How to Mow a Lawn

Choose the best outdoor power equipment for the size of your lawn and the type of grass you have. Manual, battery-powered and gas models are available.

Most lawn and garden tractors and some riding lawn mowers take attachments you can use for year-round lawn care. With the right attachments on your tractor, you can mulch your grass, remove snow or till a garden.

Consider your budget and how much work you want the mower to do. Self-propelled mowers, for example, push themselves along while you steer them and walk behind. Reel mowers will give you a workout. Powerful garden tractors let you sit and steer.

Think about the size of your yard and whether you need a mower that can handle thick or coarse grass. How easy the mower is to move is important if you have a lot of trees or other obstacles to mow around. In that case, a zero turn mower could be a good choice for you.

Riding mowers are great for small yards or yards that are one-half acre in size or larger. They're less powerful and fast than lawn and garden tractors, but they can handle uphill and downhill slopes and uneven land. Some have mulching and bagging capabilities and other options.

For a riding mower or lawn or garden tractor, begin by sitting on the seat with the blade deck up. Start the mower in low gear, if it has gears, and wait until you're on the grass to lower the blade. Change gears as needed. Move the throttle to adjust the speed in each gear.

To mow with a riding lawn mower, adjust your speed for different sections of your lawn so the cuts are smooth and even. You can't make quick, sharp turns on a riding mower. Instead, take long turns or move in a circular pattern.

When you make a turn, raise the blade or blade deck if you get off the grass. Lower it again when you’re back on the grass. Stop on a flat area and raise the blade before you park the mower.

Tip: Avoid passing back over the grass you already mowed, as this could crush it.

Lawn tractors can be mistaken for riding mowers, but there are differences. As a rule of thumb, lawn tractors can cut large yards in patches of grass up to 48 inches wide. They can also handle low-grade hills. They're comfortable to ride on and have detachable decks for adding attachments like snow blowers or other accessories.

Like riding mowers, lawn tractors can't make sharp turns. If you have trees or other objects in your yard, check the turning radius of your model. The turning radius refers to how tight a turn a tractor or mower can make. On lawn tractors with a limited turning radius, make long turns or mow in circles instead of turning sharply.

Follow the instructions for using a riding mower to get the best results from a lawn tractor.

Garden tractors are heavier and more powerful than riding mowers because they have stronger frames and bigger engines. Consider a garden tractor if you are mowing one or more acres. Models with big mowing decks can cut more grass relatively quickly.

Garden tractors have heavy-duty transmissions, so you can add an aerator, backhoe, tiller or other lawn and garden accessories as needed for landscaping and year-round tasks.

While garden tractors can't make sharp turns, they have locking differentials you can use to mow on hills. Use the instructions for a riding mower to use a garden tractor correctly.

Push mowers are manual mowers and come in battery- or gas-powered, corded or cordless models. If you use one, you'll typically have to make more passes over your lawn than you would with a ride-on mower or tractor.

Choose a gas-powered push mower instead of a battery-powered mower if your grass is thick or your yard has slopes or hills. A gas-powered mower will run longer and give you more cutting power. Cut across a slope or hill, not up and down. This helps you stay safe and control the mower better.

Choose a self-propelled lawn mower if you want a push mower to do some of the work for you. It's a good choice for cutting grass around trees, and it can mow grass on some uneven terrain. These mowers are easy to maneuver, so you can cut your lawn faster than with a riding mower that requires long turns.

To use a push mower, walk in a straight line. When you reach the border of your yard, turn the mower and move it over slightly. Then, walk in the other direction. Overlap the strip slightly. Continue until you mow the whole lawn. If your mower is corded, be careful not to pass over the electrical cord.

Manual-powered reel mowers are ideal for environmentally-conscious buyers. They don't use fuel or electricity. Reel mowers are best for small yards of 1/4- acre or less that don't have thick or rough-textured grass.

Reel mowers can be difficult to use on hills because they require physical strength. As with other push mowers, cut your lawn from side to side rather than up and down if your yard is hilly.

Reel mowers cut with blades that perform a scissor-like action. They're lightweight, easy to use and need little maintenance, other than keeping the blades sharp. Optional grass catchers are available for some models.

Recommended for cutting grass on one to three or more acres, zero turn mowers are very easy to maneuver and are ideal for large, flat lawns. Zero turn mowers can make up to 180-degree turns, so they cut very close to obstacles.

As a rule of thumb, you won't need to do much trimming after cutting with a zero turn mower, and they mow faster than regular walk-behind mowers. Match the size of your lawn to the size of the cutting deck for the best results.

Use a zero turn mower the same way you would a riding mower. The biggest difference is you’ll be able to make turns more easily.

• Before you begin, check the blade is sharp and set the mower deck for the recommended height of your grass.
• Start the mower on a flat area. Keep the blade or blade deck up until the mower is on the grass.
• Cut only one-third of the grass blades at one time. Doing this leaves the blades long enough to provide shade for the roots. For example, the optimum height for Kentucky bluegrass is 2 inches, so don't let the grass grow to more than 3 inches before you mow.
• Don't mow while the grass is wet from rain or dew. Wet grass can mat and stick to the mower blades or leave clumps on the lawn.
• Remove yard debris like rocks, twigs and nuts from trees before you mow the lawn. If you run over them, they can be thrown into the air and cause injury or damage.
• Change the mowing pattern each time you mow. Doing this helps avoid making ruts, scalping the lawn and causing the grass to lean in the same direction.
• Mow when the height of your grass needs it, not on a set schedule. Mowing too often can expose roots to the sun and reduce growth.
• Wear eye and hearing protection when mowing the lawn.