Friday, February 27, 2009

Choosing A Lawn Mower - Things To Consider

By Ned Dagostino

For many, the frustration happens every year. It's time to mow the grass, but your old lawn mower won't start, shuts down, or just makes it a miserable chore. So finally you decide it's time to get a new one. But choosing a lawn mower is not as easy as it seems.

While there are many factors involved in the decision, start by looking at the big three. Look at the size of your yard, what features you want or need, and the quality of engine you require.

The size of your yard will tell you if you need a riding mower, or if a walk behind will do. If your yard is less than 3/4 of an acre, a walk behind is probably OK. Walk behind mowers are the most popular. Now let's look at features. If your yard is small and doesn't have a lot of hills, you probably won't need too many extra features. One you should seriously consider is a self propelled mower, especially if your yard is over 1/2 acre. These make mowing easy because the push forward on their own. Your job becomes walking behind the mower and guiding it in the right direction.

Now you need to look at the mower deck and the engine power. A wider deck means you cut more grass at one time. The result is fewer trips across the yard. If you add a powerful motor into the mix, mowing will become even faster and easier. But don't get too caught up in getting more power and a wider deck then you need. You'll basically be spending more money for nothing if you don't match the mower with the yard.

The terrain and slope of the yard should also determine what size your rear wheels should be. Generally standard size wheels are OK. But on a hilly yard, getting a mower with larger wheels will make mowing easier.

Larger yards, those over 3/4 of an acre, may require a riding mower. Once again you'll need to choose the deck size and engine power. Only consider higher end options if you will be mowing several acres. You'll be saving money this way.

A great feature to have is a mower with a zero turn radius. These are great if your landscape includes lots of trees and shrubs. You can use a zero turn radium to cut a complete circle without leaving any space in the middle. This make going around trees much easier. But if you don't have a lot of landscape features, this option is not necessary.

The last big decision to make is if you want a mulching lawn mower. These mowers will use specially designed blades to continually chop up the grass into very small fragments. These are returned to the soil where they will provide a natural fertilizer when they decompose. If you don't want to mulch, you'll need to bag the grass. This means catching the clippings and throwing them out.

Naturally there are plenty of other choices to make. Do you want an electric mower, one with a cord or without? Do you want one of the new solar powered or robotic mowers? Start by answering the basic questions first, then when you head to the dealer or look online, choosing a lawn mower will be a much easier task. - 16035

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