How to Choose the Right Lawn Mower

There is such a wide variety of different lawn mowers on the market that it can be difficult to know which will be the best for you. Does spending a little more money necessarily mean that a lawn mower will be better? What about adjustable speeds and different blade lengths? Is it better to just go back to basics? This guide should help you decide which lawn mower will work best in your garden.

What are the different types of mowers?

Rotary Mowers

Rotary mowers are the most common type in domestic garden situations. They are effective on most average garden lawns and cut the grass using a fast moving blade, like a scythe. This type of mower will cut longer, thicker and rougher grass, meaning they’re great if you’re a busy parent and have little time to cut the grass as frequently as you’d like. You’ll find them more readily available in mains-powered electric models, but they are available in both petrol and rechargeable cordless models if you’re willing to spend more money. However, you can pick up an electric rotary mower for around £60.

Cylinder Lawn Mowers

These have a cylinder with moving blades around it that cut against a fixed blade, thus cutting  the grass. They are suitable for achieving a close-cut, short lawn or for lawns that are cut regularly, so are perhaps not great if you are sometimes slack at mowing. You’ll find cylinder lawn mowers in both electric and petrol-powered models and the most basic of them can be found at anything starting from around £30.

Hover Mowers

Hover mowers work in a similar way to rotary mowers, except for the fact that, rather than resting on wheels, they hover just above the lawn on a cushion of air. They’ll usually come without grass collectors, which might be messy but does make them lighter and easier to handle, which is great if your lawn is awkwardly shaped. These are perfect for smaller lawns, or well-used gardens that just need a quick neaten up. Prices for these start at around £30.

Which is right for my lawn?

If your garden is smaller than 50sqm, you will find that a small electric mower, with a 30-33cm cutting width is effective for you.

For a medium garden, up to around 150sqm, an electric mower with a cutting width of between 35-40cm is suitable.

For lawns up to 250sqm, you’ll probably find a small petrol lawn mower better for you as you won’t have to worry about leads and wires reaching. These start with cutting widths of around 40cm.

If your lawn is any larger than 250sqm, you should look at a mower with a cutting width of around 46cm. You may find it easier to use a self-propelled lawn mower rather than a heavy one that requires effort to push around.

Have you found the perfect lawn mower for your garden? Tell us its model and your garden type in the comments!

[Photo Credit: garyturner ]