Weekend Project: Sharpen your mower blade

For our second weekend project, we're focusing on the blade of your lawn mower. As mentioned in the first installment of this series, we're running these items early in the week so you can get them on your to-do list early—and perhaps free up time for some R&R this weekend.

If you didn't sharpen the blade on your lawn mower at the start of this mowing season, or if you've been doing a lot of cutting so far this spring, now's the time to hone the cutter. And remember, you should sharpen the blade every year, more frequently if you have rocky or sandy soil. (If you're in the market for a new mower or tractor, read our latest report on this outdoor power equipment, available to subscribers).

A sharp blade not only cuts grass more cleanly but also trims fuel costs by up to 25 percent. Yet more than a quarter of Americans surveyed in our latest poll about lawns admit they've never sharpened their blade. That's a lot of gas money being left on the table not to mention butchered grass blades leading to ugly, unhealthy lawns.

Here's how to remove and sharpen the blade:

1. To remove the blade, turn the mower on its side; tip the mower so that the air filter faces up to keep engine oil from saturating the filter. To prevent a fuel spill, remove the blade once the mower has run out of gas or siphon off the gas. For good measure, remove the spark plug so there's no chance of the blade suddenly spinning to life.

2. Wearing heavy work gloves, secure the blade by lodging a block of 2x4 block between it and the mower deck (shown). Then use a combination wrench to loosen the bolt that anchors the blade to the drive shaft (there might be more than one bolt). If the bolt sticks, hit the handle of the wrench with a rubber mallet or use the breaker bar from your socket set for added leverage. Never be in a position where your hand or arm will contact the blade if the wrench or socket slips off the bolt or nut. Be sure to put the hardware in a safe place until remounting so you don't lose it.

3. Bring your blade into the local hardware store or power-equipment shop, where a sharpening will run you $5 to $10. If you get to the store before it gets too busy, they might be able to sharpen it on the spot, allowing you to get down to the real weekend project: cutting the grass. While you're at the store, pick up a second blade ($15 to $20). That way you'll always have a sharp blade on hand. Check the owner's manual before you head out to be sure you buy the right blade.

You could also sharpen the blade on your own using a metal file or a bench grinder, but it takes a steady hand to hold the blade at just the right angle and balance it without damaging the blade or hurting yourself.

4. When you remount the blade, be sure its cutting edge follows the direction of rotation—the wings of the blade will be oriented up toward the mower deck. If the mower has a cup washer, make sure the cup is facing the blade. Tighten the bolt according to the manufacturer's specifications.

Another good sharpening option is Dremel's Lawn Mower & Garden Tool Sharpener attachment (about $8) is. Peter Sawchuk, our outdoor-power-equipment expert, uses this attachment at our mower/tractor-testing site in Fort Myers, Florida, where we check out several dozen models every year. "I see value in the attachment for homeowners," says Sawchuk, noting that the nylon guide holds the blade at the right angle for maximum sharpness. In Sawchuk's experience, the only drawback to the attachment is that it can't grind out major nicks. You can also get similar drill attachments for sharpening a mower blade. Properly clamping the blade in a stationary position and using two hands to guide the tool will help you get a uniformly sharp cutting edge.

Even if you have to buy the rotary tool—a basic Dremel kit with a compatible model costs about $45 to $100—it will pay for itself in two or three years.—Daniel DiClerico | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Read our additional tips for saving money while maintaining a lush, healthy lawn. And check out our mowers and tractors buyer's guide.

In England, some wallabies work for food

We've published a couple of items recently about the use of goats to handle landscaping duties at the Norman J. Levy Park & Preserve in Hempstead, Long Island, and at Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California.

These goats have some yard-care cousins in England, in the form of wallabies, which are basically small kangaroos. In "Home-Grown Wallabies Hop in to Help Gardeners Keep Their Lawns Trim," The Times of London reports today that people with enough space and a lot of grass to maintain—and at least a 5-foot-high boundary to keep the leaping landscapers from bounding away—have turned to this native of the Australian Outback.

