One of the largest parts of any good garden will be the lawn. The best lawn care entails more than ideal watering and a good lawn fertilization schedule. You will need to cut the grass on regular occasions.
If you don’t have one already and are after an upgrade, you will be searching for the best time of year to buy a lawnmower.
With prices ranging from a couple of hundred dollars for the best push lawn mower to a few thousand for a good riding mower, it makes sense to try to grab a bargain.
With Black Friday sales out of the way, it may appear you have missed the boat. However, there are times throughout the year when you can find a discounted price when buying a new mower.
Before looking for the best times, you can take advantage of sales from online stores such as Amazon Prime or bargain sites like eBay and Angie’s List, etc.
You can even spend some time checking out local retailers like Lowes or Home Depot.
Read on, and this buying guide will help you find the best time of year to buy a lawn mower. We will also show how best to use it once you have it.
When are the Best Times of the Year to Purchase a New Lawnmower?
A lot of the buying time can depend on where you live. Purchasing out of season does have its pros and cons, so we will account for these rather than making this a lawnmowers reviews article.
Some times of the year can be the cheapest time, but these do have a couple of considerations to think of.
Discounts on mower prices can be huge on lawnmowers, and it is easy to be blindsided by them.
You can be tempted to purchase a mower immediately when you see such a big discount. The issue with this is the mower may not meet your needs.
Check the online reviews and make sure it is suitable. The mower sales will be there for another day, so you do have the time instead of finding you have a home improvement machine you’ll hardly use.
Middle of June
During late spring or the middle of summer, during mowing season are the busiest times. This may not be the best time to buy a mower.
However, in the middle of June, there is a window where you can find some great deals.
For the majority of larger manufacturers and stores, it can be a good time to take advantage of the sales they hold in the run-up to Father’s Day.
This can be one of the best times as these stores want to take advantage of gift buying families.
Other holiday times you will see that are big holiday sales are Memorial Day and Independence Day.
While these do offer the best choice to price ratio, you won’t be paying the best lawn mower rates for the best bargain.
Labor Day, on the other hand, is, in most cases, the final lawn equipment sale of the year. You can see this on other garden equipment such as a gas grill, or home security devices. The sales will be there, yet you will be limited on choice.
Latter End of August and the Fall
At this time of year, you find stores are clearing out older stock to make way for new models arriving.
Mowers eat up space, so these stores need to get rid of them. September is the best time to start searching for a new lawn mower.
Temperatures drop in early fall, and the lawn, garden, and exterior yard work slows down. You see fantastic mower deals from this point on.
One of the main reasons for these huge cuts is that the snow blowers and other items for yard work at this time will be coming into stock.
In some cases, this may not be the best time to buy a riding mower. You may not be able to use it until the following spring, so if anything is broken, then you can have a hard time getting it fixed.
If you do purchase one at this time, run it every day for a few minutes before you pack it away for the winter.
One other thing to consider is, if you are looking for the best deals, you only have choices from what they didn’t sell in the earlier parts of the year.
You can also buy a lawn mower that is superseded by a new model by the time you come to use it.
Other Ways to Save When Buying a Lawnmower
If you are searching for ways to save on the retail price of your next mower, the best mower purchase doesn’t need to be brand new.
You can find massive savings if you look for a second-hand lawnmower. One which is a couple of years old and in good condition, you can pay as little as 60% or the original purchase price from dealers, or if a direct purchase from another gardener, you can pay a lot less.
In both scenarios, you do need to see why it is a good deal, and if any problems are not apparent.
If you are a good DIY kind, you can buy a mower that needs work. As long as you can find the parts, many models are straightforward to repair and refurbish.
The prices will follow demand, so when everyone else is after a new mower, then the prices will rocket.
It doesn’t matter what time of year you decide to purchase, if you are looking in the local store, you should negotiate.
This can work better in smaller stores for further discounts or larger stores; you may find you get another item as a sweetener.
These items will often be out of season things, but something for nothing is good as long as you can use it.
When to Cut the Grass
One decision, which is often an oversight, is what the best time to mow the grass is. There are certain times of the day that are ideal, and you do need to consider the type of mower you have or the type of mower you want.
There is little use having the best cordless mower if you have a huge garden. For this, you will be better with a riding lawn mower, yet these come with a hike in the price. Hence, you do need to hunt for those bargains.
There will be more choices for the best push lawn mower, and you do need to know your new lawn mower is adjustable.
Mowing the lawn right before the winter sets in will help to keep it in a healthy condition during the colder spells. If you neglect to do this, then you can end up with moldy fungus.
You also find there is no set time that grass ceases growing, the weather that dictates this. If temperatures are still on the warm side, then the grass will continue growing.
You can find if there are freak warm periods, the last cut can be as late as the start of December rather than October or November.
As soon as you see the first frost, you need to plan to cut your lawn two to three times, reducing the height of the blades. The height you need to cut to should be between two and two and a half inches after your final cut.
This length stops snow mold, and the grass won’t be stressed as it is too short. You do need to be sure your mower is capable of these adjustments because you should never cut more than one-third of the grass length in each cutting stroke.
Conclusion
Taking in all the above information, you now have time to snag a great bargain. If you do not need the latest and greatest mower, you will still have plenty of choices, and you can find the best mower to meet your needs.
One final thing to remember is that at this time of year, there are countless places offering deals so that you will be in the driving seat.
Stores will be after your money, but it doesn’t mean you need to give it to just any. Compare retailers to find the best deal, and be sure to check for the 30-day price match options some retailers offer. If you find their product cheaper elsewhere, they will refund the difference.
Either way, at this time of year, you may not be in as much of a rush as the retailers. Use your time wisely, and you can find a great bargain for your mower.
Learn more about lawn care here.