Robotic lawn mowers aim to do the yard care for you

If you're fed up with cutting the grass a few months into the latest lawn-mowing season, you might be considering hiring a yard-care company to do the work or even swapping out your old mower or tractor for a robotic model.

But as we've found in our tests of robotic mowers over the years, these machines might not be worth their often high price. And they might not even save you time: Manufacturers of robotic mowers warn you to keep children and pets away from the machines, and some companies advise you to supervise the mowing. That's sound advice, but for a half-acre lawn, that could mean 4 hours of supervising the mower several times a week, compared with the hour or so of work you'd do cutting the grass on your own.

We've also been disappointed by mowing performance. In our 2008 report on lawn mowers and tractors, the Friendly Robotics RoboMower RL1000, $2,000, provided an unimpressive cut. What's more, it sometimes got stuck—it went outside its perimeter wiring and ended up against a tree—and didn't return to its charger.

For our 2009 report (story and ratings available to subscribers), we noted that the Husqvarna Automower 220 AC, $2,100, trims only a little over 2 inches, which can weaken grass roots. And small sticks and leaves stopped the thin, swinging blades on the mower. Get more details on this robotic machine.

Manufacturers of outdoor power equipment continue to work toward enhancing their robotic mowers, including commercial-grade models used on golf courses and sports fields. "You know, our products are getting more and more sophisticated all the time," said Dana Lonn, managing director of Toro's Center for Advanced Turf Technology, in "Robot Mowers Take the Sweat Out Of Lawn Care," on NPR's All Things Considered. Lonn added that Toro's Groundsmaster 5900, has "four microprocessors on it; it's got a network; it wirelessly reports how many hours it's achieved. Computers are driving it."

Read and listen to the rest of that recent NPR story, to which Bob Markovich, editor of the Consumer Reports Home franchise, contributed. "I think the short and simple answer is, [robotic mowers are] still an expensive toy," Markovich told reporter Nell Greenfieldboyce. e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Weekend Project: Basic mower maintenance keeps your lawn looking its best

If the engine on your mower goes kablooey, there's not much you can do on your own—beyond shelling out $50 to $75 per hour to a repair shop to fix the problem or spending hundreds on a new grass cutter. See our buying guide to mowers and tractors and our May 2009 ratings-based report (available to subscribers).

But a little basic maintenance will keep your mower running smoothly and your yard green. Here's what you need to do to keep your mower—and your yard—in tip-top shape:

• Check the dipstick to be sure the oil level is at or near the full mark. Too little oil can damage or destroy the engine by leaving parts unlubricated in a hot environment. It is the fastest way to permanently damage your mower. Too much oil can cause poor running, produce excess exhaust emissions, and damage the spark plug.
• Hose or scrape off old clippings from beneath the deck. Do this work at the end of each mowing while the clippings are still moist and easy to remove. Built-up clippings will significantly reduce mulching performance by blocking the recutting action necessary for good mulching. To easily clean the deck, turn the mower on its side with the carburetor and air filter facing upward to eliminate lubrication oil from getting into the fuel system, and use a hose and a scraper. Tip: After cleaning, spray silicone lubricant on the inside of the deck to reduce clipping build-up and for easier cleaning.
• Get the blade sharpened. A dull blade can make your lawn look less than its best. A dull blade will damage the blades of grass, stressing the plants. You might even notice that the tips of the grass turn brown. Need another reason? A dull blade will cause your mower to burn more fuel and you to work harder and longer. Tip: Buy a second blade. This way, you'll always have a sharp blade on hand. Plan on changing to a sharp blade once a month or more frequently for heavy cutting conditions.
• Remove grass and debris from the cooling fins, engine covers, and air intake after each use to help prevent engine overheating.
• If your mower has a manual engine throttle control (most mowers don't), be sure it's properly adjusted. Regularly check the wheel-drive belt on a self-propelled mower for wear and tightness. Replace as needed.
• Always use gasoline stabilizer. This way, gasoline that ends up sitting for some time is always fresh. The recent environmental additives to gasoline can cause it to break down and form a "varnish" when sitting for even a short time, which can result in hard starting and an expensive carburetor cleaning.

