Homeowners Guide to Buying a Lawnmower
Whether you’re a first time homeowner, never had to buy a lawnmower before or are looking to upgrade, all the different features that are offered in a lawnmower can be overwhelming. We’ve broken it down to help you with your purchase:
Walking or ride-on? Size matters. If you live in a residential area with less than a quarter acre lot, you’re probably fine with a walking mower. However, if your lot starts to exceed the half acre mark and you want to preserve your time and the wear and tear on your equipment, you should consider a ride-on mower.
Pick your power. Battery or gas? Battery mowers are your green-friendly option. They are ideal for someone with a smaller lawn that doesn’t want to be bothered with pulling cords or mixing fuel. Gas mowers offer more power and won’t burn out as quickly when mowing a large lawn, making them ideal for someone with more square footage.
Let’s talk engines. There are a variety of different engine makes, but it really comes down to the power behind the engines. The higher the cc (cubic centimeters), the more powerful it is. The more property you have to cut, the more work you’re giving the engine and the more powerful you want it to be.
Push, RWD, FWD, AWD … what’s the difference? Push mowers don’t have assisted driving, all the power that is put into moving the mower forward comes from you.
Front-Wheel-Drive mowers use the front wheels to help move the mower forward and are great for flat yards.
Rear-Wheel-Drive uses the rear wheels to help move the mower forward and is great for lawns with hills (as well as flat lawns). Imagine you’re pushing your lawn mower uphill. It’s likely that you’re applying additional pressure to the rear wheels and slightly lifting the front wheels. If you’re using a rear-wheel-drive mower up a hill then your wheels are still engaged and are helping you push up the hill.
All-Wheel-Drive is basically the Jeep of lawnmowers. They are great for uneven terrain, hilly properties, or yards that have ditches to be mowed.
What do you want to do with the grass clippings? You have three options with your grass clippings; you can bag them if you don’t want grass clippings all over your lawn after you’re done cutting. You can mulch them so they chop up really fine and shoot back into the ground to offer your lawn additional nutrients, or you can shoot them out the side of the mower. At Kooy Brothers, all our Toro mowers are 3-in-1 and offer all 3 features. Some Toro models even have a “Bag On Demand” feature; they have a blue switch allowing you to flip from bagging to mulching in seconds without having to remove the bag. This feature is convenient and saves you time!
Storage? Sometimes storage (or lack thereof) is a big deal. If you have a small shed or garage and don’t have space to store a lawnmower you can purchase a Toro lawnmower with a SmartStow feature. These lawnmowers are the first of their kind and can fold to save up to 70% more storage space.
Don’t want to cut your grass? Some people may not despise cutting their lawn but they just don’t have the time. Maybe you’re away traveling for work or pleasure and would still like the lawn to look nice when you’re gone. The STIHL iMow is a great alternative to cutting the lawn yourself. This worry-free robotic lawnmower can be programmed to cut your grass while you sit back and relax...or while you’re away from home or even sleeping! It works much like the programmed vacuums in your home. Learn more.
Warranty? Warranty is an important thing to consider at the time of purchase and a huge reason it’s beneficial to purchase new rather than used. At Kooy Brothers we warranty our equipment. Our Product Specialists take care of all your warranty paperwork at the time of purchase so there’s no stress to you.
So often people don’t think about the after sales service. Where will you get your mower tuned up each season? Where will you find parts in case you require any in the future? At Kooy Brothers we service everything we sell and we offer a wide range of spare parts. So if you have any issues with your equipment, you can bring it back in and we will help get it working properly once again.
Still have questions? Feel free to come in and speak to our Product Specialists. They can help pair you with the lawn mower that best suits your needs.