Cut above the rest
Warmer temperatures and frequent rains are quickly turning lawns lush and green again after winter and with the arrival of spring, many people are opening their garages to find their old machinery just isn't cutting it anymore.
Lucky for them, there are lawn and garden care stores to help them pick out the right lawn mower for their yard.
Kevin Nulton, a sales representative with Smardt Equipment in Prospect, said April is the busiest time of the year at the store.
“Sales definitely pick up this time of year,” he said. “Everyone gets their old, dilapidated mower out of the garage and realize it won't make it another season.”
Some of the people looking for new lawn equipment haven't bought a new lawn mower in a decade.
Mower technology has changed a great deal in the past couple years, Nulton said, and the choices could be overwhelming for the casual lawn cutter.
One of the best and newest products is the zero-turn mower, which cuts both grass and the time it takes to mow a lawn.
Even compared to mowers with similar deck sizes and horsepower, Nulton said these zero-turn machines do a better job because of maneuverability and the ability to adapt to all sorts of landscapes.
“We all have better things to do than cut the grass,” he said. “It's all a matter of what gets the job done quicker. The zero-turn mowers save a lot of time and can cut a lawn much quicker.”
Nulton said there's not a wide gap between the number of customers who buy riding mowers compared to those who buy walk behind mowers.
The type of mower a homeowner buys often reflect where that person lives.
People in communities such as Cranberry Township, which has more condensed homes with smaller lawns, typically buy push mowers, while rural customers are more apt to buying larger riding mowers.Bill Harper, who owns Harper's Outdoor Power in Zelienople, said he's seen an uptake in customers looking for push mowers as a way to get exercise.“It used to be that a person with an acre or more would get a riding mower,” Harper said. “A lot of people today want exercise though and are going with the push mower.”In terms of yard maintenance, Harper cautioned that homeowners should only cut their grass to a length of about three inches. Anything less than that, he said, could damage the grass.While Harper said one of his most popular brands of mowers is Toro, Tractor Supply in Cranberry has been busy selling Cub Cadet and Husky mowers.A worker at the store said that a mower's deck size should correlate with the size of a person's lawn.For instance, any property that is less than one acre should use around a 42-inch deck, while a property that is one to two acres should used a 46-inch deck.Any lawn above three acres should be cut with a 60-inch deck.Mower technology is also evolving every year.In addition to many new features for push and riding mowers, many are now equipped with either front or back wheel drive.Front wheel drive provides for easier maneuvering around trees and gardens and is better suited for flat terrain. Rear wheel drive is more suited for rugged terrain where a heavy duty mower is needed.