A summertime tune-up for your yard

The early days of the growing season were so promising—your yard was lush and green, with no bald spots or weeds to be seen. But now, with the dog days of summer upon us, your lawn is looking less and less like an inviting carpet to lounge and play on. If that sounds familiar, your yard might be suffering from some of the typical problems listed below.

But before you take any corrective action, raise the cutting height on your mower one notch or a half-inch. By not cutting your grass too short, you’ll allow your lawn to better survive summer heat—taller grass blades have longer roots and provide more shade to retain moisture.

Thin, weak, or yellowish lawn. Nitrogen-rich fertilizer is the usual cure for this problem. But the cause can also be too little iron or magnesium, especially in the West, where alkaline or high-pH soils are common.

Iron sulfate or iron chelate will turn the lawn green within two days if it's low on iron. Be especially sure to keep iron sulfate on the lawn, since it can stain paving. If the lawn doesn’t respond, mix 2.5 tablespoons of Epsom salts into a gallon of water and spray it over a test area. The area should turn green within two days if the problem was too little magnesium.

Dead spots. Most of these withering areas are caused by dog urine, spilled gasoline, or spilled fertilizer rather than by disease. Soak the area with water to wash the salts or chemicals into the soil and minimize their damage. Next, cover the area with a layer of new soil followed by new grass seed and starter fertilizer. Remember to keep the area well watered.

Mushrooms. These annoying fungi typically—and, it seems, magically—appear after a rain and often indicate dead tree roots or decaying wood. You can't eliminate them without removing and replacing the soil in which they live, but you can mow or rake them away as they appear.

Water runs off and won't soak in. This situation is caused by poor or compacted soils or by sprinklers that apply water faster than the soil can absorb it. Sloping ground worsens the problem.

Sprinkler heads that water more slowly are one possible solution. Aerating the lawn, which involves extracting narrow cores of soil, can also boost water absorption and reduce runoff. Top-dressing the area with peat moss will also help.

To avoid common watering mistakes, learn the ABCs of irrigation.

Moss. Too much shade is a prime culprit. Other causes include compacted, infertile soil and soil acidity, or pH, that's too high or low.

If a soil test shows low pH, adding limestone in the form of palletized (powdered) lime will help. (Your local cooperative extension system office can test the soil for you.

You can also apply moss killers, which contain a form of iron sulfate to burn the moss. But unless you address the underlying problem, the moss will return.

Thinning trees at least annually will let in more light and help the tree when done correctly. (Learn how to prune trees.) Removing or mulching fallen leaves also helps, as does mowing grass beneath trees slightly higher and fertilizing it a bit less. Also consider replacing grass beneath trees with wood chips or other ground cover.

Essential information: Use our exclusive interactive tool to identify and control the weeds, pests, and diseases that are damaging your lawn. If you need any new geat for your yard, read our buying guides to mowers and tractors and string trimmers.

Tip of the Day: Wear sunscreen whenever you do outdoor work

Sixty-nine percent of Americans said they use sunscreen at least occasionally, according to a nationally representative survey of 1,000 adults conducted in April by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. Women who participated in the survey were more likely than men to use it frequently and said they used sunscreen more consistently during a range of outdoor activities.

That last part is key: If you're like me, you probably think to put on sunscreen when you go to the beach or to the pool or head out for a hike. But do you apply sunscreen when you're working around the house? I often neglect to, and while a recent check by my dermatologist showed no signs of any skin problems (even on my hair-challenged head, which is always covered by a good sun hat when I'm outside), I'm taking an unnecessary risk every time I roll out the lawn mower without first putting on sunscreen.

As a colleague of mine noted in a recent Health Weekender blog post, "Real Men Should Wear Sunscreen." Why run the risk of getting skin cancer?

