Lawn Mowers

Finding the best Lawn Care Company is a compromise for many people. Between what services will be provided, what those services will cost, and what they are willing to pay for! There is also a question of how well they do their work. Do they keep their schedule and how well do they clean up? Some consumers are just not that fussy. While other consumers want every blade of grass removed from the patio after the lawn has been cut. Those people who are not that picky,  just want someone to look after their lawns. They want to make sure that it is cut and trimmed once a week whether it is needed or not. We will discuss each of these in more detail.

Price and Services for the Best Lawn Care Company

Part of finding the best lawn care companies is comparing the price they are charging for a specific set of services with other lawn care companies. When you ask for quotes try to ask for exactly the same services from each. It makes it much easier to compare bids this way. If a lawn care company offers extras these can be considered bonus items as part of your comparison. Stick to the core services that you are interested in. Only compare these core services to ensure that you can make an apples-to-apples comparison.

Focus on the core services you are looking for first. Then add in any extra services they might provide as part of their standard service offering. Always obtain these offers in writing so that there is no misunderstanding later on. There is more than services and price when it comes to comparing lawn care companies. Read on for more information. Ask for references and call or visit some of these references to get some input from these referrals.

Quality of the Lawn Care Services

Do they trim the edges of your lawn? Is the grass cut evenly? Do they trim carefully around shrubs and other items on your lawn? Do they sweep or blow the grass cuttings off your step, patio, and sidewalk? Some customers prefer the lawn clippings to be bagged and disposed of, which takes additional work compared to mulching the grass with a mulching lawn mower.

However, if you choose to mulch you may have to have the grass cut more often, particularly if it is fast-growing. Mulching the lawn is a great approach since you do not need to bag the grass clippings, however, mulching works best when the grass has only grown approximately one inch. It is easier on the lawn mower, it is easier on the lawn itself and the blades of grass are cut up into smaller pieces as well. If they do all of these things and more then you are probably receiving really good quality lawn care service!

Satisfaction for What You Pay

Regardless of how much you are paying for lawn care, if you are ultimately satisfied with the services, the quality, and the price then you probably have the best lawn care company for your property! For many people, satisfaction means a healthy really great-looking green lawn and no work! They want to be the envy of the neighborhood and not just have someone come and cut the lawn for them. The writer looks after his own lawn and recently we had several people ask us who we got to look after the lawn. They were quite disappointed to find out that we look after it ourselves. It meant that they would have to look after their own lawn if they wanted grass as nice looking as ours.

Tee Time Lawn Care! What do you think the title tee time lawn care, really means? When I saw this title I decided to write about a friend of mine who makes sure that he always has time for tee time. He also maintains lawns around the neighborhood. He has about seven or eight contracts that he looks after. This includes cutting lawns, trimming hedges and shrubs, raking leaves, adding fertilizer, and generally maintaining the lawns in premium shape. Some couples go to the cottage for the summer and need someone to look after their lawns for them.

Others cannot do the work themselves any longer. They appreciate having a reasonable contractor to do the work for them. However, my friend has his priorities and one of these is playing golf.

Stick to a Schedule

He maintains a schedule each week, where from Monday until Wednesday he cuts and trim lawns rain or shine. Thursday he does all his appointments with his wife, going to the doctor, getting his haircut, or having maintenance completed in his car. On Fridays Saturdays and Sundays he’s at the golf course for tee time at as early as six in the morning to enjoy a beautiful day at the golf course and the 19th hole of course.

My friend of course is retired. He can afford to schedule his week in such a way that he manages his daily activities and meet the kind of schedule that he would like to have when he’s retired. If the weather is really bad, he will reschedule some of the lawn cutting and trimming.

Weather Does Not Stop Him

Quite often if the weather is bad, showers, for example, he will still cut lawn and trim grass regardless. It makes for a not so fun job during those days. He would rather do this kind of thing for exercise and being outside, instead of going to a gym and exercising on a boring treadmill machine or some other piece of equipment. Even with the bad weather, this is still better than going to the gym.

His philosophy in life is to do things that he enjoys and build and exercise at the same time. He loves to be outdoors, he knows that he needs exercise. There is also pride in creating a beautiful lawn landscape. He is more interested in having a great looking lawn for his customers than making a lot of money. He gets paid for his time, but it is not a huge amount which is still just fine for him. Financially he is way ahead of the game when you consider that he is getting exercise, he is outside, he is getting paid for what he does and he does not have to pay for a gym membership.  Memberships at a gym can cost anywhere from $50 to $100 a month whether you go or not. He does not need to pay that at all during the spring, summer, and fall. In the wintertime he heads south and golfs almost every day. This is a pretty good life if you ask me.

Cutting and Trimming

Cutting and trimming lawns provides and meets all these requirements and he plans to do this for as long as he possibly can. All of this exercise and outdoor activity serve to help him stay fit and he does not need to go to the gym, which he hates with a passion. I must admit that I would much rather work at something outside compared to working out at the gym. One of our neighbor’s kids will not even help his father with things around the home, but he spends time at the gym getting exercise. I think he needs an attitude adjustment.

Are you planning to hire lawn maintenance services this coming summer? If so what services do you need and how much will they cost? Most people have no idea what they need to have done and what services are available for consumers. Most of us just cut the lawn once a week whether it needs it or not, we never trim the edges, remove weeds, or add fertilizer. Some people do not even bother watering the lawn and it shows. We have one neighbor who only cuts his lawn once every two weeks if we are lucky and does nothing else. He has the temerity to say to us that from a distance his lawn looks green and healthy.

Never mind when you get up close you can see that it is full of weeds. His dandelion crop is as bad as the properties owned by the city, which is another total embarrassment.  It does not take much to maintain a lawn, water, fertilizer, weed control, and regular mowing of the lawn. That is all it takes to have a reasonably nice lawn.

What do Lawn Maintenance Services Include

What are the services that lawn maintenance services companies offer and that you may need if you want your lawn looking great? These services include mowing the lawn, disposing of grass clippings and any other debris that is on the lawn, edging the lawn along sidewalks, adding fertilizer at the right times, and adding weed killer and grub killer at the appropriate times. If you have shrubs and flowers that need trimming, moving, or planting, we are quite sure that they will do this as well. It all comes for a price and it is really up to you how much you do yourself vs how much is completed by the lawn maintenance services company you hire.

Cutting the Lawn

The lawn should be cut once a week and not too short during the summer. The edging should also be completed every week as well at the same time the lawn is being cut. Fertilizer should be added 3 or 4 times a year – spring, early summer, late summer, and fall. Weed killer and grub killer can be added in the spring and also in late august for the grubs. Trimming of shrubs should really be completed in late summer after the plants have flowered. This helps to get them ready for the fall and winter.

You may also want to overseed your lawn to thicken it up. A thick lawn makes it more difficult for weeds to get started. Some locations may also need to be repaired. Either add a piece of sod to replace dead grass or add grass seed. Place good topsoil over it for the seeds to germinate and grow. You will need to water both daily to ensure that the roots take hold and penetrate the soil below. Overseeding is a great way to keep your grass looking thick and healthy as well as keeping the weeds away.