Demand has reached the point that one longtime wallaby breeder can't keep up with demand. "To be honest, if I had 100 I could easily get rid of them," Trevor Lay told The Times; he sells about 35 a year now. The wallabies cost around $230 for a male and four to five times that for a female. (Rare albino wallabies are considerably pricier.) Since wallabies are social animals, they're sold in pairs. That way they'll always have a partner when cutting the grass.—Steven H. Saltzman | e-mail | Twitter

Essential information: If you have a small property and are looking to eliminate mower emissions at your home but don't want to tend to a menagerie, consider using an electric lawn mower. Read about mower-exchange programs in which you swap an old gas mower for an electric model. For the latest news on lawn mowers and tractors, read our May 2009 story (report and ratings available to subscribers) and check out our mowers/tractors buyer's guide.

Last-minute Mother's Day gifts for the home

Unless you've somehow managed to avoid reading, watching, surfing, or listening to all media sources, you know that Sunday, May 10, is Mother's Day. It's up to you determine what your budget allows for gifts, but whatever you buy the moms in your life, it's probably money well spent: A recent study said fair corporate-world compensation for a stay-at-home mom would be $123,000 a year. (The Mom Salary Wizard is another way to determine that salary.)

If you haven't yet picked up your Mother's Day gift(s), consider the items below. And if you'd rather go the DIY route, fire up your gas or charcoal grill and make lunch or dinner this Sunday using these easy, delicious recipes for the grill. (Hint: Do postmeal cleanup, too.)

The Fiesta Blue Ember FG50069-U409 and the Char-Broil Red 463250509, each $450, surpassed grills costing as much as $1,400, as covered in our June 2009 report on gas grills (available to subscribers) Or consider the NuWave Pro Infrared Oven, $120. In our test, it cooked some foods well in less time than a conventional oven and was easy to clean.

If you're looking for a kitchen gear, here are some good options:

• The top-rated Cuisinart DLC-2011BCN food processor, $200, outperformed models costing twice as much when it came to chopping, pureeing, and mixing dough. If you don't need a machine that's good at kneading dough, consider the $180 Hamilton Beach Eclectrics 6322 stand mixer.

• If mom needs new kitchen knives, consider the stamped-steel knife sets from Oxo and Chicago Cutlery or the forged-steel set from Ginsu; the sets cost $60 to $100.

• And the $40 Michael Graves model was among the top scorers in our latest report on coffeemakers.

If mom's a DIYer, our tool-and-power-equipment guru Peter Sawchuk recommends the 2.3-pound Ryobi HJP001K, an easy-to-handle cordless drill/driver with a fast recharge time. For yard care, Sawchuk likes the $70 Toro Ultra Blower Vac leaf blower, with a compact design. A top-mounted motor and curved shaft makes the Black & Decker GH1000 electric string trimmer, $70 easy to handle. And if the yard's on the small side, mom might like the Black & Decker MM875 electric lawn mower, $230, which is easy to use and offers very good mulching.—Gian Trotta | e-mail | Twitter

Essential information: Check out the recommended Mother's Day gifts from our colleagues who cover consumer electronics.

How to make the smartest purchases

Every Consumer Reports editor is used to family members, friends, and acquaintances asking about the products we cover, hoping to get the inside scoop—and ratings and money-saving information—on appliances, cars, electronics, exercise equipment, investments and other key money matters, lawn gear, prescription drugs and health insurance, and more.

Sometimes they'll regretfully tell you that they bought product X just days before the latest report and ratings appeared in the magazine and on ConsumerReports.org. One person, ruing the purchase of something that didn't earn a recommended or Best Buy nod, calls this situation "Consumer Reports remorse."

Of course, we editors know what's coming up in the magazine. For instance, on any given day, we might pass labs where engineers are testing refrigerators and toilet paper (available to subscribers). Near one of our parking lots, we'll see racks holding panels with exterior paints and stains undergoing longevity testing (shown), while up on the roof of our Yonkers, New York, headquarters solar water heaters are being put through their paces.

If you depend on our ratings, there's no surefire way to avoid mistiming a purchase. But we do tend to cover the major categories in the same issue each year. For example, April is the annual auto issue, May traditionally features lawn mowers and tractors, August usually offers our special section on kitchens, and October brings product reports on energy-saving products and expert advice on ways to save money on your utility bills.

