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Homeowners can choose from a dizzying array of push mowers, including the Toro Recycler lawn mowers.  There are several different models of the Toro Recycler, but even the basic models are chock full of features that help make lawn care easier.  Here’s a rundown of the benefits of the Toro Recycler lawn mowers.

Features

The Toro Recycler mowers have many features that make lawn mowing easy.  The Personal Space self-propel system senses walking speed and automatically adjusts.  Some models have an electric key-start, but the pull-start is easy to use, as well.  These mowers have recessed front wheels, which allows you to cut closer to hardscape, eliminating time spent with the trimmer.  The best feature of the Toro Recycler, and hence its name, is its 22 inch deck, and mulching blade system.  These blades chop up grass pieces to fine bits, so that they break down quickly, returning nitrogen to the soil as a form of natural fertilizer.

Price

The features included in the Toro Recycler mowers would make them a bargain at a much higher price point than where they are generally priced.  These are by far not the cheapest mowers available, and are generally priced between $250-$450. Most mowers come with a two or three year warranty on the various parts and mechanics.

Value for Price

These mowers are a superb value for the money. Each level of model is equipped with more features than the model below, adding to the functionality and convenience of the mower.  Several features, such as the power of the mulching blades and the recessed wheels are not standard on other mowers at the same price point.  These mowers are a great value for the price.

Ease of Maintenance

One of the best aspects of these mowers is the quick washout port that allows you to run water around the mower blades to clean them off without needing to turn the mower upside-down.

Ease of use

Each feature of the Toro Recycler mower is designed to make mowing easier for the homeowner.  The recessed wheels, self propel system, easy start and powerful engine help this mower do the work so that the homeowner doesn’t have to.

LawnCare.Net brings you reliable lawn mower reviews so you can find the best mower for your lawn!

Buying a lawn mower is a large investment, one that you hope will pay off in the long run.  To help you make the best purchase for your lawn care needs, LawnCare.net offers comprehensive lawn mower reviews and lawn mower ratings for every type of lawn mower.  We have high standards, and have used the following criteria to create our lawn mower reviews:

• Features

• Price

• Value for Price

• Ease of maintenance

• Ease of use

Each of our lawn mower reviews will contain ratings about the above areas to help you find the best mower to suit your needs.  Here’s a little bit more about how we will rate each mower in each category.

Features

One of the most important parts of the overall value of a lawn mower is the features. Is the deck simple to raise and lower?  Can you add and remove attachments?  Does the mower include mulching blades or a bag?  Does the mower have a pull start or an electric start mechanism.  Is it gas or electric?  What are the warranties included?

Price

When you purchase a lawn mower, you hope that if you properly care for it, it will last a long time.  Sometimes price is an indication of quality, and sometimes it isn’t.  Our review system separates the expensive and effective mowers from the expensive and overpriced mowers.

Value for Price

When you consider the price of the lawn mower with the features, and factor in durability and ease of use, you have the value of the mower.  We look for mowers that perform well for their price.  Sometimes, you don’t need a top of the line model to get the job done. Other times, if you have a large area to mow, or a high profile space, you need a more powerful mower.  We’ll help you decide if a mower is worth the investment.

Ease of Maintenance

A lawn mower is only as good as the maintenance it receives.  Dull blades on a high performing mower will cut a ragged edge just like dull blades on an inexpensive, low level mower.  The availability for finding maintenance technicians for the mower, and a reliable supply of parts is key to keeping a lawn mower in top shape.  The easier the mower maintenance is, the more likely you are to maintain it.  In this way, ease of maintenance greatly contributes to the overall value of the mower.

Ease of Use

Do you have to spend three hours with an instructional manual, or is the mower designed so that it can be run intuitively?  As with ease of maintenance, ease of use goes a long way toward encouraging people to use their mowers regularly, and care for their lawns properly, all of which results in a cycle of proper lawn care and lawn mower care.

Tune in for our ongoing additions of lawn mower reviews and lawn mower ratings!

Lawn Mower Reviews:

• The Lawn Boy 10795 Self-Propelled Mulching Mower
  
• Cub Cadet Model 11A-18MC
  
• Toro Recycler Lawn Mower
• Cub Cadet 2166 Riding Lawn Mower
  

The Lawn Boy 10795 self propelled mulching lawn mower has many great advantages and a few downsides.

If you’re looking for a walk-behind, self-propelled, tope of the line mulching mower, the Lawn Boy 10795 mower may be the right choice for you!

