Product Spotlight: Salt Spreaders

With the met office forecasting the arrival of La Niña this winter, it’s time to get prepared. The last time we saw La Niña was the winter of 2010 which saw unprecedented snowfall and a big freeze.

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The weather in this winter let to a surge in the sale of snow shovels, rock salt and salt spreaders.

So with the return of La Niña this winter, it might be the ideal time to invest in salt spreaders.

World of Mowers have a few options some of which double up as seed and fertiliser spreaders.

For smaller areas an easier and less expensive option is a small salt spreader.

Small Salt Spreader SSS2 - £305

This one has a 60kg hopper size and its pneumatic wheels make it easy to push over uneven ground. In the summer months the spreader can be used for seed and fertiliser.

For larger areas there is the Large Manual Salt Spreader.

Large Manual Salt Spreader SSLA - £799

This salt spreader has an integral agitator to create an even spread and a skirt to control the width of the spread and can also be used with fertiliser and seed.

If you are looking for a salt spreader that can be towed rather than pushed, the towed disc spreader is easily attached to your vehicle and has an adjustable speed control depending on what you are spreading. A handy showerproof cover keeps the salt dry while you are spreading.

Towed Disc Spreader TDS125 - £399

Most of the spreaders available at World of Mowers can be used for salt spreading. So take a look at what is on offer at World of Mowers this winter before the weather turns.

Winter Lawn Mower Repairs

Following on from our previous post on maintenance for your lawn mower this winter. Now is the ideal time to fix any issues with your lawn mower and get your equipment in working order. Spares are available for most lawnmowers and are available to buy from World of Mowers.

The first step is to identify your model number and if possible identify the part number you require. Model numbers are usually contained on labels that will contain the company name, the model number and the serial number.

Using the model number is the quickest way to narrow down which lawn mower you have but if you aren’t 100% sure you can narrow it down using the world of mowers website with certain brands such as Mountfield.

If you know for example your mower is a Mountfield lawn mower and it is a ride on, you can click on Mountfield spare parts, then Ride on Mower Spares.

Then choose from Lawn Tractors or Front Cut mowers, eg Front Cut Mowers, then pick the production year eg. 2007, this then narrows it down to one of two models. Which makes finding a spare a little bit easier.

Once you have narrowed it down to the model, either by model number or by using the website, you can then select the part of the mower that contains the part eg steering, then you can identify the part using the detailed diagrams and order the relevant part to fix your mower.

So if you are fixing your lawn mower this winter, take advantage of the spares available from World of Mowers with Brands including Mountfield and Stiga and links to Tanaka, Lawnflite, Yard-Man Agri-Fab, Lawnflite Pro, Victa, Rover and Cub Cadet Spares.

Product Spotlight: Ride On Mowers

A ride on lawn mower lets you cover a large area in a smaller amount of time while doing the same job, they’re a time saver!

With so many to choose from how do you know which to get? They’re not all the same either and which one you get will depend on your lawn layout.

1328H Compact Lawn Rider

For smaller lawns from 0.5 to 1 acre, this compact ride on mower will deliver up to 7 cut heights from 30mm to 80mm in a small package.

It still features the usual including a head light and comes with a battery charger and 2-year warranty.

1328H Compact Lawn Rider - £1,949

Kubota ZD326 Zero Turn Mower

If you have a lots of trees or other obstacles on your garden you need something that can manoeuvre around you will need a Zero Turn mower.

This will allow you to twist and turn on the spot to ensure you get every little bit of the lawn.

The Kubota ZD326 has a great performance even at faster speeds and is built to withstand long hours of operation.

Kubota ZD326 Zero Turn Mower 60"RD Deck 26hp diesel engine - £15,264.00

Snapper ZTX350 Zero Turn Ride on Mower

If you have hills or bumps on your lawn you’ll probably want to look for Gauge Wheels.

These ensure that your cut is smooth, adjusting to fluctuations in the landscape to keep an even cut across your lawn.

The Snapper ZTX350 not only has the advantage of being ‘Zero Turn’ as mentioned earlier, but it also has 13 cutting heights from 38-110mm.

As this is designed to handle ‘Estate’ sized lawns, you’ll be pleased to know it also has adjustable seats and armrests.

Snapper ZTX350 Zero Turn Ride on Mower - £5,199

See our full range of Ride On Mowers at https://www.worldofmowers.co.uk/

Winter Lawn Mower Maintenance

November! The calendar slowly ticks forward to 2018, the weather gets colder, the nights get darker quicker and the work in the garden is slowing down…

We recently looked at what you can do to take care of your Lawn in November, but it’s not just the greenery that you need to prep for Winter.

