Get the Right Lawn Care Tools to Cut Your Lawn

I have never believed in hiring someone to cut my lawn. 8 years ago, my lovely wife and I brought our first home together. We were strapped for cash and we moved in at the end of summer; which means the falling of the leaves was right around the corner. That first Fall, we were all hands on deck. The in-laws even were there helping us collect and dispose of the leaves on our 1.5 acre property that was lush with trees! We had 2 Troy Built leaf blower/sucker combos (which we still have) and lots of tarp. So, to say the least we weren’t in terrible shape.

For the Spring, we invested in a Craftsman 48in. deck tractor from Sears, with a service warranty. I think Sears repair service was at our house 1x each month until the warranty expired. Each time they serviced our tractor, I watched and took note of how to change the battery (under the seat), the belts, and the belt fan* (more on this later). Talk about sparking an idea for DIYing!

Fast forward 8 years later to present day, our tractor is in top notch running condition. The only issue is the bagger is (I mean was) a dust machine! The fix was to use spray foam to close the gaps between the bags and the cover of the bagger unit!!!

In addition, since we love the brand Troy Built so much, in Spring 2021, we invested in a Troy Built push mower. To get to the point about getting the right equipment, we have the best cut lawn on our street. To add to that, we have the greenest lawn as well. And, there are 2 things we just don’t do: Pay a Lawn Company to cut our grass or fertilize and we are 1 of the few houses on our street without an in ground irrigation system. In fact, we barely water our grass (some people will say that’s because we have rainy summers).

Self-Propelled or Push to Cut Your Lawn

I like most good husbands listen to my wife. We are being extremely cautious with COVID-19, so we rarely go to the store together *(we use FaceTime)! She did her research and looked at top rated mowers and she found a Troy Built Push Mower. I was so excited at how quick she found it, and the low cost sub $300, that I went in and literally picked it up and put it in my Home Depot basket. I love this Push Mower for many reasons. It can get into the spaces my tractor can’t and most important dust is not a problem.

This push mower always starts up on the first pull. The blade is extremely sharp*** and this is key. I knew we made the right purchase the first time I cut our grass; it looked better than the professional Lawn Companies. Now, I live on a street where the neighbors are cool but let’s face it, it’s like keeping up with the Jones’. I initially hired the company that does most of our neighborhood but they took too many short cuts and over charged. So, I let them go and I continue to show them each week, I can do Lawns better than you!

One thing I want to point out for cutting your Lawn like a Beast, you need sharp blades. The good news it you can purchase new blades, take your blades to a shop for sharpening or sharpen them yourself with a metal file. My blades make my grass look like I do striping, which is leaving beautifully colored lines/patterns in your lawn. The funny thing is, I looked at striping kits which range from DIY to a couple hundred bucks. When you have the right blades, your lawn will look like your striping.

Also, one important thing to do if you need to revive your lawn is dethatching. I bought a dethatcher blade for my push mower and an actual dethatcher that I hitched to my tractor. Basically, this helps get up the previous dead grass and allows some water to support your new growth. People dethatch in the Fall or Spring, I prefer spring! One caveat, you may dethatch a lawn that is already greening and after dethacthing it will turn a nasty brownish color. This is absolutely normal so don’t fret; you will have a beautiful green lawn in a few short days!

Leaf Blower and String Trimmer/Weed Wacker

You can buy any leaf blower, if you want to replace it soon. Or, you can buy a highly rated leaf blower that will last the length of time. You want something highly rated, I myself got a Ryobi battery powered Leaf blower, Weed Wacker/String Trimmer and an extra battery. I’m not going to lie battery life is very limited, so you might need a 3rd back up battery.

One thing that will set your lawn apart is the tiny details. I refer to trimming & edging and blowing as tiny details. Fellas, it’s like going to the barber shop and getting that nice shape up/edge up and nice details around your beard. I basically give my lawn an edge up. I originally thought I needed an edger; you can buy an edger but a string trimmer is more versatile in my opinion. I make a thin outline along the permitter of my driveway, walkway, street, etc. because this makes my lawn “pop” and standout. Then I cut the grass. After I cut the grass, I blow any excess grass that the bagger didn’t catch, back into the grass. I edge weekly or biweekly depending on the growth and the sharpness of the previous edging.

I’m going to close this post by saying, you know you are on point with how you cut your lawn when your neighbors are having more face to face conversations with their lawn companies. Also, when you cut your grass lower, and all of a sudden the lawn companies are cutting your neighbors grass lower, hmm. Great indicators on your success!