Here are my top tips on choosing a lawnmower:
- For small lawns, up to 50 sq m, an electric lawnmower with a 30-33cm cutting width or a hand cylinder mower is suitable.
- For medium lawns, up to 150sq m, go for an electric lawn mower with a 35-40cm cutting width.
- For larger lawns, up to about 250 sq m or if your lawn is a long way from a power socket, a small petrol lawn mower is the best option. They start at about 40cm wide.
- For lawns larger than 250sq m, look for a petrol lawnmower with a cutting width of 46cm or more. If you have a large lawn and find pushing a petrol mower too hard work, opt for a self-propelled version. Some come with a self-start version too, which means you don’t have to struggle with a starter cord.
The main types of mower are rotary, cylinder and hover.
Rotary lawnmowers are the most popular choice for a family lawn. They use a fast-moving blade which acts like a scythe, making them good at coping with longer grass.
Hover mowers are similar to rotary lawnmowers, but ride on a cushion of air instead of wheels. They don’t usually come with a grass collector, making them light and maneuverable – good for awkward-shaped lawns. They’re generally quick and easy to use and suited to well-used gardens where a quality finish is not a priority.
Cylinder mowers have a cylinder with several moving blades that cut against a fixed blade, like scissors – making them good for a close cut on neat, frequently mowed lawns, but less effective on longer or rougher grass.
Useful features:
- A grassbox to collect the grass as you mow – the bigger the box the less often you’ll have to stop to empty it. You might have to buy a separate grass catcher on some hand cylinder models.
- A rear roller to give your lawn a tidy striped finish.
- A cable tidy to help pack long cables.
- Folding handles to reduce the space it takes up in storage.
