Have a Nice Winter With Great Snow Blowers

First of all, you have to think about the snow volume that you will want to clear in the shortest time possible. If we are just talking about clearing the alley and other access paths to our private property, then you can choose one of the snow blowers that are not so powerful, but are nonetheless capable of doing their job good and fast. If this is not the case, then you should take into account purchasing a bigger snow thrower.

Furthermore, you also have to take into account when you are going to clean the snow: immediately after it has settled or after some time, when the ice has already formed a thin crust. In such a situation, you can find special snow blowers that not only eliminate snow but also the thin crust of ice that has already formed. This is a very special system that processes solid materials a lot faster. If you have a large area to clear, then you also have to think about the size of the machine. There is a single person model, and a bigger one which has to be used by a whole team of qualified workers. This is a very important aspect and you have to take it into account before you decide to invest in a snow blower.

The power supply and the noise level is another factor which is worth taking into consideration. Electrical snow blowers are silent but they are also less efficient as opposed to those that are powered by gas. Furthermore, an electrical machine does not have the work autonomy that gas snow throwers have. The electrical models do have their own benefits: they are easier to maneuver and they are efficient in cleaning sidewalks and smaller areas.

You can find excellent products in every hardware store in town. There are all kinds of special discounts nowadays since the winter season is just around the corner. If you are still unsure of what blower you should buy, you can always ask the assistance of one of the hardware store's consultant. You will see that they are going to show you what they have on sale and they will give you specifications about these machines. Be careful to get a warranty for the product that you are buying. Some stores forget to give you the warranty and if you have trouble with your model, they might not accept to help you.

All in all, if you want the best results and in shorter period of time, you have to choose the snow blower that is ideal for the kind of space that you have. Buying something too small or too big would be a bad investment.

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Guidelines On Choosing And Using Pressure Washers

There's no doubt that pressure washers are particularly valuable pieces of apparatus. Available in countless outlets such as garden centres, DIY stores and on the web they can be invaluable for projects such as washing terraces, vehicles, caravans, boats and bikes. These are jobs which can otherwise be time-consuming, demanding work.

A pressure washer is in essence a power tool that sprays water at high pressures. Most models can incorporate detergent into the spray, which will help to move oily deposits. The spray pattern can also commonly be changed, from a thin jet to a wide spray for large areas. Most suppliers also offer a series of models, with various maximum operating pressures. Clearly the greater the pressure, the larger the area that can be washed. Thus if you need to clean cars and caravans, or large terrace areas, go for a higher-pressure type such as a 150 psi washer. For lesser jobs - bikes, lawnmowers let's say, 100 psi could be enough.

Safety

While using a pressure washer, always abide by the safety instructions contained in the owner's manual. The risks to bear in mind:- The powerful spray can cause serious harm that could well at first appear minor, causing you to delay treatment. The fierce spray can throw objects which put you and other bystanders at risk. Electric shock can happen if the equipment is not used correctly and if safety instructions are not followed. The fumes from small, petrol-­powered engines can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.

Safeguards

Put on eye protection always. Never point a pressure washer at yourself or others. Never try to push things about with spray from the washer. Never use a petrol driven washer in an enclosed space. Always use a circuit-breaker with an electric-powered washer and check it before use. If an extension lead is required, keep the plug and socket connection out of any standing water, and use a heavy-duty extension cord with components rated for use in wet locations. Keep all the connections as remote as feasible from the area of operation and away from any water runoff.Wear rubber­soled footwear that provide some insulation when using the equipment. Never cut or splice the pressure washer's power cord or extension lead. If the circuit breaker trips, it is sensible to have a trained electrician test out the washer for electrical problems. Never allow children to operate a pressure washer. Keep children at a secure distance when an adult is using a pressure washer.

Nonetheless, the risks should not be over-estimated. As long as you read the instruction manual and apply common sense, there ought to be no problems. The savings in time and effort are amazing from these excellent machines.

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Benefits of Electric Lawn Mowers Over Traditional Gas Lawn Mowers

Are you one of those people who are just sick and tired of mowing the lawn with their traditional old lawn mower, and are looking for a better option? Electric lawn mowers are a new alternative that offer many benefits over conventional gasoline powered lawn mowers. Traditional mowers have an engine that runs on gasoline fuel. In contrast, electric mowers are powered by electricity, either directly from a cord that you plug into a socket like any other appliance, or by using a rechargeable battery that fits in the deck of the mower.