Companies

The lawn maintenance services company should provide a schedule for you to follow and agree to. The more visits you have the more it is going to cost. You may want to consider doing some of the work yourself. Ask for quotes and compare details from several companies before making a decision. Make sure that your quote and estimate are very specific. It should include all of the things that you have discussed and expect to be provided. If it is not on the contract, it likely will not be done for you.

There are many lawn care companies offering their services in every city and town across the country to people that either needs the services because they cannot do the work themselves or they just prefer to have someone to look after their lawns for them. Some companies consist of one-person companies that really only cut and trim lawns while others offer a variety of services and have several crews of lawn care people working all year long. They typically try to offer a variety of services to keep their people employed all through the year, especially if they have good people working for them.

In the summer they cut and trim lawns, reseed lawns add fertilizer. They also deal with weeds and provide shrub trimming and hedge trimming. In the fall there are often leaves to clean up and there are many shrubs to trim and get ready for the winter. In the spring after the snow has gone, the lawn needs to be prepped for the growing season which includes fertilizer and weed control as well as clearing away any debris that is leftover from the winter.

Lawn Care Companies – Services

If you are considering a lawn car company, you may want to think about the services you will need and have them quote on these services to provide a total price. For example, you may need the following:

• Cutting the lawn
• Trimming around gardens, sidewalks, and driveways, etc
• Aeration
• Watering
• Fertilizer
• Weed Control
• Insect control – ants, grubs, etc
• Reseeding of the lawn if needed
• Leaf and debris removal
• Trimming Shrubs
• Adding mulch to gardens
• Tree trimming

During the winter months, these same companies offer snow clearing services from driveways and sidewalks for both homeowners and businesses. During slow times there is equipment to maintain and repair and a core set of employees are kept occupied doing this sort of work.

Customers who need the services of lawn care companies can use their services all year round if so desired and perhaps negotiate a better deal for all services combined.

Lawn Care Companies – Southern Climates

Lawn care companies in southern climates have a much different environment to deal with. They may be doing a lot more tree and shrub trimming as well as maintaining lawns all year round to stay in business. In desert climates, the lawn is scalped in the fall, and winter grass is planted. The winter grass grows and flourishes all winter long while the summer grass will go dormant during the wintertime and then begins growing again in the spring. When the temperature is hot enough the sun will kill off the winter grass allowing the summer grass to flourish. While this may all sound complicated, it is the job of the lawn care companies to keep the lawn looking great all year long.

Choose your lawn care company carefully and ask for references. Visit some of the properties they maintain and make sure that any of the references they provide are customers that have been with them for some time.

We are thinking about hiring a lawn care company and wondering how to go about finding the best lawn care company? This website is primarily about lawnmowers, the types, repairs, and maintenance and lately, we have branched out to look at how to maintain lawns and keep them looking golf green ready all year long. So what would be more natural than to look at how to find the best lawn care company. There are several lawn companies operating in our area and we have used several in the past to spread fertilizer on the lawn and spread weed control material on the lawn, but not to really look after our lawn in a serious way. We were actually not that satisfied with their services.

What Criteria Would You Use to Select the Best Lawn Care Company

These are the criteria that we are going to use and wondering if anyone has additional criteria that we should be considering? Let us know. Here they are:

• Price
• Personalized service
• Grass cutting schedule
• Edge Trimming
• Fertilize frequency
• Weed control
• Grass thickening
• Soil analysis and recommendations
• Water moisture analysis
• Reputation and references
• Shrub trimming services

This may seem like a lot and we are not sure that we actually want all of these services, but we thought we would start with this list and see what kind of responses we get to each item along with the prices quoted. Personalized service is a big item for us. We want the same guy looking after our lawn all of the time so that he or she gets to know our lawn and will take great care or better care of the lawn vs random people showing up to cut the lawn.

Grub Problems

We also have a grub problem and a small weed problem. Turns out that the grubs will emerge soon as the adults and then the adults will lay eggs. We cannot put any grub control on the lawn until the middle of July, since it really will not work on them until them. The grubs will emerge in July and grow over the summer and fall. We are planning to spray the lawn as soon as we can to control the grubs and the weeds. This is something that I would really like a lawn care company to take control of.

The grubs live on the roots of the grass. In dry periods your grass dies because there are no roots to absorb any moisture that is left in the ground. In addition, raccoons can smell the grubs. They in turn dig in your lawn and root up the grass leaving ugly patches of grass that will also die. You can easily lose your lawn if you are not careful. We are going to apply a grub killer this year and hope for the best. We have the liquid kind. Apparently you should apply this in the rain so that it is absorbed by the ground. It should get deep enough to kill the grubs. It seems to work since we have applied this now for two years and no more problems with raccoons digging up our lawn.

Let us know what you think about these requirements and if there is anything else that we should be considering when hiring the best lawn care company.

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This seems like an odd subject, lawn care and snow removal in the same post. Well it turns out that many companies that provide snow clearing services during the winter also provide lawn care services to their customers during the summer as well.  They may also provide landscaping services in addition to maintaining lawns etc.  Snow removal can include removing snow from driveways and sidewalks. They may also remove snow from the roof when it gets too deep on the roof. Lawn care includes cutting and trimming the lawn, adding fertilizer, and pesticides to kill the weeds. In some climates, the lawn must be skelped twice a year and the lawn re-seeded.  Fortunately, these areas typically do not have problems with snow.

Lawn Care and Snow Removal

We have written a number of pages on this site about lawn care and would urge readers to refer to these pages if you need information about hiring a lawn care company. Always ask for quotes and make sure that all of the services that you are looking for are listed and included in the price. If it is not there it is not likely to be provided to you.  We wrote several pages about the process of hiring lawn care companies and what to ask for. To summarize:

• Have a contract
• List all services
• How often your lawn will be cared for
• Prices for any additional services and materials
• Price for services.

Try asking for Discounts

If they also provide snow clearing service in the wintertime, you might ask them for a discount. Based on using them in the winter as well as in the summer for your lawn care service. We have written many posts about snow clearing and reviews of snow blowers as well on a companion web site. A link to selecting a snow clearing service can be found by clicking here. If snow clearing is not something you need, you may also require fall and spring cleanup of your yard for example. These companies routinely provide all sorts of services during these slow periods in an effort to keep their people working and employed.

There are business advantages to providing both kinds of services. Anytime you can keep your business going all year round and keep your employees working is a good business move. Cultivate your clients to see what added business services you can offer them in all four seasons. Many customers will appreciate the fact that you are offering a discount to your most loyal customers and providing them excellent service at the same time.

We also suggest that you have regular conversations with your customer to make sure that they are totally satisfied with your work and willing to recommend you to other friends and neighbors. Advertising is expensive, but so are bad recommendations. They can rob your business of much-needed revenue and give you a bad name in the industry. By talking with your customer at regular intervals, you can find out just what they like about your services and those things that bother them and might prevent them from recommending your business to other customers.

Yard maintenance services can include many activities and it is helpful if you are clear with the company you are dealing with, what services you are looking for. We are going to list some of the many services that can be included in yard maintenance and it is up to the reader to determine what services they need to have. These services are often done by the homeowner themselves until something occurs that prevents them from continuing to do so. At that point, the work may seem overwhelming and they decide to move rather than arrange for yard maintenance services to be performed for them.

