When it comes to outdoor maintenance, homeowners have two options: do it yourself or pay someone to do it for you. If youāre the roll-up-your-sleeves type of person, youāll need to gather a small arsenal of tools to properly maintain your yard. Hereās a list of 14 useful outdoor tools that homeowners should have.
- A Good Pair of Gloves No matter what chore youāre doing, your hands will thank you for a good pair of gloves. A few tips: leather doesnāt breathe; try to find gloves that fit tightly; gripping material is always appreciated.
- Hedge Trimmer Buy this only if you have hedges. If youāre a new homeowner and assembling your toolkit, consider investing in a cordless model. Many brands have full lines of tools that have interchangeable batteries.
- Leaf Rake This isnāt only for homes with trees. Your rake will be handy to clean up grass clippings and for spring/fall lawn rakings.
- Garden Hose and Sprinkler These are for those dry summer days. A word of warning ā your grass will die if you let it go without water for too long. You should absolutely conserve water, but wonāt it take more water to establish a new lawn if yours goes kaput?
- Garden Rake A garden rake is a little different than a leaf rake. They’re designed to move soil instead of leaves. Itās good for spreading material, tamping down soil and weeding. Pro tip: always lay it prongs down.
- Leaf Blower/Vacuum Mulcher A lot of these tools come as a combo. The leaf blower function is great for cleaning up debris, clearing leaves from large areas and cleaning up after mowing. The mulcher function significantly reduces the number of bags youāll need when you’re vacuuming.
- Pressure Washer This is an invaluable tool for cleaning your walkways and patio furniture, and maintaining a deck. When buying a power washer, youāll need to choose between gas and electric models. Gas models will be far more powerful (be careful not to use too much power), but require more maintenance. Electric models should provide adequate power for light to medium duty work.
- Shovels There are many types of shovel, so be sure to think about how youāll use yours the most. There are rounded digging shovels, scoop shovels, flat shovels (for edging or transferring), and more.
- Loppers This is the go-to tool for pruning trees and other shrubbery up to about an inch wide, although some will cut thicker branches. If you need to cut thicker branches, consider purchasing a reciprocating saw as a safer alternative to a chainsaw.
- Extension Cord This will be especially useful if you have electric yard tools. Be sure the cord and length you choose is heavy duty enough to handle the equipment youāre running. Check out this guide for details.
- Wheelbarrow Great for hauling piles of leaves, bulk mulch orders or landscaping stones. Plus it makes everything that much easier on your back.
- Lawn Mower There are zero-turn, professional grade riding lawn mowers and your standard push mowers. If you have a small yard, why not consider a manual push mower?
- Weed Whacker Before you buy, youāll have to ask yourself: gas or electric? Gas models will be more expensive and need more maintenance. But, you do get much more power and more portability. Electric models will come at a much lower initial and ongoing cost, but youāll be limited to lighter duty jobs and the length of your extension cord. Donāt think about it too hard ā thereās no right or wrong answer.
- Snow Blower or Shovel If you live in a climate that gets a lot of snow, this is something you canāt overlook. If you have a snow blower, be sure to get it serviced in September or October so you can be ready for the first big snow of the year.
And, since youāre spending so much time and effort taking care of your home, make sure itās well-protected with the proper insurance.
The above content is for general informational purposes only and does not replace or modify any provisions, limitations or exclusions contained in any insurance policy.