CHOOSING YOUR LAWNMOWER
Buying a walk behind lawnmower or ride on lawnmower can be tedious to some and exciting to others. Some people don’t have the time or desire to learn what kind of mower is right for them and their yard. Buying your mower in a store that specializes in mowers and tractors can save you time and money. How? Most people think that shopping in the big box stores will save them money. Model for model you can purchase the same exact mower from the servicing dealer at the exact same price as you find in the box stores. The servicing dealer will fuel it before you buy it to make sure it is in proper working order, put it in your car and most important, will service your mower when or if it breaks. Most servicing dealers only work on equipment sold at their store or have a separate work list for their customers who support their business. At most dealers you will not be able to find the lower range priced mowers simply for the fact that dealers want to send the mower out the door and not have it come back until it needs regular maintenance.
When you are buying a riding lawnmower, keep in mind you are buying a “riding lawnmower” do not confuse this with a tractor. A tractor has a different transmission that is able to do heavy work such as plowing or pulling large attachments easily without wear on the machine. Although some riding lawnmowers can and do plowing and pulling you should not expect long transmission life from the mower. Riding mowers can come equipped with a Tecumseh, Briggs & Stratton, Honda, Kohler or Kawasaki engines. You can get them hydrostatic (automatic) or gear driven. You can choose from stamped steel or a cast iron axle. These features are what sets the price of a riding mower ranging $750 to $2500 but remember the old adage “you get what you pay for”.
Walk behind mowers can come self-propelled or push. Most mowers have steel decks but higher end mowers have aluminum or very resilient plastic. The lower end mowers come with less expensive engines to keep the price down. Even though it has a familiar name, that brand can make different quality motors. Remember that the next time your arm is aching from trying to start your lawnmower! This is where it comes in handy to go to a place that knows their lawnmowers and can listen to your need and the price you want to spend.