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Summer Landscaping: Equipment You’ll Need to Get the Job Done

Equipment Trader has a list of landscaping equipment you'll need to keep your yard looking its best!
Summer Landscaping

It’s summertime and everything is growing. Your monthly landscaping maintenance has once again turned into at least one full day a week of mowing, edging, watering, and everything else that comes with having and maintaining a yard. No matter the size of your yard, if you want to keep your HOA or your pesky neighbor who walks around with a ruler off your back, there are a few pieces of equipment you’ll need to get this job done. Below is a list of just a few pieces of landscaping equipment that will keep your yard looking great!

Walking or Standing/Riding Lawn Mower

Most residential homes have yards that are small enough to manage with a walk behind lawn mower, while larger pieces of property may require a standing or riding lawn mower. If you’re working with a manageably sized yard, a walking lawn mower will be all you’ll need to get the job done. I suggest spending a little extra on a self-propelled mower. It all comes down to your landscaping needs, and what will best get the job done. For those who own a landscaping business, investing in higher quality mowers will allow for a longer life cycle on your equipment. 

Leaf Blower

Landscaping can get messy, and most cities do not take kindly to grass clippings being swept into storm drains. Investing in a sturdy leaf blower will allow you to keep as much debris out of the city water system as possible and will also leave your yard looking tidy after a long day of hard work.

There are a few types of leaf blowers to look at, depending on your needs. First, you’ll want to decide between a gas model, a battery pack powered model, or an electric model. Electric leaf blowers require an outdoor electrical outlet. Additionally, you have a few handling options. Depending on your needs, you can choose from a backpack model, a hand-held model, or a walk-behind, wheeled model. For larger jobs, that latter of the three might be your best option. And the great thing about a leaf blower is that it also comes in handy for maintaining the foliage that it gets its name from in the fall months.

Weed Eater

Some grass cannot be managed with a lawn mower and requires a weed eater to be cut down. Weed eaters also come in a variety of models. They are available powered by gas, battery pack, or electric. I do find that the gas -powered ones can be precarious, especially for smaller operators, so that comes down to comfort. There are models available with blades or the more traditional model which requires a weed eater line, which can be purchased on several weights, depending on the nature of the job. Word to the wise, lighter weight weed eater line does not like metal fences, so make sure you have plenty on hand to replace your line, regularly. 

Edger

Although a weed eater can be used for edging, it does take a certain finesse, so you may want to invest in an edger. Edgers are specifically designed to be run along curbs and between the cracks in the sidewalks to create clean lines and remove hard to reach weeds and grass more easily than with a weed eater. Although some might consider it an extra purchase, for those who want to get the job done tidier and more quickly, an edger will make this task much easier.

Electric Hedge Clippers

Electric hedge clippers resemble a baby chainsaw and will keep shrubs and hedges from getting unruly. A handheld, generally easy to handle piece of equipment, electric hedge clippers make for fast work in cleaning up hedges, shrubs, and even smaller trees. You can even create beautiful topiaries with significantly more ease than Edward Scissorhands. If you want to win yard of the month, purchase hedge clippers.

Gas Can

With so many gas-powered pieces of landscaping equipment, you will want to have a couple of gas cans to keep them running. Since different equipment requires different fuel mixes, it’s best to have a separate gas can for each item. While smaller, 1 to 2-gallon cans can be used for weed eaters, edgers, and leaf blowers, a 5-gallon can is suggested for lawnmowers. Label your cans and keep them stored in a cool, dry place when not in use. Don’t let old gas sit, as you may end up needing to replace an entire piece of expensive equipment. No one wants to do that.

Trash Bags for Clippings

When clean-up time rolls around, you’ll want to have sturdy bags to dispose of clipping that you do not intend to use for mulch. Although the traditional large industrial trash bags are the go-to for most people, consider spending a little extra on biodegradable bags to be more environmentally friendly. Imagine how many plastic bags full of biodegradable grass clippings end up in landfills each year. You can do your part to reduce the number.

Seed Spreader

At the beginning of spring, you’ll want to spread grass seed and fertilizer to build your yard up prior to the rain and warm weather that will jump-start your beautiful summer lawn. Although the preferred model is the push model that evenly dispenses granules around your yard, for hills and uneven areas, there is also a handheld model available. It requires more frequent refills, but it adds ease to your task.

Sprinkler

We come to our last piece of equipment to complete your list of landscaping equipment that will make your yard the HOA’s example of what to do for new homeowners. A sturdy sprinkler. While an underground sprinkler system is ideal, it may not be financially feasible. In this case, there are a few more affordable options. These options will require an outdoor water faucet and a water hose to get the job done. There are several options to choose from. Stationary, rotary, oscillating, pulsating, and orbit. Orbit sprinklers can reach up to 6500 square feet and are inexpensive. For smaller areas to cover, oscillating sprinklers are another option, and they double as the best entertainment to cool off bored kids when you just need 20 minutes of quiet time during summer break.

Landscaping equipment does not need to be expensive, and you can pick and choose from the above list on what works best for your needs. A simple push mower, a weed eater, a few gas cans, and an oscillating sprinkler may work just great for you, or you might require every single piece of landscaping equipment, plus some I’ve not even mentioned, to keep your yard looking good. The above list is a great place to start.

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Anna Cecilia Tozzi
Anna Cecilia Tozzi
Anna is a Virginia-based writer with a background in business. Although her initial writing experience was in satire, her love of research and learning about new subjects has given her the opportunity to write on numerous topics. When she’s not writing, Anna enjoys taking her camera out and capturing pictures of the world around her.

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