Cheaper to Run

While the initial upfront cost of an electric mower can vary and may potentially be more expensive than a gas mower, there are long term cost benefits to be gained. There is no need to buy gasoline fuel or fuel storage containers, and you'll never have to make a last minute dash in the car to get more gas when your mower runs out of fuel.

Easier to Maintain

When it comes to maintenance, keeping an electric mower running smoothly is a lot simpler than a traditional gas mower. You don't need to fill or change the oil, or replace spark plugs or air filters - only keep the battery charged as per the manufacturer's instructions. Many models have a durable non-metal deck casing, which won't rust over time and can be easily wiped clean as you won't have any greasy oil or gas stains to remove.

More Lightweight

Most electric mowers are lighter than traditional mowers because they do not have a heavy gas engine or a tank full of fuel. Cordless electric lawn mowers can be heavier than the corded models due to the weight of the battery. Being lightweight and easily manoeuvrable makes electric lawn mowers ideal for use by people who have difficulty pushing a bulky, heavy mower when mowing the lawn.

Safer to Use

There are also health benefits to using an electric mower as opposed to a conventional gas mower. Being relatively lightweight reduces the risk of injuring or straining yourself while pushing or lifting the mower. And because they are powered by electricity, you are no longer breathing in toxic fumes and exhaust every time you mow - now that's a breath of fresh air! If you opt for a corded model you will need to take care not to trip or mow over the electric cord, or you can avoid this risk altogether by opting for a cordless model that uses a battery instead.

Environmentally Friendly

Finally, electric lawn mowers are much more environmentally friendly than conventional mowers, simply because they do not run an engine that burns gas (fossil fuels). At a rough estimate, an hour of mowing with a gas mower is equivalent to driving 350 miles in terms of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted into the atmosphere! Electric mowers can help to significantly reduce carbon emissions that contribute to global warming.

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Three Different Ways to Recycle a Gas Lawn Mower

So you just realized today that your gas-powered lawn mower is a decade plus a year! Sure, you do share all those wonderful mowing memories together but as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Apparently, your old lawn mower is gradually running more slowly and ends up sitting in the basement more days than it spends out mowing in the lawn like it was made to do. Now that it is not used as much as it used to be, what in the world should you do with it?

It could just be given away. Or perhaps pay someone to haul it off to the dump. But there are better ideas. Why not consider gas lawn mower recycling options and save quite a few dollars on buying a new one? Or better yet, get quite a bit of money back into your pocket by selling it. Sounds interesting, doesn't it?

There are three different recycling options for these lawn care machines:

1. Find out where the nearest junk yard or salvage yard is located near your location. Call them to find out if they will purchase the mower for scrap metal and how much they will pay you for it. Then take the mower to them and get paid for getting rid of it.

2. The second way to recycle this unused piece of lawn equipment is to hire someone to repair it. Almost every neighborhood has a person who likes to tinker with old items and various types of machinery. Call them to find out if they are interested in fixing it and then you will be able to use it again for several years to come.

3. If you are not really thinking of making money from that old thing, this third recycling option is just for you. Ask a local nonprofit institution (Religious groups, Orphanages, Animal Shelters) near you if they could use an old lawn mower. This way you will be able to get rid of the old mower, but also help some other people be able to properly maintain their yard.

After you have made up your mind what you want to do with the old mower, perhaps you can think about purchasing one that is battery powered. Or perhaps you would prefer an electric model. Gas models are known to release a lot of exhaust into the air. This can add to environmental issues and its contribution to summertime ozone can be a problem. By responsibly recycling this piece of equipment you can make some money and help the environment. You can start today!

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Long Reach Hedge Trimmers - Petrol, Electric or Rechargeable?

Many gardeners these days have a veritable "arsenal" of tools at their disposal and over recent years, long reach hedge trimmers have become very popular and fit into that category of "why didn't any one think of that before". Prior to their development, gardeners would spend hours balanced precariously on stepladders, trying to stretch up to the top of those high hedges, whilst trying somehow to cling on with their leg muscles.

It's all so much easier with a long reach hedge trimmer. You can simply stand on solid ground and still achieve a nice, neat cut without putting yourself in danger. It can also be a real cost-saving too. Previously you might have had to employ a gardener to do this type of work.

