Lawn Mower Buying Guide

Choosing a machine from the huge range of lawnmowers available on the market today can sometimes seem rather mind-boggling. However, a little knowledge goes a long way, and with a few pointers, it shouldn't take much time for you to choose a mower that is ideally suited to your garden.

Electric Lawnmowers:

Usually significantly cheaper than comparable petrol machines, electric lawnmowers such as those from Bosch, Flymo and Al-Ko are the ideal solution for the smaller lawn. Clean-running and requiring little or no maintenance, their only real disadvantage is the mains cable, which can become snagged around obstacles. Electric lawn mowers should not be used on wet grass.


Petrol Lawnmowers:

A better option for those with lawns of over 150 square-metres, petrol lawnmowers come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from heavy-duty professional-grade machines by manufactures such as Hayter, Honda and Lawnflite, through to more affordable and simpler mowers from the likes of Castel, McCulloch and Mowerland. Petrol lawn mowers obviously free you from the restrictions of a mains-cable - especially important if you have a lot of shrubs, trees or garden ornaments around which to manoeuvre.


Battery Powered Lawnmowers:

The main problem with battery-driven lawnmowers has long been their lack of power, which has rendered them incapable of dealing with particularly long or thick grass. However, great leaps have been made in both Lithium-Ion and Ni-Cad cell technology recently, and cordless lawn mowers from brands such a Gtech and Bosch offer performance levels comparable to similar mains-powered machines. Mowbot have even developed a cordless robotic mower, which mows your lawn without you having to leave the comfort of your sofa.


Rotary or cylinder lawnmower?

Cylinder mowers are capable of producing a fine, manicured finish, hence their use on tennis courts, bowling greens and in formal gardens. Not suitable for tackling longer grass, they are best used for trimming regularly maintained lawns. Brands such as Masport, Atco and Lawnflite are renowned for their high-specification machines; while at the other end of the market, Handy produce a cheap and easy to use hand-propelled version.

Rotary mowers are more versatile tools as they can tackle rough grass and unkempt lawns, in addition to being able to produce an excellent finish on more formal areas.


Four-wheeled, rear-roller or hover lawnmower?

Four-wheeled lawn mowers are highly manoeuvrable, allowing you to cut easily around garden obstacles, such as beds, trees and shrubs. You may, however, find it difficult to mow along walls and borders.

Rear-Roller lawnmowers produce a pleasing striped finish and provide the stability needed for edge-work. Their downside is reduced manoeuvrability and increased weight.

Hover lawnmowers, such as those from leading brands Flymo and Allen, are exceptionally manoeuvrable as they float on a cushion of air. Their uncomplicated design makes them easily affordable, although the quality of cut, while perfectly acceptable, may not match that of a wheeled or rear-roller mower.


Collection, discharge or mulching?

Many mowers can be used with or without their grass-collector. Obviously, if you work without the collector the result will be less aesthetically pleasing, but if the grass is short enough clippings will soon dry out, rot and disappear. Another benefit of rear-discharge is that you don't have to keep breaking-off to visit the compost heap. Manufacturers such as Toro, Al-Ko and McCulloch produce mowers which are equipped with a side-discharge chute. These are ideal when working with very long grass, as you won't get clippings tangled around your feet.


Although a bit more expensive, mulching lawnmowers (sometimes called 'recycling' lawnmowers) are becoming increasingly popular. As with rear- or side-discharge mowers, clippings are deposited on the lawn, the difference being that a mulching mower finely chops them before they are returned to the grass. This not only looks tidier, but also allows your lawn to benefit fully from the vital nutrients that are released as the clippings decompose. Honda, Toro, Efco and Victus are renowned for the excellent mulching machines.
Many manufactures produce 'three-in-one' mowers, which incorporate collection, mulching and rear (or side) discharge modes in a single machine.


Push-type or Self-propelled?

Some mowers use their engine not only to drive the blade, but also to send power to the wheels, doing away with the need to push. Slightly more expensive than push-type machines, self-propelled mowers come into their own on larger lawns, especially those with banks, slopes and undulating ground. Some higher-specification power-driven mowers often have a multi-speed gearbox. The downside of the power-drive is that it may make it more difficult to manoeuvre accurately around garden obstacles. Some models, by brands such as Honda and Lawnflite-Pro, are equipped with a hydrostatic-drive, which allows you to change the ground-speed to match your pace and conditions.

Speciality Lawnmowers:

Scythe / Sickle-bar Mowers

Scythe mowers, or 'Sickle-bar' mowers, as they are sometimes known, use a scissor-like action, similar to that of a hedgetrimmer. These tough machines, such as those from leading manufacturer Al-Ko, are designed to tackle large areas of dense, established undergrowth and are often equipped with large wheels and deep-tread tyres for enhanced manoeuvrability and improved traction on difficult ground.


Rough-grass Lawn Mowers

Companies like Dori and DR are renowned for the rough-grass machines. They are essentially very heavy-duty rotary mowers, with thick, high-set blades, making them ideal for maintaining paddocks, orchards and untamed garden areas. These monsters are often equipped with hugely powerful engines, allowing them to deal easily with the thickest brush and bramble.