Cars on the lawn

Those who believe that the lawnIt’s just a normal herb growing on its own. Creating a beautiful, eye-pleasing lawn on a suburban area— it is troublesome, time-consuming and not very cheap. Andwithout the use of various machines that turn hard work into a pleasant experience, you can not do.

If the «birth» of the lawn (site planning, soil preparation, selection, purchase and sowing of seeds)— a one-time phenomenon, then care for itis a complex of agrotechnical operations carried out throughout his life. Tothese include cutting (mowing) grass, watering, fertilizing, clearing fallen leaves, dry grass and other garden debris, aeration andt.n. High-quality and fast performance of these works is provided by machines, devices and devices, united by the common name «garden equipment». It is supplied to our market by GARDENA, WOLF-GARTEN, Bosch, CASTEL GARDEN AL-KO (Germany); BLACK DECKER, SABO (Great Britain); HONDA (Japan); MTD (USA); HUSQVARNA (Sweden); EFCO, OLEO-MAC (Italy); VIKING (Austria) andetc. The author of these lines could not find the products of domestic manufacturers in the market of garden equipment.

Lawn Mowers

Experts say that the lawn will look beautiful and tidy if you mow it at intervals of 1-2 weeks. It is to cut, and not to mow, since the process itself is more like the work of a hairdresser, and not a mower. In this case, it is required to cut off the upper, «extra» part of the grass and leave an even «hedgehog» (pile) of the desired height. Technically, the task is quite difficult. Mow a small lawn so that grass remains 5-10see, even an experienced mower will not undertake.

Lawn mowers

In suburban areas, lawns of different sizes, shapes and purposes are created.— from tiny decorative lawns to large sports fields. For their haircut, manufacturers of garden equipment offer several dozen models of lawn mowers. These are low beautiful four-wheeled carts with a comfortable (like a stroller) handle. Modern in design, the brightly colored body of most models is made of impact-resistant plastic (as, for example, HRB 475 P and HRB 425c S from HONDA or K 35 from OLEO-MAC). However, there are mowers with a body made of light aluminum alloys (models MB 555, MB 555 MQ andt.d. from VIKING; models MAX 53, LUX 47, LUX 53 from OLEO-MAC andetc.) and even from sheet steel (models MB 2 R, MB 3 R, MB 6 RC from VIKING; models GE 43, GE 47 from OLEO-MAC andetc.).

ATThe lawn mower has an engine. Its shaft is located vertically and directed downwards. A so-called knife is fixed on the shaft. This is a plate symmetrical with respect to the mounting hole, 40-60 widemm of complex shape, on the surfaces of which sharp blades are sharpened. The knife is located under the bottom of the body, at some distance from the ground surface, and provides the desired height of the grass cut. This parameter can be adjusted in steps— its limits for different mowers vary from 10 to 100mm, and the number of adjustment steps— from 3 to 11.inexpensive models (32-9 E from MTD) change the cutting height by rearranging the wheels, for more «fancy» ones (HRG 41c P, HRG 465c S from HONDA) it is set by raising and lowering the wheels. Atmowers with central adjustment (Hattrik from GARDENA, Rotak 40 from BoschLR 48 TBQ from EFCO) this indicator can be changed with a slight turn of one handle.

In addition to the blades, the knife has aerodynamic flaps, thanks to which it also works as a fan during fast rotation. Thus, the device sucks air from under the mower into the housing. ATIn the process of mowing, the mower with the engine running is slowly rolled across the lawn, the air sucked in by it lifts, straightens and “puts at attention” even crushed grass, and the rotating knife fixed at the right height cuts off the tops of the stems. The air current blows the cuttings into the grass catcher. It is located on the rear wall of the case and is a plastic box or bag with air outlet holes. After filling (which is sometimes signaled by a special indicator), the grass catcher can be easily removed, emptied and put back in its original place. You can work without a grass catcher, but then the cut grass will be thrown onto the lawn, right under your feet or to the side (MB 32 from VIKING, 51BC from MTD).

Some mowers (YM 6021 SMS and YM 6021 CK from MTD; MB 410 and MB 460 from VIKING andetc.) can not only cut the grass, but also, if necessary, grind it into grass mulch. They are equipped with knives with a large number of blades, and the protective cover (deck) covering these knives from above has a special aerodynamic shape. To operate in mulching mode, the supply of cut grass to the grass catcher is stopped using a damper. A rapidly rotating knife (covered by a deck) creates an air whirlwind. The grass that gets into it is repeatedly chopped and falls on the lawn in the form of heavy, wet grass dust.— mulch. It is considered a good organic fertilizer.