Features

This Lawn Boy mower model features a top of the line Honda engine, the Honda GCV 160 OHV/OHC engine.  Honda engines are known for their reliability and durability.  The Sens-a-Speed® Self-Propel System:  makes pushing the mower easy, as it adjusts to the operator’s walking speed. The deck is 21″, cast aluminum, and can be adjusted for a cutting height between 1″ and 4 ½”. Other features include the easy lift bag, and quick stow lever minimizes.  The mower comes standard with options for mulching, rear bag collection and side discharge of clippings.  Numerous features and accessories are available for adding on to this model.  Cruise control is one of the most attractive add-ons.  Large wheels, and a comfortable foam handle are the icing on the cake!

Price

This Lawn Boy mower is not the least expensive mower you can purchase.  In fact, it is top of the line, and top of the price line as well.  These mowers are priced from between $550 and $675, depending upon the retail establishment.  For that price, you do get a five year warranty, which makes maintenance costs less expensive.

Value for Price

If you need a high performance mower with all of the bells and whistles, you can’t go wrong with this Lawn Boy model.  It is pricey, but comes with all of the features needed to professionally care for your lawn in comfort and ease.  The mower isn’t just loaded with bells and whistles-each of the mower features is easy to use and contributes to the efficiency of its work.

Ease of Maintenance

Because Lawn Boy mowers are such popular brands, every major mower shop will be able to help maintain this mower.  Spare parts are easily found with the Lawn Boy website’s maintenance and repair directory that helps owners find the nearest repair shop to their home location.  Adjustment of the deck, and storage of the mower and bag are facilitated by easy to use levers that move the deck, release the bag, store the mower handle at a 90 degree angle, and allow the bag to hang from the handle during storage so that it can dry out.  The ease of working with the lawn mower ensures that the owner can always give proper care to each portion, extending its life.

Ease of use

All of the features included in the Lawn Boy 10795 mower make for an extremely easy to use, full-service, professional quality lawn mower.

Keeping your garden hand tools in optimal condition will make your gardening tasks much easier.

Learn how to sharpen your garden hand tools so that your gardening work is as easy as possible.  You are more likely to give good care to your plants if your tools are in the right shape for gardening.  You can sharpen gardening hand tools with a hand-held file, or with a grinder.  Below are some basics of sharpening and cleaning your tools.

Why Clean and Sharpen Garden Hand Tools?

The very simple answer is that your tools will last longer if you take proper care of them.  That means cleaning and sharpening.  Immediately after working with a tool, you can brush off the tool with a wire brush or other cleaning implement.  If you can store your tools in an area with good air circulation, you can use a pressure nozzle to wash off the blade.  Just make sure that it will dry quickly.  If tools sit in wet conditions, wood handles will swell and crack, and steel blades will rust. If you have used a tool to prune or cut a plant that produces a lot of sap (pine trees, dogwood trees, euphorbias), you will want to clean off the blade with a bit of solvent to remove anything gummy.  Once the tool is dry, wipe the tool blade with a thin coating of oil.  A mixture of motor oil and kerosene oil will prevent steel blades from rusting.

Garden Hand Tool Sharpening Implements

Pruners and shears with small blades can be sharpened with an oil stone.  There are also diamond stones and other honing stones that work well.  Clamp the hand tool blade in a vice and draw the sharpening stone in one direction, at a steady angle, against the angled edge of the tool.

Shovels, axes and other heavy-duty equipment can be easily sharpened with a file.  A half-round, ten inch long mill file will do the trick.  Again, it is easier to sharpen the tool if you can hold it steady in a vice.  Sharpen along the original, factory bevel for the tool, working the file in one direction across the surface.  These files only work on the “push” part of the motion.  Do not drag the file back and forth across the edge.  You will ruin the file and your tool.

If your tools are completely worn out, you may need to have a completely new edge ground into them.  Unless you have a bench grinder, and are experienced using it, it is easier and more cost-effective to take tools to a local hardware store for sharpening.

Storing Gardening Hand Tools

Proper cleaning and sharpening will keep hand tools in good working order for a long time. Storage conditions are another major factor in tool longevity.  You should always coat your tools, after they are clean, dry and sharpened, with a thin film of oil.  Fine Gardening magazine recommends this mixture: One quart nondetergent 30W motor oil and one pint of kerosene or lamp oil. You only want to apply a thin film-it should not drip off onto the floor.  You can also oil your tools by digging them into a bucket of oily sand, like brick laying sand, to coat them.

To keep your tools in the best condition, prepare a space in your tool shed or garage for each tool.  A peg, hook or shelf for each tool will help you find the tools when you need them, and also keep the tools from rubbing against each other or the floor and becoming dull.

Spring is a great time to sharpen gardening hand tools to prepare for the coming season. You will find, once you establish a routine, that you are much more interested in taking care of your lawn or garden, because you have tools in good condition.

