Which lawn mower should I buy?
With the days (and the grass) getting longer, now is the perfect time to invest in a new lawn mower. But corded or cordless? Petrol or electric? Rotary lawn mower or hover lawn mower? The variety of mowers available on the market can be a little overwhelming. This lawn mower buying guide will help you select the best type of lawn mower for your needs. There are big differences in function and features across the different types of lawn mower available on the market. Whether you’re mowing a tiny outside space or acres of pasture, this lawn mower guide will help you choose the best mower for you. We’ll explain the pros and cons of cordless electric mowers, petrol lawn mowers and push mowers, plus which features you should look out for.
Different Types of Lawn Mower
Cordless lawn mowers
With some cordless mowers delivering as much power as petrol models, it’s no surprise that many are making the switch to cordless lawn mowers. Unlike corded electric lawn mowers, cordless mowers are not restricted by a power cable so you can move around wherever you need. Battery technology has improved a lot over the last few years so, although you will be limited by the battery run time, it might surprise you just how much use you can get out of your battery-operated lawn mower. There is also the option to buy a spare battery, so you have a fully charged backup should you need any more charge. Some cordless mowers have a long cutting time, keeping you mowing for hours. Others may run out of charge within 20 minutes – so look out for the battery Ah (or ampere-hour). A battery with a higher Ah will deliver a longer runtime. The battery in a cordless lawn mower can sometimes make them a little heavier than a corded mower, but they’re usually lighter than petrol mowers. They are still maneuverable and easy to push around the lawn.
Pros and cons of cordless lawn mowers
Freedom: You’ll have complete freedom to move around your garden, without the restriction of a power cable.
Power: Advances to battery technology means you’ll enjoy as much power as you would expect from petrol models.
Easier to start: Cordless lawn mowers are easy to start– usually requiring little more than switching on.
Battery sharing: If you have other power tools from the same brand as your cordless lawn mower, you can often share your batteries across the range.
There’s not much in the way of cons. If you don’t want to be limited by the run time of the battery –look out for a higher Ah. Although much lighter than a petrol lawn mower, the battery in a cordless lawn mower does add some weight.
Check out the full range of cordless lawnmowers available at ToolStore UK.
Electric lawn mowers
An electric lawnmower uses mains electricity to rotate grass-cutting blades at speed. With just a flick of a switch, you can alter the length of your lawn. More powerful than their cordless counterparts, corded electric lawnmowers are reliable and highly efficient. Some electric lawnmowers feature rear rollers which help to flatter long grass ready food cutting. To prevent shocks, modern products feature a safety cutout mechanism that stops the lawnmower if a fault occurs. Lightweight, compact, and easy to use, the latest products are usually operated with an activation bar or button on the handle. The user simply pushes the wheel-mounted mower across the grass, and the rotating blades do the rest. Models with grass bins collect the grass along the way, thus minimising time and effort.
The main advantage associated with an electric lawnmower is its flexibility. Even the cheapest models on the market are more than capable of keeping the average home lawn in great shape. They’re not designed for commercial use on sports and playing fields, but they perform exceptionally well on lawns. Electric lawnmowers require minimal effort and maintenance. They can be folded away and stored in a shed, garage or outhouse, and they’re fitted with a series of safety measures, so mishaps are exceptionally rare.
The pros and cons of electric lawnmowers
Minimal maintenance: Unlike their petrol-powered counterparts, electric lawnmowers don’t require regular cleaning and servicing. You simply plug it in and start mowing. Other than changing the blades every few years, there’s no regular maintenance to worry about.
Easier to start: Plug your lawnmower into the nearest power outlet and press the start button. That’s it! With a petrol-powered lawnmower, you need to worry about fuel, oil, servicing, and getting the motor started.
Quieter: Electric lawnmowers are very quiet compared to petrol-powered alternatives. This is very important if you have noise-conscious neighbours close by.
Cleaner: Petrol lawnmowers emit carbon and a range of dirty contaminants. By switching to an electric model, you can reduce your carbon footprint and keep the air in your neighbourhood clean.
