LAWN MOWERS

Your lawn mower is probably going to be the most expensive purchase of all of your lawn care products, so this one is well worth taking the time to consider and there are lots of things to consider. You will have a few options to choose from and when you have your type identified, get searching. Budget may well heavily influence the decision also, so bear that in mind when going through this. And finally, don’t forget about looking for new as well as used mowers. 

1. Power - Electric v Petrol

This will be the biggest decision for you to make and will have the greatest impact on cost, so decide on this first. 

1a. Petrol

Petrol lawn mowers will be more expensive to purchase and then you will need to cover the cost of the fuel. Even the most enthusiastic gardening would do well to spend more than £10-15 per year on fuel, so the fuel cost isn’t a big concern. 

The trade off for this is that you will generally get a better cut from a petrol mower and this cleaner cut will prevent any damage to the lawn. You also do not have any issues with a power cord following you around, so when you have a bigger lawn, it will be much easier than with an electric mower. 

Finally, you may want to consider the maintenance costs of a petrol mower. You will want to service them from time to time (ideally annually) and this cost should be something to consider. However, they are very simple machines and you don’t have to be a professional to service them. 

If you are opting for a petrol mower, you will be starting around £150. However, petrol mowers are really simple machines and last forever, so looking out for a second hand one in decent condition can save you a big portion of cash.

1b. Electric

If you have a small lawn, an electric mower will probably do exactly what you need. You will find that the size of an electric mower will be smaller, so cutting a decent sized lawn with an electric mower will take you a very long time! Anything bigger than a medium sized lawn will more than likely need a petrol mower to be able to cover the ground. 

Admittedly, they will not give such a good quality of cut but if you keep your blade sharp, then you shouldn’t have too many issues with this. Also, when it comes to the quality of the cut, you will do well to notice this unless you are paying particular attention to it. On the other hand, you do have the hassle of a power cord and using extension leads which can be a little frustrating, but one that is certainly manageable. 

Electric mowers will normally start from £50. Again, take a look at second hand options for this as they can often be picked up for a fraction of the cost of a new one. 

Verdict

In general, if you have anything other than a small lawn and can afford a petrol mower, get one. 

2. Cutting Type - Cylinder v Rotary

Once you have picked your fuel type, your next option is to pick the type of cut you want - rotary or cylinder. In general, you will find that a cylinder mower gives a better cut, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it is the best option for you!

2a. Cylinder

A cylinder mower has a cylindrical drum on the front, with its blades making up this cylinder. These cut your lawn by cutting against a fixed plate on the mower. The blade along with the plate creates a cutting effect similar to a pair of scissors, which gives a cleaner cut. The grass clippings are then captured in a grass box at the front of the mower. 

These are not your everyday lawn mower and are more commonly found on ornamental lawns and sports pitches, where a super close cut is needed. 

The cylinder mower is designed to offer a close cut (anywhere from ¼ of an inch up to an inch), so this will be a good option if you are looking to maintain a shorter lawn. On the other hand, the cylinder mowers will not cut long grass very well, so you will need to use a cylinder mower more regularly (maybe even twice a week in the summer) and they are not practical in the Spring and Autumn when you want to keep your lawn longer.

Lastly, cylinder mowers are not cheap. The cost for them really does range and the prices can go well into the thousands!

2b. Rotary

A rotary mower is a more common type of mower for an everyday gardener, whereby the blade sits underneath the mower and rotates to cut the grass. The grass clippings are then captured in a grass box at the back of the mower. The quality of the cut is not as impressive, as the spinning blade chops at the grass and simply uses the speed of the blade to cut the grass rather than having a base plate to cut it against. By not having the base plate to cut against, it can mean that it hacks at the grass rather than delivering a clean cut. 

A rotary mower has been designed to be more of an all-rounder when it comes to mower height. You will be able to cut a lawn as short as you would realistically need in the summer (around an inch or even lower) but still be able to do your first cut of the year when the grass is at its longest (potentially upwards of 2 inches). This flexibility makes the rotary mower such a great option. 

