Читать книгу Start & Run a Landscaping Business - Joel LaRusic - Страница 40

Unless you are starting out with some big commercial properties or large residential lawns, you will want to begin with a push mower. The name says it all. You push, the machine mows. When selecting your push mower, consider the following features.

Cutting width: Expect a 21-inch cutting width on almost all commercial push mowers.

Horsepower: Look for at least 5 horsepower. Newer models boast 6.5 and more.

Blade brake clutch (BBC): All new mowers must have this important safety feature, which ensures that if you lose control of your mower, the blade immediately stops spinning. There are two variations. In the first, the blade and the engine stop. In the second, the blade stops, but the engine keeps running. The latter option is better as it will save you time, energy, and your pull start cord too, since you will be able to safely empty bags, clean the chute, and drive over sidewalks without shutting the motor off each time.

Self-propelled drive: As you may be cutting miles of lawn each day, having a self-propelled drive is well worth the extra cost. It is also useful to have a variable speed setting, which allows you to adjust the mower’s speed to your walking pace for different lawn conditions.

Two-cycle or four-cycle: Many mowers come with a choice of two-cycle or four-cycle engines. The two-cycle requires that you put a mixture of gas and oil in the tank. Since the oil is burned with the gas, and because a two-cycle engine burns twice as much gas as a four-cycle, this is not the most environmentally sound choice. I recommend the four-cycle. It involves a little more maintenance (changing the oil), but boasts more power. I’d make an exception to this advice if you will be cutting steep slopes. Four-cycle engines have difficulty circulating oil on steep slopes.

Mowing height adjustment: There should be at least five settings for mowing height, ranging from about one to three inches.

Bagging: Avoid mowers with a side bag; rear bagging is the only way to go. A better mower will have some sort of spring-loaded hatch in the back so that if you choose not to bag (e.g., if you are mulching), you can simply remove the bag and the hatch will cover the hole where the grass would normally come out. Other models may have a detachable cover that must be manually removed and replaced each time you switch from bagging to mulching. In any case, make sure you have the option to not use the bag.

Best names: Toro, Honda, John Deere, Ariens.

Author’s recommendation: Toro Proline 21-inch Model 22172 (6.0 hp) or 22177 (6.5 hp). Both are four-cycle, have variable speed self-propelled drive, and feature BBC that does not stop the engine.