If you’re in need of a new lawn mower, or you’re thinking of buying your first ever lawn mower, you should be prepared to part with a decent chunk of money. A new lawn mower is an investment, but is there a best time to buy one? Are they cheaper in the winter?
The assumption many people make is that because winter is the time when you’re least likely to mow your lawn, it would also be the cheapest time to buy a lawn mower. This logic does make sense as most seasonal items go through a price decrease as the demand for them decreases.
(image of a new lawn mower)
However, surprisingly, winter is not necessarily the cheapest time for lawn mowers, and we’ll go through why that is. We’ll also take a look at some other ways to make sure you’re getting the best deal on your new lawn mower – there’s no sense overpaying if you don’t have to, right?
There’s no set in stone perfect time to buy a lawn mower so take the information below with a pinch of salt and treat it as a guideline rather than a direct recommendation. Things like region, general weather trends, and the type of shop you’re looking at might affect when you’ll get the cheapest lawn mower deals.
Without further ado, let’s take a more in-depth look at when the supposedly best times are and why this might be.
If Not Winter, When?
In most cases, the theory that the winter months will be the best time to shop for a new lawn mower is not necessarily accurate. Blindly following this suggestion without doing some research first could result in you buying a lawn mower in the winter thinking you’re getting the best deal when in actual fact, you could have gotten the same mower for less at another time.
But when is this other time? If winter isn’t the best time, when is?
As far as seasonal items go, retailers have a very clear idea about demand and customer buying trends. Stores know exactly when their customers will be buying different items and what the peak seasons are.
(image of a seasonal items sale sign)
Where lawn mowers are concerned, the period between May and July is considered peak time and this is where lawn mower prices will be the highest. The demand for mowers is at a high as more people are spending time in their gardens, so retailers can afford to boost prices slightly, knowing that people will still purchase lawn mowers.
The drop-off point for lawn mower season is actually August as most people have already done the bulk of their garden preparation and will already have a mower by this point. This means that from August onwards, lawn mower prices start to drop.
As a result, the cheapest time to buy a lawn mower tends to be between August and September, just after peak season, rather than in the winter.
How Come August and September are So Cheap?
There are a number of factors that determine why August and September will get you a better deal than in the winter, which we’ll look at now.
After peak mowing season, stores know that people are not going to need to buy as many lawn mowers, owing to the fact that they presumably already have one that they’ve been using all summer.
This drastic decrease in demand means stores can afford to lower their prices in order to shift any remaining lawn mower stock. This is not only a benefit to the savvy customers looking for a better deal, but also for the stores as they now need to make room for different items.
(image of a trend on a graph going down)
Lawn mowers are large and bulky and take up a lot of valuable shop-floor and storage space. The more mowers a retailer can get rid of at the end of season, the more space they’ll have for storing and displaying new items. This is the main reason lawn mower prices drop just after peak season.
In other words, end-of-season discounts and sales are a great way for shops to shift the last few lawn mowers that they would be unlikely to sell post-season.
Why is Winter Not Quite as Cheap?
While this will vary from place to place and store to store, generally, the winter months do not represent a great time for buying discount lawn mowers. In addition to the reasons above, there are a few other factors at play.
Most people are not thinking about their gardens as much in September to November as the weather starts to cool and summer festivities start to wane. So, in some respects, you’d think this decreased demand would lead to a continuation of the end-of-season discounts. To a degree, this does happen, but then it gets to a point where there just aren’t many lawn mowers around anymore as different items take over.
Demand tends to trend upwards again over the Christmas period as people start thinking about gifts and home improvements, which means prices can then start to go up as well. When the new year rolls around, people start making resolutions and goals which for many people, include their gardens, so again, lawn mower prices can afford to rise.
In the latter half of winter, people begin planning their gardens again, making preparations for the spring when lawns start to flourish again after snow and frosts. Because people begin thinking about their gardens more, they get into the swing of buying equipment and tools to prepare for the warmer months – lawn mowers included.
For these reasons, winter is really not an optimal time for buying your new lawn mower. Retailers are psychology experts, and they know what people are likely to be thinking at different times of the year. Coupled with their economic understanding, this psychological approach ensures they maximise their profits through all seasons.
Are There Any Other Cheaper Periods?
Perhaps counterintuitively, late spring right before the summer takes off is probably the next best time to buy a lawn mower. April and the beginning of May are generally fairly cheap times for buying lawn mowers as flash summer sales are often taking place.
Retailers want to kickstart their summer earnings and they do this by slashing prices of big-ticket items like lawn mowers for a short time to encourage consumers to buy, buy, buy! This will vary from brand to brand and retailer to retailer so don’t take this information as gospel.
If you’re after a new lawn mower though, and weren’t able to get one in August – September or during the winter, this late spring period right before peak season is probably a good time to shop around again.
Other Ways to Get a Cheaper Lawn Mower
Outside of watching sales trends, there are alternatives for finding more budget-friendly lawn mowers. A lot of people and businesses sell used lawn mowers and other tools in excellent working condition at the fraction of normal retail prices.
(image of a second-hand mower)
People sell things for all sorts of reasons so as long as there’s nothing obviously broken or wrong with the way it operates, a second-hand lawn mower might be a great budget option. With that in mind, use your best judgement when scoping out second-hand options.
Big sales events such as Black Friday and the like could also provide good opportunities for saving on expensive items like lawn mowers, although you should do some research before buying anything to make sure the advertised savings are actually savings rather than just discounts on marked-up prices.
(image of a Black Friday sign)
Many online retailers will also have lower prices than their in-store counterparts so it’s worth having a virtual window-shop to see if you can snap up any good deals.
Shop Smart and Save Money
At the end of the day, there’s no perfect formula for getting the cheapest possible lawn mower. So much depends on regional trends, different brands, and retailer habits so the best thing you can do is keep your eyes open.
Bear the information above in mind when you’re shopping as there are some useful tips that could help you to save a lot of money, but also make sure you’re shopping around to make sure you’re exploring all your options.
As a general rule, August and September are your best bets for cheaper lawn mowers so this period will be a good jumping off point. Saving money can also come in the form of looking after and preserving your mower for as long as possible, so here are some tips for prolonging the life of your mower.
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