The length of the knife determines the width of the bevelled strip. The performance of the mower and the length of the path it covers depend on this indicator. For example, to mow a rectangular lawn with a size of 15twentym with a lawn mower with a cutting width of 32cm (say 32-9 E from MTD or Rotak from Bosch), you will have to overcome, pushing it in front of you, a little more than a kilometer.

According to the type of engine that rotates the blade, lawn mowers are divided into electric and gasoline.

Electric lawn mowers equipped with mains operated 220With electric motors from 0.8 kW (model GR 340, BLACK DECKER) up to 1.6 kW (model HRG 410, HONDA). The cutting width ranges from 32cm (model HE 32, GARDENA) up to 47cm (Model Comfort 47E, AL-KO). All devices are light enough— from 11kg (Model Classic 38E, AL-KO) up to 29kg (model HE 40, GARDENA), manoeuvrable, easy to use and maintain. Only now they «categorically refuse» to work without power supply. Connection to the network is carried out using a flexible cable. Its obligatory presence reduces the maneuverability of the mower and creates certain inconveniences, especially when processing lawns with ponds, trees and other elements of garden design. For example, pushing the mower in front of you along an intricate path around a flower garden or an alpine hill, you must at the same time ensure that the cable trailing behind you does not inadvertently break the growing flowers.

Battery models of firms are spared from this shortcoming. Bosch, PARTNER (Norway). The battery capacity is enough to process about a hundred, after which a long (15-20h) recharging. New batteries cost an order fifty.

Petrol lawnmowers. They are equipped with two- or four-stroke single-cylinder air-cooled internal combustion engines. Power— 2-6l. With. Such engines are produced by Kawasaki, Honda (Japan), Tecumseh (Germany), Briggs Stratton (UK) andetc. Gasoline devices mow from 43 to 57see per pass. Do not need to be connected to the mains and can work at any distance from home. True, they require periodic refueling (fuel tanks ensure their continuous operation for 45-60 minutes).

Compared to electric mowers, petrol mowers are somewhat more difficult to operate and maintain. So, in most gasoline models, to start the engine, you have to make a significant effort: pull sharply (often more than once) on the start cord handle. For two-stroke engines, it is necessary to mix gasoline with engine oil in a certain ratio (moreover, strictly recommended). Many four-stroke engines are very sensitive to the quality of gasoline, and besides, they «do not like» to work on slopes with an angle of more than 15. On some models of petrol lawn mowers (YM 6018 SPS, YM 6021 SMS from MTD and MB 500 from VIKING) equipped with Briggs engines Stratton with SelfStarter system, easy start system installed. That is, the first start is made, like all gasoline lawn mowers, using a starter cord. But when the engine is stopped, a special spring is automatically cocked, and the subsequent start is carried out by pressing a button. ATThe «coolest» petrol lawn mowers (for example, VIKING’s MB 555 E) use an electric start system from a built-in battery.

Electric lawn mowers

*— self-propelled

Lawn mowers with petrol engines

*— self-propelled

Petrol mowers are significantly heavier than electric mowers (weight— from 18 to 55kg). To facilitate work, heavy-weight units are usually made self-propelled (MTD models SP 48 HWM, 48 SPM B; HONDA model HRG 476 S; EFCO models LR 53TBXE, AR48TBX andetc.).

Manual lawn mowers. So called compact, light (6-10kg) unpowered two-wheeled vehicles that require neither petrol nor electricity. To cut the grass, a long flat knife is used, which is set horizontally to the required height, and a drum of several helical knives connected by a gear to the mower wheels. The drum begins to rotate at the same time as the mower begins to move across the lawn. At the same time, the helical blades grab the grass and cut it against the flat blade. The drum with screw blades rotates about 4 times faster than the wheels, which ensures a smooth, high-quality cut with any, even uneven, movement of the mower.

Manual lawn mowers

Extreme ease of operation and maintenance, almost silent operation, accompanied only by a pleasant smell of freshly cut grass, minimum power consumption of one «manpower»— the obvious advantages of manual lawn mowers. But the grass cut with their help remains on the lawn, and it has to be removed in some way if the lawnmower is not equipped with a grass catcher (as in the models AHM 30 and AHM 38 C from Bosch and all hand mowers from GARDENA). There are such devices 100.

Where the mower won’t go

With all the undeniable advantages of lawn mowers, even the most advanced of them leaves unmown areas. These units cannot process grass near fences, gazebos, garden lights, benches, andt.P.— own wheels interfere with «reaching out» to it with a knife. In addition, lawn mowers are not recommended to approach curbs, stone paths, boulders andt.d.— even an accidental «meeting» with them leads to breakage of knives. Trimmers will allow you to clean up the flaws left after the mowers. They are not “afraid” of meeting objects that are terrible for mowers.

