Lawn Essentials: The 7 Must-Have Tools for the DIYers of the Twin Cities

One of the benefits of living in Minnesota is that you get to fully experience each and every season. From Summer to Winter, we get the best, and the worst that mother nature has to offer. For those of us who are really into lawn care, that can be a bit problematic at times. But all it really means is that you need a few more tools at your disposal to handle any situation that comes your way. Lawn care in the Twin Cities requires you to have a unique variety of items in your garage, not all of which would be found in the garage of residents in say, Florida or Texas.

You might have heard of some of these tools, and others you may not have, but rest assured everything on this list will help you keep your lawn in perfect condition, year round. Let’s take a look at 10 tools that are absolutely essential for anyone in the Twin Cities looking to stay ahead of the game when it comes to lawn care.

Lawn Mower

This one goes without saying, everybody needs a lawnmower. A good old-fashioned push mower in the range of $100 – $500 is all you need in most cases, but if your yard is somewhat large at all you can opt for a riding lawn mower. These cost quite a bit more, usually in the $1,000 – $10,000 range, but if you aren’t fond of walking every square inch of your lawn every time it needs a trim they can be pretty useful.

Just make sure to get a model with floating decks if you’re going to be mowing hills at all, this will allow you to get that beautiful, finished cut without having to come back around with a push mower.

Snow Removal Equipment

Photo: rebelcheck.com

Minnesota winters are notoriously snowy, and you can count on getting snowed in like you can count on the sun to rise. When this happens, don’t be caught unprepared. Make sure you have some kind of snow removal tool you can count on after a blizzard.

Whether it’s a snow blower, a snow plow for your vehicle, or just a simple snow blade for your lawnmower, anything beats trying to shovel your way out of your driveway. Chances are your neighbor might need a hand as well, so it never hurts to have something that can get the job done quickly.

Sprayers and Seeders

If your lawn is all-natural, you want to have both of these tools lying around. A seeder will help you fertilize your entire lawn quickly, and a sprayer will help you douse those pesky weeds in herbicide to kill them before they spread.

A 3-gallon pressurized sprayer should do the trick for most lawns, but if you’re working with more than half an acre of land, you might want to go with a 4-gallon backpack sprayer. Both of these items should be around the $50 range, give or take a few bucks

Trimmer

Photo: toolcraze.net

Another basic necessity for any lawn care enthusiast, the trimmer allows you to cut down grass in places where your lawn mower can’t reach. This will prevent you from trying to reach those places and ruining the blade on your mower. A good trimmer should cost no more than $400 on the high-end.

Edger

An edger cuts the grass that grows over borders like driveway edges, curbs, and sidewalks. You can go with either a stick edger ($200) or a four-wheel edger ($400).

Blower

This tool is used for blowing all the stray lawn clippings back into your own yard so you can dispose of them properly. A new model shouldn’t cost more than $500 at most.

Hedge Trimmer

If you have hedges, a hedge trimmer is definitely a must-have item. The electric version will probably suit you best, but you might want to go with a cordless one if you don’t have any outdoor outlets or extension cords. You can typically find these for around 100 bucks at your local hardware store.

Landscaping Tools

Maintaining your lawn is one thing, but actively caring for a garden or building any kind of project in your yard is another story. For these things, you’ll need a long list of special tools so you can handle anything your yard throws at you.

For digging, you’ll want:

• 50-foot hoses
• Pick
• Dandelion Tool
• Spade
• Square Edged and Pointed Shovels
• Mattock
• Spading Fork
• Long-Handled Hoe
• Scuffle Hoe

For cutting purposes, you should have these on hand:

• Hedge Shears
• Loppers
• Pruners
• Pruning Saw
• Blade Sharpener

For grading, you’ll want to have:

• Hand Tamper
• Power Tamper
• Lawn Roller
• Vibratory Plate Compactor

When it comes to measuring you’ll need:

• Measuring Wheel
• Sighting Level
• Tape Measure

For marking purposes you should have:

• Flagging Tape
• Chalk Wheel
• Marking Paint Applicator

And a few miscellaneous items you should keep on deck are things such as:

• Hammers
• Power Saw
• Square
• Level
• Drill
• Plumb Bob
• Stake Driver
• Single Jack
• Sledgehammer

In Conclusion

Taking care of a lawn in the Twin Cities is a special task that requires everything from a snow blower to a sledgehammer. Whether you just want to keep your existing yard in mint condition, or you want to make a few additions, the tools on this list are sure to cover every one of your bases. It might cost you anywhere from $5,000 – $10,000, but your equipment should last you a long time and keep you prepared for any lawn care situation you run into.

Have more questions about lawn care in Minneapolis or St. Paul? Visit our Minneapolis lawn care page for more tips and tricks.

Top photo: swardman.com