As for the disadvantages of owning an electric lawnmower, they’re few and far between. Corded lawnmowers require a constant connection to a power outlet, which can limit your movement and create a tripping hazard. And if you have particularly large or challenging areas to mow, a standard mower might lack the sheer power of a petrol option.
Check out the full range of electric lawnmowers at ToolStore UK.
Push lawn mowers
Push lawnmowers are manually operated, which means they rely solely on your movement. There is no motorised component in play, so you should expect to work hard to achieve a tidy lawn. That said, most people rely on push lawnmowers to keep their home lawn in good shape. The simplest option is the reel mower, which doesn’t require fuel or electricity. You simply push it over the grass, and the blades spin as the wheels turn. Commercial gardeners and landscapers often use a petrol-powered mower, as it delivers faster cutting speeds and requires minimal effort. And electric push lawnmowers require mains electricity to spin the cutting blades. Other options on the market include self-propelled mowers — which have an engine and a transmission — and ‘walk-behind mowers’ which carry themselves along the grass. If you have mobility issues or you’re worried about your physical fitness, a push lawnmower may not be the best option. However, this type of mower is always the cheapest and most accessible option. It’s relatively small and light, so transporting and storing it is exceptionally easy.
The pros and cons of push lawnmowers
Lightweight: Push lawnmowers are lightweight, which makes them highly maneuverable. If you’re only cutting your lawn at home, these attributes will make your life a lot easier.
Affordable: Push lawnmowers are by far the most affordable option on the market today. There are dozens of options on the market, including many from leading brands such as Black & Decker, DeWalt and Stihl.
Easy to Use: Some of the self-propelled mowers on the market require complex setups, regular maintenance and a series of additional safety measures. The average push lawnmower requires little more than a brief demonstration.
Safe: Push lawnmowers usually feature a range of safety features, including automatic cutout on electric versions. And because they’re lightweight and agile, the chances of accidents are extremely low.
As for the cons of push lawnmowers, there aren’t many. A degree of physical exertion is required to use then. And they’re not usually appropriate for large grounds, fields and extensive commercial jobs.
Petrol Lawnmowers vs Electric Lawnmowers
This question is all about power; the more power a mower can provide, the better the quality of the cut. This can matter at times when you least expect it to. For example, if you’re using a low-cost lawnmower from a high street retailer, getting through long grass can be a real struggle and your lawn needs to be dry before you can even think about mowing it. A low-powered pedestrian mower has a blade that turns more slowly when faced with the increased resistance long or damp grass creates; this can leave you with an uneven cut, or even “chewed” grass, which has a ribbed effect, a silver sheen or straggly, yellow blades of grass all over the cut lawn.
This means that you need a mower that has enough power to deal with your lawn. One good example of a Petrol Mower with a good balance between power and value for money is the Stihl RM443 T Self-Propelled Petrol Lawn Mower. It has a cutting width of 41cm and has six cutting height settings. It is especially good for steeper lawns, as it has a single speed drive, which means that it will propel itself at one speed across all gradients.
One thing to be aware of if you’re thinking about buying a petrol lawn mower is that they require a bit of looking after. You will need the appropriate engine oil for your mower and the engine will need servicing from time to time.
Fortunately, ToolStore UK has a range of accessories for outdoor power tools which cover the whole spectrum of outdoor tools, not just mowers.
Petrol mowers are the most powerful on the market, but that doesn’t automatically make them the best choice. For instance, if your lawn is smaller than 200 square metres, you probably don’t need a petrol mower unless your lawn has slopes or is uneven. Even if you do have a large garden, an electric mower could still be an excellent solution.
There are various advantages to electric mowers; there’s no need to service an engine, nor do they emit polluting exhaust fumes like a petrol mower. They are also much lighter than their petrol equivalents, which can be a major consideration, especially if you are going to be using the mower for extended periods of time.
All of the major tool manufacturers offer electric lawn mowers with differing features. The key thing to remember is that power is just as important with electric mowers as it is with petrol mowers. The width of the cutting blade and size of the collection box can also be worth thinking about, as wider blades and larger box capacities can help to get the job done faster.
