A well decorated, tip-top lawn is what many homeowners dream of having. A beautiful garden with lush, leafy green grass can improve the appearance of your entire house, bringing a fresh and pleasant vibe into it.
However, an attractive, healthy lawn requires some tending, and the first step of taking care of the grass is to mow the lawn regularly. It’s vital for keeping the grass at the perfect size and eliminating debris and pests.
However, you can only ensure a perfect mow if you have the right lawnmower. For that to happen, you need to educate yourself about the different types of lawnmowers.
Types of Lawnmowers
Depending on your preference, lawn size, shape, and other unique features of your space, you can choose from either a push mower or a riding mower. Both can provide you with a great service if they are suitable for your lawn.
While a push mower is suitable for a small garden, a riding mower is essential for a bigger lawn. Besides, if you prefer driving over walking, then you should go for the riding one.
There are different types of push and riding mowers with different features and benefits to each.
Push Mowers
If you have a small garden and you enjoy a nice, leisurely walk with your lawn work, here are some options of push lawn mowers to choose from.
Manual Reel Mower
This is a classic lawn mower that requires you to push to spin the cutting blade. Runs on manpower, it’s environment-friendly and quiet.
While mowing, manual reel mowers produce natural mulch from grass clippings, which is considered a secret behind a healthy lawn.
As it requires more manual labor, this mower will also help you to stay active and healthy.
Corded Electric Mower
Perfect for the small yard, a corded electric lawn mower is quite easy to use. Just plug it in, and you’re good to go.
As the name suggests, this mower comes with an electric cord, which can make your mowing task a bit complicated. You need to constantly manage the cord while mowing to avoid running over it.
Nor are they suitable for cutting long grasses due to their less powerful engine. You need to mow a bit frequently to avoid a tripped circuit breaker or a blown fuse.
Cordless Electric Mower
Cordless electric mowers come with lithium-ion batteries, which you can charge and then go for mowing. The batteries are powerful enough to mow a small to medium-sized lawn without recharging.
This electric mower is pretty handy to use and can be recharged within half an hour. It doesn’t create any noise either, meaning that you can mow your lawn without annoying your neighbors.
Self-Propelled Gas Mower
The self-propelled mower is more powerful than the electric ones and suitable for tall grass and weeds. It offers variable speeds, letting you control the pace while you mow.
The best part is that this mower comes with a “kill” switch, an essential safety feature that brakes the blade in seconds, saving you from a serious accident.
Riding Mowers
If you have a large lawn that requires uphill and downhill mowing, a riding lawn mower is the best option for you. Like the push mower, this one also comes with some different varieties.
Rear Engine Mower
This mower is perfect for those who want a quiet and comfortable mowing. It’s perfect for dealing with small slopes. However, the rear engine mower comes with a very low power engine, which means it will take a significant amount of time to mow the whole lawn.
Lawn Tractor
The lawn tractor is quite popular to many people as the steering wheel and a front-mounted engine makes it look and feel familiar to them. It comes with a powerful motor that allows you to mow without giving so much effort.
Lawn tractors have the ability to deal with any type of terrain. Besides, it lets you attach other tools such as a work cart or snowplow to get an additional job done.
Garden Tractor
The garden tractor is a larger and more powerful version of a lawn tractor. If you have quite a large yard, which is difficult to mow using a push mower or a less powerful riding mower, a garden tractor is perfect for you.
However, you may have to purchase the mowing deck separately, which will increase your overall cost significantly.
Zero-turn-radius Mower
This high-performance lawnmower lets you make a 360-degree turn easily and can increase its speed up to 8 mph. If you don’t have enough time for mowing your big lawn, you can easily go for a zero-turn-radius one.
However, it’s a bit costly, so think about your budget before you buy it.
Things to Consider Before Buying a Lawnmower
Before you invest in a lawnmower, you need to consider the following factors.
The Size of Your Lawn
Your lawn size is one of the major factors to determine the type of lawnmower you need. While push mowers can work well on a small lawn, a riding mower is a must for a large one.
The Lay of The land
If you have a small lawn with a flat surface, then a push mower can be enough to give you proper service. However, if you often need to mow up and down hills, then a riding or self-propelled mower might be a better option.
Comfort
Choosing the right lawnmower depends a lot on what you’re comfortable with. Do you like to walk behind the mower or do you want to just ride on it comfortably? Think about what you want and choose accordingly.
Durability
You don’t want to throw out your favorite lawnmower just after a couple of uses, do you? Getting well informed about its durability and how easily the parts of your mower can be replaced is essential before buying a new one.
When purchasing a lawnmower, see if the pull-cord can be easily replaced, or if the mower can be tuned up so that you can use it for a long time.
Final Thoughts
When buying a new lawnmower, remember that performance comes before style. Think properly about what kind of service you actually need, the size of your garden, which type would be more comfortable for you, and how you can get all of these factors within your budget.
Do thorough research by visiting the local store and online. Compare the prices and go for the best one. Just like buying a new car, don’t buy your lawnmower without a test drive.