Home Depot and Lowe's waive shipping fees on mowers and grills

A little competition can be a good thing for the consumer. Both Home Depot and Lowe's are offering free shipping on lawn mowers and tractors and Lowe's also promises free delivery on grills that cost more than $249. The lawn tractors come fully assembled but you're on your own when it comes to the walk behind mowers and grills. So is it worth ordering a big box from a big box?

That depends on your skill level and whether you want to take a chance on having a large bulky item delivered to your home that you may have to return later at your own expense. That said, both retailers are offering mowers and gas grills that have done well in our tests including John Deere and Cub Cadet lawn tractors and Weber and Char-Broil gas grills. Before you order, consider the following:

Mowers and tractors
Consumer Reports just wrapped up its latest mower tests and the results will be online and on newsstands in early April. Putting a walk behind mower together isn't that complicated, says Peter Sawchuk who oversees the mower testing. But if you're having a riding mower or tractor delivered, there are some things you should check.

• Manufacturers often ship lawn tractors with the tires over-inflated so the mowers are less likely to jostle around and damage the tire bead during shipping. So be sure to check the tire pressure and inflate your tires according to the manufacturer's recommendations.
• The mower decks can be askew. To make sure yours is level, measure the distance from the edge of the deck to the ground—and from the blade tip to the ground—on every side of the mower.
• Batteries are often undercharged and won't become replenished in the course of average mowing time. You'll probably need a charger to keep the battery at optimum strength.

Gas grills
Not everyone has the skills, tools or patience to assemble a gas grill and we've seen problems with mis-assembled grills in which the hose of the gas tank was too close to the firebox. Steve Bova, who put together many of the grills in our latest tests (results will be online and on newsstands in early May) has these tips:

• A good-quality cordless drill/driver works better than a less powerful cordless screwdriver. 
• A socket wrench kit with both metric and standard sockets is another time saver—many grills come with fasteners of both types.
• Screws and bolts can strip easily if the wrong-sized tool or too much force is used. "These grills are designed to be assembled once, and unfortunately the quality of the component reflects that," says Bova.
• Use work gloves to avoid being cut on the sharp edges of sheet metal parts.
• You may need a friend to help install the firebox, which can be heavy and difficult to align before fastening. Be careful not to nick or pinch the igniter wires or gas line while installing the firebox.
• And most importantly, says Bova,  "make sure you don't smell any gas after you connect the tank." To check for leaks, spray the hose and valve with soapy water and check for bubbles.

Return policies
Be ready to inspect the mowers and grills before the delivery truck leaves your home. Spokeswomen for both Home Depot and Lowe's told Consumer Reports that customers can return an item at no charge if damage or a defect is noticed at the time of drop-off. But after you approve delivery with your signature, it's your responsibility to bring the item back to the store or to pay the cost of shipping it back. In that case, free shipping may cost you.

—Reporting by Gian Trotta

—Aaron Bailey