By
eHow Home & Garden Editor
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Things You’ll Need:
- Gas-powered Mowers
- Replacement Blades
Step1
Use a self-propelled mower if your lawn is steep or falls into the half-acre range. Note that the least expensive mowers have one drive speed, which may be too fast for very thick lawns.
Step2
Decide whether you want a bagging, side-discharge or mulching mower. Bags can be on the side or at the rear. Side-discharge means just as it says: The grass clippings are shot out the side and onto the lawn. Mulching mowers chop the grass clippings up and force them back into the lawn; this is a natural fertilizer and eliminates dealing with a bag of clippings.
Step3
Look at grass-catcher bag capacity and how easy it is to remove and put on the bag. Remember that a full bag of clippings can be pretty heavy. Also find out how easy the bag is to empty.
Step4
Consider that rear-bagging mowers cost more, but they take up less storage room and leave your lawn the cleanest.
Step5
Consider these other features: electric start versus rope pull, operating controls, cutting-height adjustment (single control or wheel by wheel), blade disengagement, width of the cutting swath, choice of drive speeds, engine-kill safety system and length of warranty.
Step6
Stick to an overhead-valve (OHV) engine, which is cleaner-burning.
