The survey shows that when it comes to spending hard-earned money, buying new clothes or going to the movies are less important to Americans than having a beautiful lawn. With lawn care so high on the list of priorities for cash-spending consumers, is it any wonder that lawn care technology continues to evolve? Outdoor power equipment increasingly focuses on reducing the time and effort one invests in lawn care.

For hand-held tools, the cutting edge is “4-cycle” engines. Operating much like a car engine, 4-cycle products are rapidly replacing the old 2-cycle engines once common in handheld power tools. The main advantages of 4-cycle products such as string trimmers, blowers/vacs and even garden cultivators are:

* They are easier to start. A spring in the 4-cycle starting system reduces the amount of effort required to pull the starting cord.

* They are more fuel efficient and produce better engine performance than traditional 2-cycle products.

* Where 2-cycle engines ran on a mixture of oil and gasoline, 4-cycle products run on gas.Users can rely on one can of gas for all their power equipment needs. Spills are reduced and the odor of burnt oil is eliminated.

* The average 4-cycle engine produces half the emissions of a standard 2-cycle, making them more environmentally friendly. And with a cool running engine, fuel efficiency is approximately 25 percent better.

* Old power tools belted out 95 decibels of noise (comparable to the engine of a motorcycle). The new 4-cycle engines create less noise – typically 75 to 95 decibels – and at a lower frequency that is more comfortable to the ear. They also generate less vibration for increased control and comfort.

* Despite the vast increased efficiencies and benefits of a 4-cycle product, the price point is only slightly higher than a 2-cycle product – typically 25 percent.

For example, Troy-Bilt 4-cycle string trimmers boast Spring Assist starting technology to dramatically reduce the starting effort, an extended reach shaft for easy trimming under shrubs or low branches and a system that allows replacement of the line without removing the spool.

Homeowners who want to reduce effort by multi-tasking are turning to products like Craftsman’s blower/vacs that automatically mulch debris at a 10:1 reduction ratio. Some 4-cycle equipment is even compatible with easy attachment systems, allowing users to interchange a variety of attachments for added versatility and time savings. For example, a 4-cycle string trimmer can be transformed into a blower/vac, edger or cultivator within seconds, making it a complete lawn and garden system.

Americans continue to take pride in the appearance of their lawns and gardens, so if outdoor chores are going to be performed, they might as well be enjoyable.

For more information on premium 4-cycle outdoor handheld power equipment, log on to www.mtdproducts.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Related posts:

1. How to Choose a String Trimmer
2. Six Must-Have Features on Today’s Cutting-Edge Lawn Mowers
3. Using the Right Tools to Maximize Fall Lawn Cleanup

Power leaf blowers come in two basic types, gasoline-powered and electric.

Electric models are typically lighter, always quieter and often less expensive. But they rarely have anywhere near the power of a gasoline-powered type, so it may take longer to clear the area. Power ratings are marked on the unit and/or box, measured in the cubic feet of air per minute (CFM) they expel. Not surprisingly, you usually pay more for the higher rated models.

Some models run off a battery, but in order to keep the weight down to reasonable levels, they have only enough capacity to power a small unit. Most will have a cord. If you have a small yard that may not be a problem. But for larger areas, or if the trees are far from an outlet, you may want to consider a gasoline-powered model.

Carrying a hundred feet or more of extension cord behind the blower is inconvenient. The cord has a tendency to get in the way. You will trip over it from time to time, and it magically finds a way to lay across leaves you want to blow away. That requires working not only the blower, but becoming a cord management expert. That’s the electric leaf blower dance.

Gasoline-powered leaf blowers are heavier, but generally push much more air. On the downside, they produce much more noise at the same time. Anyone who has heard a professional lawn care specialist at work has probably heard the sound, a cross between a lawnmower and a jet airplane at a distance. Neighbors may object to the noise, or it can irritate the user.

But a gas-powered blower will handle any size job you have and many can operate in reverse. Those will serve as a leaf vacuum cleaner as well as simply pushing the leaves to another location. That’s an important consideration since blowing leaves into the street or onto a neighbor’s property is often a bad alternative.

If all you need to do is blow them all into a central location to be packed up, this feature may not be needed. Here again, you’ll pay more for a model that has that ability.

Blowers can be as light as a few pounds or as heavy as 25 lbs, rarely more. The latter doesn’t sound like much until you carry or drag it around for an hour. You’ll want to consider the tradeoff of weight vs power. Here, too, price will come into play since larger models tend to weigh more and cost more. Only buy what you need.

Related posts:

1. Lawn Tools – Trimmers and Edgers
2. Using the Right Tools to Maximize Fall Lawn Cleanup
3. Selecting a Lawnmower or Tractor/Rider