Things to consider when Buying Garden Power Tools

If you have a large garden and perhaps fortunate enough to own an adjoining paddock or a wooded area, you will certainly have a few power tools to help make the job of maintaining it that much easier.  Below we provide a few pointers for when you are considering the purchase of the various tools that are available.

Lawnmowers

Choosing which lawnmower to buy is a relatively easy decision namely the blade width and propulsion type – push mower, cordless battery powered mower or corded electric mower,  gas powered mower or ride-on tractor mower.

Hedge Trimmers

Likewise if you have a lots of hedging your first consideration when looking at which hedge trimmer to buy will be the cutting length and again the propulsion type – corded electric or cordless battery powered models or a gas power trimmer.

Leaf Blowers

When considering which leaf blower to buy with electric handheld models it is relatively straight forward but for those with large areas to keep clear, it gets a little bit more complicated when looking at backpack blowers.  There are a couple of important things to consider in tandem blowing speed and blowing volume.  A model might be quoted as blowing at 195 mph which at first glance seems impressive but you need too to consider the volume of air exiting the tube which is measured in cubic feet per minute (cfm). Two blowers might both blow with the same speed but the volume of air on higher rated models can be 2-3 times greater.  So don’t don’t fall into the trap of buying a blower just on its high speed without looking at cfm too.

Chainsaws

One of the most powerful garden tools is a chainsaw and undoubtedly they are the most dangerous too.  Choosing which chainsaw to buy needs a lot more thought as there are important things to consider, with much depending on what jobs you are intending to tackle.  Electric chainsaws will suit those mainly cutting smaller trees or if you will only be using your saw occasionally.  The main consideration is the  “bar length” which ranges from 6″ to 18″ which will be decided by the size of limbs that you are to cut.   The major benefit of an electric chainsaw is that the motor requires no real maintenance.  The major constraint will be, as with all electric tools, the proximity of a power source although there are an increasing number of cordless models

If you want to fell large trees or cut hard woods, a gas chainsaw is an obvious choice.  They range from 12-24 inches but do take into consideration that the larger more powerful models do weigh much more and require more strength to use.

If you are proposing to buy a chainsaw do stay safe – wear the right protective gear, take time to appraise the job thoroughly and if in doubt bring in a professional.