So before you power-wash or stain your deck, trim your hedges, mow your grass, or tackle any other outdoor project, put on sunscreen, and don't forget to wear appropriate eye and ear protection. Our latest report on sunscreens (ratings available to subscribers) details the best product(s), provides expert advice on when and how much sunscreens to apply, and deciphers the sometimes-confusing lingo you see on sunscreen packaging.—Steven H. Saltzman | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Learn more about skin cancer.

Q&A: How can I deal with lawn fungus?

After all the recent heavy rain we've had, several brown spots have appeared on my lawn, and they're spreading. Neighborhood dogs aren't causing the problem. Is my grass suffering from some kind of fungus?

Based on the photograph you sent us (shown), it looks as if your yard does have a fungus problem. Even if you took good care of your lawn earlier in the growing season, excessive water can damage grass and foster fungus growth.

To identify a fungus in your yard, use our guide to common lawn problems and visit the Cornell Cooperative Extension Web site. The CCE is a nationwide network of agricultural and environmental specialists based in Ithaca, New York.

Your next step is to apply a recommended fungicide to and around the infected area to keep the fungus from spreading.The CCE advises that you use the right product for the fungus problem you have and closely follow application instructions and precautions. When mowing, cut the healthy parts of the lawn before the sick, and bag and dispose of clippings to avoid spreading the fungus with your mower.

Proactive application of a general fungicide when the temperature first starts to rise in the spring, as recommended by our lawn-care expert, Peter Sawchuk, might prevent fungus problems altogether throughout the growing seasons, although you also need to take any possible measures to keep your lawn from encouraging fungal growth in the first place. Sawchuk buys fungicides in the fall since these products tends to be scarce in stores in the spring, when they're needed the most.

If you're in the market for a new lawn mower or tractor, read our latest report on this outdoor power equipment (story and ratings available to subscribers) and visit our mower/tractor product page.—Ed Perratore | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Water your lawn early in the morning, which lets the water settle in with less evaporation and protects your grass against the brightest, hottest part of the day. Watering late in the day could make your lawn susceptible to such fungi as brown patch, Pythium, and rust.

Is fuel with an increased level of ethanol a problem for small gas engines?

During our testing of mowers and tractors in Fort Myers, Florida, this past winter, project leader Peter Sawchuk took us to a local power-equipment dealer who had an intriguing story to tell.

Employees at the shop regularly rebuilt carburetors gummed up from the so-called "varnish" that builds up from unstabilized gas left sitting in engines. But since ethanol started being added to fuel sold in Florida in 2007, the power-equipment pros were seeing something new: metal parts crusted up, plastic parts stiffened and cracked, and everything rubber, including the tips of needle valves, deteriorated. (The photo shows how ethanol could impact the carburetor of a small gas engine; the white, crusty film is apparently caused by the ethanol.)

Ethanol has been mixed with gasoline at the pumps for decades and is used in about half the country. The typical ratio is about 10 percent ethanol to 90 percent gasoline, known as E10. There are other blends, including E85, a mixture with 85 percent ethanol. (Learn more about ethanol.)

A political storm over ethanol is brewing, and it revolves around adding more ethanol to gasoline.

It began this past March, when a coalition of ethanol producers formally asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to approve the use of E15, a blend containing 15 percent ethanol. The lobbying group Growth Energy filed for the waiver to the Clean Air Act, claiming that increasing the blend to E15 would create jobs and inject billions of dollars annually into the economy. Granting the waiver request, the group also said, wouldn't impact small engines since gas stations would still be able to sell E10.

The EPA has until December 1 to make a decision. Many members of Congress, most notably from states most involved in ethanol production, support the waiver, with other Congress members from other states voicing opposition. But the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), a trade group of power-equipment manufacturers, and numerous other parties are calling timeout in a big way.

While it supports the use of E10, the OPEI is calling for a formal waiver process that considers the full effects of higher levels of ethanol on small engines. This means not only nonroad equipment such as lawn gear but also generators, marine engines, snowmobiles, and motorcycles. The group moreover expresses concern about fostering confusion at the pump, when a homeowner goes to refill a mower and sees multiple blends of ethanol. Choose too rich an ethanol blend, and the results could prove harmful to the engine and dangerous to the user.

