The Many methods of mowing
(Page 3 of 5)
Most mowers of this type have four- to six-horsepower
engines. Avoid any that are underpowered, as they can stall
in high grass and won't make as clean a swath. Look for
engines with clean-burning, overhead valves, rather than
side-valve engines. Make sure the mowing platform can be
adjusted up to 4 inches off the ground. Weeds are
suppressed and lawns are healthier when the grass is
longer. Short-cropped grass exposes roots, and low mowers
can hit rocks or scalp the soil over rough spots.
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Self-Propelled, Gas-Powered
Lawn Mowers: $200 to $800
Self-propelled, gas-engine mowers reduce some of the
physical work of mowing but cost somewhat more than push
versions. If you decide to buy a self-propelled model, be
aware of several factors that can affect their performance.
First, if you are planning to leave your clippings on the
lawn, look for a mulching deck. This is simply a series of
baffles and blades fixed to the underside of the housing
that covers the rotating blade. When grass is cut, the
baffles recirculate the grass clippings until they are
reduced to fine mulch, which disappears quickly.
Many self-propelled mowers have safety features, such as a
blade-brake-clutch. For the blade to operate, you have to
hold a lever down as part of the handle. When you pause the
unit or release the clutch lever, the blade stops
automatically.
Some mowers offer a drive system that adjusts to your
walking pace.
Electric Mower
Enthusiasm
Denise Rubens of Rocky Ridge, Maryland, takes the issue of
Earth-friendly mowing seriously - so seriously she uses two
cordless battery-powered electric mowers to manage the
needs of her 2-acre yard. Her large mowing area has steep
hills with thicker grass in the spring, and this terrain
pushes the limits of these mowers. However, she was
determined to do the job without storing gasoline or
creating harmful emissions.
Her first mower was the Black & Decker Cordless
Mulching Mower, Model CMM625. Purchased four years ago,
this mower offers a 3.5 horsepower engine, an 18-inch
blade, and 12-volt lead/acid battery, which charges fully
in 24 hours. On a single charge, the mower can cut up to
10,000 square feet, depending on the condition of the
grass. However, Rubens had to stretch her mowing over
several days in order to allow for recharging time. Despite
this inconvenience, she continued to mow in this manner
until she could upgrade. "When the mower gets tired, so do
I," she says. (Cordless electric mowers generally are not
self-propelled. )
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