Grounds Crew: Lawn & Garden Equipment for the New Home

Go to ConsumerGuide.com for shopping advice and product reviews to get the best value for the lawn and garden equipment you need to keep the curb appeal of your house shipshape.

You've moved into your new house, and, suddenly, you hear a little voice saying, "that lawn won't mow itself, mister." Or maybe that's your wife. Regardless, you realize that you have a new yard to take care of, which means you'll need to shop for lawn care equipment. That's where ConsumerGuide.com comes in. Whether you're replacing that old snow thrower or starting fresh, here are a few guidelines from ConsumerGuide.com on what to look for and how to shop for the mowers and throwers you need. There are also some helpful links to find more information or free product reviews from the experts at ConsumerGuide.com.

How to Buy

Before you start gathering information, remember that lawn care needs can differ dramatically depending on where you live, how large your lawn is, what the terrain is like, and even how fast your grass grows. Because competition in the lawn care equipment business is very stiff, there is less price difference between stores than one might hope for, except in the mower categories. Watch for early spring and late fall sales for the best prices. Servicing dealers, who offer additional amenities such as repair, delivery, and on-the-shelf parts supply, are often a good option for finding a variety of models, but prices are usually somewhat higher. Large home care and repair chains, such as Lowe's and Home Depot, offer what is usually the single-store wide range of options.

Lawn Mowers

Mowing can be done with a walk-behind lawn mower, riding mower, zero-turning-radius riding mower, lawn tractor, or garden tractor. Push mowers use an engine to power the rotary blade to cut grass. Walk-behind mowers have a variety of devices available that allow them to propel themselves while the operator walks behind to guide the machine, without pushing. Riding mowers are just that, with mowing decks permanently mounted, and no other accessories available.

Power for mowers usually ranges from 6 horses on up to 10. Lawn tractors are most often available with 12 horsepower and up, to about 18, with no power take-off (PTO), and limited use of accessories, such as a mechanically manipulated snow blade. Upper-end models approach the capacities of garden tractors. Garden tractors offer (usually) 18 horsepower or more, PTOs, wider tires at both rear and front, and a much greater possibility for accessories--from power-lifted snow blades to powered lawn vacs and sweepers or similar devices.

Here are some helpful links:

Lawn Mower Buying Guides

Lawn Mower Reviews

Electric Lawn Mower Reviews

Gasoline Lawn Mower Reviews

Riding Lawn Mower Reviews

String Trimmers and Blower Vacs

String trimmers are the tools of choice for neatly trimming lawns and for getting into otherwise inaccessible areas. Engine sizes range from 23cc or 24cc up to about 35cc, and some are designed to accept click-on accessories such as edgers, pruners, and other tools. Many consumer models have curved shafts that are easier to handle and control, while pro models have longer straight shafts that provide better reach.

Blower/mulcher/vacuums are the best choice for cleaning up lawns, sidewalks, decks, drives, and patios and efficiently collecting the debris for disposal or composting. For large lawns, a bagger unit for the lawn mower does a faster job, but the blower/mulcher/vac is necessary for final cleanup of many lawns and surrounding areas.

Here are some helpful links:

Lawn Care Power Equipment Buying Guides

Lawn Care Power Equipment Reviews

String Trimmer Reviews

Blowers/Vac Reviews

Snow Throwers

Nearly all snow throwers have similar engines that are specially engineered for cold weather and wet conditions. Electric starters are either standard or optional on most units, and we recommend them. Having a starter, which usually operates at 110 volts and plugs into a wall receptacle, means you don't have to spend time yanking on a starter rope, especially for that first use of the season when things may be a little out of sync.

Look for handles, grips, and controls that can accommodate large mittens and are conveniently located. If you have to manhandle a machine up or down a flight of stairs, whether two or twenty, check the snow thrower's weight: Pulling a 5-horsepower unit up a flight of stairs is much easier than hefting a 9- or 11-horse unit up. See what accessories are available to help you stay comfortable. Accessories include drift cutter kits (usually a pair of steel arms that jut upwards from the outside top corners of the impeller cover), chains to reduce wheel spinning and time wasted, and shear and locking pins to get you back in operation quickly when you strike an obstacle hard enough to break the originals.

Here are some helpful links:

Snow Thrower Buying Guides

Snow Thrower Reviews

Single-Stage Snow Thrower Reviews

Two-Stage Snow Thrower Reviews

When shopping for lawn care equipment, keep in mind increasing concerns both federally and locally about air and noise pollution from lawn care products powered by small gas engines. There are few two-cycle engines out there for mowers, but make sure any you do look at meet EPA guidelines. Other powered lawn care categories, including string trimmers and blower/mulcher/vacuums, use two-cycle engines almost exclusively. These super-tiny engines (the big ones are barely over 30cc in capacity) are not yet EPA rated, and there is no current requirement that they be so rated.