Greensheet (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 36, No. 124, Ed. 1 Wednesday, April 20, 2005 Page: 9 of 64
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April 20-26, 2005
Page 9
Home
Growing A Luxurious Lawn
Before you head out to cut your grass, take a look
at these cutting edge yard tools.
By: Christie Bohm Chase, Staff Writer
Gardening and lawn work can be an
immense pleasure, bringing serenity,
peacefulness, and a wonderful connection to
nature. Or, it can be a never-ending nightmare
full of weeding, pest-fighting, and backbreaking
upkeep. Much of your gardening and yard work
experience has to do with the tools you use.
The difference in gardening with the right tools
and straining to use the wrong ones is like the
difference between trying to cut your grass with
a pair of household scissors and mowing your
yard with a high-quality, easy-to-use mower.
Take a gander~at the following handheld and
power tools designed to make your yard work
experience one you treasure.
Mowing Madness
Probably not the most glamorous yard tool,
but definitely the most popular, lawn mowers
have come a long way in convenience and
safety, with features designed to save time and
energy. Gardeners today can choose from
electric, gas, riding, or the redesigned reel
mower.
Reel Mowers
Invented in 1830, the reel mower has a
series of twisted metal blades arranged as a
? eel between two wheels, which slice the grass
as it is pushed over it. Previously reel mowers
weighed a hefty 50-60 pounds; however,
lightweight alloys and plastic parts have
educed the weight to a mere 16 to 30 pounds.
Reel mowers are quiet and require no
maintenance aside from occasional sharpening
or blade adjustment, ihey are practical for
lawns that are 1,000 square feet or less, and
grass that is no taller than one and a half
inches. Cost for reel mowers ranges from $50
to $100.
Electric Mowers
Electric mowers, which use an electric motor
to power a rotary blade, are generally less
powerful than gas engine mowers and require
that you do the pushing. Their best feature is
that they are very quiet to run and their worst is
that they have a power cord that must be
connected to an outlet. However, the
inconvenience of the power cord can be
minimized with a sliding clip that lets the cord
flip from side to side. Electric mowers work
best on small lawns because most power cords
are no longer than 100 feet long. The cost of
these mowers is in the $100 to $200 range. A
new type of electric mower that features
rechargeable batteries was recently introduced.
The nickel batteries run for about one hour
before needing to be recharged. Cost for these
battery mowers is upward of $400.
Gas Mowers
The most popular type of lawn mower on the
market, gas powered mowers are good for
medium sized yards, because they will run for
a long time on minimal fuel. They are noisy and
require regular maintenance; however, most
are good at mowing tall arid thick grass and
handling is very easy. Most will mulch the
clippings, and many feature a catcher at the
•ear or on the side to catch the cuttings. Gas
mowers come in two types: self-propelled and
push-type. Push-type mowers are a great
workout, but make mowing a little more work
than self-propelled models. Push mowers have
a wide price range ($100 to $500), which
greatly depends on the quality and features
you select. Self-propelled mowers use a power
mechanism that requires the operator to
squeeze a bar or a lever to engage the mower
and make it move. If the lever is released, the
drive system and blade both stop. These
mowers typically cost about $100 more than
the push-mowers; however, the cost is
worthwhile if your lawn is larger than a half-
acre or if it's hilly.
Riding Mowers and Tractors
Riding mowers and lawn tractors are the
largest of the mowers. They are intended to
cover large areas of ground. Riding mowers
have a rear-mounted engine and are good for
yards that have lots of obstacles like trees,
oeks and flower gardens. Lawn tractors are
larger and have front-mounted engines, good
for climbing hills. Add-on tractor attachments
enable these mowers to plow, snow-throw and
tow. Prices for riding mowers and tractors
iange from $900 to $4000.
Lawn mowers are a large investment and it
s best to consider your needs before making a
purchase. Determine who will be mowing the
yard. Age, strength and energy level of the
person mowing will factor into your choice.
Decide whether you want your clippings to be
collected or mulched, as this will affect the
features you shop for. Consider the type of
mower you used in the past. Figure out which
features you liked and which you didn't. This
information will help you navigate through the
many brands and models of available mowers
and lead you to a mower that's perfect for your
needs.
Trimmers and Chippers
Two yard appliances that make landscaping
a snap are string trimmers and chippers.
Chippers are used to break down yard debris
into useful mulch chips, and trimmers are used
to neatly trim tufts of grass around curbs, flower
beds, and driveways that mowers can't get,
giving your yard a clean-line finished touch.
Chippers are freestanding machines that
require you to feed twigs and other debris
safely into the top of the shredder. Size and
quality of the chipper you purchase depends on
the amount and size of the pieces you want to
chip. Recently, chipper vacs were invented.
These chippers are handheld and are used
much like a vacuum. They suck up leaves and
small twigs and turn them into re-useable
mulch. Chippers cost upward of $100.
String trimmers, like mowers, come in gas,
electric and battery form. Corded electric
trimmers are the least expensive and lightest;
however, the cord limits their extension and
capabilities. Gas trimmers are better than
electric at cutting weeds and brush, but they
weigh twice what electric trimmers do and few
cost less than $100. Battery-powered trimmers
have the convenience of free movement like
the gas trimmers with a very quiet motor. They
are not very good for edging and require
recharging every 15 to 30 minutes. Trimmers
range in price from $20 to $300.
Gardening Gadgets
To create a great garden and landscape
you'll need some basic handheld gardening
tools. Before beginning your planting project,
check your shed to make sure you have these
handy gardening gadgets.
• A spade is a little shovel used to dig
new garden beds and create planting
holes for large plants.
• A spading fork has two important uses
in the garden; turning over soil and
transplanting and dividing established
plants.
• A garden rake is necessary to smooth
new garden beds, spread mulch and
remove dead foliage in the fail.
• A hoe allows you to hack at weeds,
digging up their roots and cutting them
off below the soil line.
• Pruners help keep your garden in shape
by allowing you to trim back overgrowth
and cut out dead brush under bushes
and plants.
• A handy wheelbarrow allows you to
easily move plants, equipment, soil and
mulch around the yard.
Lawnmower Safety Tips
Before mowing, pick up toys, hoses,
rocks and twigs. Make sure no
people or pets are nearby.
Keep hands and feet away from
moving parts and don't let
children use or ride a mower.
Don't mow when the grass
wet; your motor could burn
out or you could slip
Wear sturdy shoes
and close-fitting
clothes. Consider
wearing ear
protection.
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Greensheet (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 36, No. 124, Ed. 1 Wednesday, April 20, 2005, newspaper, April 20, 2005; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth440123/m1/9/: accessed August 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .