A push mower, also known as a manual lawn mower, is a type of lawn mower that is pushed forward by the user. It is propelled by the physical effort of the person using it, rather than by an external power source. Push mowers are typically smaller and more lightweight than other types of lawn mowers, making them easier to maneuver around the lawn. They are also generally less expensive than self-propelled mowers.

A self-propelled lawn mower, on the other hand, is powered by an internal combustion engine or an electric motor and is capable of moving forward on its own. The user controls the speed and direction of the mower by a set of handles, and the mower moves forward under its own power. Self-propelled mowers are typically larger and heavier than push mowers, and they are more expensive as well. However, they are also easier to use, as the user does not have to exert as much physical effort to push the mower around the lawn.

In general, push mowers are best for small lawns with relatively flat terrain, while self-propelled mowers are better suited for larger lawns or yards with hills or uneven terrain. Both types of mowers have their own set of advantages and disadvantages, and the best choice for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences.

Mowing your lawn is an essential process in order to maintain a healthy good looking lawn. When mowing the lawn yourself every week or every other week, depending on the growth pace of your grass and whether or not fertilizer is part of the equation, a question may come up… Should you vary your mowing pattern every time you mow your lawn? 

Yes! Why, you ask? Because you don’t want to train your grass to lean one way by mowing the lawn in the same direction again and again. Especially if your lawn mower is heavy; so you can avoid gouging your lawn. 

Varying the direction in which you mow your lawn can help your grass stems grow straight up and stand tall. Not to mention, if you go over your lawn in the same direction every time, it could lead to some tracks in the soil which could cause your soil particles to get tightly packed, making it difficult for air and water to reach the roots, which is known as soil compaction.

So, remember to switch up the mowing directions often, and sharpen your mowers blades. Happy mowing!

You probably heard about the importance of keeping your lawn mower stored safely during the cold season. But what exactly should you do in order to protect your mower while in storage? First thing you should know is that if you leave the mower outside during the course of winter, it will probably rust, which is an expensive mistake that can be easily avoided! Leaving your mower out in the cold can also cause other internal issues making it even more difficult and sometimes impossible to start once we hit Spring. Here are some simple tips to help you keep your mower safe during Winter.

Clean the Mower

Brush the leaves, grass and mud off your mower before storing it. In doing so, you’ll prevent key parts of the mower  from getting clogged up, such as the wheels. It’s not the most appealing thing to do, but can you imagine how much harder it would be to clean 3-4 months old mud and grass?

Drain the Gas

Electric and cordless mower owners can skip this step! Gas starts degrading in about a month or 30 days, which is very little time and not even the whole duration of winter! As a result, the mower’s engine might get clogged and might not even start. The safest option is to drain the mower’s tank. Another alternative is you can use a fuel stabilizer to protect your mower till it’s ready to be used again

Remove the Battery

If it is a riding lawn mower you should remove the battery before storing. Keeping your mower’s battery safe is important, because sometimes buying a new one can be very costly. A smart move is to remove the battery from your mower and store it in a dry cool place. Batteries don’t sit well in any environment that is damp, hot or too cold.

Choose a Storage Spot

There are things you need to consider, when choosing a spot to store your mower in. First and foremost, keep your mower away from any heat appliances and active devices because it could be hazardous. Indoor storage is the optimum choice, such as the garden shed or the garage. If you don’t have an indoor storage space, then the best way to store it safely outside is to use a water-resistant tarpaulin cover.

Are you having trouble starting your lawn mower, and have no idea why? No worries, we’ve got you covered! We’ve prepared a guide for the first 3 things you need to check on, if your lawn mower is giving you a hard time.

Not to point out the obvious, but the first thing you should do is make sure your mower has fresh gas. If your mower’s tank still contains last season’s fuel, you will need to drain it and fill the tank with fresh fuel. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, here are the first 3 things you should check on if your mower won’t start:

AIR FILTER:

Check the air filter, it might need a clean-up or to be replaced with a new one. The air filter is usually located behind a flat plastic piece that can be easily removed by hand. You can find these at your local hardware store or lawn mower repair shop. You can also buy them online.

FUEL LINE:

The third possible issue might be that the engine isn’t getting any fuel, and if this is the case, you can try getting the gas to flow by tapping the carburetor on the side. If that doesn’t help, you might want to consider getting a brand new fuel filter or fuel line. Check this by removing the fuel line at the carburetor. Gas should run out from the line once it’s removed. If gas isn’t coming out of the fuel line, remove the fuel line ahead of the fuel filter inlet. If gas flows, the fuel filter is clogged.

If none of these fix the issue you might want to look into getting the carburetor cleaned or even replaced. If the mower still will not start then it might be time to recycle it.

Having a lush green lawn is the ultimate goal, and it’s not necessarily hard to achieve! Here are some tips for how to take better care of your lawn.