Among studies Growth Energy cites to support its filing is one from the U.S. Department of Energy (PDF) that tested the effects of various blends on engines. But the study itself, predating Growth Energy's application, acknowledges the need for further tests. It also includes numerous findings that should warrant hesitation on the EPA's part, according to analysis by a consultant to the OPEI (PDF):

• Engine-exhaust temperatures are significantly higher when E15 fuel is used compared with E10, which affects product longevity.
• Operators face increased safety risks, including some unintentional engagement of the clutch because of high idle speeds.
• Two power blowers failed completely after running on E15 fuel for 25 or less hours.
• Operational problems resulted, including erratic equipment operation, "missing" and stalling of engines, and power reduction.

Two other groups have called the waiver request premature. The Union of Concerned Scientists charges the petitioners with "trying to subvert the science with its request . . . before the studies are completed." The Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Working Group says the ethanol industry is "misrepresenting scientific facts in efforts to dupe the [EPA] into waiving critical public-health protections for the sake of boosting ethanol sales." The EWG further claims that all the studies (besides the DOE's) that Growth Energy cites contain evidence "that undermines the case for E15 and above."

Currently, the use of gasoline blends with any higher a percentage of ethanol than E10 voids the warranty of outdoor power equipment and other engines, including those in cars. But among comments to the requested waiver are those from boating associations such as the National Marine Manufacturers Association, a trade group representing the recreational-marine industry. It's concerned that Growth Energy's petition for a waiver makes no mention of marine engines and the potential impact, supported by studies, of intermediate ethanol blends on boating consumers or marine equipment.

At least for boaters, ethanol blends aren't a new problem. A July 2006 article in BoatU.S. magazine (PDF) warned of dissolving fiberglass gas tanks, ruined carburetors and intake valves, and—worst—the threat of engine failure while miles out at sea. "Affected engines may run rough, stall or bog down under load," the article stated.

Comments to the EPA on the proposed waiver, with details here, will be accepted until September 25.—Ed Perratore | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Carpal tunnel syndrome and yard work: Seeking a solution

The list of injuries, whether minor or gruesome, you might suffer using outdoor power equipment is extensive. A couple of years ago I wrote about the types of jobs some weekend warriors might want to avoid. (The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission provide safety advice for a range of gear.)

But this year I've encountered an injury not caused by a specific event, say cutting myself with a chain saw or getting dinged by a flying rock spewed by my lawn mower. And while it's more of a nagging injury—for right now—than a devastating one, this problem is no less significant.

I'm talking about carpal tunnel syndrome. Years ago I suffered from this injury, caused by pressure on a nerve in the wrist; mine is primarily in my right hand. My physician prescribed the anti-inflammatory drug Relafen (nabumetone), which, combined with a better ergonomic setup at my desk, remedied the matter.

But this year, the carpal tunnel syndrome and its accompanying pain, numbness, and tingling have come back worse than ever. And the yard work I do—using a lawn mower, string trimmer, and blower vac, not to mention shovels, rakes, pruners, and other hand tools—exacerbates the injury. The Black & Decker CMM 1200 cordless electric push mower I've been using seems to put more strain on my wrist than my self-propelled mower does.

I am trying several different grips on the gear and have adjusted the mower handle, but so far these steps haven't eliminated the carpal tunnel. Next steps? I just ordered a pair of work gloves designed to alleviate the symptoms and am also using stretches and massage. I'm also upping my intake of vitamin B6, as recommended by Orly Avitzur, M.D., a medical adviser to Consumers Union.

I'm keeping my tingling fingers crossed that these moves will work, because the next steps might include drugs and even surgery. As noted on ConsumerReportsHealth.org, "If you have severe carpal tunnel syndrome, you may need an operation right away to prevent more permanent nerve damage."

