Yard-Man

Yard-Man is a brand bought in 1975 by MTD Products, a firm continuing a decades-long quest to position itself as one of the U.S. leaders in powered yard equipment. Yard-Man was originally an independent firm making tractors and other outdoor tools in Jackson, Michigan after its 1933 founding. These items were chiefly sold through Montgomery Ward department stores, and their popularity prompted Montgomery Ward to purchase the business outright and transfer production to their own facilities. In 1975, MTD, riding a steady tide of success, purchased the name and product line, expanding their operations in fresh directions. Yard-Man today shows how MTD develops each of its brands to fill a unique set of needs, in this case for effective, quick-working lawn and garden power tools at a reasonable price.

Yard-Man’s premier products include a varied assortment of lawnmowers, including push and self-propelled models, plus special zero-turn mowers. Zero-turn riding lawnmowers feature a wheel and steering arrangement that permits a 360 degree turning radius, allowing them to maneuver through complex lawn spaces and cut exactly where needed without overlapping onto nearby areas. The push and self-propelled lawnmowers offered by the firm are noted for their three-in-one cutting decks, offering a choice between mulching, side discharge, or rear bagging of grass clippings. Electric start is optional on these models to furnish faster, easier use.

Yard-Man’s range extends to many other outdoor tasks than rapidly trimming a lawn to a smooth, attractive length. Hand-held and backpack leaf blowers, often with vacuum kits or built-in alternative vacuuming function, are powered by gas. The company also builds single stage snow throwers with augur-assisted motion, and two-stage self-propelled versions with six forward and two reverse speeds. These products are marketed specifically in North America as money saving and time saving garden tools, and today frequently make use of a black paint job with green accents to make them easy to identify visually amid the lineup of other MTD devices.