By Bruce Dinger

Be Aware of Those Around You

*  Leaf blowers are noisy so be considerate and do your business and move on.

*  Don’t point the blower at people or animals when using it. It can whip up fine dust or other dangerous bits of trash that can easily hit someone and/or get it their eyes.

*  It is not a good idea to leave a leaf blower lying around so young children can play with them. This could lead to one of many dangerous situations.

Dress Appropriately

*  The most important thing to wear (when using a leaf blower) are goggles and ear plugs (or ear muffs). If it is dry outside, it is also a good idea to wear a dust mask. Protecting your health and well being is of utmost importance.

*  Wearing long pants and long sleeves protects your skin.

*  Wearing snug-fitting clothes allows you to move freely and not get anything caught in the moving parts of your blower

Use the Leaf Blower Correctly

*  Know how to operate your equipment correctly, i.e., starting, stopping, and running it. Know how to stop it immediately in case of an emergency.

*  Leafblowers should not be used in-doors, nor should they be used while standing on a ladder or other similar object.

*  Do not use the blower to spread or mist chemicals, fertilizers or other toxic substances.

*  Do not alter the blower or remove any safety features such as grounding pins or blade guards.

*  Never use a plug-in electric blower while standing on any wet surface.

Maintenance, Repair and Storage:

*  Turn off the engine and let it cool down before adding more gas. When adding gas, loosen the gas cap slowly to relieve pressure, add the gas and then fully tighten the gas cap when complete.

*  Make sure you are adding the proper gas/fuel mixture.

*  Before working on the blower, stop the engine and disconnect the spark plug wire.

*  Before storing your leaf blower, allow the engine to cool completely.

*  Thoroughly clean out any leafs or debris before storing for the season.

Factors to Consider When Buying a New Riding Lawn Mower

If you are in the market for a new riding lawn mower, there are several factors to consider. Your mower should suit its job; it should be the right height, weight, width, etc. Consider, for example, the deck. For most jobs in the typical suburban yard a deck 30-40 inches should be sufficient. If you have a large expanse of yard with few obstacles, you may want to consider a deck that is slightly larger.

Another factor to consider when buying a new riding mower is the motor. If you intend on cutting high grass or broom sage, you may want to opt for a higher horsepower model. If you do not need much power, you should go with the standard. The position of the motor in the riding mower is also important. If the motor is in front, typically, it will give you more power. If the motor is in the back, you will have better visibility.

“If you are into Riding Lawn Mowers than you will need to improve you mower constantly, there are new mower parts that go out on the market solely for that purpose.”

Riding lawn mowers also come with different speed controls. Some mowers come with a clutch, a clutch brake combination, a standard gearshift, or an automatic transmission. Prices will vary depending on the make and model, but expect to pay a little more for the automatic riding lawn mowers.

You should also consider adding a few options to your new riding mower. Some mowers can be equipped with automatic mulchers, which chew up the grass clipping and deposit them in a storage bag, which you can later dispose of or broadcast back into your yard, returning important nutrients to your lawn. A warranty may also prove to be a good idea, especially if you are buying an off-brand riding mower. Compare the warranty to others on similar models to make sure you are not getting the run-around.

The first you should know when getting a battery is the specific model that fits your lawn mower. There are different batteries which fits different lawn mowers. You should be able to identify this. Remember that it is very important that you put in the right battery or it might explode or leak right away. The leak from batteries is very dangerous and can be hazardous to the health. Lawn mower owners must understand how the parts work because the batteries can also emit hydrogen than can damage other parts also. Maintenance is a must for the batteries for a lawn mower so that you will get great performance out of it. If you try to start the lawn mower, and is already slow in starting then that is the first symptoms of a weakening battery so check it out right away.  You have to learn to see discoloration or bad string or wire connections all the time. By reading your manual you will be able to find the right battery model for your lawn mower.

