Last Updated on March 26, 2024 by Sharaj
Are you looking to purchase a lawnmower? If yes, then do you know how much you need to spend on such a machine? Or what kind of features you need that can cover an entire lawn or garden? Well, these are the questions that we will discuss today.
The US citizens purchase around 4 to 5 billion lawnmowers every week. If you are also looking for such a gardening tool, then we recommend you consider three factors; durability, performance, and comfort.
You also need to make sure that the maximum speed suits your walking style and you can hold its handles at your height. Starting mechanism is another thing that you need to check. You need to make sure everything fits your usage so that you can get an easy and fast lawn cutting experience.
Almost all the lawnmower comes with wheels so that you can easily move them to cut the grasses for an even and attractive appearance. Build quality, design, make and model might differ, but such gardening tools are available in two types; depending upon their movement.
Reel mower: In such a lawnmower the blade moves vertically, which means they move north to south and cut the grasses. The number of blades depends upon the make and model that can vary between 3 to 7. As you move the mower forward or back, the blades create momentum and cut the grasses.
Rotary mower: The blades move horizontally with a cutting action to take care of the long grasses. Such mower comes with only one blade that rotates fast to cut the grasses. Effective and simple to use, such mowers can tackle a wide range of grasses. Rotary mowers are available in electric, cordless as well as gas-powered variants.
Apart from the movement, there are other categories of lawnmowers depending upon the fuel types. Walk-behind, self-propelled, and robotic mowers are the major divisions. You can find all these variants as electric, cordless or gas-powered mower.
You can purchase a decent rotary mower above £200. However, reel mowers are available above £60. However, the price will increase according to the build quality and available features. So, let’s know the features and factors that you need to check while hunting for a lawnmower.
How To Choose A Lawnmower?
Yard size: The first consideration should be the size of your lawn. Gas propelled mower is best for large areas. For small or medium-sized land, electric gardening tools are suitable.
Apart from the fuel type, you should also choose such a machine depending upon the moving style. Let’s say if you have a yard equal to or less than ½ acres, then only you should invest on a push lawnmower.
On the other hand, if you own an area more than ½ acres, then a walk-behind mower will consume all your energy and you will not be able to do any other household tasks.
It’s the reason why you should choose a self-propelled mower for a significant garden. You can also try a riding mower if the area that’s is too big to handle for walk-behind or self-propelled machines.
Terrain type: Physical features of a lawn or garden is the next important consideration while choosing a mower. Is your lawn flat? Or are there slopes and hills wherein a mower might struggle to move? If you have a small and flat yard without much slopes or obstacles, then you can try a walk-behind mower or even a manual reel mower.
Choose a self-propelled variant if the lawn has hills or inclined paths. As such mower uses the engine power to move, you will not have to apply any physical force. If your lawn has too many flower beds, decorative rocks or foundation, then try a zero-turn-radius mower.
Such machines come with great maneuverability and hence you can easily steer a ZTR around the obstacles for an accurate finish. You can consider a riding mower, but it cannot make crisp turns like a zero-turn-radius mower.
Cutting width: Deck size is another factor you need to check because it will decide how much time you will spend lawn maintenance. Cutting width or deck size varies between 16 to 60 inches. A mower with a wide deck means it can cover more area in one pass, which means you will spend less time on the greens.
You need to choose the blade size depending upon the shape and terrain of your lawn. If you own a flat and uniform lawn, then a wider deck might be effective. On the other hand, if there are multiple trees, flower beds, rocks or other obstacles then try a compact mower that can easily navigate through all the objects.
Grass management: Browse lawnmowers on Amazon and you will notice that almost all of them can rear discharge the grasses. Means, they release all the grass clipping back to your lawn. However, it’s not the only way lawnmower deal with the greens. Other variants come with a grass collection bag, side discharge chute, or both.
If you want to leave the grass cuttings on the lawn, then you can try a lawnmower that can rear or side discharge them. It’s a good idea to leave them on the grass bed because these greens will work as a fertilizer to keep your lawn healthy and attractive.
But, make sure that these clippings are not very thick, otherwise, they can harm your lawn. In such a situation, either uses a rake to collect thick grasses or you can try a lawnmower with a grass collection bag.
Lawnmower with mesh bag collects all the cut grasses, so you can easily dispose of or use them as compost. If you own a significant area, then you should look for a mower than has a large bag. Otherwise, it will seek repeated emptying that might waste your precious time.
Functions: Lawnmowers can also mulch the grass clippings and discharge them to the lawn. Mulching is the process wherein a mower’s blade cuts the grasses repeatedly to convert them into tiny pieces so that they can easily decompose and mix with the soil.
You can get such a mower, especially if you want to use organic fertilizers in the garden. Check the description while browsing the lawnmower and look for a model that comes with a mulch plug.
The next features you might need is an easy start. Lawnmowers that comes with a start button are the easiest to start. Some petrol version seeks priming, but several others also come with a push-button. Choose such a model if you want to get going without wasting much time.
Types of Lawnmower
When we talk about the categories, there are four types of lawnmowers available to purchase. The price tag depends upon the built quality, cutting width and features.
However, you can get a high-quality lawnmower at anywhere between £175 to £350.
1. Manual Lawnmowers
If you want to keep your yard clean and maintained without making noise or causing pollution, then you can try a manual lawn mower.
One of the smartest choices, especially if you have a small land to maintain. This classic variant is nothing less than a legend in terms of lawnmowers because reel mowers used to be the primary lawn maintenance solutions when gas or electric mowers were a dream.