Your Lawn Mower, Battery or Petrol, will need a few bits of maintenance in Winter to make sure it’s at 100% when needed in Spring.

So grab your gloves, the operators manual and… a stick, and follow these essential tips for winter lawn mower maintenance.

Remove the Battery

For your Battery Mower you will need to remove the battery. (The same goes for your other battery powered items). Firstly disconnect it (starting with the negative lead) and give it a clean with a cloth.

Store the battery indoors as keeping it at room temperature over Winter will help to extend its life.

Some batteries might also benefit from a charge over Winter, but some will not so make sure you check the manual to see what it suggests.

Also, if it’s going to be 30 days before the next charge then try to keep your lithium-ion battery around 40% but again, check the manual to see what it suggests.

S46HP Li 46 cm 4 Wheel 1500W Battery Push Lawn Mower - £529

Clean the Mower

Get rid of all the leaves, grass etc from your Mower. Obviously be EXTRA careful cleaning the deck which is necessary to help performance and stop the spread of disease.

Again, consult the manual before doing any of this but the first step will be to disconnect the spark plugs and empty the fuel tank (more on that later) and tie/tape up any moving parts.

Put the Mower on its side and give it a spray with a hose pipe to loosen anything you can’t reach. No matter what, don’t risk putting your hand somewhere dangerous, use that stick I mentioned earlier to knock loose anything the hose can’t get.

Empty the Fuel tank

On a Petrol Mower there are a couple of things that are important. We’ve mentioned them before but they’re important, so I’ll do it again.

• Fuel goes off so you need to get it out of your Mower

• An empty tank is bad too!

So (and again, check the manual to be sure) you need to empty the tank and refill it.

Empty the tank, then refill it with fresh fuel with a fuel stabiliser or fuel preserver to keep the fuel fresh in the tank. Run the engine for a couple of minutes to make sure the newly preserved fuel is in all parts of the engine.

The reason you don’t want to keep it empty is that if the tank fills with oxygen is creates condensation, condensation creates rust and rust in your carburetor can clog up the system, decreasing performance.

S421 HP 41cm Hand Propelled Lawnmower - £259

 Keep it Dry

The final point is a little obvious but worth highlighting, make sure your Mower stays dry over Winter.

Store it in a dry place including away from items like a Water heater.

So that’s it, follow these maintenance tips and your Mower will be good to go when you need it next.

November Lawn Care

November is here and as the Tulip Bulbs go in and the more tender plants come out there is still a lot of lawn maintenance to be done before it’s too late. We’re approaching what could be the ‘last cut of the year’ and this November in 2017 is due to be a cold one so the earlier the start, the better.

Let’s look at hygiene… We’ve covered it before but it’s so important to not let your hard summer work go to waste for a couple of months of neglect.

Good hygiene will prevent disease and especially stop diseases coming back year after year. So clear up and destroy infected leaves. It’s important not to compost these as all you’re doing is reusing something you didn’t want in the first place.

Using a Sweeper is a quick and easy way to remove debris from your lawn.

Agri-Fab Push Lawn Sweeper 45-0218A - £179

With the next few months sunlight will be at a premium so don’t allow leaves to shelter your lawn from the precious rays that are available. The reverse is true too as the leaves will prevent moisture leaving the grass increasing the chance of moss, mould and algae forming which you probably won’t notice for quite some time if left covered.

A petrol leaf blower is obviously a very quick way to remove leaves from larger areas very quickly.

Tanaka TRB 24EAP Petrol Blower - £185

Speaking of Algae, it loves a damp environment so keep an eye out for poor drainage or shade from buildings, walls or overhanging trees. Also look out for water logging and try and drain away any resting water as soon as possible.

From algae to fungi as toadstools may start to grow this time of year. Most are OK and can be ignored BUT, if you’re going to have young ones or pets around, take the time to remove them, it could prevent illness.

A few other points worth mentioning…

• Don’t use Summer lawn feed, use Autumn lawn feed which contains more of the needed phosphorous and potassium
• Weeds are no longer growing so hold off on the lawn weed killer
• A further reminder: Drain the fuel from your stowed mower

So back to the grass and that ‘last cut’ of the year.

On the milder days the grass will still grow but due to damp or frozen ground cutting it too short can damage your lawn. The simple answer here is to cut your lawn a bit longer than you would normally.

A bit of a trim will allow room for the reduced growth without potentially tearing up your soil.

Princess 34 Electric 4 Wheel Rear Roller Lawnmower - £109

So there we have a few tips for lawn care in November, but it’s also time to start thinking about your Spring Shopping List for your Garden.