6 Ways to Spend Less Money on Lawn and Garden Equipment

Investing in high quality lawn and garden equipment makes sense. Durable, top quality tools make for an easier job of taking care of your landscaping, and will save you money in the long run.

The problem, however, is how to pay for them in the short run.

Here are six frugal ways you can save a substantial amount of money when you buy a lawn mower, edge trimmer, chainsaw, leaf blower, or any other yard care tool: – Choose basic models, without the fancy gadgets. Bells and whistles raise the price on anything, usually by a significant amount; and they're also the features that malfunction the soonest, resulting in costly repairs. So go for the basic, stripped-down models of top-quality brands and you'll be making a smart investment in equipment you'll use for years. – Shop in February. Lawn and garden equipment dealers need to move out their remaining stock of last year's equipment to make room for this year's models, and February is one of the slowest months of the year for their sales. However, from March through June is peak season for this industry, and accordingly prices will be at their highest then. – Look for sales just after July 4. The yard-and-garden sector typically hits another slump in sales once summer has peaked, and you should be able to find discounts of around 20% on most lawn and garden items. – Check warehouse stores such as Sam's, Costco, and BJ's. Their yard equipment markups tend to be lower than what you'll find in hardware or home improvement stores. And when they start clearancing these items at the end of the season, you'll be able to purchase them at rock-bottom prices – if you're lucky enough to get one before they're gone. – Check the Internet. Many items are cheaper, even with shipping and handling charges included, if you buy them from an online supplier. Thanks to their low overhead costs and broad customer base, website-based suppliers of lawn and garden equipment often have much lower prices than brick-and-mortar businesses. – Buy used, reconditioned lawn and garden equipment. Check the classified ads of your local newspaper, and in lawn mower / small engine repair shops. If these places don't have what you're looking for, they're usually very helpful in suggesting other places you can try. Also check your phone book's yellow pages under such headings as "lawn mowers", "garden equipment", etc. for businesses selling used yard equipment.

Once you've purchased your yard care items, you can save even more money by taking proper care of them. Follow the manufacturers' maintenance schedules listed in the instruction booklets. Take care to thoroughly clean, dry, and oil everything before you put it away, and store all tools and equipment out of the elements.