Saturday, 26 September 2009

Finding The Right Lawn Mower

By Kevin Young

After years of saving, you have came up with enough down payment that you can finally afford to move from that downtown apartment to the suburbs. You finally get everything unpacked and the inside of the house is looking great. You walk outside into your own yard where the trees, shrubs and flowers are looking great and think to yourself, wow, management sure needs to do something about the grass. It is really getting over grown, when suddenly you realize that you are management and you need a lawn mower.

When you get to the hardware store you realize that there may be more to buying the right lawn mower than you expected. There are several mowers available.

One choice is a human powered push mower. They are a little less expensive than the least expensive gasoline mower and work well on a small lawn. They are very quiet when in operation and cut the grass with a scissor action that helps to avoid the brown tips on the grass. Since your lawn is already a bit out of control, however, these mowers are probably not right for you right now. They do not do well when grass is very tall.

For a somewhat larger lawn, you could choose a lawn mower with a gasoline engine. They take less energy to push and do a good job at cutting grass. Most have a pull rope for starting which is sometime a problem for people who lack the proper strength to start the mower.

These gasoline mowers come in various cutting widths, usually between eighteen and twenty two inches. While the smaller mowers are the easiest to push, the larger ones cut the grass at a quicker pace.

Self-propelled mowers make even less work out of the job of mowing grass. The propulsion for these mowers is powered by the same engine that cuts the grass. Operators walk behind the unit to steer the mower.

Some subdivisions have rules regarding the use of gasoline mowers and due to the noise level that they produce require residents to choose electric mowers. Electric mowers are lighter in weight and much quieter to operate than gasoline mowers. In addition, the operator does not have to use a pull rope to start the mower. Once it is plugged in, just turn on the switch and the mower is working. The major disadvantage is that they have to have a long extension cord to operate. If you are using an electric mower, be sure that you do not mow over the cord.

For larger lawns, you may choose a riding lawn mower. Riding mowers often cut a thirty six to fifty inch swath each pass. They leave the lawn with a very smooth appearance that is not always possible with other mowers. In addition, riding mowers may be used to pull small trailers to carry other landscaping materials. Riding mowers are the most expensive of the mowers.

Since you are now a homeowner with a lawn to care for, you need to be sure that you purchase the correct lawn mower. If you get the correct mower, mowing the lawn does not have to be a chore but can become a part of the joy of owning your own home. You can take pride in the lawn that you take care of by yourself.

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