Yard Maintenance Services – Our List

Here is our list of services that we think a homeowner may want to consider:

• Mowing the lawn
• Edging the lawn along sidewalks and gardens
• Adding fertilizer to the lawn
• Raking grass clippings
• Pulling weeds and / or spreading weed control material
• Conducting lawn repairs to patches and areas where the lawn has died
• Spreading mulch around garden areas
• Transplanting shrubs and plants of various types
• Trimming shrubs and plants
• Raking leaves in the fall
• Trimming trees and hedges as needed
• Installing planters and flower pots in the spring; removal in the fall
• Fence painting
• Fence repair
• Window painting
• Watering lawns and gardens

This may seem like a long list. Consumers may not need all of the above functions that are needed. This will depend on the type of home they have, the size of the lot they have, and their interest in many of the things above that would require the types of yard maintenance services that are listed above. Not all companies will provide these services, so consumers may have to hire handyman yard maintenance personnel to perform these services.

Decide Which Yard Maintenance Services You Will Do

Consumers have a choice between what services they hire yard maintenance men for and those services or jobs they are going to do themselves. As long as you are healthy and physically able to do some of this work, why not do it yourself and save some money as long as you can do the work safely. As long as time permits and you are able, doing this work gives a person a sense of accomplishment, you are outside enjoying the sun and you have fun doing it. Painting windows is one area that many people avoid simply because they need to get up on a ladder and they find it awkward and perhaps a bit dangerous for them. This is the time to hire someone to do the work for you and avoid any potential accidents.

Fence Repair

Another area that many people will contract out to a yard maintenance company is fence repair and / or rebuild. This can be physically very difficult work and many people cannot seem to be able to handle this work. They may also not have the tools and just prefer to have someone do all of the work. They want to avoid getting into this kind of job. Building fences takes a bit of skill, however, most handyman can do it themselves.

Finally, one other area that anyone can do is watering your lawn. Most lawns need about an inch of water every week. Unless you have an automatic watering system, you will need to move the sprinkler around to make sure every area will be covered properly. Hiring yard maintenance men to do this work does not make sense in this example. If you are planning an automated watering system, a yard maintenance company might be willing to install one for you. However, this is also specialized work and consumers should first confirm their experience installing this equipment.

Yard maintenance services work can be relaxing and enjoyable. But if you do not have the time or just do not want to do the work, then hiring a yard maintenance company to do the work for you makes a lot of sense.

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Home owners who are looking for the best lawn care companies should really review several companies, ask for references, visit properties that are being maintained by the short list of companies that you are considering and sign a contract with the company that you end up selecting. There are a lot of issues in that first sentence. We will expand a bit more on each of the topics. If you have questions please leave a comment and we will try to address your question on this post.

Choosing the Best Lawn Care Companies

Review Several Companies – at the minimum you will want to interview at least three companies. Compare the prices offered for the lawn care services that you are looking for. You may be surprised that the services offered will vary. The prices for those services will vary a great deal as well. Always ask them for exactly the same services. Request that they meet those requirements or state those that they do not offer. They should also indicate the individual price for each service as well as a total price. This provides more information to compare to.

Short List Companies – once you have your list of companies, narrow your list down to two or three companies. Focus on negotiating a deal with both companies before selecting the one that you are comfortable with.

Request references and Follow up – you should request references from all companies when you talk to any company that you are considering. Ask for the addresses. Ask for names and phone numbers of the people who own these homes. You may want to visit these homes to see how their lawns etc look. As well as speak to them to see how satisfied overall they are with the services. If you can and if the people you are speaking with have the same services, talk to them about the individual services that you are considering. Thank them for their comments. Privately evaluate their comments in relationship to your own assessment of quality and detail that is needed for your lawn.

Visit Several Properties

As mentioned at least visit the properties that have been provided as references for the best lawn care companies that you are considering. You can learn a lot by looking at other properties maintained by the company that you are considering hiring.

Sign a Contract – this is always a must. This is all about clear communication, avoiding misunderstandings and assumptions that get us all in trouble at one time or another. Specify all of the services that you are considering, the price, how often they will be completed and the anticipated quality level if you can clearly cover this. Contracts are an excellent communications device since it clears up any assumptions. Once you hire the company reconfirmed the services the first day they are there to do any work for you.

Follow Up and Monitor – always follow-up and monitor the work that is being completed for you. It let’s the contractor know that you are interested and paying attention. Make sure that the people doing the work know what is in the contract and understand what is required. If there is any disconnect, review your contract with the foreman to make sure that there is clarification with the people doing the work.

All of this sounds like over kill for a simple lawn care company contract, however this is the best way to avoid any future problems and help you find the best lawn care companies. Consumers can avoid many issues by simply following through with this sort of approach to the best lawn care companies.

Want your lawn to look like this one on the left? You probably should be prepared to hire a Landscape and Lawn Care Services company. Also to spend money on fertilizer and weed killer and lots of water to get your lawn looking like this one on the left. Of course with a large lot and home like this particular house, most people are going to think that they can afford it and why not. Beautiful lawns make a property look great. Next to the house, this is the first thing you look at when you approach a property. Talk about creating a first impression!

Create an Impression – Landscape and Lawn Care Services

This is why hiring the right lawn maintenance companies can really make a difference to the impression that your home leaves with visitors when they come to your home. That first impression you get is all-important. From the outside, there is your home’s overall architectural look and then there are the surrounding gardens, landscaping and the lawn of course.

Lawn maintenance companies know that the secret to a great looking lawn is controlled by the following:

• Applying grass seed at regular intervals to thicken the lawn
• Applying fertilizer at least 4 times a year
• Regular watering
• Mowing your grass so that no more than 1/3 of the blade is removed at a time
• Applying the appropriate weed killer, grub killer, etc when needed to deal with these pests.

Landscape and Lawn Care Services Rules

These are the five key rules and activities that will ensure that you have a healthy, lush green lawn. You will be able to show off to all of your visitors.

Starting from this basic set of requirements, homeowners can decide what work they wish to take on vs. what they would like a lawn maintenance company to do for them. Lawn maintenance will typically do all of the activities for you listed above except for the watering, which is usually completed using automated watering systems. Consumers can contract everything or just the maintenance that they prefer not to do.

Some people really enjoy getting on a riding lawn mower every week to mow their lawn, while others either find it too boring or just do not have the time for this activity. Mowing your lawn takes the largest commitment while adding fertilizer and weed spray is less time-consuming. Consumers can ask for a package deal that includes everything or just those activities that they are not interested in doing.

You Request Improved Service

One comment that consumers should note is that if you are paying someone to do everything you have the right to complain if your lawn is not doing well. The lawn maintenance company should be taking care of the lawn to make sure it is always looking great. On the other hand, if the consumer is doing some of the work, then there may be shared blame. It is difficult to assign blame if the lawn is not doing as well as you think it should. Continuous monitoring and activity are needed to maintain a great lawn.

One final comment about lawn maintenance companies is needed. Just like all other work that you arrange to be completed around your home or even the office, there should always be a contract. It should spell out in detail exactly what services are being provided by the lawn maintenance company. Also when they will be provided. This is just a matter of communication and ensuring that everyone is working under the same understanding and assumptions. If there is no contract with these details written down, there will always be disagreements between participants. This could lead to acrimonious feelings from one or both parties. We strongly urge consumers to always have a contract. Spell out the details and also the termination notice that is required by both parties along with payment details.

