Love What You Buy

Choosing the right lawn mower can simplify lawn mowing and keep the grass looking healthy. Compare features and cost, but also be sure you understand what type of mower is best for your yard. If you have a very big yard or if you're just a very lazy person, a motor driven lawn mower is probably the way to go.

While lawn mowers come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and prices, knowing what you want to buy before you even begin to look will save you time and headaches. Here are some different types of lawn mowers that you may want to consider for yourself:

Push Mower:

These are the most economical way to go when you buy a lawn mower but they also require the most amount of effort to operate. As the name implies you will have to push the mower in order to cut your grass. The most basic push mowers will have a relatively small deck, which is the base of the mower that houses the blade and determines the area of grass that gets mowed by the blade. Some are as small as 17 inches across. A smaller deck will require more passes back and forth on your lawn so you may want to go with a push mower that has a wider than normal deck. Another factor to consider with the push mowers is whether or not the wheel height is adjustable. If you get the cheapest push mower available then it will more than likely come with a fixed wheel height. While this may not sound like a big deal to you, you should know that some grasses do better when cut from a certain height. Also if you get adjustable wheels you determine how low the grass gets cut and thus how frequently you have to cut it.

Self-Propelled Mower:

These mowers look just like the regular push mowers but they have a level that you can push that will engage the mower to be self-propelled. You then simply hold on and walk behind the mower.

This feature is nice as it saves you from having to push and strain and allows you to mow your lawn with minimal effort. Most self-propelled mowers are wheel height adjustable, but just as with the push mower, you must decide on the deck width you want.

Riding Mower:

These are the most expensive type of lawn mowers, but if you live on a big piece of land then a riding mower is the only way to go. These mowers are driven by you so you simply steer your way around the lawn as the mower's blade does the work. They have variable speeds so you can mow slowly or quickly depending on what you want to do and where you are mowing.

Just as with the other lawn mowers, a riding mower too has different deck sizes, though the smallest deck size is still usually pretty wide.

How to Choose a Lawn Mower

• Compare weight, power, cost, safety features, ease of starting, handling and maneuverability, and ease of clipping disposal.
• Select a push reel mower (cuts with a scissor-like action of rotating blades passing over a stationary knife) if you have a small lawn.
• Choose a gas- or electric-powered rotary mower (cuts with a circular blade that rotates under a protective housing) if you have a large lawn made of grasses such as bluegrass and fescue that don't need to be cut shorter than 2 inches high.
• Choose a mulching mower if you don't want to deal with clippings. Mulching mowers cut clippings very small so that they disappear into the lawn.
• Choose a gas-powered reel mower if you have a large lawn made of grasses such as Bermuda or bent grass that need to be cut shorter than 2 inches high.
• Select a self-propelled mower if you have a hilly yard or a large lawn.
• Choose a riding lawn mower if you have a really big law

Mowing your lawn is never a fun task, but it is one that has to be done nonetheless. Choosing the proper lawn mower for your specific needs will have you spending less time mowing your lawn on the weekends and give you more time to do other things that you want to do on the weekends; like relax.