Denny's Soapbox

When the Grass Starts to Grow will you be Ready to Mow?

What may seem like a long way off, lawn mowing will be necessary in as few as six and no more than eight weeks. Your lawn mower needs to be a very dependable tool. Remember the inevitable “When the grass starts to grow, you’ve got to mow.”

What shape is the mower in?

All power mowers should be serviced every year. This service would include having the oil changed, installing a new air filter, a new spark plug and having the mower blade or blades sharpened. For you do-it-yourselfers (DIY), if you have a mower with a Briggs and Stratton engine, Briggs makes service kits for all their engines. John Deere has similar kits for all their mowers. You can also buy your individual service parts at many of the lawn mower stores.

But listen up you DIY’s, please have your mower blades professionally sharpened. Professionals have all the right equipment to sharpen and balance the rotary blade. Putting an unbalanced sharpened blade back on your mower will cause considerable vibration when the mower is operating. This can be not only be dangerous but can be damaging to your lawn and mower.

But I’m not very Handy

For those of you who want the pros to do servicing, there are many lawn mower dealers who provide in-house servicing. Don’t wait any longer as the lines are beginning to form. Most tool rentals also offer mower service. Some even offer mower pick-up and delivery. There are also a few companies that will come to your home to do the service in their trailer right in your driveway. This is a great service, especially for those of you that have a large riding mower or tractor. Whichever pro you choose, don’t wait, do it now.

Buying a new Mower – a few tips

There are many places that sell power lawn mowers. Unfortunately, home centers and discount department stores probably sell the most new mowers, both riding and walk-behind types. You are now about to find out why this column is called “Denny’s Soapbox”

Price vs Service and Knowledge

Buying from a year round mower shop is a much wiser investment. You have the expertise of knowledgeable personnel that know the A to Z’s of their various equipment.

Bud Herbert Motors in Northside carries every mower model that John Deere makes, West Chester Lawn and Garden feature all the models of Toro, Lawn-boy, Skaggs, and more, all under one roof. There are other retail outlets that have mowers and outdoor power equipment. That’s all they sell.

Why is this important? All their knowledge and expertise is in lawn mowers and grass cutting. The experts at these stores will interview you and your lawn situation. At most outlets you can try out the various mowers on their real grass areas. Try doing that in a box store. Another great reason to shop and buy from lawn mower stores is this; they all have an in-house service department. They are all authorized to service various lawn mower brands. Any warranty work to be performed has to be done by these authorized dealers. Which lawn mower gets serviced the quickest when your mower needs help? The mower purchased from the authorized dealer or the same mower purchased at the ‘Box’. My bet would be on the mower purchased from the authorized mower dealer. One last point don’t be surprised, but the price at both types of retailers are about the same.

OK Denny – Step Down and Finish

Regardless of where you buy your new mower, manufacturers have really come up with some great bells and whistles. There are mulching mowers that cut the grass blades into very tiny pieces. Remember, you want to leave the clippings on the lawn, not in a bag. There are mowers that have speed and cruise control that automatically adjust to your walking pace. There are riders with a zero turn radius that turn on a dime. Toro even has mowers with a five year warranty that covers everything on the mower. If anything breaks, Toro fixes it for free.

So there’s my input on cutting your grass. Now go out there and get ready to mow.