The types of jobs which can be tackled include trimming and shaping conifers, trimming and cutting hedges, cutting ivy, cutting shrubs and the pruning of some of thinner, unruly tree branches. They are also very handy for reaching areas which might normally involve squeezing yourself between spiky, dense shrubs.

There are three main types of trimmers to choose from.

* Petrol * Electric * Battery (rechargeable)

There are distinct differences between the three options, although areas of overlap do occur.

Petrol

In general, petrol models tend to be the most robust option and are usually the choice of professional gardeners. They can be the most expensive option and can be noisy, smelly and dirty to use. They need filling up with a mix of oil and petrol to work. If you are worried about pollution, then this is not the option for you! However, the advantages are that they stand-alone pieces of equipment, requiring no leads or batteries and they tend to be the most powerful cutters so the best choice if your garden is large and somewhat high-maintenance.

Electric

Electric long-reach hedge trimmers are the most popular option. They are economical to use, clean and have a simple push-button starter. However, you are constrained by the length of the cable. You can use an extension cable, but any extension you buy should be heavy-duty and have a circuit breaker fitted. It is generally recommended that you do not use an outdoor cable of longer than 100 metres. At the first sign of any rain, you should discontinue use and move the machine indoors.

Rechargeable

Rechargeable long reach hedge trimmers are by far the easiest to use in some respects but are restrictive in some ways. The charge they hold is often limited to around 30 minutes solid use and recharging can take anywhere between 5-12 hours. To overcome this, some will buy a spare battery and keep it charged up. However, they tend to be less powerful than the electric and petrol powered models and as such, are more suited to lightweight jobs in smaller gardens rather than major shaping and cutting down.

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Cordless Lawn Mowers Vs Gas Powered Lawn Mowers: Which Is Best?

Traditionally, the main method of mowing your lawn has been with a gas powered lawn mower. It is a machine that has served the test of time and performs the job well. There have been corded electric lawn mowers around for a while of course, but gas mowers have remained the most popular. More recently though, cordless lawn mowers have come onto the market and have been growing in popularity. But, overall, which is best?

One of the attractions of gas powered mowers is that their range and how much lawn you can cut is limited only by how much gasoline you have in your can. Therefore, for large lawns this is clearly an attraction. Cordless lawn mowers are limited by how long they can run before the battery charge runs out - generally the largest range is a third of an acre from a single charge. However, you can increase the range by buying a model where you can remove the battery and then buy a second battery.

The power of gas mowers tends to be greater than electric mowers (either corded or cordless), so if you have particularly tricky areas then this may be a consideration for you.

However, cordless lawn mowers have a number of advantages. The most obvious one being that there are no messy gas or oil cans to deal with. Simply, plug in and charge with none of the obvious hazards of dealing with a highly combustible liquid.

One of the particular complaints made about gas mowers is their starting. The usual method for starting up involves a pull cord mechanism and in some instances can take several attempts before the engine springs to life. Inevitably this can require some considerable effort, not to mention frustration, particularly with some more erratic starting mowers. Gas mowers tend to be more difficult to start at the beginning of the mowing season (i.e. spring).

Cordless lawn mowers have no such starting difficulties. The starting mechanism varies but normally requires no more than the pulling of a handle to start. There are none of the reliability problems that have come to be associated with starting gas mowers.

Another issue relates to emissions. Although the engines of gas powered lawn mowers may be relatively small compared with those of cars, they are responsible for significant pollution. In fact some studies suggest that using a gas powered mower for an hour is equivalent to driving for 100 miles in terms of the emissions produced. Cordless lawn mowers do not produce any emissions directly, but of course cannot be considered to emission free as the power station producing the electricity to charge it will produce some emissions. Overall, however the net contribution to pollution is smaller.

Overall, unless you have a very large area to mow, I think that cordless lawn mowers offer considerable advantages over their gas powered counterparts and should be a consideration for anyone in the market for a new mower.

7 Protective Items To Use With Your Chainsaw   Tips on Buying Leaf Blowers and Vacuums   The Differences Between Spray Head and Gear-Driven Rotor Sprinklers   The Convenience of Retractable Hose Reels   A Sharp Lawn Mower Blade Performs Better   How to Stop Pollen Ruining Your Life - Grass Allergy Causes and Solutions