Whether you are buying a new lawn mower from scratch or upgrading or replacing your existing mower, here is a guide to choosing the right lawnmower for your garden.
Petrol lawn mowers
Buying a petrol lawn mower will provide you with the greatest number of options as you will find models suitable for mowing lawns of all types and sizes.
Consider the type of petrol lawn mower best suited to your needs.
If the last thing you enjoy doing on Saturday afternoon is mowing the lawn then consider a basic four-wheel rotary lawn mower as they are inexpensive, reliable and designed to get the job done quickly. Self-propelled four-wheel rotary lawn mowers require less effort, particularly for larger lawns and gardens containing slopes, but can be more of a problem on smaller lawns, especially plots containing with lots of obstacles to navigate. For these types of lawn you may want to consider a standard four wheel push rotary lawn mower.
Not everyone needs or wants a bowling-green finish, but you may wish to achieve a decent cut from a lawn mower that will stand you in good stead for many, many years to come. A number of manufacturers – such as Honda, Hayter and Lawnflite produce four-wheel rotary lawn mowers that are renowned for their high build qualities, performance engines and advanced features such as combination decks, self-starts, electric key starts, hydrostatic drive, shaft drive and variable drive. Premium quality four-wheel lawn mowers start at about £300+ for push models and £400+ for a self-propelled version.
For those who want a high finish to their lawn the petrol cylinder lawn mower is an option. These lawn mowers will provide an exceptionally close cut as well as the defined striped finish traditionally associated with the classic English lawn. For small-medium gardens, this type of lawn mower is available with a 14-17″ cutting width from brands such as Qualcast, Suffolk Punch and Masport. For larger lawns up to an acre or more, Atco and Masport produce models with blades between 20-30″. A tow-behind seat is available for Atco’s 30″ model providing a ‘sit-on option.
Not all lawns are suitable for cylinder lawn mowers and rear-roller petrol rotary lawnmowers offer a versatile alternative. If your lawn isn’t flat and even or if your want to keep operating costs down you should consider one of these machines. They provide the same close cut and striped finish but are more robust, easier to handle and offer greater levels of reliability than cylinder mowers. Brands that produce rear-roller rotary lawn mowers include Hayter, Honda, Lawnflite and Mountfield. Rear-roller mowers vary in size from 16 -22” and you’ll find a model to suit lawns and gardens of all sizes. Petrol rear-roller lawnmowers are available with electric key starts, blade brakes, shaft drive and variable drive.
For banks, pathways, rough ground and hard to reach areas you may want to consider a petrol hover lawn mower which are easier to manoeuvre in any direction. Cutting widths are between 15 – 20″ to suit different types and sizes of garden and these products are available from Flymo and Allen.
Electric or hand push lawnmowers
A small garden would be mowable with either a hand push or electric mower. Medium and larger lawns will probably need a motor but with a large garden the awkwardness, not to mention the danger, of an electric wire trailing behind you could mean a cordless electric or petrol machine would be the best option. If the power cable is not an issue then make sure it is long enough to extend to the end of the garden
For further advice or help choosing a lawn mower that is suitable for your needs please contact us or call 01403 700743 and Graham or Jeremy will be happy to help.