These are just a few examples of batteries for lawn mowers. There is the care of lead acid batteries. This battery needs a lot of maintenance. The acid in the battery is hydrochloric acid. This should not spill on anyone and if does clean with running water. Make sure the water you put in the battery is distilled water. The battery works with electrolytes also and do not top up to the brim because it can cause the acid to spill. The next type of battery is the care of ni-cad batteries. This battery only needs to be checked once it is completely drained. When it the battery is drained then that is the only time you should recharge to make the battery life last longer. You should make sure though that this is disposed the right way and not burned because it can explode.

Getting the right lawn mower battery is the key for optimum performance. If you are still unsure let your dealer check your lawn mower so you can get the right one. Always be safe and follow the maintenance tips and you will be fine. Batteries are an essential part of lawn mowers so you have to learn to care for it well so that you also protect yourself for possible hazards it can bring.

By Kelly Hunter

Growing grass is not as easy as some people make it out to be. There is a lot of careful planing that has to go into having the best yard on the block. Either way you look at it, however, grass care is hard work. That is why it’s always nice to have a few tips that can really help your lawn look as beautiful as it should. Today we are going to cover a few basic grass care tips that you should keep in mind. Not only that, but we may also cover a few grass care tips that you did not know. Sometimes just watering and cutting your grass is not enough. Sometimes you need to take everything a bit further. Only then will you have the lush green grass that you want!

First of all, you have to know that it is important to water your lawn. However, one of the best grass care tips that you can have is to never water your grass too much! Whenever you water your grass, you should water it for longer time spans, but water your grass as a whole less often. Whenever you water your grass every other day, you are supporting short root growth. This makes it easier for your grass to dry up and die. Whenever you water once a week for longer time spans, then you are supporting deep root growth. This will keep your grass healthier, and it will not dry up as fast. Remember as well that the best time to water your grass is during the morning. Watering during the hottest parts of the day can actually burn your grass. When you water at evening, your grass does not have enough time to dry off before the night and you can actually end up with a few different kinds of lawn diseases.

Some other grass care tips that you are going to need to know about involve mowing your grass. The first thing that you have to note is that you should never cut your grass too short. This is called scalping the grass, and it damages the yard itself. Not only that, but make sure that the blades on your lawn mower are very sharp. When they are dull, this shreds the grass instead of cutting it. Pretty much, this is going to lead to the discoloration of your grass. If you want to help it keep that deep green color, then you are going to want to make sure you have some sharp blades. At all costs, you have to avoid cutting wet grass. This is what causes brown spots to form on your lawn. It is best to let your grass grow out of control than it is to cut it when it’s wet.

As you can see, a lot of these grass care tips just involve knowing when to do things. There are certain times that are best to cut your grass and to water your grass. If you are able to do everything at the right time, then you are going to notice almost instant improvement regarding the look of your lawn.

Call us for more info 509-453-2274

Go Cordless, Get Green! Introducing the NEW e-Cycler battery powered mower. No more gas, oil and virtually no maintenance. Just power-up, un-plug and mow.

• No Gas, No Oil, No Emissions
• Lightweight – Only 77 lbs
• 36 Volt System
• 432 Watt-Hours of Power
• 20″ Steel Mulching Deck
• 2 Year Full Warranty*

We will upload a video and more information on this product as it comes available. But by reading the information on it so far; it’s a very nice machine and a great price.

No Maintenance

No more refueling messes. No more harmful emissions while cutting your lawn.*

*Compared to a gas powered walk behind mower.

36 Volt System

The 36 volt cordless system is powerful and emission-free. Cuts 7,000-10,000 sq. ft. on a single charge. Battery charges to 70% in 3 hours, 100% overnight.

20” Steel Mulching Deck

The 4″, deep-domed deck design is specially designed for superior mulching performance.

Lightweight Design

Weighs only 77 lbs – lighter than most other battery/cordless mowers.

Easy to Operate Controls

Simple two-step operator controls – integrated one-handed control assembly with two-step action. Safe and easy to use.

2 Year Performance Warranty

If anything goes wrong, under normal use and maintenance, Toro will fix it free!*  (Includes the battery)

So, think ahead of time and beat that rush. Because the longer you wait, the longer your lawn will get or someone else may cut your tree down.  So contact us today.