Goats
A lot of people ask me what type of lawn mower to get for their lawns. I tell them if they want a mower for all around work that never fails to start, never uses a drop of fuel or oil. These same people cut me off and say I'm talking about an electric mower. I simply smile and tell them no, I was referring to a goat. Goats will keep your lawns looking their best at all times. Besides where else can you get a lawn mower that fertilizes your lawn at the same time.


Cylinder Mowers
All kidding aside there are different types of mowers for different types of grasses. The one I grew up with was called a cylnder mower. It had no motor, and the faster you pushed it the faster it would cut. It ususally had six to eight blades that cut blades by trapping the grass between the blades and the steel foot. The blades are curved so that on a portion of each blade was touching the foot at one time. As the blades ran across the foot the foot would act as a hone and sharpen the blades as you cut. The foot had to be carefully repositioned to keep the blades sharp. Then they were modernized and had bag attachments on the rear that you could catch the grass clippings.

To set the height of the grass cut, you would adjust the height of the wheels. This was done with screws on the axel of the mower.

If you really want your grass to look nice then this is the lawn mower that will get it done as long as the blades are sharp. Besides it will keep you in shape as well. As far as I am concerned this mower will leave your yard the best looking yard on the block.

Rotary Mowers
Next comes along the rotary mower, this mower greatly reduced the amount of labor of cutting the grass. Most of the time you just had to push the mower to get it to cut the grass. The motor would do the rest. But with this mower you have to check the oil just about everytime you filled it with fuel. They usually last about 5 years if you take care of them and keep them out of the weather when not in use.
    
You can extend the life of these mowers by changing the oil every year. This is fairly simple to do by pulling the plug at the bottom of the crankcase and letting the oil drain into a pan. If you do change the oil be sure to check the old oil for steel shavings in it. You can do this with a magnet. Just run the magnet through the oil and it will collect any shavings that is suspended in the oil. Be sure to run the magnet on the bottom of the pan for the heavier shavings. When you start getting a lot of shavings in your oil, you might want to consider investing in another mower.

Also to keep your mower running longer is to keep the blade sharp. You can tilt the mower on its side, but I don't recommend this method. Because it causes oil to run into the top of the motor. This will cause increased smoking and probably ruin the plug. Ususally the bolt head holding the blade in place. They can be 5/8" to 3/4" in diameter. Loosen and remove the bolt and take the blade off.

When inspecting the blade you will notice that only approximately 6"  to 8" inches of the blade has an edge. You will want to use a file or electric grinder to refinish this edge again. This will reduce the amount of work that the motor has to do. (ONE IMPORTANT RULE) When inspecting the blade make sure the blade is the same length from the center hole. This keeps the blade balanced and from wobbeling and wearing out the bearings in the motor.

There are two different types of blades that you can choose from. One is a cutting blade and the other is a mulching blade. The cutting blade is used for just cutting the grass and then raking the clippings up with a rake. The mulching blade will cut the grass much finer and you can leave these in the lawn where it will eventually breakdown and return nutrients into the lawn.

Be sure to drain out any gas remaining in the tank when putting the mower away for the winter. This gas if left in the tank and carburetor will turn to a gummy state. This will plug up the jets in the carburator. This will make the mower hard if not impossible to start the next spring.

Riding Mowers

NEVER OPERATE THIS MACHINERY WITHOUT FIRST READING AND UNDERSTANDING THE SAFETY AND OPERATION MANUALS.

These mowers are very easy to operate when operated in the correct way. But they can also be very dangeous to operate when safety rules are not followed.

All riding mowers have safety functions built into them to keep them from being operated in unsafe manner. Never bypass these safety measures in order to run these machines.

When performing maintenance on the mowers, be sure to remove the key from the ignition, and remove the power cable from the battery. This will ensure that someone doesn't accidently start the engine while it is being worked on.

Before you start cutting grass, be sure to clean off the mowing deck of the grass and dirt that has accumulated both on the top and underside of the mower deck. When performing this procedure sometimes it is easier to remove the deck from the mower. Usually this is easily accomplished by removing the leveling bolts at the rear of the deck and the front is usually just hinged. Then you can pull the belt off of the towers. Then turn the deck over and clean all the old grass from underneath the deck. Usually I just wait until my blades need to be sharpened and while I have them off then I take a putty knife and clean the underside of the deck. Then I put the blades back on and I am ready to go.

Most newer mowers are equipped with lights on the front, but I discourage the use of them at night. This can be very dangerous because you are not able to see as well. But it is wise to keep them working, so that other people can see you in the evening hours. Be sure to wipe the dust and dirt off the plastic lenses.