Mowing & Edging

It is best to remove only a third of the total grass length when moving the lawn, to avoid scalping grass, which is cutting it too short. How often you should mow your lawn can be determined by the season and the weather conditions!

Sharpen Mower Blade

If you want to get the absolute best results when mowing, make sure your mower blades are sharpened. 

Change The Mowing Pattern

When you’re mowing your lawn, avoid mowing in the same direction or pattern every time. That way the grass will grow straight and tall.

Aeriate

Aeration is when you create small holes in the soil at certain depths, which is essential for the soil to get the nutrients it needs to grow; as it makes it easier for the root of the grass to have better access to air and water. You can aerate using a garden fork, or specific aeration tools. 

Reseed Lawns

If your lawn is appearing to be a little thin in some areas, no worries! That can happen for many reasons, what you can do is seed over the area to fill it and lush it up.

Lawn Fertilizer Service or Do It Myself

If you’re thinking about your lawn, the question probably isn’t about whether you want it to be radiantly green and healthy, but more so about how you will achieve that goal! When it comes down to it, there are two options; you could either go DIY and mow your own lawn or hire a professional lawn care service. To be fair, both options have their pros and their cons!

Reasons To Hire A Service:

If you can afford it and are short on time, then it makes more sense to hire someone reliable. In most cases it is much easier for a lawn company to take care of your lawn than it is for you. Saving you both the time and the effort.

A big reason to hire a professional lawn care service is consistency! They will have a set schedule for your lawn to be mowed. Sometimes weekly or sometimes twice a month.

Mowers aren’t cheap and they need attention. They would be an investment similar to major appliances, such as a dryer or a refrigerator. If you are not mower-savvy and are not familiar with how to service a mower such as doing maintenance on the mower by changing the oil, sharpening the blades, and tuning it up every year, then you’ll need to learn how, or pay someone else to do it. If this does not sound good to you then it might be a good ida to hire a service to maintain your lawn.

Reasons To Mow Your Own Lawn

For some people, mowing the lawn is one of those weekly tasks that they can actually enjoy. It can be “therapeutic”. Just the repetitive movement of mowing and the perfect crisp lines that you create can help slip you into a calmer state of mind. Not to mention taking in the soothing smell of freshly cut grass after, knowing you made that happen!

Hiring a lawn mower service can add up over time, costing a lot of money in the long run. So really by mowing your lawn you could be saving money in the longterm.

Knowing your yard; Mowing your lawn regularly gives you a chance to really get to know your yard, in the sense of finding out which parts of your lawn need special attention and care.

Raking leaves during Fall can be a back breaking task, especially if you do it by hand. Bending over to pick up the leaves and then placing them into a bag can be a pain. If you own a riding lawn mower, it can help ease your leaf removal process. There are certain types of attachments that may be needed with most riding lawn mowers in order to help you  pick up leaves as you ride across your lawn. It is nice to use these attachments while you mow the grass, making it so you can both cut the yard and pick up leaves at the same time. 

Bagger Systems

Most riding lawn mowers and push lawn mowers have an optional bagger attachment that you can use when cutting the yard. Most push mowers include the bag while riding mowers do not (and you have to buy them as an add on). The bag attaches and detaches from the rear of a lawn mower. You can choose to attach it when you want to collect grass clippings or leaves during the Fall. The grass cut by the mower deck of your mower is blown through the discharge chute into the bagger. A bagger will also collect any material or debris your lawn mower mows over. So if your yard is covered with leaves, this is a great way to clean them up without bending over to pick up leaves manually.

Tractor Leaf Bags

Another leaf collection attachment you can use with your riding lawn mower is a leaf bag. This bagger is pretty much the same as the bagger system previously mentioned; however, it is much larger than your basic bagger system.  It is nice to have if your yard is large so that you can pick up more leaves without having to empty the bags as often.

Lawn Sweepers

A lawn sweeper hooks up to the rear of the tractor, acting as a tow-behind attachment that sweeps the leaves off the grass. Rotating bristles throw any debris on your lawn into the sweepers bin area. If you only want to pick up leaves without mowing the lawn, a lawn sweeper is a very useful attachment to use. You do not need to engage the blade while going over the leaves (as you do with a bagger system). The sweeper will pick up the leaves without chopping them up. Be sure to check the lawn sweeper owner’s manual to make sure it is compatible with your type/ brand of riding lawn mower.

Mulching

Sometimes if you do not have too many leaves in your yard you are able to just cut over them without having to bag them up. This method will create a nutrient-rich mulch material that will fall between the blades of grass. Because the pieces are so tiny, your lawn will appear to look as though you picked up your leaves. If the layer of leaves on your lawn is too thick, don’t mulch. This will cause too much mulch left on your lawn and that excess mulch will suffocate/ kill  the grass. In order to mulch with your riding lawn mower or push lawn mower, remove the rear bagger and cover the side discharge chute with a mulch cover flap.