Before Looking At Mowers For Sale, Make Sure You Have The Right Technique

One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is looking at mowers for sale without first knowing how to use them. This can lead to the machine sitting stagnant in the shed for years because it “doesn’t cut right” or even to damage (both to your lawn and the mower). In this article, we have outlined some of the basic techniques that you can utilise.

 

Outline the Lawn

 

Begin by mowing around the perimeter of your lawn in a clockwise direction (as the mower will spit out the clippings back onto the grass and not onto your path). Some homeowners find that mowing a second outer ring is also a good idea, as it provides greater room to turn the mower later on without impeding your cut or mowing path.

 

Straight Cutting

 

After cutting around the perimeter, it’s a simple case of mowing the lawn in straight lines in order to finish up. Any excess grass that was thrown onto the lawn earlier will also be cleaned up. As you begin each new path, it’s a good idea to check the straightness of the path you just completed; if it’s a little crooked, you can get back on track by overlapping a little on this one.

 

Obstacles

 

Any obstacles that you encounter (such as trees and garden beds) should be treated in the same manner as the perimeter. Simply stop the straight cut and cut a perimeter around the obstacle (if necessary, do two paths to make for easier turning). When you return to your straight paths, when you reach the obstacle simply turn around and go back the other way.

 

Overlapping

 

One thing that you should be aware of when looking at mowers for sale is the importance of overlapping. On every pass, your cut should overlap onto the previous path by a few inches. This will account for the excess space between the end of the blades and the outside of the wheel. This will help to ensure that your mower doesn’t miss any spots.

 

Oddly Shaped Lawns

 

These days, yards come in many different shapes; hopefully, the way that the lawn will be mowed has been taken into account during its design. Whilst it would be impossible for us to go through every shape imaginable, we can share some basic principles. The lawn area should be broken down into sections – mow the largest section first, and so on and so forth.

 

Slopes

 

The trickiness of slopes and hills is enough to cause many homeowners to ignore their mowers, but this doesn’t have to be the case. Mow the perimeter of slopes first, then start at the top and cut the grass from side to side until you have worked your way to the bottom. You should never attempt to push your mower up and down the hill, as this can cause rollovers.

 

Long or Wet Grass

 

When mowing long or wet grass, you might find that the chute to your catcher becomes clogged. There is nothing wrong with this, you’ll just have to stop a few extra times to remove the clog from the opening or to empty the catcher. Most homeowners prefer to wait until the grass is dry, as this requires them to stop less, and to cut the lawn regularly.

 

If you are in the process of looking at mowers for sale, ask yourself whether you will know how to use it or whether you’re likely to blame the machine for every little problem you encounter. Knowing the best techniques for mowing your lawn will ensure that you pick the most appropriate mower for your property and that it will serve you for many years to come.