Gardening is a very healthy hobby which keeps you connected to the nature and its beauty. However, you may also find it difficult to maintain a lawn especially if you are a beginner. Yes, you need a lot of equipement and tools to do the periodic mainatennace of your lawn. In many areas of the world like North America, the gardening services are quiet expensive, which is one of the reasons why people do the mowing and maintenance of thir lawns themselves. Well, for that matter, you need to have the best lawn mower to do the job for you. Here is a comprehensive account of types of lawn mowers and some of the tips to choose the best lawn mower for yourself.
Part 1：Type of Lawn mowers:
- Reel lawn mower/ Hover Mower: Such a mower is good for people who would like to be good garedeners and may move around actively. You will have to just push the mower while you walk in your lawn. You do not need to exert extra force though, they come in different sizes and heights of the handle. You may choose according to your preferences.
- Electric lawn mowers: Well, as the name indicates, these are electric mowers and you have to check the power settings also before you start using this type of lawn mower. In addition, there is a variety of these lawn mowers which come as Cordless electric lawn mowers. Yes, there will be no difference in the functioning of this Electric lawn mower cordless and the one with cord.
- Gas Power lawn Mowers: As another source of fuel, you may find the gas lawn mowers also. Yes, they use gas instead of electric power to function. It is only the source which is different otherwise, you may use it in the same manner as the electric lawn mowers except for there might be slight diffrenece of method of using a Push and Self-propelled lawn mower. Yes, you may find it a bit easy to use the self-propelled mower as you do not have to push it around.
- Riding lawn mowers: Well, this is one of the most widely used lawn mower as it is just like a cart. Al though this one is meant mostly for commercial purposes but you can also choose one of these for your domestic needs too. The mower works just like a buggy, you drive it around and it mows the grass with the cutter attached to the cart.
Part 2：How to select the mower?
Before you go and choose a particular mower for your lawn, it is important for you to have a look at the features and dcharacteristics of the best mower for your lown. Yes, as the mowers come in a wide range of variety with different and advanced features, the first-timers might find it difficult to choose the suitable machine for their lawns. Here is what we have for you. Yes, you may have an idea as to which option suits you best after going through the following things which you need to consider while buying the mower.
- Lawn size/Mowing field dimension:
The type of the mower you should consider largely depends on the size of your plowing field. Yes, that is to say that if you have a big lawn, the petrol lawn mower makes the best choice for you. Since, in this case, you do not need to worry about the length of the power cable as it comes mostly as cordless lawn mower. Secondly, the petrol lawn mowers in a comparatively bigger cutting width, which means that you will be cutting more grass in a musch shorter time span. It will be even better if you go for the self-propelled petrol lawn mower as it will do most of the work on its own and you do not have to put in more effort to do the job.
In case you have a medium sized lawn, you may go for the electric mower or a petrol mower. The only difference lies in the need to look for the appropriate cable length in case of the electric machine. The rest, it is all the same, especially the maintenance is almost the same. Contrary to the older models, now the latest petrol mowers do not need frequent maintenance.
For smaller plowing fields, even the reel mowers would also do. Yes, as you do not have to mow larger space and you can easily walk around with your lawn mowers, you can complete the job quickly and easily.
- Type of Blade:
Well, the type of blades used varies with the type of the mower. So, you need to heed this feature also. As for example, you will go for the cylindrical mower when you prefer the rotating blades as it will give a fine finish to your law. The rotating blades cut the grass at the root level which ultimately gives you a neat overall look of your lawn. In addition, you can even adjust the cutting widths of these rotating blades which is again a plus point. Not just this, but the cylindrical lawn mowers also have the provision of attaching different collection boxes. This ensures less mess around the lawn at the end.
On the other hand, you should opt for the rotary lawn mower in case you have rough field or an uneven plowing area. The reason being, this mower uses the blade wchih rotates horizontally. Another important aspect here is the budget. Yes, if you are on a budget, this option world for you well because it will not cost you a lot. Like the cylindrical mowers, these lawn mowers also have the provision of attaching different collection boxes. Ideally, the self-propelled cylindrical lawn mower will serve your purpose as it requires the minimum amount of effort.
In case, you prefer a horizontally-rotating blade but with a hovering ability, you must check out the hover lawn mowers. These mowers are usually light weight and serve your purpose especially if you have a small powing field. The catch here is that these mowers have the ability to move in all directions like forward as well backwards. You would like this type of mower if you do not want to spend more and are not concerned much about the quality of cutting.
A cordless mower is the best when you would like to utilize the power and efficiency of a petrol lawn mower but do not want a lot of mess to take care of. Yes, this type of mower is not only easy to use but is also light in weight so you can move it around conveniently. In addition, you do not need to worry about the maintenance of such mowers as they work for long otherwise.
- Functions:
For those looking for a dual-function of mulching and bagging, you may go for such lawn mowers. Well, mulching refers to the method of cutting grass when the mower returns the nitrogen-rich grass back on to the ground. Since it is a healthy for the grass growth, the 2-functioned mowers are the best selling these days. However, this does not work when you have tall grass in your lawn or during early summer season and spring or even during fall as the grass bounces back from the tough summer conditions.
On the other hand, there are some lawn mowers which come with 3 functions. Yes, you read it right! In addition to mulching and bagging, these mowers also do the side discharges. This means that if you have tall weeds or non-turf grass in your lowing field, you will be able to do the utility mowing. Besdies, such mowers come in handy when you want to work on your lawn in different stages due to the over-growing grass.
- Drive:
Again, you have plenty of options to look for, when it comes to the drive of your lawn mowers. Yes, especially if you are a first-time buyer, you need to be careful about the type of drive you want for your mower. If you have a levelled ground to mow, you must go for the front-wheel drive, which means that the front wheel of the mower will have a reduced traction. This is the best of you have a smaller lawn.
While you are thinking to buy the front-wheel driven mower, think twice if have a uphill or sidehill lawn. Yes, in such a case, you need to have the rear-wheel drive in your mower instead of the front-wheel drive. The reason being, you will be pushing down the handle when mowing up the hill and the front wheel of your mower will not lose its grip on the ground.
Did you ever hear of the All-wheel drive mowers? Well, here they are! Yes, for all those of you who have a lawn with all types of levels like steep up and down hills, washboard surfaces and rough patches, you must opt for the AWD. Although, when they they were introduced, people were skeptical if they would work for the purpose or not but now over the period of time, such machines have proven their worth. They are not only effieceint but are also easier to use.
- Levers:
When you are going to buy a mower for your lawn, you need to consider the levers of the machine too. Well, you may choose from the mowers with one, two or even four levers. Every types has its pros and cons. As for instance, the single-lever, though very easy to use, has a lot of linkages which makes it heavier in weight. In addition, you will have to lubricate it frequently to keep it going. The mowers with 2 levers is a good option as compared to one and four levers. They are adjustable according to your desired height. The mowers with four levers, however, are considered the best as they have proven them right over the years.
Conclusion
So, the selecting a lawn mowers is quiet a tough task, especially if you do not have the basic knowledge about the technical aspects of the machine. However, if you have come this far, you have a clear picture of the affairs and now you can definitely make a good choice for yourself. Since there are different manufacturers and designers of the machinery, you may make your choice after considering all the important points mentioned here.