Edging your lawn is an important step in giving your lawn that professional look.

Do you really need a lawn edger?  That really depends upon the size of your garden, the number of flower beds and hardscape areas around which you would want to edge.  You can use an edger for more than edging the lawn.  It is great for edging around flower beds, and for preparing planting beds.  Edgers are different than string trimmers, which cut weeds with a rapidly spinning piece of nylon cord.  Edgers have a thin, steel blade that rotates rapidly, slicing into the ground.

Why Edge?

Using an edger puts the finishing touches on a lawn.  Mowing regularly is a key component of a healthy lawn care strategy.  Edging is what makes the lawn look crip, clean and finished. For warm season grasses that spread via rhizomes or stolons, creating  clean edge, especially an edge that goes at least three inches below the soil line, will keep the grass from encroaching into flower beds, growing over the driveway or sidewalks.  Some lawn grass types are fast growers.  The edge will slow down the onslaught a bit.

Flower beds look nicer, and stay healthier, with an angled trench edge around them. The trench provides a place for water to run so that beds do not become over-saturated in heavy rains.  Mulch can collect in the trench and be re-shoveled into the beds if it washes out, as well.  The trench will help keep grass from growing into the beds, and makes it easier to tuck straw-type mulches such as pine straw.

Preparing to Edge

The best way to keep your lawn edger in good shape is to thoroughly prepare the area you plan to edge.  Remove any twigs, branches or rocks from the area.  Not only will these quickly dull your blade, they can also break the blade, or spray up toward you, which can cause injury.  Depending upon where you want to edge, you might need to adjust the settings of the blade to cut to a certain depth.  When operating an electric lawn edger, you should always wear protective gear-eye glasses or goggles, closed-toe shoes, and long pants.

Edging

Most edgers have a guide wheel that will help you keep the edger straight as you push it along the concrete, brick or asphalt edge.  Unlike edging along flower beds, when you want to cut at an angle to create a trench, you will want to hold the edger straight up and down against the hard surface.  Edging is more to keep grass from growing over and into the patio, sidewalk or driveway, and less about creating a trench.  Creating a deep trench around a walking path can actually create a bit of a safety hazard.

Electric Lawn Edgers vs. Gas Powered Edgers

If you are considering purchasing a lawn edger, you will need to choose between a gas powered edger or an electric lawn edger.  For an electric edger with the power of a gas powered edger, you need an edger with a cord.  That being said, if you have an edger with a cord, you need to be VERY careful and pay attention to where the cord is at all times so that you do not cut through it or electrocute yourself!  An electric edger works well for people with small yards, and all surfaces to be edged are less than 100 feet from an electrical outlet.  They are also usually less expensive than gas powered varieties.  For people with a large yard, or lots of surfaces to be edged, with many situated away from outlets, a gas powered edger will be easier to manager.

To keep your lawn looking lovely, don’t skip the step of finishing your weekly mowing with a lawn edger.

Lawn aerators are an important lawn care tool. They can dramatically improve the health of your lawn.

There is a bit of mystery surrounding the lawn aerator.  What does it do?  Which type is best? When do you use it?  A lawn plug aerator is actually one of the most important tools to keeping your grass healthy.  This is a specific type of aerator.  Not just any will do.  Here are the reasons why:

1.  Lawn plug aerators actually remove plugs of soil from the lawn, which opens up spaces for air and water to penetrate.

2. These lawn plug aerators are vastly superior to a punch aerator or aerating shoes because they actually remove the soil, rather than pushing it down further.

3.  The purpose of aerating is to alleviate compaction, so removal of soil is more likely to do that than pushing soil further down.

4.  Some lawns need more organic matter added to the soil and removing plugs of soil creates space for the top-dressing organic matter to incorporate into the soil.

5.  Most often, lawn plug aerators work with hydraulic systems, giving them the power to reach a much deeper soil layer than an aerator/roller combination.

When To Use a Lawn Aerator

If you can find an aerator to rent, all the better.  Most of the time, though, if you want the benefit of a lawn plug aerator, you will have to hire a professional lawn care service to aerate your lawn for you.  They are more likely to have the equipment, or have access to it.

The best time to aerate your lawn is in the spring or fall.  Doing so in the fall will help the lawn if you overseed it.  It will also relieve compaction from heavy use during the summer season.  During the fall, roots of grass grow quickly, so the extra space, air and water will aid good root growth before the grass goes dormant or slows growth for the winter.  The spring is a good time to aerate to incorporate organic matter into the soil, and to aid with lawn renovation.

