How to Care for Your Lawn Mower

The appearance of your lawn is very important; it sets your home apart from every other on your street. If you are privileged enough to have a garden with a beautiful lawn, then it is well worth splashing out on a high quality lawn mower. A well kept mower makes the difference between a well kept lawn and an ill cut choppy one. Instead of having to buy a new lawn mower every couple of years, following these simple tips on how to care for your mower during the grass cutting season, may save you a bit of change for the holidays.

In order for your mower to last longer, you need to know these simple basic steps. During the summer season, mowing your lawn puts wear and tear on the blades. Take the time to place clean gas and oil in your lawn mower and clear the carburettor area of dirt and debris on a regular basis. These may seem like obvious maintenance ideas, however, they are rarely if ever thought about by most.

One of the most crucial parts of maintaining your mower is cleaning and sharpening the blades, which in an ideal world should be done every four to six weeks. Great care must be taken when sharpening your lawn mower blades and the first thing you must do is drain any gas and disconnect the spark plug to ensure the motor doesn’t start while you are removing the blades. Remove any built up debris from the blades using a scraper and sharpen using a file in the direction of the cutting edge.

At the start of the season make sure you service the spark plugs, oil, air and gas filters before you start running your mower for the grass cutting season. If your mower is well kept throughout the year, there is really not a lot of maintenance to be done for the winter. Before packing your lawn mower away at the end of the season, make sure you disconnect the spark plug and clean the body of the mower and blade area so it is ready to go for the next grass cutting season.

A beautiful lawn can be a great space to play with your children and entertain family and friends with a barbeque or garden party. A beautiful lawn can be used all year round and keeping it beautiful is well worth the effort of taking care of your lawn mower.

7 Tips For Choosing the Right Lawn Mower

Mowing the lawn is both a chore and a longstanding tradition in our country, and choosing the right lawn mower is key to making the task easier and more enjoyable. What follows are some tips to keep in mind when you set out to buy a new mower.

1. Learn about the different types of mowers on the market

For example, a "rear bagger" will collect the clippings and help to ensure a pristine lawn, and a "side discharge" model will work well if you are cutting high grass and obstacles are not a major concern for you.

2. Keep your goal in mind

Selecting the right mower will help you to create a good-looking healthy lawn, and you will want to keep the grass at a constant height all through the growing season. This means that you will also need to cut it frequently to control coarse grass and weeds. It should be long enough to nourish the roots, and short enough to make your lawn attractive.3. Consider the size of your lawn before you buy

This will help you to choose a mower with the right cutting width. If your lawn is less than a half-acre, a 20"-22" model is called for. For a 1/2 to 3/4 acre lawn, you will need a 21"-22" mower with more horse power. (If your lawn is larger than that, think about getting a garden tractor or a lawn tractor.)

4. Consider the terrain of your property

If you will have to mow around several obstacles, a rear-bag lawn mower will allow you to maneuver more easily. On rough terrain, a high-wheel mower works best, and you will need a self-propelled mower on hills.

5. Decide if a push or self-propelled model is best for you

The first type will provide some exercise while you work, but is impractical if you are dealing with rough terrain, a large garden, or struggle pushing a mower for long periods. A self-propelled mower will require a lot less effort, and you won't be tempted to neglect your lawn.

6. Decide whether a Petorl or electric Mower would be more suited to you and your garden.

The first and perhaps the most obvious issue to consider is both the size of your garden and the length of the battery power or mower cable. Secondly, petrol mowers are much more difficult to control on a sloped lawn so an electric hover style mower would be more suitable in this case.

7. What type of lawn mower collection system is best suited to your garden?

There are a few options to conisder when choosing the right collection system for your garden. Medium to large gardens can produce large amounts of grass cuttings. A Mulching mower will cut the grass cuttings into very fine particles and then recycle them back into the lawn. Alternatively for smaller gardens a rear collection system mower will collect the grass as you mow, saving you time and energy.

Following these simple tips will ensure you choose the right mower to suit both you and your garden and help keep your lawn looking its best.