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Archive for October, 2009

Lawn Care Tips : How To Fertilize A Lawn

To fertilize a lawn, fill the fertilizer spreader bin, walk quickly over the lawn, and note how far the fertilizer is being spread on each side in order to avoid overlapping. Avoid cover a lawn too…

Have You Done Your Lawn Mower Maintenance Yet?

Trying to start your lawn mower after a long winter can be very frustrating so you should read our advices. Performing a few routine maintenance tasks before you store your lawn mower for the winter can save you time in the spring, prolong the life of your lawn mower, and save you money over the long run.

Even if you have already put your lawn mower into storage for the winter, a few simple maintenance tasks performed before starting your lawn mower in the spring can be very beneficial.

Wash and dry your lawn mower after the mowing season is over.

A power blower can be very helpful in removing grass and debris from the underside of your lawn mower and other hard to reach areas. If your lawn mower engine is air-cooled, use a stick or wooden dowel to remove any residue from the cooling fins. If you have a lawn mower with a water-cooled engine, check the coolant level and fill the reservoir if needed.

Clean the radiator cooling fins with a strong jet of water. You should also drain the fuel tank and replace the fuel filter. The air filter housing should be cleaned and the air filter replaced.

Remember to check the spark plug(s) for corrosion and wear.

Don’t attempt to clean the spark plug if it is showing some wear. It is cheap and easy to replace the spark plug. Be sure to remove any debris before removing the spark plug and by using a bit of anti-seize compound when you replace the old spark plug, you will ensure easier removal next year. Clean and lubricate the throttle linkages and the choke, and apply grease to the mower deck and all the fittings.

This will be easier if you remove the mower deck and you can sharpen the blades while the mower deck is off. Sharpening the blades after each mowing season will give you a better cut next year and save you the trouble of having to sharpen them in the spring.

Clean the battery terminals and replace your old lawn mower battery if necessary. You can help prevent corrosion of the terminals if you apply grease to the posts at the end of each mowing season. Change the oil in the engine crankcase and replace the oil filter.

You should also drain the gas from your lawn mower before storing it for the winter. During the long summer mowing season, remember to wash your lawn mower and remove any debris after the mower has cooled. Keeping your lawn mower clean will add years to its life and make routine maintenance tasks a lot easier.

Lawn mowing is a job most of us face each and every year.

A lawn mower that runs great and is well maintained will make this job more enjoyable and easier all summer long. A yearly check up for your lawn mower is the perfect way to prolong its life and keep it running like new, and your lawn will look great when you mow with a machine that is in top working condition.

Your lawn mower will perform at the highest level possible if you remember to perform these simple maintenance tasks each and every year. During the summer months periodically check the oil and the condition of the air and fuel filters. You will save money and your lawn mower will work great for years to come.

Learn all about lawn mower maintenance here.

Getting Replacement Parts For Your Lawn Mower

If you are one of those who works usually with lawnmowers, then you probably already know the big importance that lawn mower parts have. No matter what model of machine you drive, it will need some parts replacement after some years of use. Even the best manufacturers’ models, which worked smoothly at the beginning or that model you bought being the sturdiest mower at the moment will have something broken and therefore will go wrong after few years.

Damage and wear are two of the most typical reasons for replacing lawn mower parts. Since wear refers to parts that have been working hard and do not perform as they should, damage refers to parts that are totally broken and need to be replaced completely. Wear situations come up usually due to worn parts. Unsharpened blades is a clear example of worn parts. You just need to sharpen blades and you mower will cut the lawn as a newer one. Damage situations are easy to detect because most of the times the engine doesn’t start at all. It can also happens that suddenly you’d had a lawn mower break when you have only mowed half of the garden size. It becomes an annoying situation and very embarrassing as well.

Typical Problems With Lawn Mowers

One of the most typical problem for lawn mower parts replacements is when you broke off the clutch handle as well as blades sharpening. No panic when it happens, it’s plenty of mower parts out there, you just need to find the part that better fits your needs. You might be thinking on how easy is to find a mower part. However, it isn’t as easy task as it seems at all. Finding the most suitable part that better works with your mower might be sometimes a bit tricky. What professional gardeners use to do is to find the specific parts in a lawn mower parts catalog. But, not everyone have access to this parts catalog, specially regular home and garden owners that just want to find a small piece for their specific model.

