| The Dirt On Lawnmower Selection |
| Considering buying a lawnmower? Ahmed Hassan has four questions to help ensure that you select the right lawnmower your yard, and for you. |
From "The Dirt On..."
episode DTDO-106 |
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Buying a lawnmower is a little like buying a car. You want to go in with a game plan. Without a plan, you could get distracted by all the bells and whistles on those high-end mowers and come home with much more mower than you need. Plus, if you buy the wrong one, you won't be itching to take it for a spin every week, and who wants to spend money on something that will just sit in the garage?
Lawnmower selection means. . .
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finding the right mower for your the type and size of your yard.
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The question most people have is "How do you know which one to pick?" There are so many types and models; mowers with edgers, bags, power, push . . .you get the idea. It's enough to drive you crazy, and all you want to do is mow. To narrow down your options and find the right match, ask yourself these four key questions:
Figure A
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Your host, Ahmed Hassan, prepares for
a lawnmower test drive.
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Self-propelled and trim mowers
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If you have a medium-sized lawn or a lawn with a slope, you can make things easier on yourself by picking a power-driven, self-propelled model. Make sure it's rear wheel self-propelled, not front wheel. If it's on the front wheel only, you'll lose all the power every time you pick it up to turn.Question #2: How big are you? If you're doing the mowing, make sure it's the right size for you. Pick them up. Push them around. Gas is heavier than electric mowers, but it has more power behind it so you might have to make some sacrifices. In general, the more heavy-duty something is, the heavier it is. Make sure you can start it easily and adjust the drive speeds. This is important for a smooth drive as it will allow you to mow more quickly over thin grass and slow down when going over tall, thick grass.
The blade width (figure B) is another thing to consider when determining the size mower that fits your abilities best. This will determine how long you'll be out there mowing because a longer blade will cover more turf at once. The question here is, how much stamina do you have? The average blade span is 22 inches to 24 inches. You can, however, find mowers with blades as small as 18 inches or as large as 54 inches.
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![PHOTO](javascript:popup("http://img.diynetwork.com/DIY/2007/04/16/dtdo106_1cd_propelledandtrim03_e.jpg",350,450))
![PHOTO](javascript:popup("http://img.diynetwork.com/DIY/2007/04/16/dtdo106_1fb_bladelength07_e.jpg",350,450))
