Don’t get just go to the store or online and pick the first mower you see. If you’re wondering where to start with your search, fear not! The right lawnmower is out there. You just need to know what you’re looking for!
We have put together a quick guide to the process of buying a lawnmower so that you are clued up and ready to tackle your lawn this summer. Don’t worry your perfect lawn is just around the corner.
Doing your research
The easiest conclusion you can come to is that each lawn is different. Which, in most cases, they are. So you need to view your lawn space and ask yourself a few questions:
What size is your lawn?
Do you have a smaller lawn and only need to easily maintain your grassy space? Or perhaps you need something that is going to power through thick grass in a large area?
How tall and strong are you, or the person who will be mowing the grass?
Is the lawnmower easy to manoeuvre? Can you adjust the handle? Do you need a heavier model or sit-on mower for a large surface area?
Where do you want to use your lawnmower?
Do you have any obstacles on your lawn such as a tree stump or a pond that you need to manoeuvre around?
How smart do you want your lawn to look?
Would you like your lawn space to be stripped or mowed into a pattern? Perhaps you just want to provide a functional cut?
How much space do you have to store your mower?
Do you only have a tight spot for your mower? You may need something that adjusts or partly collapses down.
What are the options?
So what are the categories of mower available, I hear you ask? Well here is a rundown of the different types of grass-cutter in the market today:
Rotary lawnmower
These mowers simply cut the grass with a rapidly spinning blade. These types of mowers are the most common and typically very heavy in weight. If you have a larger lawn space then a rotary mower would be the preferred choice as it would be able to make lighter work of cutting than a cylinder mower.
These types of the mower are available in electric, petrol-driven and battery models and they are perfect for your typically classic family lawn.
Cylinder lawnmower
This type of mower tends to cut the grass in a scissor-like fashion. Cylinder mowers use a barrel base with a fixed blade. The barrel will rotate as the mower moves, therefore trapping blades of grass and then cutting.
The cylinder cutter tends to be used to perfect a lawn surface or cut a small space of lawn. These mowers are not regularly powerful and tend to struggle with longer, bumpier areas of grass and they do struggle with collecting grass.
However, cylinder mowers really do leave your lawn looking pristine, and really are perfect for providing the finishing touches on a summer lawn.
They are available in electric, petrol-powered and hand-powered models. These types of lawn tend to need more maintenance than others.
Hover lawnmower
As the name suggests, this type of mower does literally hover just above the grass surface. Hover mowers are a type of rotary mower that floats on a cushion of air. This makes for an easily manoeuvrable mower that is very lightweight. Perfect for borders and flower beds.
Cordless lawnmower
These are starting to gain real popularity with most due to the improvement in lithium batteries. As well as being battery powered, this type of mower does come in a petrol-powered variety and are self-propelled which, again, makes them particularly easy to work around the lawn.
Which mower would suit your garden?
Of course, this really depends on the size of your garden, but here are some general rules to abide by for small, medium and large gardens:
Small-sized lawn
For a small garden you should be looking at electric cylinder mowers, or even a hover mower. These types of mowers are relatively inexpensive and are perfect for those smaller grass spaces. The cheapest mower you would be able to pick up will cost you from £30.00 upwards.
Medium sized lawn
An electric, battery or petrol powered rotary mower would be ideal as an all-purpose generic cutting option. The price of this kind of mower will be a little more and the price range starts from £100.00 upwards.
Larger sized lawn
You will want a mower that can cut vast areas with relative ease. A cordless, petrol or battery-powered mower will most certainly do the job. These mowers are easy to use and will build their own momentum once you move forward. Many have self – propelling mechanisms on them which makes moving them less work. The price of these varies greatly depending on how professional a mower you purchase, from a couple of hundred up in to the thousands.
Other things to consider
Look to purchase a mower which is fairly good with grass collection. Some may perform well but may not be able to collect as much grass as the other models. Meaning that you will be going back and forth to the garden waste bin, making your job that much tiring.
When buying, look into the cutting range of your mower. This will regularly range from 12-70 mms. If you want a very short lawn you will want your grass to be cut between 12mm and 20mm in height.
If you have a pristine lawn, have some lawn tips or advice you want to share, or just generally want to put across your point of view? Then get in touch with us via our social media sites.