The simplest way to find specific lawn mower parts is at the gardening warehouses. You can find there most parts for common mowers’ manufacturers. These warehouses have the knowledge and compatibility lists for your specific model as well as most parts to get your machine mowing again. If you are lucky, your mower will run again just a few hours later, if they don’t have your required part in stock, then you might order it and pick it up a couple of days later.

Toro And Simplicity Lawn Mower Parts

They are two of the most reliable and truly manufacturers across the world. Toro mower parts can be purchased from almost any Toro dealer as well as from any mower parts or goods warehouse that are specialized in Toro manufacturer. Like many other products, lawn mower parts are divided into subcategories inside walk-behind or riding mowers models. These subcategories are essentially the following 3:

• Engine assembly for current gas powered mowers.
• Handle assembly for handle parts and parts like cables.
• Housing assembly for housing parts such as wheels or frames

Since Toro lawn mower manufacturer offers reliable performance machines, they are yet not the most affordable mower for homeowners. Simplicity mower parts give customers the ability to repair their lawnmowers at affordable prices. Simplicity is a truly mower and parts manufacturer focused to provided top quality for those who are confident enough to perform their own mower parts replacements. Simplicity mowers are specifically designed to make repairs quickly and easily, performance might not be so good, but enough for a small yard. However, there are also commercial simplicity mowers such as three-wheel riding mowers as well as zero-turn riding lawn mowers.

Plants: Photosynthesis

Plants: Photosynthesis

Grass & Lawn Maintenance : How To Plant Fescue Grass Seed In Late Winter

Fescue grass seed can be planted in late winter in a warmer climate, as grass will not generate sprouts during very cold winters below 50 degrees. Plant grass seed in the spring or fall with lawn c…

Organic Fertilizing : When To Add Organic Fertilizer

While most of us add fertilizer in the spring, it can be different for the indoor gardener. Learn how to identify that your plants need fertilizer in this free gardening video about how to use orga…

How To Attach A Spindle On A Weedeater Engine

Many people have been asking me how I attached the spindle on my chainsaw powered bicycle. Well, I used pretty much the same method to attach it as I did on this weedeater engine. However, this is …

All About Lawn Mower

Do you like to have a beautiful lawn in your house? Clean, green and well mowed lawn is not just everybody’s dream but also is pretty much pleasing. You can engage a lawn mowing service for a fee but how about doing it yourself over the weekend? You need to know what type of lawn mower suffices your need and how much you should spend on it etc before you bought one for your home. This is a popular interpretation of many people when it comes to deciding a proper lawnmower for your lawn.



Before you part with your cash and buy yourself a new lawnmower there are a few things you need to consider in order make an informed decision. There are so many choices available to you that it can become really confusing to know what to go for with any degree of confidence. The many different options include choosing the way the mower is powered, whether it is pushed from behind, ridden or automatic, corded or cordless and the list goes on. With a few pointers, though, you should be able to select the mower that is right for you.



Now a days there are different types of lawnmowers in the market but if you use a gas powered one then you should always make sure that it is using a fresh supply of gas. This is a critical thing to consider because it helps with the performance of the engine. As well as this, you should also make sure that you check the oil in the engine at the same time. When it comes to draining the oil, you need to replace it with clean oil after about 50 hours of using the lawnmower.



Before you chose a lawn mower, decide whether you want to buy electric or gasoline driven mower. Each type has its own ups and downs. In general you may follow the points as given below.



1. You must base your decision on the area to mow. Larger the area bigger is the mower you may want to purchase.



2. If your lawn is small you can go for an electric lawn mower.



3. If it is for large gardens or golf courses go for ride-on models powered by diesel or gas engines with controls on both the hands.



4. For sloped small lawns a Hover model suits best. They are light and easy, you need to carry them to lawn and start. They come in both diesel and electric versions.



