We went shopping at Lowe’s this morning. For some reason, this was a far more nerve-wracking experience than it should have been. Waaaaaiiiiiit! I don’t want to buy that, I haven’t been able to comparison shop! How will I know it’s the best deal? How will I know there isn’t one I’d like better at Home Depot or whatever? Waaah!
I mean, come on. For example, a lawnmower. How hard can it be, when you walk into the place knowing you only have to mow the front (the back has too much gravel all over the place at this point, and needs weed-whacked, which was a whole separate issue), and you know you want a gas mower rather than electric? Should you really find yourself holding back a wail of frustration?
So, after walking into the store with potentially a thousand dollars’ worth of purchases on the list, we left with a push broom, two garbage cans, and a bottle of Murphy’s Oil Soap.
I know exactly how that feels. Someone should write a homeowning for dummies book.
My advice is to get a subscription to Consumer Reports. You will be making a lot more decisions like that. Unbiased and factual comparisons of products, plus good advice on making decisions like gas vs electric mowers. You also get access to their website, and their buing guide, both of which are pretty helpful as well. Here is a portion of their comparison/contrast on lawn mowers. They also have comparisons of different models, and how well they work for mulching, how evenly they cut, etc.
Electric models, either battery or corded, offer the quietest operation. Their motors are lightweight, but they still provide plenty of oomph; many work well for mulching. Best for small yards, corded electric mowers draw quite a bit of juice, requiring beefy extensions that limit your mobility to 100 feet from an electrical outlet. Battery-powered mowers might seem immune from mobility problems, but lugging a dead mower from a back corner of the yard to the garage to recharge the mower easily outweighs the convenience factor. Make sure the expected battery life meets or exceeds the time needed to cover the lawn.
Gas models free you from distance restrictions, and provide more power and options than most electrics. They’re also heavier and noisier, and require more maintenance, but with proper care, they can have a long, useful life.
P.S. – I’m pretty happy with my 4.5 HP Craftsman, except I should have spent about $150 more and gotten a self-propelled model, lots of hills in my yard.
P.P.S. – Let me know if you need specific info on other big-ticket purchases, and I’ll dig around and send you their analysis and advice.
Er…name good, anonymous not helpful, not ascertaining identity from homeownership clues…
Nevermind. It’s Mike.
By the way most home depot have a meet and beat price, they’ll match an ad and beat it by 10%. Not that i’m saying that you should go and shop there. I’ve made it out of there by the skin of my teeth.