How To Choose a Lawn Mower
Having a beautiful well manicured lawn is a pleasure to behold! However, getting it to that perfect condition requires quite a bit of sweat and elbow grease on your part, right? Not necessarily – not when you choose the right lawn mower to invest in.
You need to follow one simple rule of thumb, always know your needs and buy to match them. The following considerations should be used as a springboard because you are sure to come up with some more factors of your own.
- What is the size of your lawn – postage stamp sized, medium or very big?
- Is your lawn uninterrupted greenery as far as the eye can see or do you have some trees, shrub borders, flower beds that may make obstacles when mowing the lawn?
- Do you have a completely flat lawn surface or does it slope in certain areas?
- Do you live in a neighborhood with noise restrictions? Are their zoning laws about noise and air pollution? You will need to find out as these are important considerations. Noisy lawn mowers on a Sunday morning will certainly not be appreciated anywhere and more so if there are elderly people or small children in the neighborhood.
- What sort of grass grows on your lawn? Thick dense grass will mean a strong blade of appropriate size and rotation.
- Do you live in California? You need to consider California Air Resources Board (CARB) legislation on non-road small engine (lawnmowers and weed trimmers among others) pollution control.
- What sort of storage space do you have? Will you be able to store the selected lawn mower easily in your garage or shed?
- Now, last but certainly not the least – what kind of budget do you have in mind for your lawn mower? You can get a mower for $200 or for $1000 or more; the choice is yours depending on what you want your lawn mower to accomplish for you. When determining your budget also consider you are buying a lawn mower that is designed to last for years. We recommend that you don't try to cut costs by buying a cheaper, unsuitable lawn mower for your needs. This will only cost you more later on.
Here’s the crucial part – you need to be totally honest with yourself to answer this question – are you the sort of person who enjoys mowing the lawn and gardening? Will you mow the lawn or get a gardener? If you enjoy doing the work yourself you will probably also enjoy maintaining your lawn mower. If you select a good quality mower that costs you quite a bit you need to maintain it properly.
We will take a quick look at the different types of lawn mowers on offer to help steer you in the right direction.
Reel lawn mowers are making a comeback – if you are concerned about your environment as we all should be and have a small yard, this is the mower for you. In fact these machines really are hassle free for people who just want to get the job over and done with. If you like a bit of exercise or prefer it quieter while mowing; have a small budget and cannot mow the lawn frequently this is the best choice. Do not choose this type of mower if you have a hilly area to mow.
Rotary lawn mowers are one of the most popular types of lawn mowers and come in two main categories push or self-propelled. Push mowers are good for lawns that are small and level; they are cheap and quite easy to use. Maintenance is also not very difficult with these machines.
Self propelled mowers are suitable for lawns that are fairly large and sloped. It is best to get one with variable speeds so that you can set it to a comfortable walking speed rather than having to chase after your mower. These mowers are a bit more expensive though under the $1000 price tag.
Electric mowers are the easiest to use and are also an environmentally friendly option as they do not fall under the CARB compliant legislation. Plug in, turn on and you are set to go. They are silent and since the corded version can be quite painful to use, you can choose from the cordless models.
Riding lawn mowers are probably the most expensive of all mowers. These machines are best suited for one acre or more of lawn size and require a big budget.
