The Whole Nine Yards

Tom Smith, an employee at the family-owned Smith’s Sales and Service in Peru, said customers have plenty of options for yard tools and battery- and gas-powered equipment when they shop at Smith’s.

Choosing the best type of yard equipment for your circumstances

Story and photos by Shannon Serpette

New homeowners, young adults who haven’t done much yard work, and people who plan to save money by starting to maintain their own yards may wonder what tools and equipment they’ll truly use a lot. No one wants to blow their budget by buying tools they rarely use and forgetting to purchase the ones they’ll need frequently. According to Tom Smith, an employee at family-owned Smith’s Sales and Service in Peru, some of the basic equipment most homeowners will need to have in their arsenal include a blower, a trimmer, and a riding or push mower.

When shopping for new equipment, homeowners must decide whether they want their yard care products to

run off gas, electricity, or battery power. While gas-powered equipment used to reign supreme, that isn’t the case any longer.

“I think last year battery-powered (equipment) finally outsold gas in the U.S. It was for pretty much all hand-held equipment,” Smith said.

While many of today’s homeowners likely grew up with gas-run machinery like lawnmowers and weed trimmers, that doesn’t mean the same type of equipment you’re used to is what’s best for your household. There are a lot of factors to consider when trying to decide between the type you should use.

If you’re considering buying a gas-powered mower, trimmer, blower, or another piece of lawn maintenance equipment, you’ll have to consider the current high gas costs and decide if it’s worth it if you like to maintain your yard perfectly.

Smith said you should also factor in the time and expense of maintaining your gas-powered equipment to make sure it continues running well. When it comes to power and performance, though, it’s hard to beat this type of powered machine. And, Smith said, gas-powered equipment is often a great choice for people with sizeable properties because it will continue to work until the job is done, unlike battery-powered equipment that will stop when the battery dies.

Battery-powered units are increasing in popularity because they are so easy to use and maintain, Smith said. You won’t have to worry about any maintenance issues, and, of course, they can result in significant savings when gas prices are

See TOOLS page 6 If you’re in the market for a new mower, it may be time to consider a self-propelled battery-powered lawnmower like the one at Smith’s Sales and Service in Peru, especially with gas prices surging.

Brush cutters can be gas or batterypowered, but battery-operated ones are easy to use and require less maintenance. These backpack blowers are well-suited for extensive use and can be easier to carry than traditional blowers.

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SMITH’S SALES & SERVICE

Smith’s Sales and Service in Peru offers a handy guide for those who want to learn about and shop for the latest power tools and accessories.

Tools

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high. They can also be easier to use, making them a user-friendly choice for those who are intimidated by more complicated machinery.

If you’re worried about annoying your neighbors with early morning yard care, it’s good to note that battery-powered equipment is quieter than gas-powered equipment. If you have a small yard, are sensitive to noise, or want to find the most environmentally friendly way to maintain your yard, battery-powered equipment can be a good fit.

Smith said you’ll need to consider how much time a battery-powered machine can run and whether it will be sufficient for your yard size. How long any battery-powered equipment will run depends on what battery you’re using, but he said that you can usually expect anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour of operation time. One of the battery-powered lawn mowers carried by Smith’s Sales and Service, for instance, has enough battery power to mow up to 2,500 square feet on a single charge.

“You should have a spare battery,” he said.

That will allow you to finish the job rather than waiting for your only battery to fully recharge before continuing.

If the idea of powering your equipment by plugging it into an outlet appeals to you, you have the option of using corded machinery. While corded lawncare equipment isn’t an overly popular choice, there are still models out there for those who want to go this route, such as corded chainsaws and corded blowers, according to Smith.

“They still do offer them,” he said, adding that homeowners who choose this kind of powered equipment will want to make sure they have plenty of outdoor outlets at their disposal.

The fact that you’ll need plenty of outdoor outlets or lots of extension cords to get your equipment to any part of your property makes their usefulness limited, which is one of the primary reasons they are not very popular.

“We hardly sell any corded stuff anymore,” Smith said.

For those who have questions about which equipment – gas, electric, or battery-powered – would be best for them, the experts at Smith’s can help.

“We can steer them in the right direction,” Smith said.

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