Best Time to Buy Lawn Care Equipment: April Is the Worst Month

Lawn care equipment follows one of the strictest seasonal calendars in retail. New mowers, trimmers, blowers, and pressure washers go on shelves in March. Demand peaks in April and May. Inventory turns over in August. End-of-season clearance starts in September and bottoms in October.

If you can wait three to six months on the right side of the seasonal curve, the savings are dramatic. Here’s the actual playbook.

The annual lawn-equipment pricing curve

• December–February: Stable winter pricing. Limited selection. Decent if you’re shopping ahead.
• March: New season inventory arrives. Pricing climbs.
• April–May: Peak demand, peak pricing. The worst time of year to buy.
• June–July: Mid-season stability. Some manufacturer promos, but selection thins on popular models.
• August: Clearance starts. Discounts begin at 15–25%.
• September–October: Deepest discounts. Clearance reaches 30–50% off as retailers shift floor space to winter inventory (snow blowers, holiday goods).
• November: Final clearance, limited inventory. Black Friday and Cyber Monday surface a few specific deals.

The September–October window is genuinely the cheapest, but August is the right balance of selection plus discount for most buyers.

Specific categories

Lawn mowers

Push mowers (gas, electric, battery):

• Cheapest window: August–September (end-of-season clearance).
• Best brands at clearance: Honda HRX, Toro Recycler, EGO Power+, Greenworks Pro.
• Pre-season pricing peak: April. Manufacturer rebates exist but base prices are 15–20% higher.
• Black Friday: surfaces specific battery-mower bundles (battery + charger + tool) at deep discount.

Riding mowers (lawn tractors, zero-turn):

• Cheapest window: September–October. New model years arrive at dealers; outgoing inventory clears.
• Mid-summer (July) discounts at dealers exist but are usually closer to 10% off.
• Avoid: spring (March–May) when dealer pricing is at sticker.

Trimmers, edgers, and brush cutters

These follow the same calendar but with shallower swings:

• April–May peak: 5–15% above baseline.
• August–September floor: 20–30% off retail.
• Black Friday: Strong on battery-platform bundles (Milwaukee M18, DEWALT 20V/60V, EGO 56V).

Leaf blowers

Leaf blowers run a different sub-calendar because their peak use is fall:

• August–early September: Pre-season pricing, often discounted to compete with summer end-of-season deals.
• October–November: Peak demand for blowers. Pricing holds.
• December–January: Post-season clearance. The cheapest single window for leaf blowers specifically.

If you need a new blower, December–January is the smart window.

Pressure washers

• Peak season: April–August.
• Cheapest window: September–October (end-of-season clearance).
• Best brands at clearance: Sun Joe, Greenworks, Karcher, Generac, Ryobi.
• Specific deal cycle: Costco runs pressure washer events in early spring and again in early fall. The fall event typically has better pricing.

String trimmers, hedge trimmers, chainsaws

Same calendar as lawn mowers. August–September for the floor. Avoid April–May.

For chainsaws specifically, Stihl and Husqvarna dealers rarely discount aggressively — these are dealer-network products with fixed margins. Big-box equivalents (Echo at Home Depot, EGO/Greenworks at Lowe’s) follow the standard retail calendar.

Snow blowers (inverted calendar)

Snow blowers and snow equipment run inverse to the lawn calendar:

• Peak demand: November–February.
• Cheapest window: March–April (post-winter clearance).
• Worst window: During an active snow event, when demand spikes and inventory clears overnight.

If you live in a snow market and need a new snow blower, buy in March or April for the next winter. Same equipment, 30–50% less.

The battery platform argument

In 2026, most homeowners’ best path for new outdoor power equipment is one of the major battery platforms:

• EGO Power+ (56V) — Outdoor-equipment-focused, the strongest performance per dollar in the category. Mowers, trimmers, blowers, chainsaws.
• DEWALT 60V MAX (FlexVolt) — Cross-platform with their construction tools. Stronger for users already on DEWALT.
• Milwaukee M18 — Best for users already heavy on Milwaukee. Outdoor lineup is growing but still smaller than EGO.
• Greenworks Pro 80V — Budget-leaning, strong value. Costco-exclusive bundles are aggressive.
• Stihl AP (36V) — Premium battery platform from a dealer-network brand. Higher quality, higher cost.

The buy strategy: pick one platform based on what you already own (if anything) and standardize. The battery + charger investment pays back across multiple tools.

The Costco / Sam’s Club specific play

Costco runs surprisingly strong lawn equipment promotions:

• Spring opener: March–April. Coincides with peak retail pricing, but Costco’s package deals can match end-of-season elsewhere.
• Mid-summer: Limited but specific deals on EGO and Greenworks bundles.
• Fall closer: September–October. Costco-exclusive bundles on snow blowers (gearing up for winter) often include a free secondary battery or accessory.

Costco’s no-questions return policy makes them particularly safe for outdoor equipment purchases — equipment can be tested through a full season and returned if it doesn’t perform.

Used and refurbished

Several legitimate sources of used outdoor equipment:

• Manufacturer refurbished (EGO, Greenworks, Husqvarna direct) — Full warranty, 25–40% off new.
• Home Depot’s refurbished tool section — Often deep discounts on returned and refurbished outdoor gear.
• Sears Outlet / Tools Plus — Closeout and dealer surplus inventory.
• Estate and yard sales — For low-cost backup tools that don’t need warranty.

The compounding tactic

If you’re building out your outdoor equipment setup over several seasons:

1. Year 1: Buy the primary mower in September of year 1. Use through year 2’s lawn season.
2. Year 1 fall: Buy the leaf blower in December–January.
3. Year 2 spring: Buy the snow blower in March (if applicable).
4. Year 2 summer: Buy the pressure washer and trimmers in August–September.

Same total equipment investment, 30–50% less spent across the lineup.

The rule

Spring is when lawn equipment is most expensive. Late summer through early fall is when it’s cheapest. The price difference on the exact same Honda HRX or EGO mower can be $200–400. That’s a meaningful chunk of the dollar value of a typical year of lawn care.

Plan ahead, buy on the right side of the seasonal curve, and outdoor power equipment becomes one of the most discount-able categories in the home.