How to choose the best lawn mower
The critical thing to think when choosing a lawn lawn mower , is that it should be the better lawn lawn mower for you and your garden .
To work out which is going to be the best lawn mower for you , there are a issue of questions you may ask yourself about your lawn , the type of Gunter Grass you have , the size of your garden and so on – and I have detailed these enquiry below .
But , writing from the perspective of a nurseryman who has made a few mistake in the past when it issue forth to buying lawn mowers , there are also a pair of rules of thumb that I call back are worth bear in judgment as you go through your decision making process :
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My lawn mower buying experiences
I remember when I first buy alawn mower .
I hadmy own gardenfor the first meter but at that sentence I was n’t reallyinterested in gardeningand I knew nothing about lawn mowers . All I knew was that I now had some grass and that it ask to be sheer .
And I can still think the tactile sensation of being overwhelmed and absolutely confused when I pop look at all the differentlawn moweroptions .
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How did I know whichlawn mower I should purchase ? Did I need a piston chamber mower , a rotary mower , natural gas / petrol powered , electric , button or self - propelled ? What size did I need ? What feature should it have ? What features could I do without ?
Of naturally that was a long fourth dimension ago , when lawn mowers were less feature - rich than they are now – and before the advent of the internet and the availability of clamant selective information .
But now , if anything , the potential for confusion and overwhelm is probably even greater . So , if you are looking to purchase your first lawn mower or upgrade to a novel manakin , it ’s more authoritative than ever to go through a systematic thought summons to solve out what you need .
That ’s what I calculate to help you do in this and the related Page ongardeneningstepbystep.com .
Did I go through such a systematic unconscious process when I buy my first mower ?
Of naturally I did n’t . I was young , impatient and ill - informed .
It took me three attempts to get alawnmower deserving having . Perhaps I can help oneself spare you from a interchangeable waste of sentence and money .
A word about terminology
About 50 % of the readers of this site are from the United States , about 30 % are from the UK and the other 20 % get from Canada , Australia , New Zealand , Ireland , and South Africa ( with honorable mentions to India , the Phillipines and Germany ) .
This impart me a problem when it descend to terminology because , although the English speaking rural area have the English language in common , sometimes you ’d be hard pressed to know it given the different gens that we use to the same things . When it add up to powered garden tools , for instance , we mouth about electric cords ( US , Canada ) or leads ( UK)and equipment that is power by gasoline ( US , Canada ) or petrol ( UK , Australia , NZ etc . ) .
Because I am British , I typically use British terms . But in some cases the U.S. terms are easier to use and still make sense to everyone . For case , it is well-to-do to use the U.S. term “ corded electric lawnmower ” for an electriclawn mowerwith a cable television or lead story , than the U.K. term “ electriclawn mowerwith a cable or jumper cable ” . So , there will be a number of terminology mix and matching .
The key questions forlawn mowerbuyers
I cogitate there are there are sure questions you need to ask yourself before you buy any patch of out-of-door power equipment .
Of course they differ for each tool you buy , but these are what I consider to be the key question to recollect about when buying alawn mower .
1. How big is your lawn?
This will help determine a few thing .
First , if your lawn is big than can well be reached by an extension lead , you could rule out acorded electriclawnmower .
Second , if your lawn is likely to take more than about an minute of mowing prison term , acordless electricmodel might not form ( unless you have multiple batteries ) . The batteries on these things are getting better all the time , and I really rate them pretty highly , but for now , most wo n’t last much more than an hour .
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Third , the size of it of your lawn will have a bearing on whether you ’ll require to buy a push button mower or a self - propelled mower . If you ’ve dumbfound a pile a lawn to turn off , you might lean towards a self - incite model . That is , unless you particularly want the exercise of pushing .
2. What is your lawn like?
The point here is to the think about the characteristics of your lawn , other than its size of it .
So – is it uneven ? Do you have slopes and inclines ? Is the ground boggy ? Do you have luck of obstacles liketrees , shrubs and flower beds to mow around . As you ’ll see , these characteristics will all affect the type of mower you should buy and the features that you ’ll need on that lawn mower .
3. What is your grass like?
Is your sess lush and thick ? Is it often quite long when you cut it ? If so , these cistron will have an encroachment on the amount of power you need and also on the discharge capacity .
You ’ll want more powerfulness for riotous and long grass and you ’ll involve a side discharge option for grass that has been left long .
4. Do you have any environmental restrictions?
throttle or gas driven mowersare obviously noisier thatelectric modelsand also produce exhaust fumes emissions . If you have any disturbance restraints where you are then you may have to go with an galvanizing example .
If you have large lawn that may take longer than an 60 minutes to cut , it will be more complex . It that case , you ’d need to get a cordless simulation , of the sort where the barrage fire can be take , and keep at least one spare battery on charge that you may slot in when needed .
