Choosing A Lawn Mower - Things To Consider
Author: NedD'Agostino Total views: 9 Word Count: 547
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.
The most important three things you should consider include the size and terrain of your yard, what features you'll need, and the engine quality. A fourth important factor will be your budget.
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.
If your yard is over 3/4 of an acre you'll want to think seriously about a riding mower. Once again the deck size and engine power will need to be considered and the same rules apply. A large engine and wide deck makes sense if you need to mow several acres. But don't waste money by getting more than you need.
If you have lots of trees, shrubs and other landscape features, then consider a zero turn radius mower. With these you can basically cut in a circle without moving or leaving a space in the middle. They're ideal for going around trees. But if you don't have much landscaping, then save your money or use it on features you will need.
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.
Choosing a lawn mower becomes much easier when you answer the basic questions first. Sure there will be other decisions and options. Electric mowers, solar mowers and even robotic mowers are available. But in almost every case it's a good idea to know and understand what you need before you begin your search.
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