The cost of a rotary mower is much more affordable, with electric normally starting from £50 and petrol from £150. 

Verdict

A cylinder will undoubtedly give a better quality of cut, but the difference in the quality of the cut is not realistically noticeable, so do not make your decision purely on this. 

So, next it comes to the height of the cut that you are planning. If you are planning to cut your lawn very short (½ an inch), then opt for a Cylinder mower. However, most lawns will not tolerate being cut that short, so that will then rule out the cylinder mower for you and the rotary will be the better option. 

Finally, you will get to cost. Cylinder mowers can be very expensive, so you will need to be sure they are for you before investing in one. 

So in short:

• If you have an ornamental/sports lawn and a big budget, go for a cylinder mower
• If you have a ‘normal’ lawn, then go for a rotary mower

3. Movement Type - Roller v Wheeled v Hover

The next thing to pick is the type of movement. 

3a. Hover

A hover mower is generally only electric and is synonymous with the brand ‘Flymo’. The general rule with these is avoid them - they drag around your lawn, they are cumbersome to change the height of your cut and just aren’t very good. 

3b. Wheeled

A wheeled option is always a solid choice and is available in both petrol and electric. You can't go wrong with a wheeled mower. They don’t drag around your lawn, the height of the cut is easily changed and are normally well priced. You can normally pick up an electric one for £50 or petrol for £150.

3b. Roller

If you want to go the whole hog, then you will want to go for a mower with a roller. The roller is what takes a standard lawn and cuts in the stripes - basically, it just flattens the grass once you have cut it. These look similar to a wheeled mower, but the back wheels are replaced with a roller. 

These are not for everyone though - the roller attachment makes them heavy and not the easiest to manoeuvre, so only opt for a roller if you have a lawn that is a good size and regular shape. Also, in the spring and autumn when you start to see worm casts, these can make a bit of a mess when squashing them.

As you can imagine, this does come at a premium - you will be looking at £300 and up for a roller mower, but they are essential for a high-end, striped lawn. 

4. Propulsion - Self-Propelled v Not

The propulsion does not really make a big difference on a day to day basis, so do not worry too much about this. In short, you can either have a normal mower which you have to push yourself or you can have a self-propelled mower which uses the engine power to spin the rear wheels. 

4a. Self-Propelled

If you have a big lawn, the self-propelled mower can be a nice addition for you and can make quite a big difference. However, in general this can be a bit gimmicky for some people - you use the self-propulsion the first few times and then never really use it again.

You will often have this as standard on the larger mowers and roller mowers, as they are heavier and when you don’t quite have the traction to push the mower, they can be useful. They are also very good options for someone who is older and may start to struggle to mow their lawn. 

4b. Not Self-Propelled

Self-propulsion can be a nice addition, but is not a must-have. If you opt to not have this, you will not see any negative effects and generally won’t miss this. 

If you are a little older and it is getting tougher to mow the lawn, a non self-propelled mower may not be the best option for you as the propulsion can make mowing quite a bit easier at times. 

This should be one of the last things to decide on and if you need to make concessions, this would be the first place to start. 

Verdict

Generally, the propulsion type does not affect the price of the mower. Self-propulsion will normally only be available on a petrol mower, so you will be looking at £150+ but you will find low-end mowers at the bottom of the price bracket as well as those at the top of the range. 

5. Size 

This should be pretty easy to decide, as your lawn will decide this for you. If your lawn is small, opt for a smaller mower and if it is big, opt for a bigger one. If you pick a mower that is too big, it will be cumbersome and difficult to cut your lawn and if you pick one that is too small, it will take a very long time to mow.

You will see variations in mower size for both petrol and electric mowers, so pick wisely. However, electric mowers do tend to be smaller than petrol. 

6. Final Verdict

Trying to summarise all of this is rather difficult, but your best bet is to go through the steps and work out what is best for you. But remember, you do not always need to buy a new mower. When you have identified your needs, take a look for new and used options and you could save yourself quite some money.