Tips To Make Choosing A Lawn Mower Easy

By Ned Dagostino

You've been putting it off for a year or more, but after last weekends foray into the yard you have finally decided you need a new mower. So now you begin the difficult task of choosing a lawn mower that will make cutting your grass a little easier.

There are a lot of choices you'll have to make, but start by looking at these three important factors. How big is your yard and what is the terrain like? What features do you want and do you really need them? What type of engine will your yard 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.

Whether you need a self propelled or push mower, you need to carefully consider the engine power and the mower deck. The wider the deck, the more grass you'll be able to cut at one time. That means fewer trips back and forth. Combine a large deck with a powerful motor and mowing will be fast and easy. And while that sound great you don't want to get more than you need or you'll essentially be giving money away. Just match the yard with the mower for good results.

You also need to look at the size of the rear wheels. In most cases, standard wheels are fine. But if you have a rough yard with lots of hills, large rear wheels will make the job easier.

Now if your yard is over 0.75 acres, then a riding mower might be a better choice for you. Again, use the same rules to determine what size deck and how powerful an engine you need. If you're mowing several acres, get a larger engine and a wider deck. But again, don't waste your cash by over doing it.

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. - 30228

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