Be sure to check the belts on the mower regularly. These belts should be replaced when they start cracking or slipping. To replace the belts on these mowers you usually just have to disengage the belt drive lever. This will introduce enough slack to slip the old belt off, and slip the new belt on. Be sure to keep all dirt and grass clippings off the top of the deck. This can get trapped in the mechinisms that engage and disengage the belt for the blades.

You need to keep the air pressure in the tires to optimim pressure. This will increase your fuel savings, decrease tire wear. Also it will help your mower to cut the grass evenly. Also you need to pull the wheels off of your mower before starting the mowing season. Clean the axels and regrease them each year. You need to patch any tires that are leaking. I usually buy that plugging liquid that comes in the bottle and put it in my tires then start mowing. I have a lot of goatheads in my yard these are stickers that have thick thorns on them. They will puncture a tire especially the ones on lawn mowers. So I go through about two bottles a year in my tires. It works great and I don't have to spend a bundle on patches.

Be sure to keep sharp blades on your mower. I keep two sets of blades for my mowers. I always have clean sharp blades for my mowers at arms reach all the time. So I can change them out when needed. This will cut down on the time I need to perform maintenance. I always clean my mower after each use so I don't have to do it before I start cutting. Besides if you do it this way, it doesn't leave dirt and grass clippings to set up and become part of the mower. It's just easier to clean it when you finish cutting the grass.

NEVER OPERATE THIS MOWER WITH ADULTS OR CHILDREN IN THE AREA. THIS MACHINE CAN CAUSE BODILY INJURY VERY EASILY.

When mowing never run over loose gravel or rocks. The blades can pick these objects up and cause body injury. Never backup when mowing unless first you look back and down first.

ALWAYS CHECK YOUR MOWER FOR ANY LOOSE PARTS BEFORE USING. THE MOWERS PRODUCE A LOT OF VIBRATION, WHICH CAN LOOSEN PART OVER TIME.

Electric Mowers

Electric mowers are a clean evironmentally safe way to cut your grass. It eliminates the need to keep gas and oil around for a gas mower.

Electric mowers are quiet and you don't have to breathe in fumes from the exhaust of gas mowers. Most of the time you have to go to the gas station and get fresh gas to run you gas mowers. You don't have to go to the auto store to get motor oil. You don't have to change plugs on an electric mower. You don't have to clean an air filter, or have the mower tuned up to run correctly.

Never perform maintenance on your electric mower while it is plugged in. If it has a safety key remove it as well. These mowers usually start very fast when plugged in and the key is in place. Besides other people might turn it on accidentally.

Be sure to clean the under part of the deck before using each time. Even if the grass is dry when cutting it. The grass will still have moisture in it and this will cause it to stick to the under part of the deck. When there is grass stuck on the underside of the deck this

will disrupt the air flow under the mower and the mower will not cut grass evenly. Also this grass tends to stick and then turn loose from the vibration of the mower. This will fall down into the blades and can be slung out from under the mower. This grass balls as I call them can strike people, pets, cars, houses, and anything else.

NEVER CUT WET GRASS: Wet grass has a tendacy to stick underneath the deck worse than dry grass. Also wet grass is dangerous in case of the electric cords being damaged accidently. Always remember that water and electricity is never a good combination.

Always use an electric cord that is rated to carry the current for that particular mower. Never use a smaller electric cord this will cause damage to the cord and mower. using a smaller cord will cause the motor to run less than its optimal speed. This will cause it to work harder and also cost more to mow your lawn. Never use a cord that has been damaged by the wires being cut. Even if you splice the wires back, the splice will cause it to overheat at the splice.

Never leave your electric mower out in the weather. Most of these mowers are not water proof even if they say they are. It is not good to leave any mower out in the weather for extended periods of time. The sun will cause the paint and plastic to warp and crack. If your electric mower has a battery. It is a good idea to put the battery on a charger if not used for extended periods of time. These chargers are usually trickle down chargers so they won't overcharge the battery.

Now to the blades on an electric mower. These like any other blades need to be sharp and balanced. A dull blade will make the mower work harder therefore it will shorten the life of the mower motor. An unbalanced blade will cause unnecessary vibration and will shorten the life of the mower. Depending on the size and how often you mow your lawn will dictate as how often you will need to sharpen and change the blade. Usually on an average size lawn sharpening the blade once a season will be enough. But if you have foreign objects in the lawn such as toys, bones, sprinkler heads, sticks, or you don't mow until the grass is over length then you will probably have to sharpen the blade more often. With electric mowers you should probably mow at least once a week. Depending on how fast your grass grows.

One thing with electric mowers they require less maintenance than a gas mower in some cases, but require more maintenance in other areas.

When using an electric mower, always keep the mower inside a climate controlled area. Extreme heat and cold can kill a battery. Extreme moisture can ruin a motor in no time. Sun can kill the paint on the deck of the mower which will lead to rust.