Lawn Care Before and After Aerating

Before you deploy the lawn aerator, mow your grass slightly lower than normal and water it well for two to three days before aerating.  Next, use the lawn plug aerator to aerate the lawn.  You will want to break up the clods, and help the lawn recover from the stress of aerating, so you need to water the lawn again immediately after you are finished aerating.  To improve your soil structure, a couple of days after aerating, top-dress with a compost/topsoil blend and rake it into the holes.  Earthworms and soil insects will work in the new addition, improving the soil quickly.  Using a lawn aerator the right way will improve the health of your lawn, thus reducing the amount of time you will need to spend caring for it.

When you consider a lawn mower purchase, you need to think about the types of accessories that you will need to make the most use of your mower.  There are a variety of different lawn mower accessories-the type of mower available depends upon whether you have a riding lawn mower or a push lawn mower.

Accessories to Leave at the Store

Some lawn mower parts are not worth the extra money.  The following lawn mower parts may not be needed if you have adequate storage for your mower.  You do not need a lawn-mower cover if you have a secure, low-dust space to store your mower.  You do not need a bag for your mower if you plan to mulch your clippings and do not anticipate going long stretches between mowing.

Some people might disagree with this, but we feel that the aerators that you can purchase to attach to your riding mower are spike aerators, not core aerators.  It is much better, rather than spending the $300 or so on the mower part to rent a core aerator from an equipment rental company.  That way, you always have the best aerator in working order.

You may or may not want to purchase a different lawn mower seat for your riding mower, depending upon the amount of time you will be spending on the mower.  Factory-issue seats are adequate, but not the most comfortable.  If you have lots of acreage to mow, you may want to consider a more comfortable seat with more padding and shocks!

Lawn Mower Accessories for Push Mowers

Self-propelled push mowers are not quite as versatile as riding mowers, but there are some lawn mower accessories for push mowers that make certain jobs easier.  When you purchase a mower, the mower itself will determine which accessories you can use with it.  Some features come standard on some mower models, while others must be purchased separately.  For instance, lawn mowers that are specifically designed to be “mulching mowers” come with specific blades for chopping up the grass finely.  They also have fans that blow the grass clippings back down to the ground where they can decompose.  Additional lawn mower accessories for self propelled mowers include  bags to collect grass clippings.

Two very useful lawn mower accessories for push mowers that do not always come standard are an electric starter and a blade break clutch.  The electric key starter for lawn mowers makes starting the mower trouble-free.  The blade break clutch allows you to keep the engine running while the blades are stopped.  This is useful if you have a gravel driveway or a lot of paved areas of different heights to work around.

Lawn Mower Accessories for Riding Mowers

Riding mowers can be made versatile with a variety of extra lawn mower parts.  Riding mowers benefit most from optional accessories and attachments.  Here are some of the best lawn mower accessories for riding mowers.

1. Snow Plow Attachment/ LoaderThe best type of snow plow attachment is a plow/loader skid combination.  While this attachment might set you back $300 or $400, if you have snow in your area, or you do a lot of heavy landscape maintenance, having a loader is handy.
2. SpreaderIf you do a lot of overseeding or top dressing of fertilizer, it is worth it to get a spreader to attach to a riding mower.  This will ensure a more even coverage of seed, fertilizer or herbicide and will save you from having to push a manual spreader.
3. VacuumIf you have a lawn with lots of trees that need to be raked consistently, one of the nicest gifts you can get yourself is a tow-behind vacuum for the riding mower.  You can vacuum leaves, grass clippings, trash and anything else covering the grass that is lightweight.

To get the most out of your lawn mower, consider purchasing some of the beneficial lawn mower accessories and attachments to extend the value and utility of your lawn mower.

Cub Cadet lawn mowers are some of the best in the business.  For a very reasonable price, you can purchase a Cub Cadet model  11A-18MC push mower, which is a very basic push mower that gets the job done for the right price!  Here is the lowdown on these great little workhorse lawn mowers.

Cub Cadet Specs

This particular model is a push mower with a 19 inch cutting radius and a maximum cutting height of 3 ½ inches.  It is a push mower, so it is not self-propelled.  It is a gas powered 173 cc engine.  It does not pass California emissions tests, but is suitable for use in other locales.

Pros of the Cub Cadet Lawn Mower

The best part about the Cub Cadet model 11A-18MC lawn mower is that for a gas powered mower, it is relatively lightweight, and its four cycle OHV engine is fuel-efficient, so you get the most for your money.  It is also less polluting than some other similar models.  It is a very affordable mower, great for smaller lawn areas, and can handle tighter turns because of its smaller deck.

Cons of the Cub Cadet Lawn Mower

This mower does some of the same things that electric mowers of similar size can do, but it is gas powered and thus more polluting.  Its deck space and narrow cutting range is a bit of a con if you have a large area to mow.

