Archive for the ‘Tools’ Category
Keeping your lawn looking good will be easier if you have the proper tools. They don’t have to be top of the line but buy what you can afford. The better the quality, the longer they will last.
Lets begin with the lawn mower. Before the mower was invented people used a scythe to cut down what they called lawns then. They also used cows and sheep. I tried the cows and sheep thing but my homeowners association put a stop to that. Then in 1830 a man named Edward Budding invented the reel-type mower
Today we have reel-type or rotary mowers. Rotary mowers being the most common in use today. They can be electric or gasoline driven. They can be self propelled, pushed by hand or ones that you ride on. These mowers have blades that spin horizontally, thus chopping the grass off at the top. You need to keep the blades sharp so they don’t tear the grass blades. Some rotary mowers have a bag on the side to collect grass as it is being mowed.
The other type of mower, although less common, is the reel mower. These work when you push them yourself. This can be great exercise if you have a lawn that’s level and on the small side. When kept sharp, they do an excellent job due to the shearing action of the blades. These mowers are less expensive than rotary mowers and don’t pollute. Just don’t let your grass get too long between mowings.
Then we have string trimmers. These can be powered by gasoline or electricity. Most of the gasoline powered trimmers are 2 cycle which means you must mix oil with the gas. These trimmers have a spinning head on the end which uses a plastic line as the cutting edge. Some trimmers use a metal blade which allows it to cut much thicker material. The main use of the trimmer is to trim around trees, buildings, fences etc. where the mower won’t go. Hence the name trimmer.
To keep the edges of your lawn looking neat we use, that’s right, edgers. Power edgers use a metal blade with a vertical cutting head. There are also hand edgers which use a sharp cutting edge and a stepping action. I guess you don’t really need an edger but its use really makes for a neat finished look.
You will really need a rake. There are rakes with metal teeth and rakes that are fan style. These rakes are used for removing leaves, debris and thatch from your lawn. You could use a gas or electrical powered blower for the leaves but a rake does a better job.
There are a number of other tools one can use for lawn care. Sprayers can come in handy for spraying organic products on your lawn. There are many weed removal tools that can be used. They have dethatchers that hook onto your riding mower, but you can dethatch your lawn with a rake by hand. There are also spreaders to spread grass seed over your lawn.
As you can see, there are various tools you can use on your lawn to keep it looking great. The most important thing you can do is to keep all of these tools properly maintained. Doing so will allow them to do their jobs well, as well as extending their useful life.