Trimmers cut grass with a special cord (it is often called fishing line), the supply of which is wound on a reel hidden in a reel. AtMost trimmers have small pieces of fishing line passed through holes in the wall of the reel and, when not in use, hang freely like a mustache. However, there are models with one (for example, ART 25GSA from Bosch, TE 300 from VIKING, powerCut from GARDENA) or with four lines (professional). With the rapid rotation of the bobbin, the whiskers under the action of centrifugal forces turn into rigid, tightly stretched strings flying at great speed (up to 175m/s). With line diameter 2mm trimmer cuts all grassy green— from lawn grass to burdock, wormwood, chamomile andetc. The double value of the distance from the axis of the bobbin to the end of the straightened fishing line is called the diameter or mowing width. This value determines the performance of the trimmer, and the engine power and cord thickness characterize its ability to cut thick stems of herbaceous plants.

With the device, you can cut lawn grass without any fear in places where the mower could not do it. After all, in the process of work, the fishing line does not lose its inherent flexibility and, hitting too hard objects (trees, stones, iron fence andt.etc.), it just bends for a moment and again stretches into a string. The ends of the cord gradually wear out and periodically break off. This reduces the effectiveness of the trimmer. The normal length of the line segments is restored from the stock stored on the spool in the reel. This is done, depending on the model, in one of three ways: manually, semi-automatically or automatically. ATIn the first case (for example, GARDENA’s smallCut), it is necessary to turn off the engine and, by means of simple manipulations, pull the line of the required length from the reel. AtOn semi-automatic line extenders (VIKING’s TE 700 models), the reel will do this if it is lightly hit on the ground while the engine is running. ATmodels ART 25 GSAV (Bosch) the cord is automatically extended by 0.5-1see each time the engine is started. Excess hanging fishing line is chopped off with a special knife fixed on a protective cover.

The main disadvantages of trimmers— uneven haircut and the need to keep the device on weight all the time. More powerful and, consequently, heavier models are even equipped with a special belt, which, however, will not help a fragile lady to hold the trimmer for a long time.

Electric trimmers. To rotate the «whiskered» reel, they are equipped with asynchronous electric motors with a power of 230 to 1000Tue Atdifferent models of electric trimmers, the mowing width varies from 25 to 35cm, line diameter— from 1.6 to 2mm, and the stock of fishing line in the reel— from 2.5 to 8m. Small, low-power (up to 350W) and quite light (1.7-2.5kg) appliances (smallCut, GARDENA; TE 310, TE 410, VIKING) often referred to as «clubs» by sellers and consumers. Andindeed, a kind of elongated (about 1m), the plastic case expanding downwards justifies this funny nickname. ATthe lower part of the «hidden» electric motor, on the shaft of which the bobbin is fixed. At the top, the case smoothly turns into a comfortable curved handle with engine start buttons and a short electric cord equipped with a plug for connecting to the power cable. These trimmers are used for cutting soft lawn grass. Not heavy (up to 2.5kg), they are easily controlled with one hand (apparently, therefore they are often called one-handed).

Atthe majority of models, the engine (with a capacity of up to 500W) together with the reel is «packed» in a plastic case, to which a light, thin-walled metal pipe (rod) is attached. At its upper end there are two handles: the main one (for the right hand), with buttons for turning on the engine, and an additional one, for reliable control of the movement of the device. Such trimmers are often called two-handed. AtFor a number of models, for ease of operation, you can adjust the angle of the boom (ART 30 GSDV from BOSCH; powerCut from GARDENA; TE 300 from VIKING), move along the boom and turn an additional handle (ART 30 GSDV and ART 30 GSD from Bosch) and change the length of the telescopic rod (classicCut plus from GARDENA). Atelectric trimmers with a capacity of more than 500W bobbin and motor are located at different ends of the boom— such distribution of masses facilitates management. The rotation from the engine to the bobbin is transmitted by a flexible cable inside the rod.

