Sunday, November 23, 2008

Riding Lawn Mower Review - Is the New Husqvarna Rider R155 AWD the Right Lawn Mower For You?:

What factors are important to you when choosing a riding lawn mower? The best lawn mower for your lawn depends on a number of factors including the size of the lawn and the number of obstacles, such as fountains, benches, flower beds etc. If you have a large lawn with many obstacles and uneven grass, then a highly maneuverable riding mower will probably be the most suitable. A riding lawn mower that can cope with slopes, wet grass, and obstacles and also finely dices the cuttings to provide excellent lawn fertilizer is the new Husqvarna Rider R155 AWD and it may be just what you are looking for.


The Husqvarna Rider R155 AWD is one of the best lawn mowers for large uneven lawns. It is a well built mower that is designed to be extremely maneuverable, so it is ideal if your lawn has many obstacles like flower beds or trees. The new AWD (all wheel drive) is automatic and loss of traction will force it to engage on all four wheels. The Husqvarna Rider can easily cope with a lawn that is is sloped or when mowing in wet conditions.


The maneuverability is further enhanced by the unique articulated steering system which allows the rear pair of wheels to swing in underneath the machine. The result is superior maneuverability with a 4 inch turning radius at full lock.


The mower has 3 cutting blades and a front mounted cutting deck. Cutting heights can be set from 1-1/2 to 3-1/2 inches. The front mounted cutting deck gives excellent accessibility into corners and under benches and bushes. The use of 3 blades makes for very efficient cutting and mulching and the removable BioChip, when installed, causes the clippings to be chopped into mulch under the cutting deck before falling onto the lawn and quickly turning into fertiliser.


The Husqvarna Rider R155 AWD comes with a pressure lubricated Kohler OHV-engine and wheel weights with ball bearings ensure maximum grip while ensuring minimum stress on the transmission. The blades are engaged automatically when the cutting deck is lowered and all controls are easy to reach from the driver's seat. The seat itself is reasonably comfortable although some engine vibrations can be felt. the lack of a flat flat floor over the deck may make it harder to mount for less nimble gardeners.


Although the Husqvarna Rider R155 AWD is expensive (more than $US9000 for the basic model) it should provide years of excellent service. Slightly cheaper, without the AWD, is the Husqvarna Rider R155G2. A good choice of riding lawn mower that will have your lawn looking professionally finished in minimum time.


Advantages


* Very maneuverable


* Easy to operate


* Well designed and built for long life


* Excellent mulching ability


Disadvantages


* Expensive


* Awkward to mount


* Engine vibrations can be annoying if mowing for long periods


Conclusion


The Husqvarna Rider R155 AWD is a well built, very maneuverable mower that will make mowing a large, uneven lawn that has obstacles and slopes very easy. The mulching ability is a nice addition but the expensive price tag will put this mower out of the reach of many gardeners. It's sturdy construction and long life will make it a good mower to look out for in the future as a secondhand bargain.

How to Get the Best Lawn Mower For Your Needs?:

Everyone of us wants nothing but the best, the best clothes, the best makeup, the best boyfriend, the best wife, and of course the best lawn mowers. To rule out those that are substandard kinds and to obtain nothing but the best, there are various factors that you need to first mull over with. Keep in mind that not all mowers are equal and the first thing that you should consider is the durability and the effectuality of the mechanism that you have in hand. These things will be the main factors that will help you save your bacon from future repairs and replacements.


The first thing to decide with is whether or not you'll go with the commercial mower or the home mower. First of all, consider the size that you need. In case you belong to a landscaping company or if ever you own an extremely huge lawn, you may want to buy the commercial mower since they are specially made to mow quickly and regularly and compare with the other, they are high performing machines. On the other hand, if you only have a home lawn to maintain then the home mower is just the thing for you, this will help you out in maintaining your landscape the easier way and they come in small sizes which are indeed very handy to store at home. Bear in mind however that this type is not created in the durability standard employed on commercial mower although you really don't need to worry about its toughness given that you will only have to use it one time in every week.


There are however some people who would go for commercial mowers despite the fact that they would merely use them at home. In case you have an elaborate landscaping or if you own a substantial lawn, the commercial type will no doubt make your day given that they tend to be more maneuverable than the home mower. Be grateful for its "zero-turn technology'. Basically, zero turn mowers is the term used for zero turn radius which simply connote that the machine can move around in a dime. The ability of being able to shift direction without actually moving from one place to another, a zero turn mower is indeed one of the best lawn mowers there is in the industry. In addition, it does not just precisely follow the curves of your area but it can also reach out the places that most traditional mowers cant. This is the aspect that most professional landscape artist would like to get specially those that works on golf course thus you can expect to see them on these commercial establishments. This is the best specially among perfectionist.


