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Zero-turn lawn mowers are the type of invention that may have taken a little while to get here but once they did in the early ’60s, made you shake your head and wonder what took it so long to arrive. The have great manoeuvrability, can cover a really big space, are fun to ride, and fairly simple to maintain. They’re called “zero turn” because these lawn mowers are able to contour corners so closely, there’s hardly any grass left to trim after. It saves a huge amount of time and work, for if you only need one piece of equipment to do the job instead of two, you’re twice as far ahead. Before you go shopping for a zero-turn lawn mower, though, take a second to read this guide so you know exactly what to look for.

1. What Deck Size Do You Need?

Deck size refers to how wide your zero-turn lawn mower will be, with a general rule of thumb being the bigger the yard, the wider the deck. This is so your mower can efficiently clear your lawn without you having to spend hours and hours at it, with the equivalent being something like using nail clippers to cut an average-sized front year.

But hold on a sec: having a wide deck size doesn’t automatically mean that you should go with the biggest number to get the job done the fastest. You have to keep proportion, balance and curvature in mind. A wider deck size will allow you to cut more in one go, yes, but you won’t be able to corner quite as tightly. But by picking out a smaller deck size, you trade off a bit of stability, which is necessary if your yard is sloped.

  • 1 or 2 acres of grass: 48″ to 54″ deck
  • 2 or more acres of grass: 54″ to 66″ deck
  • Deck Construction

    Along with size, you’ll want to check out the guts of the deck. They’re assembled in one of two ways, stamped or welded. Commercial grade mowers have the steel layers of the deck welded together for added toughness, while residential mowers tend to have lighter gauge steel, and stamped together instead of welded. The difference is mainly for the type of terrain you have, as welded can handle roughness a lot more easily than stamped decks.

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    2. Get the Right Engine Size for What You Need

    Just like deck size, engine size matters only as much as the specs of your lawn. If you’ve got an even, smooth lawn, you’re not going to need something that can blast its way through granite. Conversely, if you’ve got rough, hilly terrain on your property, you’re going to need something with a little more oomph to it.

    There are two basic engines you can get with a zero-turn lawn mower, and each is equipped to do a specific job:

  • Single-cylinder: You’ll find this on lower-priced, residential zero-turn mowers, as their mild nature is perfect for easy lawns.
  • Twin-cylinder OHV: Wow, what power! These engines are mainly seen on commercial grade mowers, as their strong engines can handle any job and do so with less vibration than before.
  • 3. Finish it Off with Tires and Cutting Height

    Until someone invents a lawn mower that can do its job by floating in the air, lawn mowers will have tires. And the tires you pick are going to be holding up the whole weight of the mower, so check out four-ply-rated tires for the best job. And if you can get them, wide tires will help distribute the weight of the mower more evenly, which is always a good idea.

    Lastly, cutting height is a feature that you’ll almost always be using. You can adjust the height of the blades either manual — which eats away at productivity and efficiency — or foot assist or hand lever to raise and lower the blades on the go.

    As much as a zero-turn lawn mower is something you use for big lawns to make the job easier, they’re also just plain fun to use. But instead of going for the most fun-looking zero-turn lawn mower, get one that’s perfect for your yard for the best job possible. Take a look at our selection to see which would be the best fit for you, and enjoy both free shipping and free rush order processing.
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    Watering your lawn and mowing it are just two of the steps you need in order to make sure it’s green and healthy. But like the hair on the top of your head, there’s more involved than just shampooing and trimming it. You need to devote a bit of time into bringing your lawn to its full potential, and if you take the steps now, it’ll be a lot easier than later in the season.
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    Benefits of Mulching Your Lawn

    Think of how you go about your day: you don’t just wake up, go to work, and then fall asleep again at the end of it, do you? Probably not. Instead, you take a shower so you feel good and smell clean, and eat a few meals so your body has enough energy to keep on ticking.

    Your lawn is the same way in that it needs maintenance and nutrition. Mulching helps put back into the earth what others may consider lawn waste, and can save up to 25% of your fertilizing costs. Still not convinced? Mulching, when done properly, can help cut down on the weeds in your lawn because it cuts off one of most valuable resources they need: sunlight. A good layer of mulch keeps weeds shaded, preventing them from being able to suck the nutrients out of your lawn.