If you've ever suffered from carpal tunnel syndrome—perhaps specifically caused by your yard and garden work—tell us how you've tried to alleviate the problem by leaving a comment below.—Steven H. Saltzman | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

AutoROPS is designed to prevent tractor and riding-mower rollovers

As you head out into the suburbs and beyond, it's not uncommon to see homeowners—perhaps the occasional ruralpolitan—using a commercial-grade lawn or garden tractor to tend to their vast yards.

Lawn tractors and zero-turn radius mowers can help make quicker work at big properties, but they also pose some injury risk, including rollovers. If you use a riding mower and your yard has slopes and hills, a device developed for lawn-care pros could be right up your alley—even if it never makes its way to the consumer market for tractors and zero-turn mowers. (Read our latest report on mowers and tractors; story and ratings available to subscribers.)

A safety device called a rollover protective structure, or ROPS, is standard on commercial tractors and riding mowers. It's intended to keep an overturned tractor from crushing the operator so long as that person is wearing a safety belt.

Operators of commercial machines sometimes fold down or remove the ROPS since they might often have to pass beneath low branches and through other confined spaces and the ROPS can get in the way. As you might imagine, such a move eliminates the protection the ROPS would provide.

This is where the AutoROPS comes in. Invented at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and used on the Mercedes-Benz SL and other cars, the AutoROPS is a passive roll bar that generally sits behind the operator at roughly that person's shoulder height and allows passage beneath any low-hanging obstacle (it's shown in a undeployed position). Circuitry in the AutoROPS base monitors for a rollover and telescopes the vertical risers to their full upright, protective position when a rollover occurs. The most recent version of the design uses a latch-and-release mechanism; the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers is considering it as a standard.

The typically retracted position of the AutoROPS and its relatively lightweight composite material also address an inherent irony of roll bars: Their height and weight can raise the center of gravity of a tractor or zero-turn rider and make a rollover more likely. The AutoROPS, however, won't extend to its full height unless the equipment is rolling over.

FEMCO and Scag Power Equipment, have partnered with NIOSH to develop the AutoROPS and might have first crack. The product may never become cost-effective enough for it to migrate to consumer machines, but even if you hire a lawn service to work on your property, you might eventually see it first-hand.—Ed Perratore | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Follow these rollover-prevention tips. If your property has dips, slopes, and other hazards of concern, your lawn tractor or zero-turn rider might accommodate a retrofit roll bar.

Top Gear for Dad: Our best-performing Father's Day gifts

Don't feel guilty—you're definitely not the only one who's yet to buy Father's Day gifts. These gas grills (watch the video buying guide, below), cordless drills, mowers and tractors, leaf blowers, and string trimmers will give the dads in your life the most bang for your hard-earned bucks and will come in handy during your summer staycation or paycation.—Gian Trotta | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Gas Grills
The Brinkmann 810-8410S gas grill, $200, provides very good cooking performance, lots of shelf space and a five-year warranty on its burners. The Fiesta Blue Ember FG50069-U409 and the Char-Broil Red 463250509, each $450, beat out grills costing as much as $1,400. If you often cook for a crowd, consider the larger Char-Broil Commercial Quantum 463247209, $500, which offers a lifetime burner warranty. More details on these and other impressive performers and coverage of wow-factor features are available in our June 2009 report on gas grills (available to subscribers).

Cordless Drills
The top-rated Panasonic EY6432GQKW combines performance and light weight, but its $200 cost might bust your budget. Consider instead the Craftsman 11588; it's been marked down to $99 at Sears. Or you can further downsize to the Ryobi HJP001K, $80, a compact drill that's a good alternative to pricey cordless screwdrivers.

One of our tested cordless tool kits, the Ryobi P841, is on sale for $129 at Home Depot. The included drill and circular and reciprocating saw were only average performers but should be adequate for most household work; otherwise, consider the heavier duty DeWalt DC4PAKA, $433 at Amazon.com.