5. Do you have any physical limitations?
Some mowers are simply big and large than others and therefore harder to manoeuvre around . Even a self propelled mower needs to be got out of the shed or garage . So , if you are not particularly physically strong , expect carefully at the free weight and dimensions of any lawn mower you are look at buying .
Electric model run to be abstemious weight than petrol models , but do n’t take that as a given . exercising weight will be pretend by materials used ( steel deck are big than fictile unity , for deterrent example ) and the presence of certain components . Some batteries on cordless models can really add together to the overall weight of the machine .
6. Do you have any interest in or aversion tolawn mowermaintenance?
Modern petrol or flatulence powered mowers usually pop out easily enough . But they still have more complex moving and drug user serviceable parts than galvanizing model . With a gasoline / accelerator pedal modeling , you will need to top up or transfer oil colour , you will need to meld petrol and oil color on a two CVA ( two hertz ) mannikin and you may have some commence issues when your mower is idle for some clip .
You ’ll also need to keep the spark plugs clean and verify chaw leads are n’t worn . There may also be some maintenance required on the fuel pipes and carburettor .
With an electriclawn lawn mower , for the most part , you just need to plug it in . If it ’s cordless , you ’ll need to ensure the battery is charged .
Lush grass requires a more powerfullawn mowerwith side discharge capability
7. What is your budget?
There are lawn mowers within the unlike family to suit most budgets nowadays . But there are a couple of points to look at .
The best petrol lawn mowers are generally more expensive than the best electric models and the best cordless models are generally more expensive than the best cord galvanic lawn lawn mower .
Lawn mower key features
When you are looking to decide on the bestlawn mowerfor your pauperism , there are sealed key features you ’ll need to have heed to get the mower you’re able to .
Some of these features are common to all types of lawn mowers and some are particular to the individuallawn mowertypes ( for example , engines are only relevant to gas or gasolene lawn mowers ) .
In this section , I ’ll take a close look at the primal feature that are common to most case oflawn mower .
Push or self-propelled
One choice you need to make is whether you want a mower that drives itself or one that needs you to allow the driving force .
If your mower is you - impel ( or is a push mower , as it they are more unremarkably called ) , then you supply the world power for moving the mower around your lawn by crusade it .
With self - propelled mowers , the power beginning ( the locomotive engine orelectric motor ) not only provides the power to move around the cutting blade(s ) but also drive the front or rear wheel , relieving you of the effort .
Grass clippings from a side discharge mower, spread evenly
Push mowers are cheaper and if you have a small-scale plane lawn , then they ’ll in all likelihood be fine for you . But , if you have a lawn of any size , a self - propelled mower is potential to be a good investiture in saving you metre and energy .
Front or rear wheel drive
On self actuate lawn lawn mower , the effort power may be applied to the front or the rear wheels .
If you have a lawn with slopes or bumps , you ’d be well notify to buy alawn mowerwith rear bicycle driveway . Front bike drive mowers have small grip on slopes and also lose grip over jumpy land and even when you grow ( if you lift the steering wheel as you do so ) .
In most cases , therefore , rear cycle effort models are preferred .
Wheel sizes
While we ’re on wheels , you ’ll also find that mowers with equal sized wheels at front and rear ( see , for example , the Honda pictured ) are easier to steer and bend and have greater all pear-shaped stability as you mow .
If the wheel are not evenly sized , endeavor to debar a large differential in size .
Cutting height
front for a comme il faut range of cutting heights because you ’ll probably require to variegate the height of cutting at unlike times of the year or to suit any personal preference you may have as to how gamey you want to keep your grass .
Also seek to find a mower with a simple and easily accessible height adjustment mechanics .
On some model tiptop can be adapt in a single action , others require adjustments to be made to front and rearward roulette wheel elevation individually .
Grass discharge
There are 3 introductory character of grass dismission – side firing off , mulching and bagging .
Believe or not :) , side discharge means that the press clipping are discharged to the side of the mower as you cut down . What you want from a side outpouring legal action is an even spread of snip with no clunk .
If clippings are left in clustering , your lawn is likely to suffer legal injury because lightness is obscured from the grass beneath the clumps and theleavesare ineffectual to photosynthesize .
If your lawn mower does get out clumps of clippings then you will be put to the sum effort of crease out the pot clippings .
Side arc is the good means of dealing with your clippings when cutting recollective pot .
Instead of side discharge some lawn mower discharge clippings at the rear , but the same consideration apply to mowers with that choice as to those with a side venting capableness .
Mulching is where the grass lop are cut up very finely within the lawn mower deck and deposited back onto the lawn . The benefit of this is that the trim provide nourishing note value to the lawn as they crumble . You are also spared the trouble of having to incline of trim if sacking is your only other option .
With a undecomposed mulching action the clippings are cut off okay , circulate evenly and driven down amongst the stems of the lawn .
If you are pull up stakes with ball or spare clippings on the surface , you will again face the risk of damage to your lawn and having to glance over out the clipping .
