Mower Magic Lawnmower Advice
In my last article I went through some tips on how I'm going about recovering my own lawn and mentioned that part of the recovery is down to the use of a robotic lawnmower. I'm sure many have never come across one so I thought this a good opportunity to give an overview of the type of lawnmowers that are available and what to look out for when buying a new one.
Most standard lawnmowers are rotary where a blade is mounted under the deck spins to cut the grass. These range from under £100 to thousands of pounds and can be electric, battery or petrol powered. Normally they come with four wheels but are also available with a rear roller if you want to stripe your lawn. If you have a border that drops into a flowerbed, consider a rear roller as the roller allows you to cut over the edge of the border where a four-wheel rotary would fall.
If you have a small garden, then consider a hover mower where they glide over on a cushion of air. They work in a similar fashion to a rotary lawnmower but do require a flat and level garden to maintain its lift. These are ideal if you are mowing on a steep bank.
If you are after a high quality cut then a cylinder mower is what you want to look for. The blades cut grass in a scissor-like motion for an even, high quality finish. These are what sports grounds use to achieve a low, high quality cut.
Robotic lawnmowers have been around for longer than you may think and have really taken off in recent years. They maintain the lawn fully autonomously to a quality equal to that of a cylinder mower and even help improve the health of your lawn.
If you have a large garden then you may want to consider a lawn tractor. There are a lot out there and all vary so it is always worth speaking to a professional dealer about these, as they will be best able to advise you which is ideal for your needs.
When buying a new machine, always buy from a familiar lawnmower brand as many cheaper brands do not supply spares in case something goes wrong. Likewise, look for a good branded engine from the likes of GGP, Briggs & Stratton or Honda. It is always worth speaking to your local dealer when buying a new machine, as they will be able to talk through with you your needs and identify the best machine for the job.
