What to consider when buying a lawnmower.
Whether you are buying a new lawn mower from scratch or upgrading or replacing your existing mower, here are a few tips on what you need to consider before doing so.
The size of your lawn
The most important consideration is the size of your lawn.
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.
Your options
Cylinder mowers – These have a rotary blade at the front of the machine which cuts the grass in a scissor motion. Cylinder lawnmowers work best on frequently cut lawns, and struggle more on damp/longer grass or uneven surfaces. However, they can be the most expensive.
Hover mowers – These can be effective on uneven surfaces, on smaller or sometimes medium sized gardens as well as irregularly shaped lawns. You can get hover mowers that either collect the grass or just redistribute the clippings on the lawn for you to rake later and they are usually cheaper than electric cylinder and rotary mowers. Heavier machines can, however, make your arms ache if you have a large lawn.
Rotary lawnmowers – These have a blade that rotates underneath the mower. The machine is on wheels and often has a rear roller, giving the ‘stripe effect’ seen on many football pitches. A rotary mower with a roller is also useful because you can go to the edge of the lawn, cutting the edges.
Other considerations
How a lawnmower is powered will make a difference to its portability and how much effort it takes to use it. A hand push mower will mean you are doing a lot of the work. A corded electric mower will be less effort if you have a medium sized lawn, whilst a cordless electric lawnmower means that you don’t have to worry about how far the cable will reach. Petrol mowers are the most powerful but can be heavy. And cordless lawnmower can be £200 – £300 more expensive than corded models and electric mowers are cheaper to run than petrol.
When it comes to the grass, a lawnmower that collects the grass clippings saves the hard work and time of using a rake. If you have a medium or large lawn mowers with a collection bag/box is a good investment or one which mulches. It chops up the cuttings, pushing them into the turf, where they decompose and feed the soil. With mulching you are putting the nutrients back into the grass and over the course of the season the quality of your lawn will improve. You can get a mulch facility on a mower, or some allow you to add a mulching plug; check this before you consider buying your machine. Mulching works most effectively after the grass has been cut a few times at the beginning of the season.
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.