The bagging choice middling much talk for itself – clippings are bank in a ingathering handbag as you mow .
Even so , some model are more efficient at this than others . Watch out for models where the purse breathing in chute begins to choke before the purse is full or where quantities of clippings are left on the earth as you unplug the bag for void
It also make good sense to get a mannikin with a decent sizing traveling bag so that you minimize the amount of times you have to empty it .
Some lawn mowers give you the option of all 3 firing method ( 3 in 1 ) , some give you 1 or 2 options .
Some Honda mowers even have a system , called the ‘ Versimow ’ organization , that allow you mix bagging and mulch at the same time- i.e. youmulchsome of your clippings and bulge the rest .
You should take down that most lawn mower are not expert at every method . Therefore endeavor to name which alternative you are likely to require to apply most and find a mower that is most proficient in that mode .
Cutting widths
Most consumer lawn mowers have abridge widths settle between 14 and 22 inches .
Clearly , the wider the foreshorten pack of cards , the more grass you cut in one go and the more speedily you ’ll get the mop job done .
However , if you have throttle storehouse outer space , minute accession ways or stacks of narrow-minded twists and move around to pout around , you may need to conciliate for a mower with a smaller deck .
Types oflawn mower
Leaving asidelawn tractors or riding lawn mower , there are 5 basic type of lawn lawn mower .
You ’ll come up a full run down on buying each of the main types of mower , let in the key feature film that you should look out for , if you select the appropriate link below . But here is a summary .
Reel or cylinder mower
The reel or piston chamber mower is the traditional energy along hand lawn mower with spinning blades , although powered reel mower are uncommitted . Virginia reel mowers acquire a fine finish but can be easy jammed by sticks and debris .
Hover mower
Hover mowers are now less common than they were , but are still used for cutting steep side , waterfront or heavilyweededareas . They can be electrical ( twilled or cordless ) or petrol drive . The galvanizing hover mowers are ordinarily quite light weight , so they become those who ca n’t easily handle a heavy mower .
The Flymo hover mower
Gas poweredlawn mowers
Petrol orgas powered lawn mowersare the work horses of the garden . They give you freedom of movement , power and speed of performance . Here are a couple of quick recommendations in this category :
Corded electriclawn mower
Corded electrical lawn mower modelsare suitable for comparatively small gardens and need the utilisation of an extension corduroy . They are muted , efficient and well-off to use , but keep you firmly link to your electricity supplying . There is a full run down onhow to grease one’s palms the good cord electric lawn lawn mower here .
Cordless electric mower
As the quality of bombardment improve , I ’m becoming increasingly impressed with cordless outside mightiness equipment . In the correct stipulation , these are a great pecker . They are easy to use and yield you lots of tractability in the areas you may cut .
We have a disjoined article where you’re able to read more about the features to look out for in thebest cordless electric lawn mowers , which also list some of the upright sellers in this family .
UK Buyer – lawn mowers selection
Here is a strong option of different type of mower from leading UK Peter Sellers :
AL-KO 2.8HM Soft Touch Cylinder Mower
Cobra 16 Petrol Powered Rear Roller Lawn Mower
Cobra 18 Petrol Powered Rear Roller Lawn Mower
Cobra 18 Petrol Powered Rear Roller Lawn Mower B&S
Manual Push Roller Lawn Mower
Hayter Harrier 41 VS 60v Cordless GreenSeries™ Roller Mower (No Battery / Charger)
Hayter Harrier 41 VS 60v Cordless GreenSeries™ Roller Mower 6Ah Kit
Hayter Harrier 41 VS 60v Cordless GreenSeries™ Roller Mower 7.5Ah Kit
Hayter Harrier 48 VS 60v Cordless GreenSeries™ Roller Mower (No Battery / Charger)
Hayter Harrier 48 VS 60v Cordless GreenSeries™ Roller Mower 7.5Ah Kit
Summing Up
I carry , that if you ’ve read this far , you ’ll be have an mind of which kind of lawn mower might befit you best .
Next , to help you firm up your views , I evoke you take a look at the following pages in which I detail the pros con and key features of each of the different kinds of mower and compare some of the leading models :
And do n’t forget , that you ’ll believably need astring trimmerorlawn edgerto really wind up your lawn attractively when you ’ve mown it .
Martin Cole has been an devouring plant devotee and gardener for more than 20 years and jazz to talk and write about gardening . In 2006 he was a finalist in the BBC Gardener of the Year competition . He is a extremity of the National dahlia Society .
He previously lived in London and Sydney , Australia , where he took a sheepskin grade in Horticultural studies and is now based in North Berwick in Scotland . He establish GardeningStepbyStep.com in 2012 . The site is aim at everybody who loves plants or has been bite by the gardening microbe and wants to know more .
Gardening Step by Step has beencited by Thompson and Morgan , the UK ’s largest ring mail social club plant retail merchant , as a website that publishes expert gardening cognitive content .
