Tips for Choosing Landscaping Tools

As the weather changes and temperatures begin to cool, the amount of time available to get yard work done before winter begins to dwindle. You’ve still got time to finish a few projects before we enter the wetter, cooler months. I’ve put together a list of a few projects you may have considered finishing and the necessary tools to complete them successfully.

Put in a fence, or plant a tree or shrub. These tasks are easily put-off because of the perceived work involved with finishing them. Although both planting shrubbery and digging holes for fence posts can be done by hand, using an earth auger makes the process significantly easier.

If you decide to go with an auger, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. How large is the project and how many people will be helping? One-man, two-man, and towable augers are available to accommodate a variety of workloads. For residential work, a one-man auger will most likely be sufficient. What hole depth and diameter will you need? A one-man auger will generally give you the hole diameter and depth that's necessary for fence posts. For planting larger trees, a two-man auger will be your best bet. Augers have interchangeable drilling shafts to allow for a variety of hole-size capabilities. You can find augers (or earth drills) with either gas or electric engines. Gas motors are generally more powerful and are much more versatile when it comes to portability.

Trim your trees or shrubs before harsh weather. To reduce the threat of damage from fallen brush, use a chainsaw to trim trees before winter. Your trees may have experienced damage from thunderstorms in summer, or be vulnerable to damage in winter because of colder temperatures and increased precipitation. Either way, trimming can greatly reduce your property’s risk of damage.

Once you decide to use a chainsaw, make sure the one you choose is best for your particular situation. For instance, do you know what bar length your chainsaw should be? Chainsaws can range from bar lengths of around 12” to above 30”. For normal residential use, smaller bar lengths are best. Commercial jobs may require a larger bar length. Also consider the chainsaw’s weight, saws with bar lengths above 20” become difficult to maneuver and handle for the average homeowner because of their increased weight. Ideally, a homeowner should have a saw that weighs around 10 lbs. with a bar length of about 14”.

Shred cut and fallen tree limbs. To create mulch, wood chip coverings for flower beds, or to reduce the size of limbs for disposal, wood chipper-shredders are the only way to go. Use a chipper-shredder in the fall to reduce the time needed to dispose of natural debris. Wood chippers have maximum debris sizes from 3” to 12” and can vary in hopper size as well. For higher power and increased efficiency, use gas and diesel shredders before electric. Although electric can be powerful, gas and diesel models will give you the mobility that is often needed in the field.

These are just a few of the fall projects that you may want to complete. I will be adding a few more fall and winter construction and landscaping projects to this article in a few days. Please share your insight and knowledge with us by adding your comment below!

Comments

[Bobarino]

Great article. I've been meaning to pick up a new chainsaw because my old saw's chain broke and then I dropped the bar on my kitchen countertop (don't ask). Anyway, my wife bought an electric chainsaw she found at Lowe's and I was so disgusted by it I just through it in the trash in its un-opened box... Anyway, hadn't really considered weight or bar length much before so thanks!