In addition, you can decide about the engine of your mower. Almost too often, an engine is available on a stock model but if you only do your homework, you will see that there are a lot of choices when it comes to the engine style.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Robot Lawn Mowers for A perfect lawn without the hard work :


Technology has played indispensable role in bringing comfort to human beings and now it has come with one more addition to your home as well office life i.e. Automatic Lawn Mowers Manufactured by Zucchetti (Ambrogio), a world leader in robotics , built to provide optimum operation for lawn mowing without having to attend to it.

You can make the most of your time using these robot lawn mowers as these can be programmed to execute on weekly tasks and that too on their own. You can see them working while you sit back.

Automatic lawn mowers by Auto Lawn Mow are very quiet and virtually silent while working. Imagine your mower mowing your lawn automatically and quietly at night in cold winters without you attending it and without even hampering your sleep. Here are few more features and benefits offered by Auto Lawn Mowers

• No need to collect cut waste grass clippings
• Environmentally friendly ("green") - no petrol, oil or smoke emissions
• Many safety features - exclusive, patented
• Designed for use on over 90% of Irish lawns of any size
• Waterproof with onboard rain sensor to determine grass and weather conditions
• Child and pet friendly - Safety Features include stop lift sensor, identifies flower beds, trees, rocks and other lawn obstacles using its high tech onboard navigation sensors
• With our automatic lawn mower, valuable nutrients are returned to your lawn on every mowing cycle.
Auto Lawn Mow, Ireland gives Full two years warranty on all robot lawn mower models. All models are available for both the domestic and commercial end user.
Join the thousands of people who say their lawns have never looked so green and healthy! Get your robotic lawn mower today! Contact your local dealer here at http://www.autolawnmow.ie/index-nr.php
http://www.robotlawnmowers.ie
BallingValley, Oldcastle,
Co.Meath, Ireland
Call : 353-86-397-0917

Lawn Mower Blades As The Hard Working Part Of Lawnmowers:

This article explains the care of the lawnmower blades. The lawn mower blades have to be kept sharp by sharpening regularly. The article will give you tips how do it yourself safely and in most efficient way.


Details Of Lawnmower Blades


The lawnmower blades are made of tool steel or ordinary steel called mild steel or carbon steel. The edges of the blades made of tool steel remain sharp for longer time and will require lesser sharpening over the age of the blade. Tool steel blade is costly and generally cannot be sharpened at the DIY workshop. The mild steel or carbon steel is cheaper and easy to maintain. The blades have to be kept sharp. If this is not done, grass blades will be torn off instead of being cut. Apart from the obvious ugly look, the growth of grass blades is adversely affected as the moisture retention capacity of blade is reduced.


Sharpening Of Lawnmower Blades the DIY Way


You can sharpen the lawnmower blades your self quickly and easily. This operation can take a very short time. The procedure is very easy and you can do it yourself. The following procedure will apply irrespective of the type of lawnmower. Consult the operation manual of your lawnmower for removal of blades.


1. Be sure to disconnect all the power sources before begin with the process. In case that your lawn mower was a battery powered one, then remove the battery or batteries, depending on the model. Check twice that all the power controls are off to avoid an accidental engine start.


2. The second step will be finished as soon as you remove the blades totally from the mower. You might need external help to achieve it, using a couple of spanners may help a lot, however be sure that it doesn't slip. BE careful while doing this, because it's easy to cut yourself whether the spanner slips.


3. Once the blades are out of the mower, you need the number them in order to fit them back later.


4. Fix a blade in a stable holding or a vice to work easily.


5. The sharpen process begins here. You will need a grinder or file for it. Make sure to follow the blade's contour and sharpen it to your convenience. Sharpen all blades using the same sharpened to a perfect later cutting grass.


6. Time to refit the blades along. Make sure to do it along with balancing, if it exists any.


7. There is an option of sharpen blades without removing them from the mower, however it's uncomfortable as well as more difficult. You will also need a flexible shaft angle grinder to a perfect sharpened, which will save you time.


8. The last step is the blade balance checking. To carry the blades balancing you need a balancer. A clue to find whether or not the blades are correctly refitted, is checking if the mower vibrates, if so then blades are not well balanced.