If dad needs storage space, this Kobalt 53" Stainless Steel Tool Chest, $1,700, might make an extravagant gift. It boasts a Pioneer sound system, an iPod jack, a 1.6-cubic-foot refrigerator, and other bells and whistles.

Lawn and Yard Care
If your yard is small, a corded electric mower like the Black & Decker MM875, $230,  might be a good choice. Among gas-powered mowers, the self-propelled Toro Super Recycler 20092, $500, was easy to power up hilly lawns.

The Craftsman 28828, $1,750, John Deere LA115, $1,700, and Cub Cadet LTX1040 13RX90AR, $1,500, lawn tractors held their own against mowers costing $1,000 to $2,000 more. (Read this report and watch this video on lawn-tractor safety.)

The electric Black & Decker GH1000 string trimmer, $70, is easy to handle. The gas-powered Stihl HomeScaper Series FS45, $140, has dual cutting lines that made short work of tough weeds. The Toro Ultra Blower Vac 51599, $70, blows away the competition in performance, and its metal impeller can handle debris that can damage other impellers.

Essential information: For Father's Day, try out these easy, delicious recipes for the grill. And check out these suggestions for electronics gifts, courtesy of our colleagues at the Consumer Reports Electronics blog.

Electric Company: No great spark for first-time user of a cordless electric mower

A couple of weeks ago, the drive belt broke on my 9-year-old Toro 21-inch self-propelled Recycler mower, putting the usually reliable workhorse on the DL. Since I wasn't able to drop off the mower at the repair shop for several days and because the fix time was going to take more than a week—seems like more budget-minded folks are fix choosing to repair their power equipment instead of replacing it—I was going to be without a mower for a while. With the grass at my Northern New Jersey home growing like crazy, I didn't want to wait too long between cuts.

I arranged with our Technical department to borrow one of the models from our latest report on mowers and tractors (available to subscribers). I could have taken any mower, but since I'd long wanted to try an electric mower, I chose the top-rated cordless electric model, the Black & Decker CMM1200 (shown), $400, a 24-volt mower with a 19-inch deck that can bag, mulch, and side-discharge.

I've used the mower a couple of times already. My impressions:

• The Black & Decker is convenient to use. Once I located the hookup for the battery charger (which has a long cord), I just plugged it in for an overnight charge so I could mow the next day.

• Cutting-height adjustment is a snap. Pushing down on one button allows you to smoothly raise all four wheels. There's even a notation as to which cutting heights are best for mulching.

• The CMM1200 is quieter than my Toro. I still wore my hearing protection when running this mower, but when I pulled back on the lever to start mowing, the electric model seemed comparatively quiet. My 83-year-old neighbor even remarked that it was quieter than my gas-powered machine.

• The mower did a good job bagging and a decent job mulching. I had to make a few more passes because it cuts a smaller swath, but I didn't notice a marked difference in overall cutting.

• Run time seems ample. My property is only about a quarter acre, so the 40-minute run time is sufficient. B&D suggests the mower is good for properties up to a third of an acre.

• My biggest gripe with the mower has to do with its 76-pound weight and the fact that this is not a self-propelled machine. My property has only a few slopes and is relatively free of obstacles, but using the B&D took far more effort than the Toro, and as the bag filled with clippings, maneuvering it around trees or in tighter areas felt a bit like a wrestling match. Hint: Use the mower in mulching mode to eliminate the extra weight from the bag.

I had no problem pushing the machine, but when using it on a particularly warm, humid afternoon, a task I usually enjoy went from the usual light workout to a sweatfest. I can hear your comments: "C'mon, Steven. Suck it up!" Just so you know, I'm no wimp and don't shy away from outdoor chores; I do all my yard work year-round and happily use all kinds of outdoor gear.

I understand the environmental impact associated with using an electric mower—learn about mower-exchange programs—but until a manufacturer comes out with a self-propelled cordless electric mower or I move to a home with a completely flat yard, I'm sticking with my Toro.

If you've given up a gas mower for an electric one, tell us about your experiences below. Or are you considering such a move? Let us know.—Steven H. Saltzman | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook