Archive for February, 2011

The Crystal Ball of the Farming Community

Wednesday, February 16th, 2011

The countdown has begun for this year’s National Farm Machinery Show. We’re loading up the trailers, filling up the tanks and heading to Louisville, Kentucky for another exciting year of meeting customers, answering questions and unveiling the latest and greatest in our mower line-up.

This year, we’ll have the new Pioneer Series and the newly designed Quest mower on display. They’re the latest consumer machines to be included in the Exmark family.

If you’ll be at the show, swing by booth 5050 to get a closer look at the mowers. We’ll also be on hand if you’d like to chat about all things turf.

If you’re not familiar with the show, it’s the nation’s largest indoor farm show that offers a great look at what you should expect in the coming year. If you want to learn more about the show, click here.

We hope to see all of you there.

Have you been to the show? Going to the show this year? Let us know with a comment below.

How-to Buy Your Next Exmark Mower

Thursday, February 10th, 2011

Here’s a post for the Exmark newbies.  As you prepare to purchase your next mower in 2011, we want you to be informed and prepared. So we’ve put together a short guide to help you pick out the right Exmark mower for the job. You’ll want to meet with your local Exmark dealer as well, but this will at least get you headed in the right direction.

Budget

The first thing you want to keep in mind, when purchasing your new Exmark, is your budget. You need the most dependable and durable mower that you can afford. Exmark has many mowers to suit any budget or mowing needs. Interested in learning how you can finance your next Exmark retail mower? David Adams, Exmark Financial Services Manager, explains the process in our latest YouTube video.

Mowing properties

The next thing you’ll want to consider, is what kind of properties you’ll be mowing. Smaller residential lawns require smaller mowers like the new 36″ Vantage or Commercial 21, but for larger commercial properties you’ll want to go with a zero-turn mower like the Lazer Z.

For properties under a 1/2 acre we’d recommend:

  • Vantage
  • Commercial 21
  • Metro
  • Viking
  • Turf Tracer

For properties above a 1/2 acre, we’d recommend:

  • Quest
  • Pioneer
  • Navigator
  • Lazer Z

Mower Engine and Features

After you’ve considered your budget, lawn size and terrain, you’ll want to look at your next Exmark mower for the engine and features offered. All Exmark models come with a variety of engine types and configurations (including eco-friendly models) and mower accessories (like mulching and striping kits). Still not sure what you’d like?  You can check out the “Not Sure What to Buy” section of exmark.com or the Compare Mowers section here.

Need any additional help? Have specific questions about a mower your considering for 2011?  Let us know in a comment below.

Mower TLC

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011

For those of you that haven’t had a chance to check out some of our older posts about maintenance for your Exmark, here’s a refresher. Sure, your Exmark mowers are tough machines, but even the metal beasts need to be shown a certain amount of care to keep giving the results you and your customers are looking for. Here are a few ways to help your equipment get the job done right.

  • Change the gas and oil soon after taking out your mower. Gas that has been sitting in the tank throughout the winter becomes lower in quality and has a tendency to go stale faster, causing damage to your mower.
  • Check the blades before any big job. Seriously. Do it. With a little practice, you can change a set of blades and be mowing in less than five minutes, and the higher quality cut is sure to impress.
  • Give your mower a good cleaning inside and out since grass clippings can often hide out of plain sight. It may require a little more work, but in the end better airflow through the deck will deliver more of the cut quality you’ve come to expect.
  • It’s not exactly manly, but reading the manual is essential for proper care of your equipment. Even if you’re a mower maintenance guru, the difference from one model to the next can be staggering.
  • If something does go wrong, call up an expert. A few well spoken words of wisdom can save a do-it-yourselfer from hours of headache.

See? It doesn’t take that much to keep your mower happy, which, in the end, will keep you happy.

We’d love to hear how you keep your mower in tip-top shape.