How to Buy the Right Lawn Mower | Ultimate Guides!

Are you wondering which lawn mower you should buy? Is the plethora of different types and vastly varying prices present on the market, making you at a loss? Well, we’re here for you, as today we’ll show you how to buy the right lawn mower while talking in detail about their features, prices, and power sources.

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How to Buy the Right Lawn Mower


Rotary or Cylinder

Before knowing the different types of lawn mowers, there is a crucial element that we must be familiar with, and that’s the working mechanism of a lawn mower. There are two different ways in which the blades of a lawn mower work, either rotary or cylinder. Each one of them has its uses, and we’ll now know everything about each mechanism.

Cylinder

Cylinder mowers are great for grass that is cut regularly. They cut just like a scissor does, making them perfect for grass that needs a bit of trimming. Moreover, they give an excellent shape to the grass after finishing. However, they don’t perform well when used on tall grass, and few of the hand-pushed models collect the cut grass.

Rotary

Rotary mowers are the norm and most used type of mowers. They have a rotary blade under the hood. That blade is very sharp and cuts the grass while spinning to give the lawn an even height.


Type

The types of mowers are too many to count. Nonetheless, we’re going to list the most prominent ones, and talk about the uses, pros, and cons regarding each one of them.

1. Ride-On Mowers

The largest and most expensive type of lawn mowers. They are perfect for large gardens or lawns. Also, you can easily attach accessories like trailers to them. They come in two main types: one of them collects the clippings and spreads them along with the lawn while the other mulches, you can pick between them according to your liking.

Moreover, if you get a zero-turning version, you won’t have any issues with obstacles like garden gnomes, trees, or even statues. However, due to their large price and size, they aren’t good for small backyards. Plus, you’ll always need to keep fuel near as they operate on it, and you’ll need a large storage place for them, that alone will cost you a huge sum of money.

2. Robot Lawn Mowers

Remember those funny cat videos where a cat is riding on top of a small rotating machine? These are robot vacuum cleaners, identical to them -in a sense- are robot lawn mowers. Their significant advantage and probably selling-point is that you only need to set them up once, and they’ll automatically cut you grass hassle-free.

Another great thing about them is that they cut the grass and mulch it straight into the lawn without leaving any clippings. Furthermore, they can easily cover large gardens -some models can cover a space as large as 5000sqft-. Plus, you can set their settings to your liking to match your favorite grass height.

Unfortunately, they still have their disadvantages. For instance, they’re expensive and the more features you want, the more you’ll have to pay. Also, there are guidelines that you need to set for the mower to operate, so it can know where its boundaries are, those guidelines are extremely hard to select, and it’s advised to let only professionals work with them.

3. Petrol Lawn Mowers

Now we come to the first of hand-pushed lawn mowers, the petrol ones. You don’t need a power cord to operate them; therefore, you’re free to use them anywhere you’d like.

They are perfect for large lawns and bumpy ones alike, they are powerful and will cut through anything that gets in their way. Even more, some types provide you with the ability to turn clipping into mulch.

Even though petrol lawn mowers aren’t expensive, the fact that you’ll need to spend about $100-120 yearly on their service and maintenance makes their cost shoot way up. Plus, they’re quite heavy pieces of machinery weighing more than 66 pounds, which makes them hard to push around. So, always look for a self-propelled model. Finally, if you’re environmentally conscious -which we always recommend-, you won’t be entirely pleased as they always generate loud noises and smelly fumes.

4. Corded Electric Lawn Mowers

These operate using an electric cord, so you’re a bit constricted on where to use it. We advise to purchase a reliable extension cord, so you can use the lawn mower freely and without any hassling. Moreover, they’re quite light and much cheaper than any of the previous models.

Some models have the ability to mow right to the edge if you combine them with front wheels. Plus, you’ll never require any type of fuel or charging to operate them. However, as we’ve previously said, you’ll require an extension cord to use them freely, and you’ll also need an RCD -residual current device- to keep the cable out of your way while working.

5. Cordless Lawn Mowers

A variation of corded electric lawn mowers, however, they are cord-fee and operate using batteries. Nonetheless, they’re mighty -nearly as mighty as petrol ones-. Their running time depends on their battery, where the larger the battery, the more running time. Some models can go up to 30 minutes of continuous usage, while some can run up to only 10 or 15 minutes.

Moreover,  the battery also contributes to the overall weight of the mower, as the larger the battery, the heavier the weight of the mower will be. Their weight is smaller than that of a petrol mower and more than a corded electric one, so they act as an intermediate option. Plus, they’re incredibly easy to start.

However, if you need to buy a separate charger and batteries, they might become too expensive, and the batteries can sometimes take up to six hours or even more to be fully charged.

6. Hover Lawn Mowers

The final type of lawn mowers, the hover lawn mowers, is the lightest type. They operate using a power source; therefore, you’ll need a reliable extension cord to move freely.  Hover lawn mowers are quite light and cheap. They are also very compact and easy to handle.

On the other hand, most models come without a grass box. So, they leave the clippings on the lawn, which leads to a lovely finish. Finally, you can buy a grass box to collect the clippings more easily.


Price

After finishing with the types of lawn mowers, we need to talk about the price. A product’s price is critical; sometimes, you’re on a budget and need to purchase within it.

Therefore if you’re on a budget, we recommend either a hover, corded, or cordless lawn mowers. But, if you can spend freely and have a large

garden, then a petrol, robot, or even a ride-on lawn mower will be perfect for you.


Handle

The handle of a mower is very important, it needs to be adjustable to match your height and make you comfortable while using it as you’ll be cutting grass for some time.

Some companies go the extra mile by adding latches or hooks to the mower so that you can attach it and hook it to the wall, achieving smart storage.


Cutting Height

Not all users require the same grass height, a lawn mower must have grass height adjustment to suit all tastes. During the winter, it’s always advised to keep your grass long so it can become healthy and greener, and when summer comes, you should start trimming.

A good lawn mower will allow you to change the height of the grass easily. Some mowers have levers that you can adjust, while others require you to change the height of every wheel separately.


Edges

The final thing that we’ll discuss today is the edges. If your lawn has too many edges, then a cylinder bladed mower will be your best bet. Also, mowers that have a grass collection or insert front wheels are ideal in this situation. So, you’ve three options to choose from when it comes to lawn edges; either cylinder mowers, mowers with a grass collection box, or a mower with insert front wheels.


After all is said and done, a good lawn mower must have adjustable hand height alongside adjustable grass cutting height. Moreover, you need an edge cutting grass if you’ve got a garden with edges.

Finally, the plethora of types means that you’ve got a lot of options to choose from, and you’ll, eventually, without a doubt, find one that will suit all your needs and budget.

Happy grass cutting!!

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