5. If you are interested in saving money, a walk-behind lawn mower or reel mower is an excellent choice.



There are different types of models of lawnmower available in the market. Before buying any lawnmower for your lawn it is highly recommended to you that you must do a deep research or you may consult to any expert. All the mowers come in various blade lengths and it is important to buy a mower suitable for the size of your lawn. If your lawn is larger than say a tennis court you may want to consider a ride-on lawn tractor. Not only this, some of the commercial models has more than one blade and the areas on which they operate overlap so ensure complete mowing. The blades are 18 inches long; (maximum) and three blades may be employed to cut a pass width of 42 to 50 inches.



Different types of lawnmower are:



1) Rotary Lawnmowers:



Rotary lawnmowers are powered either by electric or gasoline. The rotary mower is a mowing deck, steel or aluminum that houses a single rotating blade. Above the deck the motor or engine is located and the whole deck is supported at the front by wheels and at the rear by wheels or a roller. The cut height is adjusted by raising or lowering the mowing deck, as it is connected to the wheels/roller, by way of an adjustment level.



2) Electric or Gasoline Hover Mowers:



These operate by using a single long blade, rather like the rotary mower, but it is designed so that the rotation of the blade creates a down draft that lifts the mower off the ground. The floating action of the hover mower means that the mower can be moved side to side as well as backwards and forwards so this makes it easy to cut irregular lawns with trees and so on. Also, they allow for easy cutting of grass banks.



3) Cylinder Mowers:



Cylinder mowers can be either electric or gas powered. Gas-powered mowers come with their own set of issues: you may be able to ride the mower to a nearby gas station for refills but if this is not an option you will have to fill it manually using cans which can be messy. They usually have a rear roller and combined with the precision cut of cylinder blades that create the much desired striped lawn effect. A cylinder mower is typically a more expensive type of mower than a comparable rotary lawnmower.

Steve Buchanan writes article on many topics including Craftsman lawn mower, Honda lawn mower, and Simplicity snow blower.

Leaf Blower Hockey

The Hour’s Hilary Doyle finds out if Leaf Blower Hockey is a Good Idea.

Riding Lawn Mowers Basics

Riding lawn mowers become a necessity for many homeowners for a variety of reasons. For example, maybe you have moved and your lawn is just too big for a push lawn mower or health reasons have made a riding lawn mower an absolute must have. Whatever reasons you have for needing a new riding lawn mower, you should be aware of few things you need to know when it is time to buy.

First, you should have a good idea of your yard size. This will help you determine the engine size and cutting width you need in your riding lawn mower. As a general rule of thumb, if you have a lawn that is a half to one acre in size, you should get an engine with a minimum of 14 ½ horsepower and with a cutting width maximum of 42 inches. If you have a lawn the size of one to two acres, you will generally need a cutting width of 42 to 46 inches and your engine will need to be between 14 and 16 horsepower. A lawn of more than three acres and you will need what is called a garden tractor. This will need a cutting width of 46 to 54 inches and the engine will have to be 18 to 24 horsepower.

Your next decision will be whether you should buy a riding lawn mower or a garden tractor. Both do the same basic function of mowing your lawn. However, the garden tractor can be used to pull a variety of yard attachments. For example, you could pull a tiller, disc harrow, a plow. You can even use a snow plow or snow blower with it. The garden tractor is perfect for those big mowing jobs as well.

Once you have taken care of the bigger decisions, the easier ones are next to come. You need to choose whether you want an automatic riding lawn mower or a gear driven one. Your choice should be based on the amount of obstacles you have in your lawn. A gear driven lawn mower would be good for lawns with little obstacles, while an automatic is perfect for those with many.

You can then choose mulching, bagging, cylinder types and any attachments you want with your riding lawn mower.

It is also important that you follow safety precautions when using any riding lawn mower. Make sure all potentially hazardous debris and other items are clear out of the yard. This includes pine cones, rocks, and other debris. Also, avoid allowing children to ride on or operate the riding lawn mower. Children can easily fall off the lawn mower often resulting in injurious or fatal accidents occurring. You should also avoid running the lawn mower next to anyone and make sure children are not playing in the area you are mowing.

By choosing the right riding lawn mower and following the proper safety precautions, you will be able to enjoy your riding lawn mower for years to come.

Daniel Roshard is a designer that has been enchanted by outdoors and garden design, he is currently writing Lawn Mower articles for ZupaTips.com
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