Should I go cordless?
One of the considerations you should think about when deciding whether to choose a corded or cordless lawn mower is the size of your garden. Even in a small garden, proximity to a plug socket is important and you may struggle to cut your lawn’s full length. That isn’t a problem if you choose a battery-powered model.
Cordless electric mowers are usually more expensive than their corded equivalents, but that might be called the ‘price of convenience’. Battery powered mowers can travel much further than those which are tethered to a power socket and there is a safety advantage, in that you can’t accidentally snag the power cable with the mower blade.
One other point of note is that, in many cases, your cordless mower can be powered by the same batteries as your other power tools from the same manufacturer. This can make them seriously convenient, as you’ll be able to just charge, then go!
One of the most powerful cordless mowers on the market is the Makita DLM382, which is available as either a body only unit (that is, without batteries) or supplied with 2 6ah batteries and a twin-port charger. This mower has a 36v motor drive system and a single lever cutting height adjustment system. It also generates less noise and vibration than many equivalent machines, making it a great choice for regular or prolonged use.
What's the difference between a rotary mower and hover mower?
There are some fantastic rotary and hover lawnmowers to choose from at ToolStore UK, but which is best for your needs? To make the right choice, you need to know the difference. It’s also useful to understand the benefits of each one.
Hover mowers sit just above the surface of the grass — on a cushion of air. This makes them exceptionally easy to push around and ideal if you have mobility issues. The friction between the mower and the ground is greatly reduced when using a hover mower, which means far less physical effort is involved.
A traditional rotary mower sits on wheels, which when pushed, turn the mower blades. While this option requires more physical effort, it can be more reliable and accurate on challenging surfaces.
Rotary Mower or Hover Mower: Which Is Right for Me?
In order to make the right choice, ask yourself the following questions:
Do I struggle with physical jobs?
If you have mobility issues or a disability, or even if you’re not particularly fit, a hover mower is probably the best option. It’s light, but it also glides across the grass with the minimum of effort on your part.
What shape is my lawn?
An awkwardly shaped lawn with tight corners and inaccessible areas is easier to mow with a hover lawnmower. Making lots of tight turns with a rotary mower is very hard work — and often impossible.
Am I bothered about creating stripes on my lawn?
Because hover mowers don’t fully touch the grass, they don’t flatten it. This means they’re not able to create those beautifully intricate stripes you often see on well-maintained lawns. The weight of a rotary blade will, however, flatten the blades of grass and create the stripes you’re looking for.
Is my lawn on a slope?
Wrestling with a rotary lawnmower while you walk up and down a steep slope is very hard work. If your lawn is on a significant slope, buying a hover mower will make your life a lot easier.
How technical am I?
The average hover mower is very easy to use. In most cases, you’ll simply have to take it out of the box and plug it in to get started. Some rotary mowers, on the other hand, require a setup process that might seem a little complicated for those who don’t have a technical mind.
Which lawn mower brand is best?
This is a difficult question to answer! In a lot of cases, personal preference is an important factor, especially if choosing a cordless model. For example, if you have a number of DEWALT cordless tools in your kitbag, you might be particularly interested in the DCMWSP564N Twin 18v Brushless Mower, which is the first DEWALT self-propelled mower. This has a large, 54cm mowing deck and a 55 litre collection bag, so is a remarkably efficient unit.
Makita also has a substantial range which includes both petrol-powered and cordless electric lawnmowers.
However, the professional’s choice for many outdoor power tools is Stihl. This German brand is known for well-manufactured products and is possibly most famous for chainsaws, but their range of mowers is just as impressive as their other products, which include pressure washers, hedge trimmers and much more.
ToolStore UK – the home of great products, great value, and great service
Here at ToolStore UK we work incredibly hard to provide our customers with the best products at competitive prices, but we don’t stop there. Our team is passionate about delivering brilliant service. If you browse our range of lawn mowers and have a question, you can contact us by phone, email or through our website and we’ll always be happy to help.
For a luscious lawn, choose a mower from ToolStore UK. Before you know it, it’ll be #JobDone.
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