A Great Mower if it Suits your Needs

This Cub Cadet lawn mower is a great mower if it suits your needs.  If you have a small lawn to mow, but need more than 100 feet of radius, this mower is better than many electric mowers of its size.  The single-lever raising and lowering of the cutting blades is easy to use and convenient. The standard price of this mower is around $200.  You can purchase a variety of attachments, such as a bag, to improve the functionality.   For the price, though, its included features are hard to beat!  Consumer reports has rated this Cub Cadet lawn mower as one of the best in its size for its features.  That, alone, sets this mower ahead of many others in its class.  For top quality cutting, durability and price, the Cub Cadet Push Mower is one of the best.

If you’ve heard the saying “well begun is half done,” you will understand that using the right gardening tools for your gardening tasks will make your work faster and easier to accomplish.  Here is a rundown of various types of gardening tools, hand tools and lawn garden tools, and their functions.

Most Useful Hand Gardening Tools

There are endless hand tools.  A well-stocked garden bag should always contain these hand tools to make work light.

Hori Hori:  This is a Japanese hand tool, that is, essentially, a gardening knife.  It has either a plastic or wood handle, and a heavy metal blade. One side of the blade is usually serrated, and the other side has an edge. The tip is pointed.  You can use this hand tool to plant bulbs, plant annual flowers, and weed.  The cost of these tools is between $15-30, depending upon where you purchase it.

Dandelion Weeder: A dandelion weeder usually has a short handle (about five inches long) and a longer, metal, digging section.  The end of the metal portion usually has a fork-like end, with two teeth and a center “V.”  The proportion of the handle to the digging section allows leverage, while the V allows for grasping of the taproot on plants such as dandelions.  Cost: between $5-15

Cultivator: Sometimes called a “claw,” a cultivator is the gardening tool best used for light weeding in areas filled with plants.  The cultivator can uproot small weeds, leaving them on the surface of the soil to dry out.  Cost:  between $5-15

Watering Wand and Breaker: The best way to water annual plants, container gardens and hanging baskets is with a watering wand.  This is a pipe-like attachment that helps extend the rigid reach of the hose.  The best thing for the end of the wand is not a spray gun, but a breaker or rosette.  The rosette will break up the water stream so that it is softer, which will reduce erosion concerns.  Costs vary widely.  You can buy these at big-box stores for as little as $5.  We recommend investing in a better version, such as those made by Dramm, which can cost around $30-$40 for the wand and breaker.

Hand Pruners: No garden tool stash is complete without a pair of bypass pruners.  Hand pruners work exactly as they sound, you hold them in your hand and use them to hand-prune plants like roses, small shrubs and anything that isn’t trimmed into a hedge.  Loppers have the same type of cutting mechanism, but they have longer arms, and are better for trimming taller trees and shrubs.

Lawn Gardening Tools for Superior Lawn Care

Most homeowners need to own a few basic lawn gardening tools, while others can be rented from local equipment rental facilities.

Power Mower: If you have more than a few square feet of lawn to mow, a power mower-whether electric or gas powered-is a must for lawn care.  Mulching mowers are best for the lawn. Cost varies widely depending upon features and brands.  You can pay as little as $150 and as much as $750 for a power, walk-behind mower.

String trimmer: To keep areas where the lawn meets the sidewalk or wall, a string trimmer is a must.  These cost between $80-$300.

Some equipment is fine for renting.  We recommend renting these tools on an as-needed basis.

Trench Edger: Your flower beds will look great if you use a trench edger in the spring and fall.  The fact that you need only use this tool a couple of times a year makes it more cost-effective to rent it.

Tiller: You don’t want to till the soil endlessly, and the only time you may want to till is when you put in a new flower bed.  You can purchase a small tiller for use in vegetable garden rows.  For a large, heavy tiller to turn over a new bed, go to your local equipment rental facility.

Using the right lawn gardening tools and hand tools for the job makes gardening easier and faster!

It’s completely a myth that using a mulching mower causes thatch buildup – nothing could be further than the truth. Using a mulching lawn mower is good for the grass and for the environment. To have a healthy lawn, and reduce waste at municipal facilities, consider using a mulching mower.

Keep Grass Healthy with a Mulching Mower

The way you mow your lawn makes a big difference in its health. A lot of people mistakenly think that leaving grass clippings on the lawn causes thatch problems. Thatch is not composed of grass clippings, but rather of living and dead pieces of stem between the soil and the green grass blades. Mowing grass with a mulching lawn mower can actually help decrease thatch problems by keeping turf healthy.