No surprise most of the homeowners with small gardens prefer to use such a tool.
1. Petrol Push Lawnmower
Petrol lawn mowers are Suitable for lawns under ½ acres, push lawnmowers are great if you are living a healthy life and want to burn some more calories. It’s right because such a mower requires some physical strength for movement.
The cutting width varies between 14 to 22 inches, which is sufficient for a small or medium-sized yard. Push lawnmowers are effective but could be a problem if you have a large lawn. Such machines are anywhere available between £175 to £400. Though you can check some of the best lawnmowers for small lawn here.
3. Self-propelled Lawnmower
It could be a perfect investment if you own a yard anywhere up to ¾ acre. Large lawns could be a significant ride for a push lawnmower, but self-propelled versions push itself automatically and hence reduces the stress on your body. You only have to walk behind the machine for some guidance and it will do the job.
The price tags of a self propelled petrol mower variants vary between £200 to £800. Such a machine is suitable for lawns with multiple hills, slopes or inclined areas. Some of the models are available with speed control features, so you can also choose one of them for convenience.
4. Electric Lawnmowers
Corded and cordless lawnmowers are the two categories in this department. Whether you prefer a walk-behind or self-propelled, you can get the same in corded and cordless versions.
Quiet operation and no carbon emissions are some of the features that make electric lawnmowers famous. Moreover, such machines are easy to start as almost all of them come with a push-button instead of priming buttons and pulling cord.
Electric mowers can deal with small to medium yards but might struggle to cover a significant area. Corded machines are restricted due to the power cable, while the battery ones need periodic recharging. They are also inferior in terms of engine power.
Best quality electric mowers ranges between £100 to £350. If you need a self-propelled version, then you might need to invest more than £800. For example, Greenworks 20-Inch electric corded mower is an amazing option for medium-sized gardens.
5. Robotic Lawnmowers
There are other things in your life other than lawn maintenance. Are we right? Its where robotic mower comes into the picture and does the job without much interference.
Once you set up the perimeter, a robotic mower can do the grass cutting on its own. Most of them come with a smartphone app, wherein you can control and monitor using your mobile phone.
robot lawnmowers work on battery, they don’t produce much noise or harmful emissions. Available between £300 to £2000, the price tag of these machines varies depending upon the power, connectivity, and features.
6. Ride On Lawnmower
Comfortable to use, riding lawn mowers are similar to your cars. Drive one of such machines like a vehicle and maintain the grass without much effort.
If you own a larger area wherein walk behind or self-propelled versions might struggle, you can try a ride-on mower. Due to their large footprint, riding mowers needs a significant storage area, somewhat similar to a garage.
Riding lawn mowers are available between a price range of £1700 to £3000. As you see, these beasts are expensive because they are powerful and provides you with effortless results.
However, you should go for such a machine only if you need it for commercial services. Even if you own a significant piece of land, you can certainly consider a ride-on mower.
7. Zero-Turn-Radius Lawn Mowers
It’s exciting to invest in a zero-turn radius lawn mower if you own a large garden and you are dread that a riding mower might damage the flower beds. Sturdy, fast, and powerful, ZTRs are efficient to deal with any of the mowing conditions as well as terrains.
A ZTR has front wheels that turn and navigate crisply around the obstacles and make the lawn maintenance an easy task. It’s the primary reason why these machines are expensive and the price range varies between £2700 to £6000.
Brands That Manufactures Some Of The Best Lawnmowers
Honda: One of the most trustworthy lawnmower manufacturers that’s reputed for products with innovative features and high quality built. A Honda lawnmower might be expensive than the comparisons, but you will get the worth because of its durability, efficiency, and power.
Snapper: One of the biggest engine manufacturers, Briggs & Stratton runs the show here. Whether you need a reliable walk-behind or riding mower, Snapper is the brand you might try. The brand is relatively new, but you can trust the build quality as well as features.
Husqvarna: The brand stands tall with a huge commercial client base because it mostly deals in ZTRs and riding mowers. Husqvarna Lawn mowers are Equipped with Briggs & Stratton engine, most of its mowers are available with a cutting width between 42 to 54 inches while the price varies between
John Deere: Makers of some of the best riding mower, John Deere manufactures fully featured products that are available with a cutting width between 42 to 54 inches. Similar to Husqvarna, this brand also utilizes the Brigs & Stratton engine that are robust and powerful.
Craftsman: One of the market leaders, Craftsman has a wide range of walk-behind, riding and ZTR mowers. Price starts from £1000 and goes up to £2000 depending upon the features and built quality. Most of their models are gas propelled, but the brand has some excellent electric models as well.
Related accessories: Once you have a functional lawnmower, you can also look for some accessories that can make it more efficient and productive. The grass is one of the most common attachments that you might need. Apart from that, you can also try to utilize some of the following items depending upon your living area and other requirements.
Snowblower will be helpful to remove the snow when you have some extra time to maintain the lawn. A snow blower is also helpful in multiple other situations where you need to make some way around the house.
Utility or dump carts that you might to transport the clippings and other related items.
Fertilization spreaders and lawn aeration tools are a couple of other tools that revive your lawn and makes it healthy
Lawn mowers with roller is helpful when you need some strips over the lawn.
Manufacturer’s Warranty
Whether you are a newcomer or an experienced user, you need some coverage with the lawnmower.
It’s the reason why most of the brands offer a warranty of up to 5 years with their products. Keep in mind that these services are only applicable under recommended usage.
