Beginners Gardening

Lawnmowers are machines that are meant to last. Even the
cheapest brands can last up to 10 years while more
expensive ones can last twice as much.

However, owners need to maintain them well in order to keep
the mowers running smoothly for a long time. Below are some
tips on how you can take care of and maintain your mower.

1. Keep your blades sharp

- sharp blades in lawnmowers are a gardeners delight. Not
only do they cut the grass cleanly, they also keep the
grass healthy because of the clean cut. Blades typically
become dull after a month or two of regular use. They
should therefore be taken out of the mower (making sure
that it is turned off before doing anything) and filed to
make them sharp again.

2. Replace or clean your air filter

- motorized mowers are usually equipped with air filters.
In time, they get clogged and so they should be replaced or
cleaned depending on the material they are made of. In
general, paper filters are meant to be thrown away while
those made of foam should simply be cleaned.

3. Keep the tires well-inflated

- well-inflated tires keep mowers running evenly,
especially in the case of the ride-on variety. The tire
pressure should therefore be checked everytime before
operating the mower.

4. Use the right kind of oil

- oil is needed by motorized mowers to keep the engine
lubricated. The right kind of motor oil should always be
bought to avoid destroying the engine.

Tired of the usual and boring task of mowing loans? Well
theres an exciting alternative to that and its called
lawnmower racing.

Lawnmower racing is basically just racing around a track
using ride-on mowers. These mowers are the same as stock
mowers expect for the blades which are removed when racing
for safety purposes.

This type of racing has been around for quite some time
already. It was invented in West Sussex, England, UK in
1973 by a number of young men who complained of the high
costs involved in getting into motorsports.

So they formed the British Lawnmower Racing Association as
an answer to their problem. The association designed their
rules to be as cheap as possible, which is true to their
aim of having a cost-effective form of motorsport.

Then theres the North West Lawn Mower Racing Association
which was created soon after its proponent was formed.

This sports popularity has since spread across the globe
beginning with the United States to which the
petrol-stabilizer maker Sta-bil brought in 1992.

It has become widely-accepted in the country and
organizations such as the US Lawnmower Racing Association
were formed there.

Aside from removing the blades, there are also some
modifications made to the lawnmower to improve its
performance. An example of which is changing the pulleys of
the lawnmower to make it go faster.

Also, mechanical transmission is preferred by lawnmower
racing enthusiasts over hydrostatic ones because the former
improves the mowers speed much better than the latter.

If youre looking out to buy a lawnmower to take care of
your lawn or would simply want to buy one to replace your
old workhorse, there are several things that you have to
consider.

We have listed them down below for your quick reference.

1. Consider the size of your lawn

- this is one thing you have to keep in mind when buying a
mower. The size of your lawn will pretty much decide what
kind of mower youll get for yourself.

And while there are honest salesmen out there, knowing what
your specific needs are keep you from getting scammed by
unscrupulous ones.

2. Human power, electricity or fuel?

- it is also important to be familiar with the different
types of lawnmowers according to their power needs.
Human-powered ones are earth-friendly (they produce no
emissions) but they are more labor-intensive.

Meanwhile, electric-powered ones also dont produce any
harmful emissions but may be more expensive. Finally,
fuel-powered mowers are more common although they produce
emissions that would otherwise be harmful to humans and the
environment.

3. Money matters

- whether you like it or not, your budget will always be a
deciding factor when buying a lawnmower, or anything for
that matter. So keep in mind how much you will be willing
to spend before even hitting the store.

This prevents you from overspending because of impulse
buying. But then again, no matter how much money you have,
you are always sure to get the value out of your lawnmower.
With a typical lifespan of over a decade, a mower is always
a good investment.