All types of grass are heavy feeders. One of the best ways to return nutrients to the soil is to leave the grass clippings on the lawn. Grass clippings are high in nitrogen, and thus make great compost; however, they also help restore the soil by adding nitrogen back to it, when left on the ground. As long as a regular mowing schedule is maintained, and you do not remove any more than 1/3 of the grass blade in any one mowing session, the amount of grass clippings left on the lawn, and the length of those clippings will not be prohibitive to breaking down quickly. (This means that you might have to adjust your mowing schedule if it rains frequently-to keep from removing too much grass blade at one time.)

How is a Mulching Lawn Mower Different than other Mowers?

It is possible to accomplish similar aims with a regular push mower that you can with a mulching mower, but mulching mowers have certain features that make it easier to “grass-cycle,” or return grass to the lawns. A mulching mower typically has rotary blades and a mechanism that chops the grass clippings finely and blows them back down into the lawn where they can break down. For best results with a mulching lawn mower, it is important to mow when the grass is dry and before it has gotten too long, necessitating removal of more than one third of the blade at a time. To return grass clippings to the lawn with a conventional power mower, cut grass to a height of between 2 and 2.5 inches. Mow every seven days when grass is actively growing, and every two weeks in the spring and fall. To chop up the clippings and retain an even mowing pattern, rotate your mowing direction 90 degrees with each mowing. To mulch with a conventional mower, always keep the mower blades sharp.

Costs of Mulching Mowers

You will pay a bit extra for a mulching lawn mower in comparison to a regular walk behind bagging mower. It does, ultimately depend upon the brand of mower, and the features of the mower. It is possible to purchase a high-end bagging mower and a lower-end mulching mower for about the same cost.

Whether you use a mulching lawn mower or a traditional bagging mower, mulching grass clippings and letting them remain on the soil is good for the grass and the environment.

Electric mowers are gaining popularity, because of the lower impact they have on the environment.  They are also less noisy than traditional gas powered lawn mowers.  When searching for an electric mower, you can choose between a cordless lawnmower and an electric mower with a cord.  Each has their pros and cons.  Both save power and gasoline and are less polluting than traditional gas mowers.

Electric Lawn Mowers vs. Gas Mowers

Most electric lawn mowers are battery powered.  Some can hold their charge for up to an hour, while others may only last thirty minutes or so.  The electric cordless mowers generally have less horsepower than gas powered mowers.  On the plus side, electric mowers need less mechanical maintenance, though their blades still need regular sharpening.  On the downside, several consumer reports indicate that some electric mower owners have had trouble finding repair parts for electric mowers when they need them.  This is, of course, likely to change as electric mowers become more popular, and their use is more wide-spread.  Electric lawn mowers are also quieter than gas powered mowers, because they do not run on combustion engines.

Corded Electric Mowers vs. Cordless Electric Mowers

Corded electric mowers give you more power and an unlimited mowing time.  However, because of the cord, you have limited range for mowing.  Cordless electric mowers will usually stay charged for between 30-60 minutes and are best for lawns of 1/3 of an acre or less.  Some cordless mowers allow you to switch batteries if one runs out while you are mid-mow.  For success with both types of electric mowers, you cannot go too long between mowing sessions.  The machines are not powerful enough to tackle a badly overgrown lawn.

Saving the Environment While Saving Money

The electric mowers are easier on the environment and easier on the pocketbook.  Unlike the ultra-environmentally friendly reel mowers, which rely on the speed of the person mowing to keep the blades going quickly for a clean cut, electric mowers allow you to move at your own pace.  This is important because few electric lawn mowers are self-propelled.  Yearly maintenance for electric mowers is estimated at about $5-$25 per year, while a gas powered mower uses more than $700 a year in gasoline, parts, tune ups and oil.  Switching to an electric mower will not only help a homeowner be environmentally responsible, it will help save money, too!

Your grass is healthy, green and thick as high pile carpet. But now the time has come to mow the lawn, edge the gardens and walkways, and trim the hedge. You know the lawn work needs to be done, but what lawn care equipment is available for you to use if you wish to implement green lawn mowing and maintenance? Before you spend hours at your local garden center, here are brief descriptions of standard lawn garden equipment.

Additional lawn care equipment includes:

• Ear & eye protection – Keep your eyes safe from dust or debris by weary safety goggles. For your ears, the National Institute if Deafness and Other Communication Disorders recommends that you protect your ears form sounds that are over 85 decibels—as the majority of trimmers and mowers exceed this number be sure you protect your ears.

• No-spill gas cans – Help keep you, your family, and the environment safe and clean.

• Watering utensils – hoses, rain gauges, sprinklers, etc.

