What type of lawn mower to get?

Electric corded, Electric Cordless (battery operated), manual push reel type, or Gas push behind?

Its just in the front yard, one big section in front of the garage (30X25 or so), and another 10X30 strip of grass on the side of the driveway, (no grass in yard) i know nothing about this, but i do know i will NOT be paying a gardner.

How cheap can i be with watering?

And to keep the grass going, just lay some fertilizer on top twice a year or so?

I don't know anything about your climate and type of grass, but I'd say a small 3.5 -5 hp gas mower, maybe self propelled, maybe not (depends on how thick the grass is). I've never had much luck with any type of electric mower. Use non-ethanol fuel, maybe a fuel stabilizer and change the oil annually - you should be good.

Get a 26 hp, 60" cut diesel Grasshopper. Might be a bit of an overkill, but it will last you forever and you will have spent more than anyone on the block.

Thanks, M8.

This will be me first lawn, i have no experience with lawn or lawn mowers at all, so you're recommending the gas over electric, ok, im with you there,

the self propeled is when the lawn mower moves it self forward? isnt that only needed for really big lawns?

Honda commercial grade mower if you need the ultimate tool.Watch craigslist for a deal.If I had a small lawn I would try a cordless electric.I got an older honda for $140 -it had a plugged up carb.

Mexican or Guatemalan.

Puerto Rican comes in third. But they're hard to teach to do things on schedule, so I'd go with the first two, really.....









More seriously, though, our lawn is only a bit smaller than yours and I bought a brand-forgotten electric mower from Home Depot. No carb, no gas, no oil, just plug & mow.

Unless you've got a lawn big enough to justify a riding mower, I cannot imagine justifying dealing with gas.

we use a honda 3.5hp for a lawn at least double that size. No self propeled anything. Been great, put gas in and change oil yearly, nothing further. A little choke and it fires first time every time. I'd get one with a bagger as well if you are going to be a pride in your lawn type of guy. Our bagger mount has bent somewhat over time and abuse so I would look around and compare who has the stoutest mounting solution. Nothing is more frustrating than having the bag fall off in the middle of your lawn.

Don't get the reel mower unless you are an anal compulsive type that wants to mow when it's a quarter-inch too tall.

But in california specifically...ditch the grass and xeriscape so you can throw your money at something other than your water bill.

I got a reel mover. Don't listen to ^^^^^ that guy.

I'm not a granola cruncher. I have 2 bikes and 2 cars so I'm not a saver of the planet. I do enjoy mowing the grasss with this thing. it's quick and quiet. I can cut the lawn after getting home from a long day of riding. I don't have to cut my grass between the hours of 10am and 6pm so I don't annoy neighbours.

I bought a scott 20" reel mower when my gasser went tits up. Wouldn't go back.

As far as the care. a good long watering, once a week and follow the directions on one of the fertelizer web sites. you can plug in your climate/area and it'll tell you what to do. The alternative is to call a lawn company to lay fertilizer for you.

you should aerate and top dress your yard on alternating years. this keeps it well fed. It's pretty easy when you get into a routine.

I have a reel mower too. It is enjoyable to mow with that thing...particularly when I can get it in at 10PM. My 2yo can be right next to me while I'm doing it. But it's completely a secondary hunk of equipment. Get out of your routine, and it sucks. Wait too long, and the thatch it generates will quietly clog your grass before it decomposes. Wait TOO long, and it won't even cut your grass...it'll just push it over. Your landscaping has nooks and crannies that are difficult to get at w/ the momentum needed to keep the reel is spinning? Then you're going to u have to go around w/ a hand trimmer or a weed whacker too. Like I said, you have to be particularly diligent (anal) to keep up with it. as a general recommendation, knowing nothing about you...I wouldn't recommend it. Are you anal, and enjoy being close to your lawn? knock yourself out.

But again...in california, your water bill is three times as expensive as other parts of the country...plant a nice native environment, and reduce the area you need to give a damn about.

Electric. Weedeater too.

You gotta' know there is only one ADVer that is qualified to answer this......


eatpasta to the help desk please.

are you just saying that because they hunt me?





I can tell you that the Toro Ground Master is a fantastic mower but it's got crappy brakes.

Not anal at all, just want to save $ by not having a gardner,

What is the difference between the lawn mower cutting the grass and pushing the cut grass in the bag as to having no bag and the cut grass just lays there on the fresh cut grass?

Bag it.

leaving the clippings adds clippings to the thatch layer at a rate that likely exceeds what the ecosystem of your lawn can digest into soil, causing thatch problems. It's a balance, and how fast it grows has nothing to do with how many microbes/worms are working to turn it into soil.

Instead of struggling to be all zen and "get it right," naturally, It's better to collect the clipping, and handle the composting separate from what's going on in your lawn...add it back in right amounts maybe once or twice a year (or just hand it over to your county and buy topdressing from home depot twice a year).

Well, I just figured you could give us a detailed description of what the underside of a mower deck looks like. :eek1

its not pleasant. neither was the underside of the car I was forcibly persuaded to inspect

OUCH! Sorry for dragging up THAT.

Back to the original thread then. Apologies to the OP.

If you have earthworms where you live, a healthy population will control the thatch. Please do not import if you do not have them already. How do you get a healthy population. No weedkillers. Limit fertilizers. Control soil PH

other than that, a gas powered mulching mower with catcher attachment..

Check your areas zoning or homeowners covenants. Drought tolerance is important.

Rod

it wasnt all that bad. I didnt get run over but you could have used a ruler to measure how close it was.
The two year court battle was the painful part, but that's another story all together