One way to stay on top of our latest news is to sign up for our free e-mail newsletter. If you're looking for specific information, click on the e-mail link at the end of this post and send us a note.

While today's tumultuous times are vastly different from December 1941, the resolution the Consumers Union board of directors adopted three days after the attack on Pearl Harbor does in some way resonate today:

"And for consumers there is now an absolute obligation to spend their family earnings in such a way as to maintain health and efficiency at a peak while putting the minimum strain on vital materials and services. Because it was established for the very purpose of aiding families to buy wisely and to avoid waste and to maintain health and living standards, and because it is the largest technical organization providing such guidance, Consumers Union recognizes a special responsibility to the nation."

That's no to say that knowing you bought a top-rated product is all that important, but Consumer Reports and Consumers Union can serve as an objective, informative guide during these early years of the 21st century. e-mail | Twitter

Big-Bang Theory! When basic yard care turns explosive

Most of us who cut our own grass have run over something when mowing the lawn. My own minor mishaps include pushing my mower over my Labradoodle's favorite ball (amazingly, the springy rubber ball suffered not even a scratch), wiping out a few just-bloomed tulips, and damaging a section of a low-lying border around a flower bed.

But nothing I've done or ever heard of can match what apparently happened to a 39-year-old in Zagreb, Croatia. While the man was cutting the grass last week, he ran over a hand grenade, according to this report on CroatianTimes.com. The spinning blades set off the grenade, but because the mower absorbed the brunt of the blast, the man escaped serious injury, said local police.

I initially though the grenade might be a remnant of the war that gripped the former Yugoslavia during the early 1990s, but the report said someone had tossed the grenade onto the property. (Talk about problems with the neighbors. Recommended reading: "Neighbor Wars—Keeping the Peace.")

If you're in the market for a new mower or tractor, check out our buyer's guide to mowers and tractors. And read our May 2009 report on mowers and tractors (report and ratings available to subscribers).

Not that you'd expect any brand to withstand an exploding grenade, but it pays to buy a reliable product. Among the more reliable brands are Honda, Toro, and Craftsman (push lawn mowers); Toro and Honda (self-propelled lawn mowers); and John Deere (lawn tractors).—Steven H. Saltzman | e-mail | Twitter

Essential information: Read about safe mowing in our summer-safety guide.

Google shepherds in a new era in landscaping at its California headquarters

Last month in "April Fools' . . . Not: Weed-Whacking Goats Are for Real," we wrote about a decision by the Town of Hempstead, in Nassau County, New York, to buy five Nigerian Dwarf goats to help rid the Long Island town's 50-acre Norman J. Levy Park & Preserve preserve of mugwort, bulrushes, and other unwanted growth.

Using grazing goats for landscaping work will now likely have a much higher profile, as search-engine giant Google is using a hired herd of 200 goats to clear weeds and brush from its Mountain View, California, headquarters. Posting on the company's official blog, Dan Hoffman, director of real estate and workplace services, wrote, "This spring we decided to take a low-carbon approach: Instead of using noisy mowers that run on gasoline and pollute the air, we've rented some goats from California Grazing to do the job for us." (The photo shows some California Grazing goats.) The cost is about the same as using power equipment, according to Hoffman. Read more about Google's green efforts at its facilities.

If you're not yet ready to abandon your outdoor power equipment and tend to a herd of goats, check out our buyer's guides to mowers/tractors and string trimmers. And read our May 2009 report on mowers and tractors (report and ratings available to subscribers).—Steven H. Saltzman | e-mail | Twitter

Greener Gardens bill would provide federal tax credits for electric and alternative-energy outdoor power equipment

If you've been considering trading in your gas lawn mower or tractor for a corded or cordless electric model through one of many government-sponsored mower-exchange programs, you could be getting some extra incentive.

