1. Mow Better
Who cares if your lawn’s the size of a postage stamp? It’s still begging to be caressed by the Craftsman Professional PYT Yard Tractor, with its 24-horsepower engine, massive 42-inch deck, and six cutting positions that ensure patterns as pretty as those on Wrigley’s outfield.
$2,100, craftsman.com.
2. V String
Though electric, Black & Decker’s 36V Cordless String Trimmer packs the juice of a gas model. Witness the 14-inch cutting swath, 51-square-feet-per-minute cut rate, and…Energy Star certification, which both saves the planet (snore) and slices your power bills (sweet!).
$250, blackanddecker.com.
3. This Blows
Rakes are for suckers. Clear leaves, debris, and/or excess midgets with Ryobi’s TouchStart Backpack Blower. Power up or down with one button; a self-charging 12-volt battery lets you blow your leaves into the neighbor’s yard—from the porch.
$199, ryobitools.com.
4. Split Decision
Any joker can grab an ax and a flannel and chop wood by hand. But for the lazy, er, busy among us, the Homelite Log Splitter is a sweat-free, beard-optional way to attack logs up to 10 inches in diameter with five tons of splitting force. Bonus: You get to keep your toes!
$299, homelite.com.
5. Shred Stick
Sure, Leatherface makes it look easy, but operating a chain saw takes real skill, even when you’re not dicing moving objects. Thankfully, the Husqvarna 576 XP AutoTune—no relation to T-Pain—adjusts for top performance in the face of variables like fuel blends, filter clogs, and, ¿of course, your legs.
$910, husqvarna.com.
6. Serial Tiller
Terrify the soil with the Cub Cadet RT 65 Rear Tiller’s gnarly 190 cc Honda engine and 13-inch dual-direction tines. Do the job quickly with its self-propelling action and one-handed controls. Use the time you save to sit back and watch someone else plant flowers.
$799, cubcadet.com.