Before you get your heart set on a new lawn mower, think about your investment for a few days before you purchase one. Consider what kind of mower is best for your particular lawn because it is not always the most expensive mower that will do the job for your particular requirements. When shopping for a new mower, most homeowners look at price, brand and features and even the manufacturer’s name has an influencing factor in their decision making process. Most important however, is the size and shape of your topography that should influence what type of mower suits you best. All lawn mowers have advantages and disadvantages, and these should be weighed according to your needs and budget.
There are many features that you want to consider when choosing a lawnmower, but start by thinking about the size of your lawn. According to lawn care experts, the general rule of thumb is that the bigger your lawn, the bigger your mower should be to accommodate the property. One way of thinking about size is to consider a tennis court. If your lawn is about half that size of the court, it’s considered to be a small lawn. If your lawn is about the size of the court, it’s considered a medium-sized lawn. If it’s larger than the court, it’s considered a large lawn. Once you’ve settled on the size of the lawn, you can begin to consider what type of lawn mower to choose for your situation.
When you begin to shop around, you’ll notice that there are many different types of lawnmowers, but fundamentally, almost all lawnmowers fit into two categories; the rotary mowers and the cylinder mowers.
Rotary push lawn mower
Rotary push lawn mowers are the most common type on the market and there’s a greater variety of rotary models to choose among. Rotary lawnmowers work quite simply by rapidly spinning a blade to cut grass and it spins horizontally from east to west. It uses a sucking and tearing action to cut the grass with one blade that rotates extremely fast. There are some that are manually powered, but most always motorized in some way. The rotary lawn mower’s design is simple and adapts very well to small engines that are gas or electric powered.
Rotary lawn mowers are powerful, heavy, and well adapted to a wide variety of grass conditions, including lawns with weeds and dandelions. The rotary lawn mower is quite heavy to push, but usually come with motorized wheels. The self-propelled rotary lawn mowers have one very high speed rotating blade underneath. The blade ‘chops’ the grass on impact due to its very high speed.
Most rotary mowers have the grass box behind with a few having an integral grass box. These mowers work best on a medium to high cut. They’re generally a better choice for large lawns, as well as long, overgrown and unruly grass. Most have wheels, but there are also hover lawnmowers available which float on air to make mowing lawns with slopes and uneven areas easier. In addition, you can get variations on rotary mowers, such as ride on mowers or tractor mowers, which are just larger ride on versions.
Cylinder push lawn mower
The cylinder (reel) mower comes in many varieties and they can be either manual or motorized using electric or gas as their power source. The mower has vertical wheels that brush up and cuts the grass in a very neat and even cut. A cylinder lawn mower has five to twelve exposed blades at the front of the mower. The blades rotate the trappings and slice the grass blades against a fixed bottom plate like a pair of scissors. The more blades there are on the equipment, the better the cut. This type of mower is normally quiet and relatively cheap.
The cylinder mower works best on a low or short cut and not ideal for cutting long grass. If you cannot keep your grass low, this will mean frequent mowing, usually twice a week. The downside to this type of cutting system is that, although the cut is superior to a rotary mower, the blades of a cylinder mower need periodic and exact adjustment to maintain the quality of cut. This service must be done precisely or it will cause the mower to chew the grass that produces an exceptionally poor cut.
Are you ready to improve your landscape? If you’re in need of more information on how to choose the right lawn mower, or lawn care in general, contact us. Evergreen is here to help you with all your lawn needs.
