5 Questions to Ask Before Buying a Lawn Mower

By Daniel Lovering, AP Business Writer

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

The 62-year-old marble contractor says he wants a self-propelled, front-wheel-drive model that will ease the physical demands of trimming his quarter-acre yard about 12 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

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

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

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

The market offers a broad range of so-called walk-behind mowers, some with gas engines, some with electric. Here are five questions consumers should ask before buying a new walk-behind mower:

1. WHY BUY A MOWER NOW?

People may be buying mowers amid the recession to save money on landscaping services. Sales of some walk-behind mowers, particularly high-end models with rear-wheel drive, have increased this year, said Barbara Rada, who selects lawn mowers and snow throwers for the retailer Sears.

"In the past, if they just had someone doing their lawn, they've decided it might be a better investment for me to buy it and do it myself," she said. "And that is a reversal in what we have seen in the trend before."