Want your lawn to look like this one on the left? You probably should be prepared to hire a lawn maintenance company. Also, spend money on fertilizer and weed killer. With lots of water to get your lawn looking like this one on the left. Of course with a large lot and home like this particular house, most people are going to think that they cannot afford it. Beautiful lawns make a property look great. Next to the house, this is the first thing you look at when you approach a property. Talk about creating a first impression! For many people, before they even enter the home, their mind is made up based on the landscaping.

Hire the Right Lawn Maintenance Companies

This is why hiring the right lawn maintenance companies can really make a difference to the impression that your home leaves with visitors. That first impression you get is all-important. From the outside, there are your home’s overall architectural look. Then there are the surrounding gardens, landscaping, and the lawn of course.

Lawn maintenance companies know that the secret to a great looking lawn is controlled by the following:

• Applying grass seed at regular intervals to thicken the lawn
• Applying fertilizer at least 4 times a year
• Regular watering
• Mowing your grass so that no more than 1/3 of the blade is removed at a time
• Applying the appropriate weed killer, grub killer, etc when needed to deal with these pests.

These are the five key rules and activities that will ensure that you have a healthy, lush green lawn to show off to all of your visitors.

Hiring a Lawn Maintenance Company

Starting from this basic set of requirements, homeowners can decide what work they wish to take on vs. what they would like a lawn maintenance company to do for them. Lawn maintenance will typically do all of the activities for you listed above except for the watering, which is usually completed using an automated watering system. Consumers can contract everything or just the maintenance that they prefer not to do.

Some people really enjoy getting on a riding lawn mower every week to mow their lawn, while others either find it too boring or just do not have the time for this activity. Mowing your lawn takes the largest commitment while adding fertilizer and weed spray is less time-consuming. Consumers can ask for a package deal that includes everything or just those activities that they are not interested in doing.

One comment that consumers should note is that if you are paying someone to do everything you have the right to complain if your lawn is not doing well, since the lawn maintenance company should be taking care of the lawn to make sure it is always looking great. On the other hand, if the consumer is doing some of the work, then there may be shared blame if the lawn is not doing as well as you think it should. Continuous monitoring and activity is needed to maintain a great lawn.

Always Have a Contract

One final comment about lawn maintenance companies is needed. Just like all other work that you arrange to be completed around your home or even the office, there should always be a contract. It spells out in detail exactly what services are being provided by the lawn maintenance company. Also when they will be provided. This is just a matter of communication.

It ensures that everyone is working under the same understanding and assumptions. If there is no contract with these details written down, there will always be misunderstandings between participants. Which can lead to acrimonious feelings from one or both parties. We strongly urge consumers to always have a contract that spells out the details. Include the termination notice that is required by both parties along with payment details.

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Lawn care 101 – we all want to have a lush green lawn with no weeds that looks like a golf course and does not have any weeds. Some of us do not know how to make our lawns look like this and some people just do not want to do the work. They feel that it is too much work and they are also overwhelmed by what they perceive as spending a lot of money and time. We decided to write this post to try to illustrate just how easy it is to have a nice lawn, maybe not like the golf course, or the neighbors down the street that is perfect. A lawn that you can be proud of without doing a great deal of work or spending a great deal of money. We are calling this post lawn care 101 because of it.

The Basics of Lawn Care – Lawn Care 101

Water, fertilizer, dealing with weeds, thickening, and lawn cutting are the basics of keeping your lawn looking great. We will cover these in more detail.

Watering your lawn is important to keep it healthy, however, there are proper ways to water your lawn and there are bad ways. When you water the lawn, at least one inch of water should be sprinkled on the lawn. The water penetrates to the roots and helps the roots grow deeply. Water once a week when it is dry, and less often if you have a good rain to keep your lawn looking great. Light watering promotes surface root growth making the lawn more susceptible to dry weather.

Fertilize your lawn at least 4 times a year. Early spring, early summer, late summer, and late fall are the usual times to add fertilizer to your lawn. Different types of fertilizer are used to promote the growth of the lawn, root growth, etc.  Most garden stores will be able to assist you in purchasing the right kind of fertilizer for your particular lawn and the time of year. Use a spreader to spread the fertilizer evenly across the lawn and avoid dropping too much in one place. This could burn your lawn and even kill the grass. Follow the instructions on the package for watering etc.

Dealing with weeds is a bit more complex.

Some fertilizers still have pesticides in them depending on where you live. Use a weed and feed product to fertilize the lawn and to kill the weeds at the same time. When you are spreading the weed and feed fertilizer, be careful. Avoid the material going into gardens and getting on plants that might be susceptible to the pesticides. In these areas you may have to use a hand spreader or a liquid spray to be more accurate, where the pesticide is being placed. If you are taking an organic approach, consumers will have to pull weeds by hand to get rid of them. A few minutes each week may be all that is required once you get ahead of all of the weeds.

Thickening your lawn is another way of keeping it healthy. Spread grass seed in the spring around your lawn focusing on areas where the grass has thinned out. Also, spread high-quality earth with a sandy loan mixture over your lawn as well once the grass seed has been spread. Water your lawn to soak in the earth and the grass seed and help the grass seed to germinate. Make sure that the weather is warm enough to germinate the lawn seed and avoid placing fertilizer on your lawn for a few weeks to avoid the fertilizer burning the grass seed as it begins to grow.

Mowing your lawn

Mowing your lawn should be completed on a regular basis. Never cut more than 1/3 of the grass length when you are mowing to avoid damaging the grass. Always make sure your blade is sharp to avoid tearing the grass as well. Using a mulching lawnmower makes your job of cutting the lawn easier. You do not need to bag the grass cuttings. A self-propelled lawnmower is also advantage. Especially if you have a large lawn or have to mow your lawn more often.

Once you have your lawn in shape, the work will be minimized to just mowing the lawn. Also watering and 10 minutes a week pulling weeds. You will have a great lawn that does not take a lot of time and effort.

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Organic lawn care service pretty much means no pesticides are going to be used on your lawn. Some companies will not even use fertilizer made from chemicals. Instead they will use organic fertilizer that is made from organic materials and spread on your lawn. Is organic lawn care service effective? The answer is yes it can be. However consumers should be aware that more work is going to be required to keep your lawn looking great. The lawn in this picture is obviously in great shape, nice and green, but not thick or lush. It is so large that it is not practical to water this lawn which could also be very costly. Consumers with lawns such as this one will need to take steps to protect the lawn during fry periods.

For example when rain is not forcasted for several weeks, your lawn will go into a dormant phase to protect itself. Ensuring that the grass is left an inch longer will provide more shade for the roots. It will also delay the drying out of the ground and the roots longer. Longer roots will also help the lawn survive dry periods as well. Application of fertilizer that promotes root growth will certainly help a lawn like this survive the dry periods.

Weed Control with Organic Lawn Care Service

Weeds will be a big problem for lawns that are using an organic approach to lawn management. The only real defense is a lush thick lawn that provides little room for weeds to take hold and grow. You will still find weeds and these should be pulled manually. Pulling weeds is not a fun task, however for smaller lawns a few minutes each week spent pulling weeds will help to keep them under control and avoid weeds taking over your lawn.

Organic fertilizer can be applied to promote growth of your grass which will also help the weeds to grow as well. Sowing grass seed and applying a thin covering of black earth in the spring will help to promote a thicker lawn which will also help to control the weeds and deliver a beautiful lawn.

There is no doubt that by avoiding the use of pesticides means more work for home owners; however it also protects the environment and the animals in the fields and streams around your area, not to mention your kids that play on the lawn. Pesticides have been known to cause cancer and other problems especially in young animals and children. What is a little bit of extra work when you can protect your family and those around you?

Interview Organic Lawn Care Service Companies

A contract with one of these companies is no different from any other contract. List all services that they will provide. Include the timing of these services. For example, when will they be provided and how often and of course the price. Pay attention to how they will control weeds. What activities that you the consumer must follow to ensure that you have a healthy lawn and control the weeds. Many companies will provide some of the services. But they expect the customer to water the grass at appropriate times. Also to pull weeds and to mow the lawn at the appropriate height for the conditions that exist. This is part of the contract between you, the organic lawn care service and your lawn if you want to have a healthy rich looking lawn.

If you are expecting to just turn the lawn over to the organic lawn care service, take the time to understand exactly what they will be doing and how they will maintain the lawn in the manner that you are expecting.

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We all want to have that perfect lawn like the one shown in the picture. A manicured golf fairway of grass that is lush and green, even, with no dry spots and NO weeds. It can take a lot of work to get a lawn to look like this so many people will turn to a lawn care treatment company to look after the lawn for them. This may even include mowing the lawn once or twice a week as well. Lawns also take a lot of water to keep them looking great. However, there are ways to minimize the amount of water that is used as well and keep the weeds down.

Weeds seem to survive regardless of how much water or rain is applied. You need to stay ahead of the weeds as well. We have listed some of the services you may want to consider when hiring a lawn care treatment company to look after your lawn. These are the best ways to have a great lawn.

Lawn Care Treatment-  services can include:

• Mowing the lawn the specified number of times per week
• Trimming the edge of the lawn along gardens, walkways, fences, and driveways
• Applying appropriate fertilizer at least 4 times per year
• Applying weed killer either on a spot basis or on a broadcast basis as needed
• Clearing debris from the lawn such as leaves in the fall
• Applying specialized applications of chemicals such as grub killer as needed
• Preparing recommendations for improvements to your lawn including watering

While all of these steps will relieve you of a great deal of work and your lawn will certainly improve there are additional steps to be taken and decisions that you will need to make in conjunction with the lawn care company.

For instance, most lawn care companies will recommend that the lawn be watered once each week to a level of one inch of water to ensure that the roots penetrate deeply and that the fertilizer is absorbed. Deep roots will help a lawn survive dry periods better and to block out weeds that may be trying to grow amongst the grass.  In addition, if your lawn care treatment company is also mowing the lawn for you they should be setting their lawnmowers higher to allow the grass to grow longer during dry periods as well. Longer grass prevents the grass from drying out, protects and shades the roots to prevent evaporation of moisture from around the roots. During periods where there is lots of rain, the lawn can be cut lower.

Weeds are a Big Problem for Many Home Owners

Application of weed killer will deal with most weeds; however in Canada for example there is a ban on some pesticides used to deal with weeds in lawns. As a result, the weeds are taking over. Unless homeowners get out there and pull the weeds your lawn is going to suffer. Fortunately, you can still go to the US and purchase all of the weed killer that is needed.

If you do not live close to the border or prefer to not purchase weed killer with the appropriate pesticide there are alternatives. The alternative is to keep your lawn really healthy and to manually pull the weeds. A healthy lawn will prevent a lot of weed seedlings from getting started. Those that do can be manually pulled using an appropriate tool.  The lawn in the picture would probably take an hour each week of manual checking and pulling. While many smaller urban lawns would only take a few minutes each week to identify and pull the weeds.

You may also hire someone to do this work for you. Particularly if you have a large lot or just do not have the time to deal with the lawn. Always have a contract with the lawn care treatment companies that you hire that lays out exactly the services they will provide, the time frames for each service, and of course the cost. Examine and discuss the fertilizer that they will be using and specify how often the lawn will be mowed and the edges trimmed to ensure that you obtain exactly the services that you wish to have. Anything left to assumptions can sometimes disappoint you and cause frustration. Make sure everything is clear before you sign on the dotted line.

Many consumers use some kind of lawn care maintenance service, while others do everything themselves. There are also various levels of lawn care as well that customers can consider for their lawn. Lawn care companies will offer a full-service maintenance package. As well as packages that split the work between the homeowner and the lawn care maintenance company. There are a lot of services that can be included. It really depends on price as well as how much the homeowner wants to take on themselves. The list that follows is a complete list that homeowners can consider. Although not all companies offer all of these services. Consumers will have to choose the one that meets their needs.

Typical Services

The following is a list of services that can be considered:

• Edging around all garden areas with a lawn edge trimmer
• Cutting the lawn
• Bagging the grass clippings or mulching the lawn clippings
• Fertilize the lawn at least 4 times per year
• Application of pesticides for weed control if allowed in your area
• Removal of weeds by hand
• Aerate your lawn once per year
• Watering the lawn
• Overseeding the lawn
• Spreading topsoil on the lawn in the fall or spring
• Checking the lawn for PH level and adding lime if needed
• Pest control e.g grubs
• Crabgrass control in the spring
• Dethatching the lawn once every couple of years

Most lawn care maintenance service companies will do all of these services. The exception will be watering the lawn since this takes a great deal of time. Some consumers will install automatic watering systems. They can be programmed to water the lawn at specified times during the day.

In addition, some companies specialize in fertilizer and pest control applications, leaving the actual grass cutting and edging, etc up to lawn care landscaping companies. You will see these companies going around with their trucks spraying the lawns with liquid fertilizer up to as many as 4 times per year which ensures that the lawn always is fed at the right time with the correct mix of fertilizer.

Lawn Care Maintenance Service & Landscaping Companies

If you also have a lot of gardens and shrubbery, you probably already know that these also require constant care and maintenance. They need to be fertilized and trimmed every year to ensure that they stay healthy and contribute to a beautiful looking yard. While we did not include this work activity in the above list, this work can be added to the contract that might be struck between you and the service company.

Your lawn and shrubs will always be at an optimum level this way with minimal work required by the homeowner if that is what is really desired. Many people do not mind cutting the grass once a week but prefer to leave all of the other work to the lawn care maintenance service companies. This can also be accommodated by most companies.

Contracts with Lawn Care Service Companies

We strongly urge consumers to ask for a simple written contract with any service company that spells out exactly what service will be performed, when it will be performed, and how often the work will be done for each service along with the price. Most companies are very reputable, but sometimes misunderstandings can occur and the best way to prevent this situation from occurring is to have it written down so that there is no confusion.

In fact all transactions should be handled in this manner to avoid any dispute or frustration on the part of the homeowner or the lawn care maintenance service company.

That’s all we have about lawn care maintenance service. Your next step is to decide what work you personally want to do and what work you would like to be completed for you.