Lawn Mower Sharpening and Repair - What You Need to Know:

Maintaining a thriving green garden needs proper care and the right equipment on hand. Having the right lawn mower for your landscape's glory that will cut the grass and not actually rip them up is a must have. If you wish to buy one, the primary thing that you need to consider is your landscape. Do you have a flat lawn or do you own the slope type? In case the work calls for cutting grasses on a slope then you could go with the one that contains high wheels so you won't find it hard to push it into the hill. On the other hand, if you wish to get rid of the messy job then the cordless or the electric munching lawn mower is the thing for you. After purchasing, review the maintenance schedule and ensure that you are aware of the guidelines when it comes to lawn mower sharpening and repair.


A good kind will allow your equipment to last for more than a year while at the same time giving your grass a better cut. When spring time comes, all of the parts must be properly cleaned and maintained. Even the spark plug should be replaced from time to time as to achieve good firing. Ensure the condition of every nuts and bolts and see to it the proper tightness is achieved. In addition, the underside deck calls for proper cleaning all throughout the season in order to get rid of unnecessary dirt and grass; doing this is a great advantage for grasses since it hinders the spread of diseases among them. For you to successfully clean the deck, ensure first that the spark plug is not connected and empty the gas tank first. After then, you can now start to stand the mower in an upward position and spray the equipment with water. Scrub the rest of the grimes then you're done. In addition, lawn mower repair also calls for checking the air filter and the oil. The later must be cleaned and replaced when needed and you should oil the equipment from time to time.


When it comes to lawn mower sharpening, the process should be done after 1 or 2 months varying upon how often you use it. Dong this will benefit you of having nicely cut grasses instead of ripping them up. When sharpening, simply detach the blade and sharpen it with the use of a file. Be extra careful with the blade as to not cut your fingers, don't allow your kid to do this and never even attempt to do it right in front of them so they would not emulate you later on. You know how harmful it s too play with sharp objects.


When the mowing season is over, it is about time that you gear yourself with the proper step of correctly storing the machine until winter time. It is highly recommended to remove the gas and the oil before storing. If each owner would only do the proper care for the mower then they will be ensured of great seasons and years of service.

Lawn Maintanance:

Maintaining a nice green yard can be a chore. Cutting, fertilizing, weed, insect and disease control, where does it end?


Maintaining your yard can be simple... Go Organic!


The use of organic products on the lawn takes all the guess work out. By using natural products that come from the earth, you don't need a chemistry degree. One does not need to worry about applying too much and burning the turf. Organic fertilizers are naturally balanced, easily absorbed and leave no residual chemicals that are harmful to people, pets, water or wildlife. They also release evenly and over a period of time so less applications are needed. Organic fertilizers can be applied most anytime during the growing season, even in summer.


Compost is also another great way to keep your lawn healthy naturally. By spreading a thin layer of compost over the yard, you are putting back valuable, natural nutrients into the ground.


Using natural products on your lawn, the turf will become healthier and stronger, thereby becoming disease and insect resistant naturally. The healthier the turf the easier it is for the lawn to resist infestations. The lawn will also have less weeds. A strong thick turf will choke out weeds. If the grass is thick, the sun can't reach the weeds seeds, and they simply don't germinate.


Using a mulching lawn mower or a reel type mower is actually healthier for the lawn than bagging the grass. By leaving clippings (not when the grass is long) on the lawn, it acts as a natural fertilizer as the grass decomposes. The blades of the grass are the nutrient center of the grass itself. It is important not to cut more than 1/3 of the turf at a time, as this is where photosynthesis takes place and allows the turf to grow and be healthy. When too much of the blade is cut off the grass cannot grow effectively.


Turf that is strong and healthy will also be more drought resistant than weak, stressed turf.


Watering is also a key element to a strong, healthy, green lawn. It is important to know how and when to water the lawn. Watering the lawn deeply and infrequently is the best for the lawn. By watering deeply and only once or twice per week, the roots will grow deep into the soil thereby becoming more drought resistant. If you water for short periods of time 4 or 5 times per week, for example, the roots will stay at the surface of the ground, where the water is. During periods of drought and water restrictions, your lawn won't have a fighting chance. Watering frequently also causes thatch to build up and the turf will become thin and weeds will begin to invade.


So, with that said, I've just cut down your lawn chores by about half. You will save money on fertilizers, control product and your water bill. By using organic products, not only are you going to have a beautiful, lush lawn naturally...you will have the time to enjoy it!