• Wheelbarrows – one of the simplest yet most useful pieces of lawn garden equipment

• Rakes – A leaf rake, a metal rake, a bamboo rake and (optional) a landscaping rake

• String trimmers

The majority of the lawn care equipment is, or can be converted to being, eco-friendly, so your choice for cutting grass is vital. Owning a green lawn mower is the best option. If you own a gas powered motor, and want to make it environmentally friendly, there are conversion kits that will retrofit your gas mower to electric. In some states, there are special rebates when you trade in your gas mower for an electric one. Benefits of an electric mower are—

1. They are cleaner
2. They are quieter
3. They start with just the touch of a button

Now, it’s up to you—how will you decide what type of mower will work best? Use these quick guidelines for green lawn mower selection:

• Powered or manual? If your yard is less than 2000 sq. ft., go manual.

• Decide whether you want a mower with or without a bag for debris.

• Determine whether a rotary blade or a reel mower will best suit your situation.

Lawn care equipment doesn’t have to be scary. Know what you want, take your time, then go out and hit the green!

You have just moved into your brand new home—complete with a basic landscape. However, you want your lawn and garden to be the one everyone raves about. Unfortunately, your new home did not come with a shed fully stocked with lawn garden tools. You have your lawn mower, but that is about it. You don’t want to go to the nearest garden center and buy one of everything, so it would be helpful to understand which lawn and garden tools will be helpful to have a list of which lawn and garden tools will best help design and maintain your dream lawn. Garden tools can be divided into 3 groups—Tools you should own, Specialty Tools and Tools you should rent.

Lawn and Garden Tools to Own:

• Spreaders – a drop spreader for seeds, fertilizer, nutrients, and a rotary spreader for large areas.
• Sprayer – available as a canister or a backpack that is used for applying compost tea, weed killer, etc.
• Spade and Shove l- used for transplanting, turf removal, non-fibrous mulches, edging and small digging projects.
• Rakes – There are 4 types of rakes: A lawn and  leaf rake, a landscape rake, thatching ing rake, and a garden rake.
• Pruning Tools -loppers or pruning shears for branches from ½” to 1 ½” branches; pruning shears for woody limbs up to  3 inches in diameter and a bow saw for thicker branches.
• Manual Aerator – great for aerating a small lawn.
• Grubbing Hoe – its wide edge is great for removing unwanted grass or sod.
• Grass Shears – ideal for edging around flower gardens.
• Weeder- Due to its fork-like tines, it is an especially lawn garden tool when removing weeds.
• Turf Edger- Work well for keeping lawn perimeters neat and can be used to trim off extra lengths of sod.
• Wheel Barrow – uses are limitless with this lawn and garden tool. Whether hauling fertilizer, mulch, prunings, etc…this is a great labor saver!

Specialty Lawn and Garden Tools

• Power Edger – available in electric or gas models, the edger is used to trim and maintain edges of  the lawn and gardens.
• String Trimmer – aka weed eater, great for removing grass along the edge of the yard, garden walkways, etc.. Available in gas, electric or battery operated models.
• Pole Trimmer – a pruning saw that is attached to a 12 foot telescoping pole.
• Blowers – gas or electric models of this lawn garden tool make leaf removal easier and faster.
• Chain Saw- perfect for small tree limbs to average sized trees, can be electric or gas powered.

Lawn Garden Tools to Rent

• Power Aerator – used to loosen the soil, especially nice during drought or in the fall.
• Power Tiller – available in a variety of sizes and styles, helpful in prepping a new
  lawn, mixing in soil amendments, and getting the soil ready for planting.
• Power De-Thatcher – used to remove thatch and prepare the yard for overseeding.
• Vertical Mower – works same as the above, but has spikes that partially enter the soil.
• Power Seeder (slit seeder) – cuts shallow “ditches” into the soil and sows grass seed as needed.

Well, as G. I. Joe used to, “Now you know, and knowing is half the battle.” So, go get your lawn and garden tools and start creating your landscaping masterpiece!

“This is the way to mow the lawn, mow the lawn, mow the lawn. This is the reel way to mow the lawn, so early in the morning!”  Every homeowner is faced with the chore of keeping the lawn neat. You don’t want to let it get too high, but alternatively, you don’t want to cut it too short. The lawn care specialist say not to cut the grass more than 1/3 its height, but what is the best way to accomplish this? There are 4 basic types of mowers: the walk behind, the riding mowers, the rotary mower, and the reel mower.  While each of these have their pro’s and con’s the mower most environmentally friendly is the reel lawn mower.

