5 Questions to Ask When Buying a New Lawn Mower

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PITTSBURGH (AP) -- For Terry O'Neil, buying a new lawn mower means more than simply finding a machine that will cut the grass.

The62-year-old marble contractor says he wants a self-propelled,front-wheel-drive model that will ease the physical demands of trimminghis quarter-acre yard about 12 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

''I'vehad a heart attack and I'm tired of pushing,'' O'Neil said of an oldermower he owns, as he eyed a row of gleaming new machines at a Home Depot store recently. ''It's time to let it push me.''

Consumerslike O'Neil face an array of choices as they shop for a new lawn mower,whether they're upgrading from an older machine, battling tougheconomic times by taking a cost-saving approach to landscaping ortending to the lawn as first-time homeowners.

Selecting the rightmachine depends on various factors, from the size and contours of thelawn to a would-be owner's willingness to, well, push.

The marketoffers a broad range of so-called walk-behind mowers, some with gasengines, some with electric. Here are five questions consumers shouldask before buying a new walk-behind mower:

1. WHY BUY A MOWER NOW?

Peoplemay be buying mowers amid the recession to save money on landscapingservices. Sales of some walk-behind mowers, particularly high-endmodels with rear-wheel drive, have increased this year, said BarbaraRada, who selects lawn mowers and snow throwers for the retailer Sears.

''Inthe past, if they just had someone doing their lawn, they've decided itmight be a better investment for me to buy it and do it myself,'' shesaid. ''And that is a reversal in what we have seen in the trendbefore.''

2. HOW BIG IS MY LAWN?

Walk-behind mowers -- as opposed to tractor-type mowers -- generally are built for lawns that cover a half-acre or less.

Alarge, rolling yard may require a more powerful mower, with a gasengine that drives not only the blade but also the mower's front orrear wheels. That allows the machine to climb grades and move withoutbeing pushed.

Self-propelled models with rear-wheel drive arebetter for sloping terrain because the weight of the machine rests onits rear wheels, providing greater traction.

Front-wheel-drivemowers, however, offer more maneuverability, allowing the operator toturn the machine simply by pushing its handle down, lifting the frontwheels off the ground and swiveling it in a new direction.

''Soif you have a flat yard with a lot of flower beds or whatever in it,you would want front-wheel drive,'' said Jim Kontul, seasonal managerat a Lowe's store in Homestead, Pa.

Smaller, flatter lawns may becut easily with gas engine-powered push mowers or even old-fashionedreel mowers, which are manual and require some physical effort.

Lawnsize also could determine whether someone purchases a plug-in electricmower, which may be limited by the length of its power cord. Expertssay the electrical current could become irregular in cords longer than100 feet.

Cordless electric models carry batteries, however, that may supply power for up to 45 minutes at a time.

3. HOW MUCH DO MOWERS COST?

Prices for lawn mowers range widely in price, depending on the type and model. Here are some examples:

-- PUSH: These no-frills, gas-powered mowers may sell for as little as $100 or as much as $300.

--SELF-PROPELLED: These mowers -- the most popular on the market --typically cost from $250 to $800 or more. They include rear- andfront-wheel drive models. Higher-end versions have gears so the speedcan be adjusted.

''It certainly takes less effort, especially ifyou've got hills,'' Bob Markovich, home and yard editor of ConsumerReports magazine, said of the machines. ''It just gets roughotherwise.''

-- PLUG-IN ELECTRIC: Plug-in electric mowers maycost anywhere from from $175 to $250. Some people may find the powercords on these machines get in the way of mowing and limit mobility andrange. But plug-in electric mowers are exceptionally light and don'trequire oil or gas, making them appealing to first-time mowers who maybe unfamiliar with the workings of gas engines.

-- CORDLESSELECTRIC: Cordless electric models may cost upward of $400. Althoughthey have been made largely from plastic in recent years, they are nowavailable with steel decks. ''People tend to be hesitant to spend $400on an all-plastic mower,'' said Rada, the buyer for Sears.

--MANUAL REEL: Traditional reel mowers may sell for anywhere from $120 tonearly $300. Some buyers like them because, like electric mowers, theyare environmentally friendly, emitting no pollutants. They also makemowing the lawn a form of exercise because the user must push the mowerto rotate the blades.

4. WHAT FEATURES ARE AVAILABLE?

Engine-poweredwalk-behind mowers may have cutting decks with a ''mulching'' feature.That means grass clippings are trapped under the deck and cutrepeatedly before being deposited as a kind of fertilizer.

''Mulching is great because it helps feed the grass,'' said Markovich of Consumer Reports.

Somemowers have bags that catch the clippings, which later can be dumped,though Markovich cautions that piles of grass clippings may attractrodents. Other mowers simply discharge cuttings from the side of themachine back onto the lawn.

Some mowers have electric starters in addition to traditional pull-starters, which provides some flexibility.

5. ARE THEY SAFE?

Sincethe 1980s, lawn mowers have been equipped with hand levers that must beclasped by the operator. If released, the mechanism will disengage theblade or shut down the motor. Mowers also have flaps designed toprevent feet from slipping under their decks.

Even with thosesafety features, though, experts warn against mowing wet, slipperygrass. That can be dangerous because people can slip and fall moreeasily.