Petrol trimmers are designed for mowing grass in uncomfortable, remote places and are not «tied», unlike electric ones, to a power outlet. In this case, the reel with fishing line is rotated by single-cylinder two-stroke air-cooled internal combustion engines, their power— from 0.9 to 2l. With. The mass of various models produced by EFCO, MTD, OLEO-MAC andetc., varies between 4-6.5kg, cutting width— 38-45cm, line diameter— 2-2.4mm. Bobbins with fishing line and the engine are located at opposite ends of a metal rod, inside which, in a special vibration damping casing, a flexible steel cable is laid, which transmits rotation from the engine to the bobbin. There are models (for example, 323 LD, RCTA 600 from MTD), in which the stem is made split, which greatly simplifies storage and transportation of the device. Some units are equipped with a centrifugal clutch which makes it easier to start the engine and allows you to disconnect the reel from the running engine if necessary. Completely filled with a fuel mixture (gasoline plus engine oil), the tank ensures the operation of the device for 35-45 minutes.

Electric trimmers

Petrol trimmers

lawn shears

There are places on the plots where it is impossible or inconvenient to cut the grass even with one-handed trimmers. These are narrow (less than 25cm) passages between fragments of the landscape, narrow borders in flower beds and greenhouses, near ornamental ponds andt.n. Especially for the treatment of such «delicate» places by GARDENA, Bosch andothers suggest light, 0.9 to 1.2kg, battery lawn shears. For example, for models Accu 60, Accu 75, Accu 90 from GARDENA, the cutting width— 80-100mm, duration of continuous operation on a fully charged battery— 60-90 minutes. In fact, they are like a hair clipper. The electric motor and the accumulator are placed in the case made of strong plastic. There are two horizontal blades on the front— These are flat steel plates with large teeth. When the engine is running, the knives reciprocate relative to each other. Small (0.2-0.5mm) the gap between the knives, the special shape and sharpening of the teeth provide easy and high-quality grass cutting.

You can control the scissors directly with your hand, holding the handle on the body (like an iron), but then you have to bend down or squat down. If this is inconvenient, it is proposed to use the proprietary telescopic tilting handle. Lawn shears from GARDENA cost $70-115 telescopic handle— $thirty.

Lawn tractors

Owners of large suburban areas with extensive lawns, mowing which even with the help of self-propelled mowers is a tedious task, can use garden tractors for lawn care. Figuratively speaking, this is a symbiosis of a self-propelled lawn mower and a mini tractor. Outwardly, they are very similar to the latter, but below they have rotating blades for cutting grass. Equipped with a single or two-cylinder, four-stroke, air-cooled internal combustion gasoline engine, power— from 6.5l. With. (Pinto DX-60, MTD) up to 22l. With. (MR 385, VIKING). A soft, high-back seat, convenient location of the steering wheel and other controls create comfortable conditions for working on the tractor. Good maneuverability, small turning radius (60-70cm), speed up to 9.5km/h, wheelbase approx. 1m and a slightly smaller mowing width with a roomy (up to 300k) grass catcher provide high performance lawn mowing. Price starts from 1900.

Optionally purchased attachments and trailers make it possible to aerate the lawn with a tractor, spread fertilizers, collect fallen leaves, compact the soil, cultivate, carry loads, and perform other work in the garden.

Fertilizer spreaders

In order for the grass to grow beautiful and thick, it is regularly watered and periodically fed with mineral fertilizers. On small lawns, they are scattered by hand, but this simple method does not guarantee an even distribution of nutrients over the entire cultivated area. It is more expedient to fertilize large lawns with the help of so-called spreaders. They provide a dosed and uniform distribution of standard granular mineral fertilizers. GARDENA offers three models of spreaders. These are low two-wheeled trolleys, on which containers made of durable plastic with a capacity of 20, 12 and 3l. The fertilizer placed in the container is poured onto the lawn through the dosing device located at its bottom only when the spreader is moving. The dispenser consists of a system of holes adjustable in size and a shaft located above them with longitudinal grooves or grooves (its cross section is similar to a gear). Fertilizer granules fill the grooves of the shaft and, when it rotates (which it receives from the spreader wheels), they pour out through the holes onto the lawn. FROMusing a special handle, you can adjust the size of the dispenser holes and set the desired fertilizer flow rate. The price of spreaders ranges from $30 to $70.

Give me air

And yet, only watering and top dressing fail to preserve the quality of lawn grass for a long time (color, growth rate, density andt.d.). As a rule, in the third or fourth year of life, it noticeably thins out, slows down growth and loses its former bright color. Clover, dandelions and other weeds grow from windblown seeds. Anda well-timed good, even haircut only emphasizes the sloppy, unsightly appearance of the lawn. The reason for all these troubles is that a hard, compacted earthen crust gradually forms on the surface of the soil. Due to frequent watering, a dense layer of moss and lichen grows on it. They significantly limit the access of water and air to the grass roots and, together with weeds, take the lion’s share of the applied fertilizers.