Details Of Lawn Mower Blades:

The lawnmower blades are made of tool steel or ordinary steel called mild steel or carbon steel. The edges of the blades made of tool steel remain sharp for longer time and will require lesser sharpening over the age of the blade. Tool steel blade is costly and generally cannot be sharpened at the DIY workshop.The mild steel or carbon steel is cheaper and easy to maintain. The blades have to be kept sharp. If this is not done, grass blades will be torn off instead of being cut. Apart from the obvious ugly look, the growth of grass blades is adversely affected as the moisture retention capacity of blade is reduced.


Sharpening Of Lawnmower Blades the DIY Way


You can sharpen the lawnmower blades your self quickly and easily. This operation can take a very short time.The procedure is very easy and you can do it yourself. The following procedure will apply irrespective of the type of lawnmower. Consult the operation manual of your lawnmower for removal of blades.


Be sure to disconnect all the power sources before begin with the process. In case that your lawn mower was a battery powered one, then remove the battery or batteries, depending on the model. Check twice that all the power controls are off to avoid an accidental engine start.


The second step will be finished as soon as you remove the blades totally from the mower. You might need external help to achieve it, using a couple of spanners may help a lot, however be sure that it doesn't slip. BE careful while doing this, because it's easy to cut yourself whether the spanner slips.


Once the blades are out of the mower, you need the number them in order to fit them back later.


Fix a blade in a stable holding or a vice to work easily.


The sharpen process begins here. You will need a grinder or file for it. Make sure to follow the blade's contour and sharpen it to your convenience. Sharpen all blades using the same sharpened to a perfect later cutting grass.


Time to refit the blades along. Make sure to do it along with balancing, if it exists any.


There is an option of sharpen blades without removing them from the mower, however it's uncomfortable as well as more difficult. You will also need a flexible shaft angle grinder to a perfect sharpened, which will save you time.


The last step is the blade balance checking. To carry the blades balancing you need a balancer. A clue to find whether or not the blades are correctly refitted, is checking if the mower vibrates, if so then blades are not well balanced.

Grass Cutting Green Options:

Grass Cutting in many parts of the nation has become a huge business. With our hectic, over scheduled lives most of us choose to let someone else do the chore of cutting our grass.


The Landscaping industry in general is a wonderful business. They create beautiful landscapes, install tress, shrubs, plants and flowers. This enhances our environment and beautifies our homes. There are a few things about the industry that is negating all the positive work they do.


Grass cutting is a big part of the business. Everyday, 5 days a week, they drive from home to home, get on their gas guzzling mowers, start up their gas powered line trimmers and blowers. They probably spend no more than 30 minutes on average at a home. Then they are back in their vehicles and on to the next house. This is an extreme amount of gas usage from the machines and the vehicles and an extreme amount of ozone destroying pollution.


We can reduce the amount of pollution going into our atmosphere if we make the time to cut our own grass, in a non-polluting way. There are more and more rechargeable mowers and trimmers coming onto the market. Most of these rechargeable mowers will cut about 1/3 of an acre on one charge. This will accommodate many residential lawns. This however still takes energy. There is one option that takes nothing more than human energy...a rotary mower.
These mowers have come a long way in recent years. They used to be heavy, awkward and required sharpening often. The rotary mowers of today are lightweight, ergonomically designed, and the blades require little sharpening. These mowers are easy to use, less expensive than traditional gas powered mowers and lawn cutting services.


Rotary mower pricing starts around $90.00 US dollars and can go as high as $300 US dollars. On the better models bagging attachments are available. The Brill Rotary Mower is the best I've come across. The blades only require sharpening once every ten years or so. A bagging option is available for about $50.00 US dollars. They are lightweight and have a smooth easy cutting action, even through thick turf.


The way a rotary lawn mower cuts is also better for the turf. It cuts the turf with scissor like motion, leaving a clean cut. A gas powered mower blade spins at a high rate of speed pulling the grass up and slicing it. If the blade is not sharp, it tears the turf. You can tell if the blade is not sharp by the white edges at the top of the grass that looks like split ends. Golf Courses often use gas powered reel type mowers on the greens for that super manicured look.


Maybe we as a nation would be a little healthier too, if we cut our own grass. So many people live sedate lives now more than ever. By cutting our own lawns with environmentally friendly equipment we are not only improving our planets health, but improving our own as well.

The Green Home - AND Yard.:

So surely a garden is always green - it does not need to be made environmentally friendly? Well, yes and no; while we read much information about how to create green housing, less is written about the yards. Some yards are green, but some are not. Many of us still add to the pollution by spraying pesticides on our fruit trees and vegetable patches.


