Power Your Way
To A Perfect Lawn
There’s an ideal mower for every lawn and this family business can help you find your perfect match, writes Kate Ford. Photography: Roger Moore
The storms are hopefully behind us now and springtime is here. Much loved and anticipated by gardeners everywhere, this is the season when the garden comes back to life, the grass is growing, and the lawnmower is once again called into action.
Calling into Mowerpower in St Annes recently, I noticed that amongst all the shiny new mowers and other garden machinery on display, were rows of lawnmowers waiting to be collected and returned to their owners. One of the many benefits of buying from this local, family business is the first class after-sales service.
“We only sell machines which we know we can get all the spare parts for,” says David Webster, who runs the business alongside his parents, Lynn and Richard. “If a mower needs repairing or servicing, we’ll collect it from the customer and deliver it back again once the work has been done, usually within a week. It’s all part of the service.”
This commitment to customer service is what has kept the Websters’ business going for 72 years. This is a fourth-generation family business, started as it was by Richard’s father and grandfather in 1948.
In addition to the original shop on Alexandria Drive in St Annes, Mowerpower has a large showroom on the A6 at Brock, between Preston and Garstang. They also have two workshops, in Blackpool and at Brock, where the services and repairs are carried out by five full-time mechanics.
The workshop element of the business is crucial because the Websters know that if a customer chooses the right mower for their lawn, they can expect it to last up to 20 years. With such longevity, the repairs and servicing help to keep things running smoothly.
The team regularly visit customers at home to view and assess their lawns. These free, no obligation visits enable the Mowerpower team to recommend exactly the right mower, to suit both the lawn and the individual using it. Customers are then invited to the showroom to see the machines and get a feel for their size and weight.
Both showrooms are bursting with every kind of quality garden machine imaginable, from Countax ride-on mowers to Stihl hedge trimmers. The business has approved retailer status with all the top manufactures of garden equipment, including Hayter, Mountfield, ATCO, Stiga, Toro, Echo and Masport. Alongside the gleaming, ride-on machines, they have walk-behind mowers in electric, petrol and cordless options.
This year sees the arrival of the first battery-powered ride-on mower from Weibang. An impressive machine, which benefits from rack and pinion steering and can mow for around two and a half hours on a full charge, it provides an excellent alternative to petrol machines for larger lawns.
“We’ve been selling battery powered mowers for many years, but this is our first ride-on with a battery,” says Lynn Webster, who goes on to describe the growing demand for this kind of machine.
“People now come in and ask us for battery powered mowers and other machinery, whereas in the past we had to tell them that these were available as an alternative to petrol and corded mowers. Every manufacturer is now expanding their range of battery powered machines.”
Another machine which is growing in popularity is the robotic lawn mower. The Websters have been selling these for around 20 years but demand has really taken off this year. “We’ve had four orders already this week alone,” says Lynn.
“They’re such clever machines. Programme in details like the area of your lawn, which days and times you want it to be cut, and the robot will mow the grass for you.”
Hand-held equipment at Mowerpower includes hedge cutters, strimmers, chainsaws, leaf blowers and pressure washers, again all from leading brands. There’s also a range of traditional garden tools and chemicals.
As well as its loyal and ever-expanding domestic customer base, Mowerpower also supplies machinery and servicing to several commercial and community customers including schools, sport clubs, churches, residential caravan parks and local authorities.
Lynn is in no doubt about what keeps customers returning time and again. “It comes down to our very personal approach and the after sales service we offer.
“Customers receive excellent advice and sound product knowledge which enables them to make the right choice and to buy a machine that will last a very long time.”
