Choosing a lawnmower isn't like choosing your favourite dessert. When you're looking at the sweets menu you know all too well whether you have space in the tank or not, whether you want sweet or savory and how much is left in the budget. Unfortunately this is not the case when choosing the right lawnmower. My 1st purchase (back in 2014) was an iconic bright orange Black & Decker electric lawnmower which cost me a hefty £210.00. Pleased with my purchase and the bundle of features I got with what I thought was an exceptional buy I opened the box, setup the lawnmower and got to work.
After several cuts of the garden I started to notice that certain patches of my garden were starting to wear. I'm no Alan Titchmarsh, but I had the foresight to check the lawnmower blades to discover that the height of the blades were starting to damage un-level patches of my garden. The blades were cutting into parts of my lawn permanently damaging the soil and grass. By the time I had realised the cause of my problems my return period had expired, so I was stuck with a £210 mower that transformed my allotment from the garden of Eden into a haven for birds, bugs and cat excrement.
It goes without saying that I wouldn't have found myself in this position, had I properly investigated what I really needed from my lawnmower. So I have written this article to make sure that you don't make the same mistake as me. I have compiled all the information I know, alongside various high authority sources to give you 'The Complete Lawnmowers Buying Guide'.
Cylinder Lawnmower
It is important to know the types of mowing systems available to you. After all a lawnmower is an essential investment for any home owner. It's as essential as the mop for the floor. Primarily there are two types of mowing system: Rotary & Cylinder lawnmowers.
Cylinder lawnmowers have a simple setup. They are comprised of a row of exposed blades, typically ranging from 5 - 12 blades which then rotate on a horizontal axis. The most common types of cylinder lawnmowers are manual push lawnmowers, but with thanks to modern advances in technology you can choose from petrol, electric and self propelled mowers.
Benefits of Cylinder
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• Price: Generally speaking a manual cylinder mower is cheaper to purchase than a rotary mower, as most rotary mowers are petrol, electric or battery powered.
• General Maintenance: Maintenance is cheaper than their rotary counterparts. The reason being that if you do choose a manual cylinder lawnmower they don't have an engine therefore additional costs like oil and replacement parts don't need to be taken into consideration.
• Cutting Quality: If you want a lawnmower that will produce quality results then a cylinder system is the choice of mower. Determined by the number of blades, the more the better; cylinder systems are only suitable for short grasses and are NOT suitable for long grass. They can cut short grasses ranging from anything as short as ½cm to 2.5cms without compromise to quality. The only disadvantage is the need to cut the grass with this type of mower regularly during peak season. Experts recommend once a week during summer months.
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Rotary Lawnmower
Typically powered by a petrol, electric and cordless (battery) sources the rotary lawnmower is the most recognisable type of lawnmower in today's market. They differ from cylinder systems where a single blade is attached on a vertical axis and cuts the grass using a chopping motion, which is propelled by an electronic motor or petrol engine. Prior to modern innovation this type of mower was manually pushed but because of their size and weight manufacturers have sought to incorporated a self propelling motor to reduce physical strain. It is noteworthy to make sure your choice of lawnmower features a self propelling feature, especially if you are becoming less able with time. It will greatly reduce the stress of cutting your lawn in the long run.
Most designs include a clipping bag or box to collect grass; situated at the rear of the lawnmower.
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Benefits of Rotary
• Versatility: Rotary mowers can deal with a wide variety of landscape types. If like me, you have an uneven garden of fair to medium size, then you're best going with a rotary lawnmower. They are more proficient in dealing with different types of landscapes and more effective at cutting long grasses, weeds and small sticks. They are also quite adept at handling small stones without damaging the blades.
• Easy To Use: Rotary mowers will have either a petrol or electric motor that powers their blades. Whether or not it has a self propelling feature (incredibly handy) the rotary motion of the engine itself actually helps to produce an up force, similar to that of a helicopter rotor; which reduces the force needed to push them forwards or backwards in comparison to their cylinder counterparts.
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Lawnmower Power Systems
Electric Lawnmowers: The best choice if you have a small to fair sized garden or allotment. These mowers are small, compact, easy to store and most of all affordable. If you are shopping on a budget and have no need for a state of the art lawnmower electric is the go-to choice. Expect to pay anything from £90+ for an electric mower. #TIP - Be sure to check that the length of the mower cable will be long enough to reach the end of your garden or purchase a heavy duty extension lead.
