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Lawn Mowers

For any Aussie garden that has a lawn, the lawn mower is an iconic and necessary piece of equipment.  But how do you know if you have the mower that is right for you?  Read on for our tips.

What to Consider When Buying a Lawn Mower

The first thing to consider when buying a lawn mower is whether you want a walk behind or ride on type.  This will be dictated by the size of the lawn and the budget that you have.  As well as the cost of the mower itself, you will need to consider additional servicing and parts costs.  Do you prefer to push the mower, have it be self-propelled or do you want an adjustable mower speed?  Also consider what type of motor you want – if it is high powered for example.  Look for reliability over performance as you probably don’t want to have to keep taking the mower in for repairs.

Do you want the mower to be able to catch the cuttings?  If so, look for models that have this feature as standard.  You can use the grass cuttings as mulch, or put them in your compost.  Also look at the condition of your lawn – the obstacles it has, if it is smooth or bumpy, if there are wet areas etc.  This will affect the type of mower that you buy.

Also, look at yourself.  Do you enjoy working in the yard?  Are you prepared to undergo all the lawn mower maintenance yourself?  How much effort are you prepared to put into lawn mowing?  Finally, consider how much you can realistically afford and go from there.

Types of Lawn Mowers

The most common newer style of lawn mower is the four-stroke petrol mower.  It runs on unleaded petrol, eliminating the need to make a two-stroke mixture.  It has less pollution than the two-stroke mower and a wider cutting area than most electric mower, meaning a quicker mowing time.  However, you will need to store petrol for this type of mower, it is noisy, and you may not be able to use it on steep slopes.  A two-stroke petrol mower runs on a fuel-oil mixture and it can be used on steep slopes.  It is also relatively low maintenance.  However, you will need to make the mixture yourself, and it is very high in pollution.

A mains-powered electric mower is a mower that plugs straight into the wall and has a cord that trails behind as you mow.  It is easier to operate than a petrol model and you will not have to keep buying petrol for it.  It is environmentally friendly and more reliable.  However, the electric cord can be unsafe and you will need a safety switch.  You may also need an extension cord to reach all areas of the garden.  A battery powered electric mower has unrestricted movement and does not have the safety issues of a corded electric mower.  However, you will need to remember to charge the battery before you can use it.  An electric hover mower creates a cushion as the motor spins, allowing it to hover over the ground.  These mowers are cheap and very light but it is difficult to cut long grass effectively and it is also hard to adjust the height.

A push mower is the old fashioned type of mower with blades attached to wheels that cut the grass as you push the mower over it.  These are simply push and go, making them much less complex than other types of mowers.  They are also cheap, better for the grass, and good exercise.  Generally, they are only good for small spaces.

A ride on mower is excellent for larger areas of lawn where it would be impractical to use a walk behind type of mower.  They operate in generally the same principle as a walk behind mower except the person drives the mower in much the same way as they would a car.  Ride on mowers can be petrol or electric.  They are much faster than walk behind mowers.

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