    Mulching also acts as an air-conditioning blanket for your lawn by keeping the soil cool and shaded. You don’t need to be a scientist to know that the more sun exposed soil has, the more it can dry out. And the more it dries out, the less moisture there is for your grass to grow strong and healthy. By creating this barrier with mulch, you don’t have to worry about your lawn getting dried out or going out there constantly to water the grass.

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    How to Mulch Effectively

    This isn’t a hard or complicated process at all, and just involves the following steps:

  • 1. Don’t rake the leaves, but keep them on the lawn for your lawn mower to break up and spread around. This also mixes them with grass clippings for added benefit.
  • 2. Use a lawn mower that mulches, side discharges, or comes with a bag that allows you to evenly spread out the clippings on the lawn. We particularly like side discharge lawn mowers because it spits the grass clippings out, letting you run over them again with the lawn mower to break it up into small little clumps that won’t sit heavily on the lawn.
  • 3. Use an alternating stripe pattern when you mow to get at all the clippings. Alternatively, you can mow in concentric circles to achieve the same effect, but this takes a bit more skill in making sure the overall aesthetic is even.
  • 4. Make sure you know what different methods and settings will do: the mulch setting on your lawn mower works well for grass that’s dry or moist but not wet, while a bag is for the opposite and side discharge for grass that’s in the middle.
  • While it’s best to mulch your lawn in the fall, it never hurts to do it any time of year that you mow your lawn. Maintenance isn’t something you can do in one day, but rather have to work at it a little bit so your lawn is always lush, green and healthy.

    You’ve read up on awesome mulching techniques, so now it’s time to make sure you’ve got one of our awesome lawn mowers to do the job. You can take a look at our selection here to find the one that’s best for you, and enjoy two great benefits: no tax on anything (except in Minnesota), and free shipping to the lower 48 states.
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    With the exception of homeowners who live in very rainy or tropical areas, watering the lawn is a must if it’s going to look green and lush. It’s easy to get into the habit of splashing some water around or setting a sprinkle out there and forgetting, and both are quick ways to drown your lawn and kill it. Going about it the right way isn’t exactly high science, but there are a few things you should keep in mind to do the job as efficiently as possible.

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    You’ve no doubt already gone out and mowed the lawn at least once this season, if not a few times. After such a long and brutal winter, the temptation to go out there and start sprucing up your lawn is too great to resist, but nor should you. Being outside and tending to your lawn is awesome on so many levels: the fresh air is invigorating, it’s a nice change from channel surfing, and you get to have a hands-on role in boosting your home’s curb appeal. But in your rush to start up the lawn mower, it’s important to remember these safety tips from Mower Source so you don’t end up a statistic.

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    1. Keep Your Lawn Mower in Good Shape

    when you get in your car, you want to make sure there are no gaping holes in the flooboard, brakes that are as soft as pudding, or a steering wheel that locks. It’s unsafe, and can cause catastrophic damage. But because your lawn mower is much smaller, it tends to get ignored for basic maintenance.

    This is especially true for riding lawn mowers, because the last thing you want to deal with is a machine with hot oil and many moving parts going rogue on you. You don’t have to necessarily perform a full mechanical inspection every time you use it, but make it a point to eyeball the mower for physical damage and really listen to it when it’s turned on.

    2. Clear the Lawn Before You Begin

    One of the main characters in the movie Crazy in Alabama, Peejoe, gets hit in the eye with a golf ball that the lawn mower spit up (it’s the sixth paragraph in this link). Unfortunately, this type of thing isn’t an isolated incident and people get hit with spit-up objects from their lawn mowers all the time.

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    While a lawn mower’s sharp blades can cut through things, they can also act as a surface upon which objects can bounce off. And if one of those objects is a stone or something else that’s not easily cut, that can shoot right back at you and put you in the hospital. Are potentially thousands of dollars of medical bills worth saving a few minutes to not check the lawn?

    3. Watch the Kids

    While you be on top of lawn mower safety, your kids still have to experience the learning curve for themselves, which doesn’t have to be dangerous. Take time to talk to them about the potential dangers of a lawn mower, how they can treat it with respect, and to what degree they can be involved in mowing.

    Kids are curious creatures and learn about their world by touch, so encourage that in a safe way. Let them be around the lawn mower when you are and don’t turn it on unless they’re a safe distance away. The great thing about children is they’re like little sponges: they’ll soak up everything you tell them, so make sure it’s good and safe information.

