Last Updated on July 31, 2024 by Duncan

It’s often said that beautiful lawns don’t happen by themselves. And it’s true.

Making a lawn flawless and lovely requires a great deal of work, and there is no greater partner than the right lawn care tools and equipment to help you achieve this and make your task easier.

Which are the tools you need to keep your lawn in top shape? Here they are:

Lawnmowers

The grass won’t cut itself.  You need a lawnmower. You should use your lawnmower to cut the grass once or twice a week throughout the active growing season of the turf.

When you walk into a home improvement store, many lawn mower options exist. To help you make the best choice, it’s important to think about the following factors before making a mower purchase:

What is the size of your lawn? Depending on the size of your lawn, you can decide whether you should get a walk-behind push mower, a reel mower, or a ride-on mower.

Because push mowers are so easy to operate and store on your property, they are ideal for half an acre or smaller lawns. Riding lawnmowers is convenient for lawns larger than half an acre, but you’ll need a place to keep them.

How much money do you have? A lawn mower can cost anything from a few thousand dollars for a ride-on mower to less than $100 for a reel mower.

Do you have a favorite brand? Perhaps your neighbor has advised you to avoid a particular mower brand, or they simply adore theirs.

The most popular brands include  Sun Joe, Black & Decker, Craftsman, Worx, and Ryobi, to name just a few. You should research and find the one that is easy to operate in your area, and you can easily find replacement parts and support if they break down.

Which kind of power source do you prefer? Gas or electric are your choices. If you go with electric, you’ll also need to decide if you want a lawnmower that runs on batteries or a cord.

As much as electric lawnmowers tend to be friendly to the environment, they tend to be expensive.

To avoid lawn thatch after cutting the grass, either bag your grass clippings or add them to your compost. Some mowers allow you to mulch your clippings; you can leave them where they fall to provide your grass with more nutrients.

Lawn aerators

Aerators allow air, moisture, and sunlight to penetrate your grass. While true, you should note that not all aeration products meet your needs. The size of your lawn will largely determine the aeration gear you use.

After a long and wet winter, a pair of aerating sandals—either homemade or bought—are ideal for releasing compacted areas.

Push into the soil profile using a garden fork and rock back and forth in too-compacted areas. Alternatively, you can finish using a big, spiked lawn roller.

Remember to fertilize, apply lime (calcium carbonate), or use gypsum to your grass after aerating.

Edgers

An edger defines clear borders in your yard by creating a tiny hole in the ground between grass and garden beds or between grass and another surface, such as a paved walkway.

While they are optional, they come in handy when you are looking to give your grass a more polished look.

While some will use their string trimmer as an edger, a standalone edger tool will produce a more polished and sharp appearance.

There are many types of edgers, with the common ones being:

Manual: These require manual labor, patience, and accuracy. Hand shears, roller-based, and spade-based edgers are a few examples.

Motorized: These run on batteries, gas, or electricity cables. While some motorized edgers are integrated into string trimmers, others are powerful, walk-behind devices with wheels.

Rake

Don’t underestimate the power of even a basic rake when cleaning and arranging your lawn. After a windy day, a leaf rake comes in handy when clearing your driveway or lawn of autumn leaves and other debris.

The lifespan of your rake is directly correlated with your budget unless you stumble onto an inexpensive antique one at a garage sale or charity shop in your community.

For a rake that will withstand the test of time, go for a high-quality one. You will have to part with some extra money, but it will be worth it. You should note that you will be better off with steel rakes that you will use to clear your driveway and aerate your lawn.

Shovel

Nothing beats the shovel when it comes to simple lawn upkeep. The shovel facilitates the lifting and moving of dirt and hole digging. These tasks are crucial as they clear your lawn and make it look better.

Investing in a shovel with a steel handle or fiberglass will pay off as it will last for a long time and simultaneously enable you to shape larger yards.

A wood-handled shovel is a good option if you are looking for a basic shovel.

As you purchase, you should note that they come in various narrow, concave blades and tips. You should select the ideal shovels based on the needs of your lawn.

For instance, if you wish to get rid of weeds, you can use a little shovel with a sharp tip. It will assist you in getting rid of and tidying up the lawn’s edges.

Remember that shovels need to be sharpened regularly to give you the efficiency you are after.

Lawn spreaders

The equipment is helpful as it prevents uneven patches of fertilizer in your lawn. Additionally, it facilitates the distribution of fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, and lawn seeds.

Lawn spreaders come in two varieties: drop spreaders and broadcast spreaders. How you move the tool across the grass will determine how the broadcast spreaders help distribute lawn supplies.

On the other hand, drop spreaders are more exact and directly apply drop seed into the rows.

Using the proper lawn spreaders can achieve better results with less work than when you do it by hand.

For instance, you can use lawn spreaders to distribute grass seed evenly across your uneven lawn if you need more grass.

De-thatcher

The de-thatcher tool eliminates thatch from your grass. The tool removes and loosens a heavy layer of clippings and dirt from the ground beneath the grass plants. To make your lawn smooth and pristine, you need a de-thatcher.

Adopting a de-thatcher would also prevent thatch from creating issues at the roots. De-thatching prevents the accumulation of thatcher, which thickens over time and blocks the flow of water and nutrients into the soil.

When to hire a lawn service provider

As much as you know the tools you need to keep your lawn looking elegant, you should note that using them properly requires you to have a set of skills and dedicate time.

If you don’t have the skills or the time to maintain your lawn, you should hire a lawn service provider. The cool thing is that the professional will come with all the tools they need, so you don’t need to rent or buy any of them.

For the best outcome, ensure that the professional you hire is experienced and you have seen the quality of their work.