What is purely organic lawn care? We are seeing this term more and more in the industry and the writer actually had a difficult time finding out just what is really meant by organic lawn care. Here is the definition that we were able to come up with for organic lawn care after searching for quite a few websites.

Organic Lawn Care – the process of maintaining a healthy lawn without using chemicals such as fertilizer, herbicides, or pesticides. The term organic actually refers to material that is made up of carbon-based compounds from living organisms. Organic fertilizers are produced from these types of materials.

Purely Organic Lawn Care

More and more towns and cities, even some provinces in Canada have banned the use of chemical-based pesticides and herbicides for use on homeowner lawns. This has left many lawns full of weeds and the grass looking unhealthy.

Some homeowners are unwilling to explore ways of managing their lawns or spending the time it takes to have a healthy lawn. The term, purely organic lawn care, has become a marketing term as well for many lawn care companies who promote their services as well.

What is the average homeowner supposed to do and how can they maintain their lawns without using chemicals? How can they have that green healthy lawn that looks great and makes our homes look fantastic as well?

Organic Lawn Care Tips

We have found many tips for maintaining your lawn.

• Add organic matter to your lawn to increase the soil by watering it in, during the fall
• Pick weeds at least once per week. Dig them out using a weed removal tool so you get at the roots
• Adding organic matter to the soil will help the soil retain water
• Always use slow-release organic fertilizer to feed the lawn over a longer period
• Dig out dandelions as soon as you see them. Be sure to get the roots
• Keep your lawnmower’s blade sharp to cut the grass blades evenly
• Use a rotary lawn mower to shear the grass blades and protect the grass from disease
• Aerate your lawn every couple of years to allow for air and water penetration
• Water less often but for longer. Your soil should be damp down to four inches
• There will always be some weeds so do not freak out about it
• Mulch your grass cutting so that it disintegrates more quickly and fertilizes your lawn
• Prevent your weeds from going to seed, pull them before
• Raising the height of your lawn to 2.5 inches will make it healthier and more difficult for weeds to grow
• Most insects in your lawn are considered beneficial
• Using corn gluten meal to add nitrogen to your lawn and prevent weeds from growing
• Avoid mowing when the lawn is wet to avoid clumping and an uneven cut
• Avoid using chemical fertilizers that kill insects, earthworms, etc
• Apply the correct type of grass for your area, check with your local lawn care store
• Water in the morning to prevent evaporation and mold growth on your lawn
• Get rid of the grubs in the soil. They attract raccoons and moles as well as eat the roots of the grass.

Avoiding Chemicals in Your Lawn

This is a rather long list; however, these various steps do work and provide a healthy-looking lawn. Some homeowners may find that it takes a little more work than they are used to, however avoiding the use of pesticides is a very positive thing since these chemicals can cause various medical conditions in humans including cancer. We want to keep these chemicals out of our food and water supplies as much as possible.

For more information about organic lawn care, click on the link.

Working outside on your lawn will also give you some exercise and contribute to the vitamin D that we all need in our bodies. We have noticed of late that many people seem to have given up on their lawns now that pesticides are banned in our area. They are full of weeds, particularly dandelions which just look awful. A few hours a week of work on your lawn can make a huge difference to the health of your lawn as well as contributing to the value of your property!

We all want to have a healthy lawn just like the one in this picture. The only way to really have one like this is to make sure that you follow a healthy lawn care program that is provided by a professional company or you do it yourself. We will cover some of the steps you can take to have a lawn like this in this post. A healthy lawn is not that difficult. All it takes is weekly care, water, fertilizer, and weed care and the majority of homeowners will have a lawn just like this. However, let’s examine these steps in more detail.

Steps to a Healthy Lawn Care Program

Fertilizer – the best fertilizer is a slow-release fertilizer applied 4 times a year. There are specific fertilizers that can be applied depending on the time of year. Spring fertilizer tends to promote the growth of your lawn while fertilizer for the fall is focused on root growth

Lime – adding lime may not be necessary. The only way to tell is to have your lawns PH tested and if the PH is low, you can add lime to bring the PH up. An indicator of low PH is when you have a lot of moss growing in various places on your lawn.

Aeration – allows the air and rainwater to penetrate deeper to provide nourishment for the roots. Always do this before adding fertilizer or top dressing.

Top Dressing and Over Seeding – If your lawn is thin in some areas, add a thin layer of top dressing soil along with lawn seed to thicken the lawn and provide fresh growth. Be sure to water your lawn to promote growth.

Mowing

Your lawn should be mowed often taking off no more than 1/3  of the lawn growth. Mulching your grass returns nitrogen to the lawn and reduces the garbage that you must put out each week.

Watering – water in the morning to minimize evaporation and prevent disease growth from the grass being wet overnight. Also, water so that your lawn gets a deep watering to promote deeper roots vs. watering often which will promote surface root growth.

Variety – plant grass that is suitable for your location and climate. A variety of grasses will be better able to withstand shady and sunny areas as well as temperature swings

Manage Pests – chinch bugs are the scourge of many lawn growers. They attack the roots and make your lawn more susceptible to dry periods. Water more often, let the grass grow longer, and overseed when the grass becomes thinner.

Grubs

Skunks and raccoons love grubs in your lawn and they will dig up your lawn making a terrible mess to get to them. Apply pesticides to control the grubs and avoid this problem. In some areas, pesticides are banned. The best approach is to keep your lawn healthy, water lots, overseed, and apply Nematodes. Nematodes are actually bugs that attack and kill grubs. They are best applied in June and July when the ground temperature is above 14 degrees Celsius. The best time to apply them is when it is raining so that they are washed into the soil. Ultraviolet rays from the sun will kill them.

A Healthy Lawn care program Increases your Homes Value

Consumers will have healthy lawns if they follow all of these steps which can easily be done by most. There are lawn care services available from local companies that will routinely fertilize your lawn and apply pesticides to control your lawns weeds and pests.

It is also better to mulch your lawn’s grass and to cut your grass often. It is easier to cut your grass if you do it more often and less harmful to the grass of the lawn. Many lawn owners will let their grass grow long and then cut it. They end up with long grass that must be raked and bagged and the grass may even go into shock when it is cut after being so long.

During dry periods either water a lot at one time or not at all. Your lawn will suffer if you do not water, however, it will go into a dormant state and rejuvenate itself once it rains again. During this time it is much more susceptible to weeds and pests taking over. Weeds seem to be able to grow in any condition even in very dry weather conditions. Enjoy your lawn and take care of it.

This Honda Lawn Mower, model HRR216PKA is a push-type lawn mower, however, it has many of the regular features that other Honda lawn mowers have. You can cut up to 21 inches wide traveling at your own speed as you push the lawn mower around your yard. There are 6 height adjustments and this is a three-in-one type of lawn mower. It includes discharge, mulching, and bagging. There is no leaf cutter. There are twin blades similar to most other lawnmowers made by Honda. They are supposed to do a superior job of cutting the grass into smaller pieces which makes it easier to bag as well as the grass will deteriorate faster when mulched. The warranty is 3 years for consumer use and 90 days for commercial use. This is a great inexpensive lawn mower that has an automatic choke for easy starting.