    4. Don’t Drink and Mow

    You may be thinking what a couple of cold ones has to do with mowing the lawn, but it’s just a better idea to avoid it. Your reflexes slow down, you’re more liable to take chances you wouldn’t when sober, and alcohol has a tendency to make its imbibers feel invincible.

    Just about 99.9% of people reading this will never think anything can happen to them, that they’ve lawn mowed enough times to be able to do it in their sleep. But it’s precisely that complacency that can cause injuries, as accidents rarely just “happen”. Accidents — true accidents — are things that happen completely out of control, like a boulder dropping on your windshield when you’re on the freeway. What others think of accidents are lapses in focus, concentration and judgement, and drinking before mowing is one of the quickest routes there.

    And besides, doesn’t an ice-cold beer taste much better after the physical part of mowing is over?

    Whether you pull or push (safer) your lawn mower, have one that goes in both directions, or switched to electric to be eco-friendly, there are four basic safety tips you should always be practicing. Just because a lawn mower is small doesn’t mean it can do big-time damage, and it’s so easy to prevent it, too. Keep Mower Source’s handy guide close to you if you ever need a quick refresher, and our website even closer. We’ve got an amazing line of lawn mowers for every type of yard, and there’s free shipping to the lower 48 states on all of them.
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    Your lawn is the pride and joy of your yard, the very thing that gives rise to the saying “the grass is greener on the other side”. However, for that to be true, you have to actually pick out what kind of grass will grow green, lush and healthy because not all grass is created equal. Grasses need specific climates in which to thrive, so we’ll be taking a look at which grass you should be growing.
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    Cool Season Grass

    These grasses enjoy their peak growing in cooler weather, when you’ll see them grow the most. However, one thing to keep in mind is the difference between cool and cold: cool season grasses do best in temperatures between 65 to 80F, and cold is, well, colder than that.

  • Kentucky Bluegrass: The name was coined because of the flower heads that appear blue when grass grows to its full heigh of two to three feet. But because most homeowners trim their grass well before it reaches this height, they don’t see the blue flower heads.
  • Perennial Ryegrass: The blades on this grass are smooth and hairless, and you can see long parallel lines running down it vertically. It grows to a full height of about 3ft, and is easy to get a full yield.
  • Tall Fescue: If you have slightly acidic soil (pH between 5.5 to 7), then this toothed-edge grass is for you. One of its key characteristics is the grass folds instead of rolls, and has a scruffy, bedhead look when compared to Kentucky bluegrass.
  • Fine Fescue: There are at least five different types of fine fescues, and are known by their fine leaf appearance. Because of their delicate structure, they’re a type of grass you should plant in low-traffic areas, otherwise they can get damaged (and take a while to recover).
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    Warm Season Grass

    Opposite to cool season grass, this family does best when the mercury reads 75 to 90F. Not much of the United States consistently gets these kinds of temperatures, but the southern portion does.

  • Bermuda Grass: It’s funny; this grass is an invasive species in the Middle East, and yet it’s highly prized here for lawns. The blades are colorful with tints of grey, green and purple, loves the sun, and can grow its root system about 6ft deep to get the water it needs.
  • Centipedegrass: Remember Chia Pets? This grass sort of looks like that, with thick, coarse blades and a light/medium green hue. While it doesn’t do so well in drought conditions, it doesn’t need a lot of mowing, making it a very low-maintenance grass.
  • St.Augustine Grass: When you think of grass that looks like a carpet, this is the one. It grows really thick and close together, which is excellent for crowding out weeds. Disadvantage: it takes plugs, sprigs or sod to grow (and is medium- to high-maintenance), but it does well in both slightly acidic and basic soils.
  • Bahiagrass: It’s a low-growing grass that bunches together into a dense sod, with the flowery tips splitting apart in a V-shape. And when you’ve got salty, dry or sandy conditions, then this one grows happily.
  • Zoysia Grass: This is the type of grass you see on golf courses because of its ability to keep standing no matter how many times it’s trod upon, as well as being able to stop erosion on inclines. As an added bonus, they’re super good at resisting drought, disease and weeds.
  • Now that you know exactly what kind of grass you’re going to get, the next step is maintaining it so it always looks good. Mower Source can help, with our line of top-quality mowers. But don’t just take our word for it, check out our lawn mowers and enjoy two awesome bonuses: free shipping to the lower 48 states, and a free blade with any Toro Super Recycler Lawn Mower.