Many people have turned to lawn-mowing services to cut that needy greensward outside the door. Residential mowing is now a big part of a $58 billion garden service industry, according to a recent survey. But don’t assign mow-it-yourself machines to the museum just yet.
Consumers buy nearly 6.5 million walk-behind mowers and an additional 2 million riding mowers a year as manufacturers work to add features, simplify their use and even provide a few thrills. The fastest-growing segment is for a type of riding mower that steers by its transmission and swivels like commercial models. But its top speed is just 6 mph.
“They have a race car feel to them,” Kyle Henning, marketing manager for Lawn-Boy in Bloomington, Minn., said of the “zero-turn-radius” mowers.
Shipments grew 20 percent last year, and are expected to continue to grow exponentially in the next few years at the expense of the largest lawn tractors, whose sales dipped 19 percent in 2005.
This spring, retailers have rolled out more models and features than ever before. The market is driven by the need of consumers to replace worn-out equipment, but also by sheer numbers of new homes.
According to the Census Bureau, the number of households in the United States grew by more than 2 million between 2001 and 2003 alone.
Some in the lawn-care industry also wonder if people who use lawn services are going back to doing it themselves, either because they believe they can do a better job themselves or because of rising fees connected to fuel costs. “I suspect you’ll see more of that because lawn services are highly dependent on fuel, not just for mowing but to get where they’re going,” said Peter Sawchuk, who tests mowers for Consumer Reports magazine.
Consumers will find machines designed to be far easier to start and use than just a few years ago. In a highly competitive market, manufacturers have made ergonomics a priority, not just for creaky boomers but for women of all ages. “You’re seeing more doing yardwork, either single women or stay-at-home moms,” said Bill Boltz, Home Depot’s merchandising vice president for outdoor power equipment.
Manufacturers recommend that homeowners with half an acre or more of lawn should get a riding mower to save time. Riding mowers fall into two basic categories. The classic front-engine lawn tractor is still the most popular type, only more powerful and bigger than ever.
Tractors used to have a cutting swath of 36 inches. Today, mowing decks are routinely 42, 46 or 50 inches across, and engines exceed 20 brake horsepower.
Even with that cutting power, tractors need room and time to turn.
In yards with lots of plant beds and nooks, the rear-engine pivoting models – the zero-turn-radius mowers – swivel on a dime with levers that can send the drive wheels in opposite directions. Apart from providing the fun of driving a go-kart with mower blades, the machines can cut a lawn in half the time of traditional tractors, said Henning.
The zero-turn-radius models are not suited to hilly sites, where they can be tough to steer, may spin their wheels and even become unsafe, and they have one other drawback: They’re expensive. “You’re putting $1,000 more to get into this,” said Sawchuk.
Basic lawn tractors sell for approximately $800 at mass merchandisers, but top-of-the-line models such as the John Deere Model 190C, with a 25-horsepower engine and a 54-inch deck, retail for about $3,000.
Zero-turn-radius machines come in two price points: dear and dearer. Lawn-Boy, for example, has introduced five models this year, the cheapest – with a 38-inch cutting deck – costing $2,799. The priciest is a $3,799 model with a 44-inch deck and a Honda engine.
Walk-behind gas mowers are either self-propelled or push-powered.
Front-drive mowers are cheaper to manufacture but are less efficient, said Sawchuk – as the bag fills and the weight shifts, they lose traction.
High-end models have such features as electric start, four blades for converting grass clippings to fine mulch and a clutch that stops the blade but allows the engine to remain running when the operator lets go of the handle. Honda, Toro and Lawn-Boy are among makers with models that adjust their speed to the walking pace of the user.
Another new feature allows simultaneous mulching and bagging, useful if the mass of clippings is too great for either system alone.
Side bags, once a mainstay, have been replaced with rear baggers, which can hold a greater volume of clippings. Most models also have side discharge chutes that allow you to cut tall grass without clogging or stalling, a must for people who go out of town for a couple of weeks in a wet spring. If mowers don’t have this feature, “in our opinion they are best avoided,” said Sawchuk.
In the May issue of Consumer Reports, the editors evaluated walk-behind mowers. Among self-propelled models, it ranked No. 1 a $700 model from Honda’s top-of-the-line HRX series, which includes a mower that retails for $854. The magazine ranked second a mower from Honda’s newly introduced HRR series selling for $580. The third-ranked machine was by Toro, its model 20055 Super Recycler, which sells for $520. It gave another Toro model, number 20070 costing $400, its “best buy” rating. It ranked the best push mower as Lawn-Boy model 10683 ($320) and the best buy the Yard-Man 11A-439Q ($200).
Sawchuk said that for small lawns, a cheap push mower is going to do the job satisfactorily. But if you have a larger yard and are looking at a self-propelled mower, he said, go for the $400 model rather than the bottom-end $300 machine. “The mower will last a minimum of five to eight years, and a maximum of 10 years,” he said.
“You’re looking at an extra $10 or $20 a year and for that you’re getting a mower that is more comfortable, easier to use and gives a better cut.” Gasoline mowers are not without controversy. Regulators have forced manufacturers to produce cleaner-burning engines over the past decade and are set to impose higher standards in California for next year that may result in catalytic converters on mowers nationwide.
Prices for eco-friendly push reel mowers start at about $80, but the machines are challenged by long grass and big lawns. Electric mowers are not as popular in the Washington area as they are in California and in Europe, where lawns are smaller, but models are available and are popular for condo and townhouse dwellers with small yards and no external storage space for gasoline-powered equipment.
Black & Decker makes a number of corded models, including one with a flip-over handle that allows you to change direction without turning the machine and fussing with the cord. But their reach is only 100 feet. The company also makes a cordless mower that sells for an average of $449. The machine can be partially recharged after three hours and fully charged after 14 hours.
Optimally, it will cut a large lawn of 10,000 square feet per charge, but if the grass is long and wet, “it does impact it quite dramatically,” said Joseph Newland, a group product manager with Black & Decker. “We recommend it for home sites of up to one-third of an acre,” he said.
Electric machines are fine for small yards, but they tend not to have the power to bag clippings effectively, Sawchuk said.
Even the most expensive machines are only as good as their blades.
As any lawn devotee knows, blunted blades feather and rip the grass; sharp ones provide a clean, healthy cut. Sawchuk recommends you buy a second blade (or set of blades for lawn tractors) so that you can swap blunted ones for sharp ones once a month. Then get the old ones sharpened.