A push reel mower is hand pushed and does not require electricity or gasoline; it is so simple to use that anyone old enough to follow basic safety precautions and can walk behind the reel push mower is capable of operating it. One reason a reel lawn mower is better for the environment than a power mower is that it doesn’t require gasoline. Consequently, there are no hydro-carbon emissions (the average gas mower emits 10-12 times more hydro-carbon than an automobile). Additional advantages in swapping to a reel mower are:

• They are light, weighing in at 16-32 pounds, come in widths ranging from 14-20 inches has 4,5, or 7 inch blades, and either 8 or 10 inch wheels.
• A push reel mower is better for your grass (rotary mowers tear grass, a push reel mower cuts the grass into small pieces).
• Due to their lightness, a reel mower is easy to push.
• A reel mower is relatively maintenance free.

Now that you have decided to switch to a reel mower, you may be wondering how to choose the one perfect for you. To help out with your reel push mower selection, consider the following:

• Do you want a battery powered, electric or manual reel mower?
• How big is your yard? If your lawn is more than 8,000 square feet, you may want to consider an electric or battery powered rotary mower.
• What type of grass do you have? Most reel mowers cut grass to a height of 3 inches. However, a heavier mower is best suited for Zoysia, St. Augustine, or Bermuda and for people who live along the east or west coast and the northern half of the US; a lighter reel mower is recommended.
• How much the reel mower weighs vs. how much you can push-An electric reel lawn mower weighs more than a battery mower which will be heavier than a manual push reel mower.

It is important to understand that changing to a reel lawn mower does not mean that grass cutting will be problem-free. There are a few minor disadvantages.

• A reel mower does not work well on tall willowy weeds like dandelions or buckhorn.
• If your grass is too tall (6 inches or more) the mower is more difficult to push and not as effective.
• A reel lawn mower takes longer—you will add an extra 10-15 minutes to your cutting time.
• The blades on a reel mower are difficult to sharpen and should be taken to a professional.

Cutting grass is a part of life, but it doesn’t have to involve breathing in harmful fumes and wearing earphones to protect your ears. A reel lawn mower offers the best way to have a well cut lawn and keep the air safer for everyone.

Cutting edge technology, razor-sharp, sharp witted, a dull blade is more dangerous than a sharp blade…there are many expressions in today’s vocabulary that reference “cutting”. And, when it comes to lawn care, regardless of your chosen method of cutting grass, it is vital that your lawn mower blades are well maintained.

Tips for Lawn Mower Blade Maintenance and Use:

1. Use a lawn mower blade that is designed for the specific job you plan to do. Most mowers come with multi-purpose blades, but if you are only going to use the mower for bagging or mulching, your lawn mower dealer can recommend the ideal lawn mower blade for your chosen mower.
2. Clean the lawn mower blade and the mower’s undercarriage after each use to prevent layers of grass from packing in around the lawn mower blade.
3. Move any rocks, sticks, etc… that could nick the lawn mower blade as you cut your yard.
4. Use a lawn mower blade sharpener after every 8-12 hours of usage. These can be bought at your local home improvement store or at the store where you purchased your lawn mower.

By properly maintaining your lawn mower blade’s cutting edge, you can ensure that your lawn will look its best. Another reason for using a lawn mower blade sharpener is that a dull blade will rip and pull the blades of grass which will damage the grass causing it to turn brown and have a jagged edge.

Regardless of your preferred lawn mower, it is a good idea to know how to use lawn mower blade sharpener tools. For a rotary motor, these tools include:

• A clamp
• A 2×4
• A Socket wrench
• Penetrating oil
• A bench vise
• A 10 inch “bastard” mill file
• A balancing tool or a nail hammered into a post or wall

Sharpening a Lawn Mower Blade:

1. Remove the spark plug; clamp a 2×4 or piece of wood inside the mower deck to keep the lawn mower blade from moving.
2. Use the wrench to turn the blade bolt counter-clockwise (in case of resistance, apply some of the penetrating oil and let sit for 15 minutes). Be sure to mark the bottom of the blade. If the lawn mower blade is damaged, discard it and buy a new one.
3. Clamp the lawn mower blade in the bench vise and sharpen with the mill file using long strokes working from the center outward. Be sure to use the same number of strokes on each side with consistent angles.
4. Balance the lawn mower blade—hang the “finished” blade on the nail or put on the balance tool; if the blade is not level, grind away the excess metal from the end of the lawn mower blade.
5. Once the blade has been sharpened and balanced, it is ready to be re-installed into your mower to “cut another day”.

A well maintained lawn mower blade is the key to having an impressive lawn. Frequent sharpening of your lawn mower blade makes the difference between a beautiful lawn and  “just a yard”. Average looking yards can be found everywhere; make yours the one everybody is talking about.