New Walk-Behind Lawnowers: Abusive Lab Test
The growth of exurbs means that more guys have more grass to cut. The question is: What kind of mower to buy? Not which brand or model, but which style? For 2 acres, a ride-on seems like a no-brainer. For a quarter-acre, the same model would be ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
Best Mowers Of '07
Mowers have come a long way. At least, that was our take after three days spent trotting behind six high-end, self-propelled mowers at our test grounds in upstate New York. What prompted this leap in mower improvement? Well, approximately 6 ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
Wish List: Cub Cadet Zero-Turn Tractor
You don't need Cub Cadet's i1050 Zero-Turn Tractor ($3900). Then again, you don't need a Porsche. The i1050 lets you make zero-point turns, rotating in place to get in and out of tight spaces. Like other zero-turn mowing machines, it uses dual ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
Honda's Thumb Operated Lawnmower Controls
Honda's HRR216K3VXA mower arrived too late to be tested against the other products, but we did squeeze in some late-season cutting and leaf mulching. Its most notable feature is the thumb-operated drive. We liked it, but found that our thumbs ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
Latest Technology For Lawn Irrigation
Another new class of irrigation systems is controlled from a PC. It allows the homeowner to schedule irrigation easily. As a bonus, the same software also can be used to control low-voltage landscape lighting. Irritrol's PC Control, for example, ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
Install Your Own Underground Sprinkler System
Assemble the zone-valve sets above-ground, then cement them to the underground piping (Step 3). Install a plastic, inline drain fitting on the downstream side of each valve and connect the cable wires. My cable had 10 wires and each zone valve ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
Build Your Own Natural Stone Patio
Before you begin placing stones in the sand, you must establish a square corner. To do this take a long, straight board and place one end against the house where the patio corner will fall. From the corner point, measure over 6 ft. along the ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
Build Your Own Pond
Next, set large, flat rocks--called coping stones--around the perimeter. Stack stones at the rear of the hole to form the waterfall. A good rule of thumb is to build it to about 12 to 18 in. above the water level. Set the waterfall weir in place ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
The Fastest (And Toughest) String Trimmers On The Market
A rural homeowner with a long driveway, orchards, fence rows and outbuildings to keep neat is best served by a commercial trimmer. The power and reduced vibration these machines provide offset their higher cost. Commercial features such as a ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
4-Step Pruning Plan
Pruning doesn't have any of the complexity of home maintenance jobs such as replacing leaking pipes or asphalting the driveway. Almost the only way to go wrong is to cut a tree or shrub at the wrong time of year (though healthy plants usually ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
Extreme Treehouses
A plan for a simple one-story shed soon morphed into something bigger and more elaborate. Lewis's first challenge was figuring how to hang a treehouse without wounding the tree. "I thought bolting the tree was the easy way out," he says. A ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
Comparison Test - 5 Garden Tractors
Things cool off in the fall, and that's when the fun starts, at least as far as yardwork is concerned. It's just satisfying to get behind the wheel of a tractor and grade a driveway, renovate a lawn or haul firewood to its stack. You can use any ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
