|
|
|
Written by Nzong Xiong, McClatchy-Tribune
|
|
Friday, 04 May 2007 |
|
|
|
|
After a week or so relaxing by the beach and then another week or so of playing catch-up, your lawn has been feeling woefully neglected. The grass even has started to sprout seeds. But when you eventually get around to rolling out your trusty lawn mower and try to start it, the engine refuses to budge, no matter how much you plead and pull the cord.
It finally has cut its last blade of grass, and its demise leaves you little choice but to start looking for a new one.
If it's been years since you purchased your last one, you might be surprised by the variety of mowers you can get and the features they now come with. But what can be an overwhelming process can be narrowed down by doing some research and asking yourself some questions before buying.
Selecting a lawn mower comes down to several factors, including how much lawn you have, the roughness of your terrain and how much work you want the mower to do.
"You have to have a grand conversation with yourself," says Lou Manfredini, Ace Hardware's "Helpful Hardware Man." "Technology has changed quite a bit."
PUSH AND SELF-PROPEL
Lawn mowers come in two basic styles: ones that you push and ones that are self-propelled. The main difference between the two?
A self-propelled mower "pulls the mower along, and you guide it with the handle bars," says Peter Sawchuk, a program leader for home improvement at Consumer Reports, which has an overview of lawn mowers and tractors in this month's edition.
"If you get a push (mower), you'll have to push it with your legs and arms. Since the self-propelled are generally more expensive, they tend to have more features. Push lawn mowers are for people with small, relatively flat lawns."
If you have some hills or want less stress, self-propelled may be the way to go. "Self-propelled, for the extra money, it's so much easier," says Bob Mackey, a buyer for Sears Holding Corp. "You also can control the speed of the walk. What we're trying to do is make life easier for the customer."
Self-propelled mowers can be front- or rear-wheel drive. Front-wheel drives are suitable if you don't want to use a bag to collect cut grass and you have a fairly flat yard, says Rob Little, marketing manager for Toro Walk Power Mowers in Bloomington, Minn. "Rear-wheel-drive mowers have better traction for hilly yards and better bagging" qualities, he says.
Push mowers can start in the $150 range, while self-propelled models can start at $200, according to Consumer Reports.
GAS VS. ELECTRIC
If you have a small, flat yard, you might consider a corded or cordless electric lawn mower. "The cord is going to limit the amount of space you're going to use it on," Sawchuk says.
As for cordless ones, "The battery is roughly 40 to 45 minutes of cutting time," he says. Just be aware that recharge times can vary between eight and 24 hours.
"You're looking at overnight" charging, he says.
Electric mowers also tend to be less expensive, Little says. "If you have a small yard, they're a little more economical. They're lighter in weight. If you're cutting your grass once a week, the electric mower can do a good job. But if you let your grass go ... you don't get quite the power to cut the grass."
Hence, many people turn to gas mowers. "Most lawn mowers are gas," Little says.
"It's the most common and versatile," Manfredini explains. "You can do a large yard. It doesn't hold a ton of fuel, and it can at least go for over an hour."
Push gas mowers start at $219.99 online at Sears. Black & Decker's electric mower costs $159.99 online at Ace Hardware.
While most lawn mowers are gas or electric, there are some that aren't. Reel-type mowers, which you may remember your grandparents using, have four or five blades that turn like a rolling pin over grass while you push it. Although some do come with gas-powered engines, many rely on you and your back to do the pushing.
If you have Bermuda grass or a hybrid lawn, reel-type mowers are ideal, says Tim Wilson, the store manager of Orchard Supply Hardware in Fresno, Calif. "This is the best way to (mow) it," he says. "It cuts low. But the drawback is if you go on vacation, you're doing several passes."
Reel-type mowers start at $69.99 for a 14-inch wide deck at OSH in Fresno. E.G. Babcock in Fresno has gas-powered, self-propelled ones starting at around $1,200. Many of the models at Babcock have commercial-grade components and "will last you a real long time," says Phil Babcock, who owns the Fresno business, which sells and services gas-powered lawn equipment.
TRACTORS
When should you start eyeing tractors that you can ride on? When "you have a bigger yard, can't walk behind a mower or don't have as much time," Manfredini says. Oh, also when you have extra cash, because they can get expensive.
A tractor "is a whole different ball game," he says.
Lawn tractors can have rear-wheel drive with the rider sitting on top of the cutting deck, or rear-engine tractors, where "the rear wheels provide the power and the steering. It allows you to do more of the trimming and going around trees," Little says.
Another option is zero-turn-radius mowers, "where the deck is in front of the mower, the rider is riding above but behind the cutting deck," he says.
These mowers, which have two hand levers and independent hydraulics with each wheel, "if you do it right ... it will actually spin in a circle," Sawchuk says. "They also have faster ground speed. They can go up to 7 mph. Regular ones go about 5 mph. The most common cutting speeds are 3 to 4 mph."
Despite the steep price of these zero-turn-radius mowers, which start at $3,000, some homeowners are drawn to them, he says. It's the "fun factor. It's like a sports car," Sawchuk says. "It's been around for about 20 years (on the commercial end), but in the last five years, the consumer end has increased."
Lawn tractors range between $1,000 and $3,500, he says.
COMMERCIAL MOWERS
But should you also use commercial mowers, the ones typically used by landscape maintenance crews?
"There are differences, and in general, the commercial mowers are designed with two thoughts in mind," Sawchuk says. "They're going to be running a lot more hours, so the engines are more durable. Also, the body is also more durable." The handlebars, wheels and other parts also are higher grade than consumer models. Commercial lawn tractors also have similar characteristics.
Little of Toro agrees. "The biggest difference is durability," he says. "The quality cut and performance aren't all that different. But if you're going to be using it a lot and have it last 12 or 15 years, those would be the key differences."
But commercial ones also come at a price. For example, "Most of our consumer walk mowers sell between $300 to $400," Little says. "Most of our commercial ones will be between $600 and $700."
POWER RATINGS
As you browse around looking at labels on mowers, one thing you may notice on some is that the power ratings have changed. In one instance, at least, mowers with Briggs & Stratton engines have changed from horsepower to torque this year. But customers haven't seemed to notice, says Wilson at OSH. "It hasn't been too much of a hitch, at least to what we thought it would be," he says.
Besides torque and horsepower, you also may see cubic centimeters, which measures the engine size.
But when it comes to these various power ratings, don't let them bog you down, Sawchuk says. "Our position is, ignore them," he says. Instead, focus on what you want the mower to do for you and the features it includes.
Features such as whether you want the mower to cut the grass and deposited into a bag, tossed out the side, mulched back onto the lawn or do all three. Also, some mowers can start with a simple turnkey instead of having to pull a rope.
"What do you want it to do?" Babcock says, adding that you should also think about whether you can get parts and services for the mower you want.
One other piece of advice? "You get what you pay for," he says. "You can buy them for $139 or $140, but don't expect them to be really well-built or have many features." | Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register. |
|
|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
| |
|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
|  | over and out | |
| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
|
|
| |
