Choosing Your First Lawn Mower For A Small Lawn

Home & Garden Blog

If you've never owned a lawn mower before, figuring out what to buy can be daunting. You probably have a vague idea of what you want; just a little light thing that you can whizz over the lawn with and won't have to clean up after. Once you're looking at actual options, though, it all gets a bit complicated. Rotary or cylinder? What on earth does a hover mower do, anyway? How does a person cope with grass that's already got a bit unkempt? Never fear--it's actually all pretty simple, and this easy guide is here to help you figure it out. All you need to do is ask yourself three simple questions:

1. How much time, effort and energy am I willing to devote to lawn maintenance? For some people, their lawn is their pride and joy; they enjoy maintaining a beautiful expanse of grass in tip-top condition, and get a kick out of spending an afternoon caring for it. Those people probably want a cylinder mower; these can be tricky to manoeuvre as they're often quite bulky, but nothing leaves a more perfect finish on a lawn. Even the Royal Horticultural Society says they're the best way to achieve the classic striped look. If, on the other hand, you'd just like to keep your grass under control so that your garden looks decent, you should look at a rotary mower. They do a good job--and they're also cheaper, lighter and easier to store.  
2. Am I prepared to pay extra for convenience? Two major features you might be confused about really come down to this cost vs. effort question--cordlessness and grass boxes. Corded mowers need to be plugged into your mains electricity, meaning that you'll probably need an extension reel and you'd do well to invest in a circuit breaker for safety purposes. Cordless mowers are battery powered and rechargeable, thereby getting around all that--but they're currently far more expensive. Better Homes & Gardens are big fans, however, so if you've got enough money in your mower budget they're well worth considering! You can also save a bit of money by buying a mower without a grass box, but you'll need to rake up the grass cuttings and dispose of them afterwards rather than simply emptying the mower as you would a vacuum cleaner.   
3. How often am I realistically going to get the mower out? If you're the kind of person who wants to mow their lawn every week it hasn't rained too much, a lightweight hovering or hand-push model is the perfect choice. If, on the other hand, you reckon you'll do it every month or so in the spring and summer and then leave it over the colder months, you want something that can handle long grass; corded electric rotary with a good grass box is probably the way to go. Which? suggests that these are the best choice for family lawn mowers, as they get the job done with minimal fuss.

20 May 2016