The recently introduced Greener Gardens bill would provide a federal tax credit of 25 percent off the price up to $1,000 of an electric, hybrid, or alternative-energy mower or tractor as well as other lawn gear; the bill is intended to lower emissions from outdoor power equipment. (Perhaps we'll see rigs that look something like the fantasy solar-powered tractor shown.) See our May 2009 report on mowers and tractors and visit our buyer's guide to this lawn gear, where you'll find ratings of push, self-propelled, and riding mowers (report and ratings are available to subscribers).

The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute trade group supports the bill, sponsored by a trio of Vermont members of Congress: senators Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders and Representative Peter Welch. According to the OPEI, the proposed legislation would cover equipment that is powered by a motor drawing current from solar, electricity, or rechargeable or replacement batteries; is powered by alternative power sources and regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; or has a hybrid-electric drive train and/or cutting system powered by a generator or electrical-storage device combined with a small engine.

Cordless electric mowers are widely available, and electric riding mowers have started to appear on the market, including the Ariens AMP Rider.

But electric mowing isn't for everyone. Electric push mowers we've tested are limited by either an inconvenient power cord or a run time maxing out at about 45 minutes—with recharge times of 9 to 72 hours. And most did a lackluster job at mulching, bagging, and side-discharging. If you have a small lawn, however, an electric push mower might be a good choice.

Also note that two of our three CR Best Buy lawn tractors, $1,500 each, cost significantly less than any electric riding mower even after the tax credit and would better suit a property that's an acre or more in size.—Ed Perratore | e-mail | Twitter

Earth Day Special: Consider exchanging your gas lawn mower for an electric model

"Mow down pollution."

"Do your share to spare the air."

"Mower exchange can save residents hundreds."

The rhetoric is flying, if not the fumes, as programs enticing you to trade in your gas mower for an electric model ramp up in time for prime mowing season and Earth Day.

We first reported on mower-exchange programs last year. You take your gas mower to a location and exchange it for an electric mower that you buy at a steep discount; some programs also allow you to buy a discounted electric mower without an exchange.

California is predictably in the forefront of mower swap, with programs all over the state offering $100 or more off a new electric mower. Similar programs exist in other states, including Colorado (Denver program shown), Texas, South Carolina, and Kentucky. (Louisville, Kentucky, even includes gas-powered string trimmers and blowers in its lawn-care rebate program.) And in Canada, Home Depot is running the Mow Down Pollution event for gas mowers and trimmers from April 23 to May 3. Find out about mower-exchange programs in your area by checking with the department of environmental protection in your state or a county or local agency.

If you have a modest-size property, there's a strong upside to unloading an old, gas-guzzling mower or other lawn gear. Some electric push mowers (ratings available to subscribers) we've tested were as good as all but the highest-rated gas models at cutting evenly, and on average they were as easy to handle. Among other advantages, they're especially quiet and don't need tuning up.

But an electric mower might not make sense if you have a large yard—most have a run time of about 45 minutes—or one with a lot of slopes. Models from Worx, Neuton, and Earthwise tested for our May 2009 report on mowers and tractors (report and ratings available to subscribers) did a lackluster job at mulching, bagging, and side-discharging. Also note that for corded electric models, schlepping around the power cord and having to plug it back in from time to time can be a nuisance.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Lawn Mower Exchange Program Calculator can help you determine how much better an electric or reel mower would be in terms of emissions than your current gas mower. The EPA itself has been tightening emissions regulations engines used in mowers, and any mower you've bought in the past few years—especially in California—will likely be more efficient as manufacturers phase out their manufacturing to meet the upcoming emissions changes.—Ed Perratore | e-mail | Twitter

Consumer Reports reveals hottest features in the latest mowers and tractors

Every year during the testing for our May 2009 report on lawn mowers and tractors (the full story and ratings are available to subscribers; see our buying guide for free expert advice), we find innovations, often brand-specific enhancements, that show creativity on the part of the manufacturer.

Such features aren't necessarily gotta-haves, and the occasional one leaves us shaking our collective head. Still, the better features could sway a choice between two otherwise similar models. Last year, for example, Toro and Craftsman added a washout port (more commonly a tractor feature) to its walk-behind mowers, a nice plus that makes it easy to clean the mower deck after use.

