in a dry area and you are not a waterer, buy drought resistant grass seed. You can get advice on buying grass seed specific to your area by looking for grass seed online (try our Google search below) or by checking at your local lawn and garden supply store. The local store will have lawn grass seeds (such as Scott grass seed) formulated for your area. The package will have information and be able to answer all your questions such as grass seed rate, grass seed when, grass seed how to, etc.

Posted by ases id at 00:21

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