Cordless (Battery) Lawnmowers: Hassle free and easy to use a battery operated lawnmower gives you the performance of an electric lawnmower without the hassle of a cable. With the introduction of li-ion batteries you can now cut your garden in a single battery charge. The only down side of this is the cost. Li-ion batteries are dearer than their predecessor mi-cad. However the plus side is most big brands allow you to swap the batteries with their power tools also.
Petrol Lawnmowers: Petrol mowers are the best choice if you have anything ranging from a fair to large sized garden. In terms of price they rival cordless lawnmowers and tend to be more expensive to maintain in the long run, but they do provide a significant difference in power and performance in comparison to cordless and electric mowers. Their components such as blades and collection bags tend to be of better quality as well in order to compensate for the powerful motors that drive them.
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Key Features To Look For In A Lawnmower
Here are some recommendations when looking for mowing features:
• Default Blades: When looking at blades, you should always opt for metal blades. Take a note that the wider the blade, the better the cutting capacity and cut quality. Most lawnmowers are supplied with them but some budget mowers have acrylic blades which become ineffective over time. Additionally a metal blade provides a much cleaner cut in various grasses, small bushes, weeds and sticks. Also they are less susceptible to damage from stones and other unwanted garden nuisances too.
• Grass Collectors: Unless you want a mulching mower you should be looking for a large capacity grass collector. Having a large capacity grass collector prevents you from having to stop and start intermittently to empty the bag. But also be aware that the larger the collector, the heavier it will become as it fills.
• Adjustable cutting height (plate height): Unless you're God, then you more than likely won't have a completely level garden. Experts recommend for a professionally manicured look to have a cutting height of 13mm. Higher end lawnmowers will have an adjustor that allows you to alternate between various cutting positions to suit different landscapes or different garden styles throughout the year. For instance during the winter you may want to keep the grass longer to protect the roots from frost whereas during the summer you will want to keep it shorter for a luxurious look. With some mower designs like hover lawnmowers you will need to remove the blade and add spacers or cylinder mowers you may need to change wheel, so the blade is elevated or lowered to the desired height, which is quite the annoyance. You're best finding a mower with an adjustable plate or blade.
• Long switch / Throttle: Make sure it incorporates a long switch throttle body. You can identify this as the long metal bar that runs the on the inner of the mower handle or protrudes at the top of the handle, often shaped in a bent manner. Like most engines or electric motors there is an ignition / idle mode. In rotary systems you must depress the throttle in order to engage the motor to cut your grass. Different brands have different variations on throttle types. You should look for a mower with either a throttle switch, which means you don't need to hold the throttle constantly (much easier on the hands over time) or look for a mower with a throttle lever. Throttle levers require you to continually hold the throttle in order to cut your grass. Throttle levers are generally built to suit two handed and or single left / right handed use.
• Adjustable Handles: An adjustable handle is always a good feature to look out for when choosing a mower. Having the option of adjusting a handle will enable you to move the handle up or down to suit different users and terrains. For instance if you're mowing on a constant uphill, lowering the handle will give you better balance and more driving force, making the job a little less painless.
• Power Rating: Electric lawnmowers power rating is measured in watts, so the higher the watts the more power. Petrol mowers are measured in cc or equivalent HP (horse power). Again the larger the cc the more powerful cutting force. It is important to choose power carefully. If you have a small allotment with fine grass, that you like to cut regularly you won't need much power. On the other hand, if you have a large garden which is prone to thick and long grasses, then you'll need more power.
• Battery Life: It is crucial that you measure the battery life you can get out of a single charged battery when considering a cordless mower. You will need to make sure that a single battery will provide ample time to get around your garden and if not, definitely make sure that the company / brand supplies two batteries, so you have no downtime.
• Mulching: Not an essential point but worth mentioning. If you want the greenest of green grass then consider purchasing a mower with mulching capabilities. The opposite of chip collection, mulching does what it says, it mulches and returns the grass cutting over the cut areas to provide a layer of compost that breaks down and promotes healthier greener grass. |
Lawnmower Comparison Guide
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