Honda Lawn Mower HRR216PKA – Specifications:

• Engine GCV160
• Deck Material Steel, 16 ga
• Cutting Width 21″
• Mowing height range 1 1/8″ – 4″
• Mowing height adjustments 6
• Drive Control None
• Transmission None
• Ground speed N/A
• Starter Recoil
• Choke System Automatic
• Handle 1″ Steel Tube
• Handle Height Positions 2
• Wheels 8″ Plastic
• Ball Bearing Wheels Rear
• Standard Functions 3 in 1: Mulch, Bag, Discharge
• Bag Standard
• Bag capacity (bushels) 2.4
• Blade(s) Twin blades (QuadraCut System®)
• Blade Control Flywheel brake
• Side/Rear Discharge Rear standard
• Dry weight 76 lbs.
• Operating Weight 78 lbs.
• Residential warranty 3 years
• Commercial Warranty 90 days

Engine:

• Engine GCV160

Propulsion:

• Push type
• Drive Control None
• Transmission None
• Ground speed N/A

Warranty:

• Residential warranty 3 years
• Commercial Warranty 90 days

Features:

• Honda twin-blade QuadraCut System®: superior mulching and bagging
• Easy starting Honda GCV160 Premium Residential Engine is certified to meet 50-state EPA and CARB emission levels.
• Honda Auto Choke™ System – easy starting
• 3-in-1 capability: Mulch, bag, and discharge with no tools needed.
• An optional leaf shredder was available.
• 2-position EZ Fold handle for easy height adjustment and storage
• Push type
• 21″ heavy-duty mowing deck
• 6 position height adjustment (1 1/8″ – 4″)
• Large 8″ wheels with rear ball bearings
• Large easy-off 2.4-bushel grass bag
• Zone start safety system
• Manual fuel shut-off valve
• 3-year residential warranty

Description of the Honda Lawn Mower HRR216PKA

This lawn mower although lower down in the lineup for overall features is still a great lawn mower for those people who only have a small lawn to cut and do not mind pushing their lawn mower.

The front wheels are plastic, while the rear wheels have ball bearings in them since they need to handle more weight. The grass catcher bag can hold up to 2.4 bushels of grass clippings which is sufficient for many lawns.

If you plan to mulch your lawn, most people find with any mulching lawn mowers, work much better if you cut your grass more often before it gets too long. The lawnmowers can do a much better job when the grass is around an inch long in terms of new growth.

The current price and specifications are subject to change and can be adjusted by the manufacturer at any time. Check with your local dealer for the latest pricing and specifications.

For information about delivery methods for your lawn mower, accessories that you can purchase, safety rules to follow, and proper operation and maintenance information, go to our page General Lawn Mower Information, to read more about these topics.

The Honda Lawn Mower model HRX217HZA has all of the features that the other Honda lawn mowers we have reviewed on this have plus the ability to be started electrically. Just push a button and the rechargeable battery will start the engine up to 300 times in a season.

It is self-propelled with variable speeds up to 4 miles per hour. Operators can set the speed based on mowing conditions and the speed that is most comfortable for them while mowing the lawn.

Combined with the twin blades that cut grass clippings into finer particles, this lawn mower can not only bag a larger amount of grass, you can also set it up to discharge, mulch and/or leaf shred as well. We have not tried the leaf shredding capability and would be interested in hearing from our readers how well this works. Finally, shredded leaf particles will compress a great deal into the leaf bag and this could be a really great feature if it works as it is designed to.

We provide a full list of specifications and features in the following.

Honda Lawn Mower HRX217HZA – Specifications:

• Engine GCV190
• Deck Material NeXite®
• Cutting Width 21″
• Mowing height range 3/4″ – 4″
• Mowing height adjustments 7
• Drive Control Cruise Control
• Transmission Hydrostatic
• Ground speed 0 to 4.0 mph
• Starter Electric/Recoil
• Choke System Automatic
• Drive Belt
• Handle 1″ Steel Tube
• Handle Height Positions 3
• Wheels 9″ Plastic
• Ball Bearing Wheels All
• Standard Functions 4 in 1 Mulch/Bag/Leaf shred/Discharge
• Bag Standard
• Bag capacity (bushels) 2.5
• Blade(s) Twin blades (Microcut)
• Blade Control Blade stop system (Roto-Stop)
• Side/Rear Discharge Rear standard
• Dry weight 98 lbs.
• Operating Weight 101 lbs.
• Residential warranty 5 years
• Deck warranty (non-commercial) Lifetime
• Commercial warranty 90 days

Engine:

• Engine GCV190
• Electric Start

Propulsion:

• Drive Control Cruise Control
• Transmission Hydrostatic
• Ground speed 0 to 4.0 mph

Warranty:

• Residential warranty 5 years
• Deck warranty (non-commercial) Lifetime
• Commercial warranty 90 days

Features:

• Electric Starting
• Cyclon Battery is completely rechargeable and is designed to hold its charge for a full season – up to 300 starts
• Precision speed control: 0 – 4 mph
• Stop the blades without stopping the engine
• Versamow System with Clip Director – Mulch, bag, discharge, and leaf shred with no parts to lose, no tools required
• MicroCut™ twin blade system – four cutting surfaces for finer clippings
• Worry-free cutting deck with a lifetime warranty
• Easy starting Honda GCV190 Engine is certified to meet 50-state EPA and CARB emission levels.
• Honda Auto Choke™ System – easy starting
• 5-year residential warranty
• The Versamow System helps you to mulch or partially mulch even in severe conditions.
• Smaller grass clippings mean you can mow 40% farther before you have to empty the bag.
• Easy, convenient rear discharge
• The HRX design makes leaf shredding easy.
• 3-position EZ Fold handle for easy height adjustment and storage
• The quick-release handle is easy to fold or adjust.
• Large 9″ ball bearing wheels
• 7 position cutting height adjustment (.75″ to 4″)
• Large 2.5-bushel capacity grass bag
• Manual fuel shut-off valve

Description of the Honda Lawn Mower HRX217HZA

Not only is it a front-wheel variable speed drive lawn mower, but it can also be used as a leaf shredder as well. It comes with a 5-year residential warranty and a 90-day warranty for commercial users. the deck is guaranteed for the lifetime of the machine as long as you own it.

Adjustment to one of seven height positions, discharge, mulch or bag your grass clippings and use the electric starter to start your lawnmower any time. It comes with an automatic choke so starting is always a breeze.

The current price and specifications are subject to change.  Check with your local dealer for the latest pricing and specifications.

For information about delivery methods for your lawnmower, accessories that you can purchase, safety rules to follow, proper operation and maintenance information, go to our page General Lawn Mower Information, to read more about these topics.

The Honda lawn mower model HRX217HYAC is another Honda lawn mower that consumers and commercial operators will find easy to use and makes fast work of cutting any lawn.  Cruise up to 4 miles per hour with cruise control variable speed mowing that easily allows you to match the speed to cutting conditions and your personal walking speed.

This lawn mower can also be set to one of seven positions to get the lawn height just the way you want it. It has an automatic choke and is started using a pull chord or recoil start approach. No more poor starting situations because you forgot to set the choke properly. The handle height can also be set to one of three positions to match your personal comfort level and to match the conditions that you are working in.