Apart from avoiding this harmful action, there are actually ways to be proactive and to improve the environment, just by using your own back yard. One easy way to be proactive is to start your own compost, and this will mean that you will be improving your own earth by keeping your own bio-degradable scraps. Eventually composting these scraps will produce microorganisms that will enrich your soil with nutrients. There are many informative articles on the Internet which will tell you how to start composting.


Another way to help the environment is by buying fruit trees. Trees emanate oxygen into the atmosphere, and so help to offset carbon emissions. Many buyers have been swayed into a house-sale by the fact that a garden already has fruit trees and an established vegetable patch on it.


Could having your own beehive be a plus when selling a home? It is certainly an environmental plus in today's world. Scientists are alarmed at the lack of bees to pollinate flowers and vegetables; if more home-owners kept a small hive, they would not only have their own honey, but the vegetables and flowers in the local neighborhood would also be pollinated and would therefore produce a harvest.


Bee-hives do not need to very big, and they can be positioned in a spot where they will not bother the neighbors. They should not alarm the public, but if you position the hive so that the flight path into it (of about ten feet) is all on your land, there will be no worries. After the first ten feet, your bees are up and buzzing just like everyone else's. Starter sets for beginner bee keepers and various instructions for setting up are all listed on the Internet.


Of course growing vegetables is another 'green garden' habit and can be indulged in at any time of the year. Winter vegetables are being planted now, and brusselsprouts, broccoli, squash, turnip; lettuce and green onion can be planted now in readiness for the winter. If you are wary of green fly or black fly forming, you can always be organic and spray the plants down with diluted washing up liquid


Other ideas to be green in your garden include switching from a gas lawn mower to an electric one and not watering your lawn, but just letting it fade from lush green into muted amber!


Many sub-divisions have been lobbied to allow (or re-instate) clothes lines back into the back yards where they can dry with that outdoorsy smell. If you are unsure of your rights, an umbrella clothes dryer is usually allowed as it is lower than the fences and therefore not easily seen. Line-drying clothes can save quite a bit on your energy bills, and on your 'scented freshener' bill!

The Benefits of Having Your Own Garden:

Gardening is an engaging, fun activity that anyone can take up at any point in their life. The benefits to starting a garden are numerous, and after realizing these benefits, one might wonder why they did not start pursuing this hobby earlier. You do not need to have a large backyard or living area to tend to a garden, although having space certainly helps. Gardens can be started in the smallest of areas. The benefits one yields from gardening activities are more or less the same regardless of the size of the garden.


Most people get so lost in the fun of gardening that they forget that it is an inherent form of exercise. The tasks involved in gardening, such as composting, digging, and shoveling, are quite physically involved, and are great ways of losing weight and improving your general health. Since gardening is a near daily activity, the consistent exercise can be nearly as good as going to a gym (and a lot cheaper, too).


The garden is the perfect place for one to fully utilize their creativity. Deciding what things to plant, in what way to arrange them, and how to structure your garden all require creativity and innovation. The time spent researching different plants and learning about them in depth adds another layer of interactivity. Gardening is mentally stimulating and keeps your mind sharp, and similar to the exercise component of gardening, you hardly even realize these benefits. Today's fast paced world rarely allows for one to openly express themselves, but a garden gives you this much needed opportunity. After a few months of active gardening, you may find yourself at a higher intelligence level than you were prior to starting a garden.


With little exception, most people's lives nowadays are filled with constant stress and headache. Gardening is a perfectly natural stress reliever that works all the time and makes you feel rejuvenated and overall happy. Even if at the moment you are not participating in a gardening task, just sitting and relaxing out in your garden is enough to relieve you of your worries and make you feel serene. The wide array of colors and structures within a garden calm one's mind and open it up to the things that are really important in life.


For those that live in an urban setting or sprawling city, a garden may be the only way to connect with nature. Being in a garden requires you to slow down, which is something that few of us get to do very often. Immersing yourself in a garden environment has also been shown to improve your health, both physically and psychologically. In fact, not only does engaging in gardening have beneficial effects, but just looking at a garden is positive as well.


With all of these other amazing properties, it is easy to forget the original purpose of a garden, which is to grow food. Fruits and vegetables grown in a garden are completely organic. Organic food is healthier than alternatives manufactured with chemicals, pesticides, and other unnatural techniques. In addition to the therapeutic benefits of growing food, you will receive additional bonuses from consuming your creations. If your garden is large enough, you may be able to grow enough food to offset the expenses of buying groceries, making gardening an excellent way to save money.