Whatever the size of your lawn, a lawn mower (or a lawn mowing service) will be a key part of your maintenance.

Gardener’s World has tips for maintaining your mower and mowing your lawn effectively:

• Get your mower serviced at the beginning of the growing season
• Don’t over mow your lawn – aim for to reduce grass height by a third
• Mow every two weeks in the early spring and every week in the late spring and summer
• Mow on dry days
• Don’t mow grass until it’s grown to about 1.5 inches
• Trim your edges

The first thing to determine is what kind of lawn mower to get. According to Popular Mechanics, the first step to choosing your lawn mower is to decide between a riding lawn mower and a walk-behind lawn mower.

The main factor to help you decide is the size of your lawn. If you have more than ¼ acre, you’ll probably want a riding mower (unless you want to mow as part of your exercise regime!). Once you decide between the riding mower and walk-behind mower, it’s all about the features and functions. Some things to consider include front-wheel drive versus rear-wheel drive, whether or not your mower also mulches, and the size and type of the wheels.

No matter what kind of mower you end up getting, safety is key. Every mower has blades and many have motors, so there are a lot of considerations to take into account.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) urges safety when using a walk-behind mower. Make sure children are kept away from the mowing area. Keep safety guards and shields in working order. Check the lawn for any objects that could be thrown by the blades. It’s also important to be very careful on sloped lawns and to mow across the incline and not up and down.

For riding mowers and tractors, CPSC also offers these tips:

• Drive up and down slopes, not across (the opposite of a walk-behind mower!)
• Make slow, wide turns to reduce the chance of tipping over
• Always disengage the blade if your machine stops and you have to move it manually
• Keep children away from the mower and the mowing area
• Keep all safety devices and features operational at all times
• Clear the lawn of any objects (rocks, toys, wire etc.) which could be thrown by the blades of your mower
• Read your mower’s manual

Maintenance and repair of your machine is also key for both safety and performance.

There are a lot of elements of your mower to think about: the engine, the blades, the air filter, the fuel and oil, and more. Most of these things are possible to repair yourself, but many people will prefer to turn to a professional.

You can look for a specific lawn mower professional or a more general shop for small engine repair.

Best practices before you choose a lawn mower repair service include:

• Getting recommendations from friends and neighbors
• Asking the service for testimonials or reviews from previous customers
• Collecting estimates from three different shops before choosing one

 

For more information

Visit BBB's lawn and landscaping HQ for more tips and resources for your lawn care.