Note the full list of specifications and features that we have listed below for this lawn mower. We also highlight a few interesting features later on in this post.

Honda Lawn Mower HRX217HYAC – Specifications:

• Engine GCV190
• Deck Material NeXite®
• Cutting Width of 21″
• Mowing height range 3/4″ – 4″
• Mowing height adjustments 7
• Drive Control Cruise Control
• Transmission Hydrostatic
• Ground speed 0 to 4.0 mph
• Starter Recoil
• Choke System Automatic
• Drive Belt
• Handle 1″ Steel Tube
• Handle Height Positions 3
• Wheels 9″ Plastic
• Ball Bearing Wheels All
• Standard Functions 4 in 1 Mulch/Bag/Leaf shred/Discharge
• Bag Standard
• Bag capacity (bushels) 2.5
• Blade(s) Twin blades (Microcut)
• Blade Control Blade stop system (Roto-Stop)
• Side/Rear Discharge Rear standard
• Dry weight 96 lbs.
• Operating Weight 99 lbs.

Engine:

• Engine GCV190

Propulsion:

• Drive Control Cruise Control
• Transmission Hydrostatic
• Ground speed 0 to 4.0 mph

Warranty:

• Residential warranty 5 years
• Deck warranty (non-commercial) Lifetime
• Commercial Warranty 90 days

Features:

• Precision speed control: 0 – 4 mph
• Honda’s hydrostatic Cruise Control allows precise, infinitely variable speed control from 0 to 4 mph.
• Honda Roto-Stop® blade stop system allows you to step away from the mower, without having to stop and restart the engine.
• Versamow System with Clip Director – Mulch, bag, discharge, and leaf shred with no parts to lose, no tools required
• MicroCut™ twin blade system – four cutting surfaces for finer clippings
• Worry-free cutting deck with a lifetime warranty
• Easy starting Honda GCV190 Engine is certified to meet 50-state EPA and CARB emission levels.
• Honda Auto Choke™ System – easy starting
• 5-year residential warranty
• Smaller grass clippings mean you can mow 40% farther before you have to empty the bag.
• Easy, convenient rear discharge
• The HRX design makes leaf shredding easy
• 3-position EZ Fold handle for easy height adjustment and storage
• Large 9″ ball bearing wheels
• 7 position cutting height adjustment (.75″ to 4″)
• Large 2.5-bushel capacity grass bag
• Manual fuel shut-off valve

Description of the Honda Lawn Mower HRX217HYAC

This lawn mower comes with a full warranty for 5 years for all residential use and 90 days for commercial use. Note that the deck comes with a lifetime warranty which is quite special in the industry.

Operators can set the lawn mower to work in one of four settings – mulch, discharge, bag, and leaf shred. This is one of the few lawn mowers that we have seen in our ongoing reviews that advertise leaf shredding. We would be interested in hearing how well this works since we have not used this particular machine ourselves.

Twin blades also provide greater mulching capability and cut all grass into finer clippings causing more grass to be able to be bagged and grass clipping, in general, to disintegrate more quickly.

The current price and specifications are subject to change and can be adjusted by the manufacturer at any time. Check with your local dealer for the latest pricing and specifications.

For information about delivery methods for your lawn mower, accessories that you can purchase, safety rules to follow, and proper operation and maintenance information, go to our page General Lawn Mower Information, to read more about these topics.

The Honda Lawn Mower, model HRX217VKA is packed with features. We have listed the specifications and features below. However we wanted to hi-light a few that may be of interest to consumers and commercial lawn care specialists.

This lawn mower comes with a variable speed transmission. This allows you to match the ground speed with the cutting conditions and your own personal walking style. Set the mowing height to one of seven positions. Utilize one of the four configurations for mulching, leaf shredding, bagging and discharge of grass cuttings. This lawn mower is also a recoil start. In other words you have to pull a chord in order to get it started which is easy to do with the automatic choke.

It comes with a 5 year warranty for consumers and 90 days for commercial operators. It also comes with twin blades to increase the mulching capability of this lawn mower and it is front wheel self drive technology.

Honda Lawn Mower HRX217VKA – Specifications:

• Engine Honda GCV190
• Deck Material NeXite®
• Cutting Width 21″
• Mowing height range 3/4″ – 4″
• Mowing height adjustments 7
• Drive Control Smart Drive
• Transmission Cone Clutch
• Variable Speed Transmission
• Ground speed 0 to 3.6 mph
• Starter Recoil
• Choke System Automatic
• Drive Belt
• Handle 1″ Steel Tube
• Handle Height Positions 3
• Wheels 9″ Plastic
• Ball Bearing Wheels All
• Standard Functions 4 in 1 Mulch/Bag/Leaf shred/Discharge
• Bag Standard
• Bag capacity (bushels) 2.5
• Blade(s) Twin blades (Microcut)
• Blade Control Flywheel brake
• Side/Rear Discharge Rear standard
• Dry weight 89 lbs.
• Operating weight 92 lbs.

Engine:

• Engine Honda GCV190

Propulsion:

• Drive Control Smart Drive
• Transmission Cone Clutch
• Variable Speed Transmission
• Ground speed 0 to 3.6 mph

Warranty:

• Residential warranty 5 years
• Deck warranty (non-commercial) Lifetime
• Commercial warranty 90 days

Features:

• Choose your speed: Smart Drive™
• Variable speed from 0 to 3.6 mph.
• Versamow System with Clip Director – Mulch, bag, discharge and leaf shred with no parts to lose, no tools required
• Honda’s revolutionary Versamow System™ allows you to mulch, bag, discharge, and shred leaves.
• MicroCut™ twin blade system – four cutting surfaces for finer clippings
• Worry-free cutting deck with lifetime warranty
• The HRX’s 21″ deck is made of NeXite®.
• Easy starting Honda GCV190 Engine is certified to meet 50-state EPA and CARB emission levels.
• Honda Auto Choke™ System – easy starting
• 5 year residential warranty
• The Versamow System helps you to mulch or partially mulch even in severe conditions.
• Go further before emptying the bag with smaller grass clippings
• Easy, convenient rear discharge
• HRX design makes leaf shredding easy.
• 3-position EZ Fold handle for easy height adjustment and storage
• The quick release handle is easy to fold or adjust.
• Large 9″ ball bearing wheels
• Ball bearings in all four wheels
• 7 position cutting height adjustment (.75″ to 4″)
• Large 2.5 bushel capacity grass bag
• Flywheel brake safety system
• Manual fuel shut-off valve

Description of the Honda Lawn Mower HRX217VKA

This lawn mower from Honda has ball bearings in the wheels to extend the life of the wheels and the wheels can be adjusted to one of seven positions to cut the lawn just the way you want it.  Safety is a high concern and the flywheel brake system will stop the engine the moment it is released.  It also has a unique leaf shredding mechanism which shreds and bags the leaves at the same time. Smaller particles means you can go longer before having to empty the bag. This is accomplished by the unique twin blade micro cut system.

The current price and specifications are subject to change and can be adjusted by the manufacturer at any time. Check with you local dealer for the latest pricing and specifications.

For information about delivery methods for your lawn mower, accessories that you can purchase, safety rules to follow, proper operation and maintenance information, go to our page General Lawn Mower Information, to read more about these topics.