What lawn mower should I purchase?

If you’re lucky enough to have a lawn, sooner or later you’re going to need to get it cut. The easy option is to pay someone else to do it! There are a lot of good lawn maintenance and gardening companies around. However, if you don’t have the budget for this or you enjoy mowing the lawn (it can be very therapeutic) then you’ll need to purchase a lawn mower. But which one should you purchase? There are a bewildering array of brands, sizes, designs and different prices on the market.

You need to ask yourself a few questions to ensure you choose the right one. Obviously, your budget is a key question, but think about the size of your lawn, what you use it for and what type of grass you have on it.

The size and shape of your lawn

Those wealthy people with large, regular lawns have different requirements from those with small, irregular shaped ones. So, for example, if you have a lot of lawn to cut with few obstacles such as flower beds or trees, then a sit on lawn mower or ride on mower is ideal. They are expensive, fairly large and bulky and you will need somewhere to store it, of course. They are excellent for cutting large areas of grass and for impressing the neighbours, of course! Good brands are Honda, Hayter, Lawn King, Mountfield, Yardman, Snapper, Toro and Lawnflite.

For smaller areas with trees and curved borders, a small, light, manoeuvrable mower is your first choice. Anything too powerful or bulky while tire you at quickly.

Should I choose an electric or petrol powered mower?

The choice between electric and petrol powered mowers comes down to the idiosyncrasies of your garden. If you don’t have any easy access to electricity, you have tough weed like grass and need power or you don’t want to run a long cable for example, then a petrol mower must be your first choice. They are generally more powerful than electric mowers, but they need regular maintenance - much like a car – and they can be heavy and bulky. They can also require some strength to start up because most have a pull cord to start the ignition.

For small spaces, an electric mower will probably be your first choice. They are generally cheaper than petrol mowers, easy to maintain and smaller, so they store easily. And there are even rechargeable electric mowers if you don’t have access to power.

Should I purchase a hover mower, rotary or cylinder mower?

Hover mowers are great for small, uneven areas with different types of grass. Think of areas with lots of trees or flower beds with curved boundaries and tight spaces. They will cut evenly but you won’t get the stripes or rollered effect on the lawn you’ve cut. Flymo and Allen make the best hover mowers. For the best finish a cylinder mower is best. And if you can afford it, purchase one with a roller attached to the rear. A good quality cylinder mower will give the cleanest, best looking cut of all and with the roller attached will give you that Wimbledon lawn finish, striped lawn effect. Beautiful. Good brands of cylinder petrol mower: Qualcast, Atco, Lawnflight and Masport.

Rotary mowers fit pretty much in between the two. Ideal for larger lawns which may be a little uneven or slightly overgrown. Perhaps a little too much to cope with for a hover mower. However, they won’t give you the perfect bowling green finish.

Good brands of rotary mowers: McCulloch, IBEA, Honda, Lawn King, Lawnflite, Lawnpro, Mitox, Tuffcut and Victa.

What should I do about the lawn clippings?

Some gardeners advise that if you don’t have too may clippings, they should be left on the lawn as nutrients for the grass. I don’t subscribe to this method, however. If your lawn needs feeding, look into purchasing some lawn feed products. Lawn clippings make the lawn look a mess and can prevent light reaching the new grass, which leads to discolouration and damage.

So unless you like raking up clippings, choose a lawn mower that has a collection box. Then all you need to do is empty it when it becomes full. Much less strenuous! Generally, with lawn mowing, you get out what you put in. So, purchase the best mower you can afford, whichever type of mower you select. Good luck with your lawn!

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