Learning about these features is part of the fun of our annual stay in Fort Myers, Florida, where we test mowers and tractors (shown). Here are a few of this year's innovations:

• Some Craftsman mowers, made by Husqvarna, have a protective rear flap that stays open while you secure the bag. This lets you clip on the bag using only one hand instead of two. Once you press the mower's drive lever, the hatch clip releases so that the flap holds the bag in place. Other features we liked include easy-grip wheel-height adjustment and dual-hand drive levers that give a courteous nod to the left-handed.

• New self-propelled mowers from Toro come with especially deep, stamped-steel decks, which seem to improve cutting performance without adding to the cost.

• Some changes are more about what isn't there than what is. To keep down the cost of its $290 10641 self-propelled mower, Lawn-Boy is not including a side-discharge chute with the mower. The company's research finds many people don't use the chute. You can get one for free by calling or e-mailing the company or submitting the enclosed warranty card.

• If you have a large property, you might choose a zero-turn mower over a lawn tractor because of its faster ground speed, an average 2.5-mph difference that shortens the time to get from one place to another. The 54-inch Craftsman 28947 lawn tractor was noticeably faster than others we tested: 7.6 mph compared with 5.4. That's too fast to mow at, but it will help you get around your stead faster.

(Safety note: Zero-turn-radius mowers can outsteer most tractors and zoom back to the shed much faster when you're done. But those attributes also make the machines riskier if there's a wall, pond, road, or other potential hazard at the bottom of a slope. Learn more about these machines in "Hills Pose Risks for Some Riding Mowers.")

• A disappointing trend in this year's lawn tractors is that all require you to change the blade to switch modes—say, from side-discharge to bagging. Nearly all now require a blade change to mulch, though the models requiring a change to switch to bagging mode remain a minority. Changing the blade usually requires disconnecting the deck, changing the blades, and remounting and leveling the deck, or you can use a set of auto ramps to get under the deck.

As with last year, a few of the tractors we tested offer tighter turning than the norm thanks to rear- or four-wheel-steering. Unless you have many trees to mow around, however, don't spend the roughly $1,000 extra for tight turning. And even these tighter-turning models need two passes to cut around a tree with a 12-inch base.—Ed Perratore | e-mail | Twitter

Essential information: Check out our lawn-and-yard guide for tips on yard care and maintaining your gear.

Save time and money with our quick, easy lawn-care tips: Part II

Excerpted from "Hassle-Free Lawns and Yards," in the May 2009 issue of Consumer Reports, these quick tips can save you loads of time on your yard work and maybe even some money, too. The first five tips ran yesterday.

6. Mulch clippings
Mulching instead of bagging returns natural nutrients to the soil, saving as much as 30 percent on fertilizing costs. Hose down your mower blade and the underside of the mower deck after each use for better mulching and a neater cut. (The photo shows how clippings can build up when a mower doesn't mulch well.)

7. Water wisely
Don't overwater—one inch per week is the rule of thumb in normal weather. Water in the early morning, before the hot sun and wind prevent water from reaching the roots. Evening watering promotes mold. Check out this additional watering advice.

8. Improve sprinkler-system efficiency
For plants and bushes, drip-irrigation systems cut water loss to wind, runoff, and evaporation. Use rain and soil-moisture sensors for your sprinkler system, check for even distribution by placing plastic cups throughout the lawn, and stem waste by not watering walkways or the driveway.

9. Think beyond grass
Balance your outdoor ecosystem with shade-loving ground covers, ornamental grasses, trees, flowers, and shrubs. Put shrubs and plants with similar watering needs together. Plant flowers and bushes susceptible to pests near plants that repel them.

10. Do a weekly walk-around
If you leave footprints in the lawn when you walk on it, the grass needs more water. Check for compacted soil with a screwdriver; if it won't go in easily, rent an aerator ($65 to $75 per day). Inspect grass in the early morning when the dew will highlight signs of damage and stress.—Gian Trotta | e-mail | Twitter

Essential information: Boost the curb appeal of your home, create an outdoor-entertainment area, or add privacy with these yard makeovers. Our lawn-and-yard guide offers more articles and videos to help you create great outdoor spaces.