Lawn Mower Care

(Family Features) Regular lawn mower maintenance is vital to keeping this tool running well. These tips from the experts at TruGreen will help you take care of the workhorse of lawn care.

SOURCE Consumer Reports* Some technologies are finicky. Refrigerators with icemakers are twice as likely to break down as those without. The device's complicated design and the extreme environment it must operate in explains the high failure rate. Among laundry appliances, front loading washers are more repair-prone than top-loaders. The large rubber gasket that forms a watertight seal around the door is the common culprit. Mold is another issue. Manufacturers recommend periodically cleaning the gasket with a bleach solution and keep the door ajar after each use to allow ventilation.Using a lawnmower to chop up the leaves is an inexpensive solution, because then you are using equipment you already have. Replace the blade with a mulching blade if it's available for your mower. Spread the leaves out over the grass and then go over it with the mower. The mixture of green clippings and brown leaves work together to break down into mulch faster. If the leaves are not too thick, they will dissolve into the turf on their own. This will reduce the need for commercial fertilizers. Try to do this at least once a week during the leaf falling period.Tip 1 - Using the Lawnmower"Should I repair or replace it; how much is the repair likely to cost; what will a new one cost. These are many of the questions that go through a consumer's mind when a major product breaks," says Celia Kuperszmid Lehrman, deputy home and yard editor at Consumer Reports. "Being armed with the right answers can save people thousands of dollars on appliances and gear."Even with the right equipment, leaf shredding can be a big job. The equipment can be expensive, so think about how much dedication you want to give this DIY project over the years before investing in the equipment. You might want to weigh the above against hiring a professional.The material above is intended for legitimate news entities only; it may not be used for advertising or promotional purposes. Consumer Reports is published by Consumers Union, an expert, independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves. We accept no advertising and pay for all the products we test. We are not beholden to any commercial interest. Our income is derived from the sale of Consumer Reports, ConsumerReports.org and our other publications and information products, services, fees, and noncommercial contributions and grants. Our Ratings and reports are intended solely for the use of our readers. Neither the Ratings nor the reports may be used in advertising or for any other commercial purpose without our permission. Consumers Union will take all steps open to it to prevent commercial use of its materials, its name, or the name of Consumer Reports.If the lawn mower is not enough machine to shred all the leaves on your property, then you may have to consider purchasing dedicated machines for the job. A combination of a good leaf blower and small leaf shredder might handle the job. This will work out if you are able to blow all the leaves to one corner of the yard where they can then be shredded and then be distributed to the mulch pile and other needed areas of the yard.If the yard has a lot of obstructions, then a leaf vacuum should be considered. This dedicated piece of equipment has a larger bag than a lawnmower and is more suited for the task. The collected leaf matter can then be spread to where ever needed.To ensure all consumers are well equipped to avoid lemons, check Consumer Reports August issue for the "What Breaks, What Doesn't" list of temperamental products and of some of the most and least reliable brands, and then use the "Repair-or-Replace Timeline" charts to find out which products to fix and which aren't worth the effort and expense. Here's what else Consumer Reports' survey found:* Some products are harder to repair.Consumer Reports' survey indicates that repairs of gas cooktops, built-in refrigerators, and home-theater systems can also be frustrating because they take an inordinately long time or cost a lot, or because the item requires further service calls. Dryers, electric cooktops, and digital cameras have the highest success and satisfaction rates.Common Bermuda grass - 1.0 to 1.5 St. Augustine grass, Bahia grass - 3.0 to 3.5 Zoysia grass - 1.0 Rye grass, blue grass, fine fescue - 2.5 to 3.0 Tall fescues - 2.5 to 3.0

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