To create favorable conditions for the growth of lawn grass, lawn sod slotters (verticutters), which come with pin and disk working bodies, allow. The former are sometimes called aerators. They look like hand-held lawn mowers, which have a roller with many elastic protruding pins instead of a drum with screw blades (model ES 450/30 from GARDENA). When rolling the device on the lawn, the pins pierce the moss, go deep a few millimeters into the ground and turn out of it. At the same time, the moss is torn off from the surface of the soil, and at the same time, weeds “tucked up under the arm” are removed from the lawn. ATat the same time, the lawn grass remains practically untouched. Such «smart» operation of the aerator is explained by the difference in the structure of the root system of weeds and grass. Compact, lightweight (5.5kg) aerators (GD 200 from BLACK DECKER, ES 450/30 from GARDENA with an electric motor of 400 and 450 respectivelyW) have a working width of 30see. Cost about $150.

Slotters (V 34 from MTD and EVC 1000/30 from GARDENA) do the same in a slightly different way. When these machines move across the lawn, their steel circular knives with a horizontal axis of rotation and with small, specially shaped teeth cut the moss, loosen the soil to a depth of 3-5mm and remove weeds from it. Sod aerators and slotters are equipped with either electric motors with a power of 1-1.5 kW, or gasoline— 3-5.5l. With. The width of the cleaned surface for different models ranges from 33 to 46see All models have the ability to adjust the depth of processing in the range from 0 to 15mm. Price of aerators— $100-230. GARDENA supplies Hattrick-MulchCut and Hattrick mowers (models HB 40, HE 40) equipped with a spring-loaded aerator driven by the mower’s engine. FROMwith their help, lawn aeration and mowing are carried out simultaneously, and work can be carried out in one of two modes. When set to low mowing, the pinned roller functions as an aerator (looses the soil, removes weeds andt.and all the collected garbage is sent with the cut grass to the grass catcher. With a higher mowing height, the pins pass above the ground and only comb the grass, removing moss residues, old grass and other dirt from the lawn. If desired, the aerator can be easily turned off with a simple turn of the handle.

Garden vacuum cleaners and blowers

From the end of summer, leaves begin to fall from the trees. An untidy, yellow-leaved lawn creates a bleak atmosphere of desolation throughout the local area. Many owners of suburban areas purchase garden vacuum cleaners for cleaning. Portable models of BLACK firms are selling well on the domestic market. DECKER, VIKING, MTD andetc. All of them are almost identical in design and principle of operation. main working body— impeller (fan)— together with a gasoline or electric motor is placed in the body of the vacuum cleaner. Toa pipe with a length of about 1m of round or rectangular section, the lower end of which is cut at an angle of 45 for ease of use. Toa cloth or plastic bag (garbage bin) is fastened to the body. Manual garden vacuum cleaners are not very light (4-6kg), they must be operated with both hands, for which there are handles on the body. All main parts (body, impeller, pipe) are made of durable plastic. The principle of operation is quite simple: the engine rotates the impeller, it sucks air through the pipe and, along with it, dry leaves and other light garden debris. Passing through the fan, it is ground and sent to the garbage collector, decreasing in volume by 10-12 times.

But this function— not the only one. By turning a special handle or installing a replaceable nozzle with a different pipe shape, vacuum cleaners turn into so-called blowers capable of blowing up to 20 cubic meters of air per minute, and its speed at the pipe cut reaches 120m/s. Such an “air broom” allows you to quickly collect the leaves scattered across the lawn into a pile. Then, by switching the device to the vacuum cleaner mode, you move this pile into the trash bin (in some models, its filling is signaled by a light indicator). The contents of the bin are easily poured into prepared containers or compost bins.

AndStill, portable vacuum cleaners have one drawback.— low cleaning performance. Self-propelled wheeled models with a gasoline engine are spared from it. Moving on the lawn, the unit first draws through the suction slot (about 360cm), and then grinds and stacks in a bunker with a volume of about 100l leaves and rather large branches.

As for such an important problem as watering the lawn, our magazine described in detail the methods and features of watering, as well as the equipment intended for this, in the article “Rain on Order”.

Modern gardening equipment, including a wide range of multifunctional and special devices, allows you to create lawns and keep them in order with minimal physical labor. BUTit is necessary that they please the inhabitants of a country house with their healthy, well-groomed appearance.

Garden vacuum cleaners with blower function

*— no blower function

The editors would like to thank the administration of MA «HOUSE AND GARDEN», ​​»AMIDA CORPORATION», VIKING for their help in preparing the material.

• Source: Ideas for Your Home Magazine, No. 75

Material prepared

Vladimir Zakonnikov