Guide To Choosing The Best Lawn Mower

The three main types of mower, cylinder, rotary and hover rotary can be electric or petrol driven but some cylinder mower models are hand push.

Cylinder Mowers
These are one of the commonest types of lawn mower and they come with three main types of power source - petrol, electric and battery. Petrol cylinder mowers are the most powerful and they are free from electric cords. Electric cylinder lawn mowers are better suited to smaller lawns. Battery cylinder lawn mowers are suitable only for very small lawns.

Rotary Mowers
The rotary lawn mower will not give the immaculate cut of a cylinder mower, but they are easy to use and cut the lawn quickly.In addition, they are very good at dealing with long or wet grass. They also cut tough weeds and grasses better than a cylinder mower which tends to just flatten them.

Hover Mowers
Hover mowers are rotary mowers that literally hover over the surface of the grass. Generally without wheels, some models do now have rear wheels to make it easier to move them into position prior to use. However, as most models need to be carried, this has led to their lightweight design. The handle folds so the machine can be hung from a shed or garage wall making them extremely space efficient too.

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Below are the main features to look for when buying a lawnmower:

Mulching
Mulching mowers are a great way to feed your lawn.
Mulching mowers re-cut the clippings into tiny pieces and blow them back on to the lawn, where they break down and feed the grass.
Some have a metal or plastic plate that blocks off the outlet to the grass collector; others have a knob that converts quickly from collect to mulch.

Self-propelled
Large petrol mowers, over about 45cm wide, are hard work to push around. Look for a self-propelled version. These have two control bars; one operates the blade and cuts the engine if you let go, the other engages the drive to the wheels. Some have a variable speed, otherwise you have to match your walking speed to the mower.

Long switch
A long switch is a bar that runs the width of the handle or a double switch, allowing you to use both hands to save wrist strain. It's better for left-handers too. Most models now have these.

Folding handles
These make storage in a small shed easier. Look for handles that fold twice and sit neatly on top of the mower.

Adjustable handles
Check the height is suitable for you. Some lawnmower handles are adjustable.

Rear roller
Some mowers have a roller instead of the rear wheels to give a striped effect. This is most pronounced with the heavier petrol mowers. A roller also makes it easier to balance it when you cut over lawn edges. Some electric mowers have four wheels with a rear roller that operates at the lower cutting heights only.

All hand cylinder lawnmowers have a small rear roller, but most aren't heavy enough to give pronounced stripes. A tester emptying grass from a mower's collection box

Grass collector
A big grass collector saves numerous trips to the compost heap. A window in the top or an indicator to tell you when it's full are also useful.
With hand mowers, the grass collector is open and relies on clippings thrown up by the blades landing in it.

Cutting height
A lawnmower with a wide cutting range (eg from 12-70mm) is useful if you have to cut more than one lawn of different qualities, or different heights at different times of year. If you want to cut a fine ornamental (bowling green) lawn look for a minimum cut of close to 12mm.

A single height adjuster is easier than adjusting each wheel in turn. With the cheapest lawnmowers you have to remove and replace each wheel, or in the case of hover mowers remove the blade and add or remove spacers, which is fine if you rarely change the cutting height.

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Bosch Rotak 40 Ergoflex Electric Rotary Lawnmower
The Rotak 40 Ergoflex is packed full of incredible features to ensure you get a pristine lawn every time

Flymo Pac A Mow Lawn Mower
With a rear roller for stripes and easy cutting over edges. Packs away for neat and tidy storage. Vision window, allows you to see when the grassbox is full

Hayter 619 Spirit 41 Self-Propelled Rear Roller 41cm Petrol Mower
Ideal for medium sized lawns, your Hayter Spirit 41 is light and easy to use.

Bosch Rotak 34 Electric Rotary Lawn Mower
The Bosch Rotak 34 electric rotary lawnmower has a high torque 1400W 'Powerdrive' motor that enables it to tackle long grass with ease.

Flymo Multimo Lawn Mower with Collection 360XC
The Flymo Multimo 360XC is a stylish and modern lawn mower with a 3 in 1 cutting system that will make maintaining your garden easier than ever.

Honda Izy HRG415SD 16-inch Wheeled Self Propelled Petrol Lawnmower
Whether it be your favourite gnome or prize flowers, every Izy can manoeuvre around the tightest lawn.

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Flymo Turbo Lite 330 1150W Electric Hover Lawn Mower
Ideal for small gardens, the Flymo Turbo Lite 330 is light and easy to use, and won't leave you feeling tired after mowing your lawn.

Flymo Turbo 400 1500W Electric Hover Lawn Mower
Ideal for small to medium gardens, your lightweight Turbo 400 will get the job done in no time, leaving you more time to relax in your garden area.

Flymo Easiglide 300 1300W 30cm Electric Hover Lawnmower
The EasiGlide 300 from Flymo is a lightweight, easy to use electric hover mower that will have your lawn looking great in no time at all.

Flymo Glider 330 1450W 33cm Electric Hover Lawnmower
Powered by a 1450 watt motor, your Flymo Glider 330 will cut through the grass with ease, thanks to the 33cm metal cutting blade.

Flymo Petrol Power Air Cushion Mower - Honda 160 cc Engine
Flymo's XL500 provides all the benefits of air cushion mowing with the benefit of petrol power freedom.

Flymo Glidemaster 340 34cm 240 volt Mains Electric Hover Collect Mower
The Flymo Glidemaster 340 air cushion electric mower is ideal for frequently mowing smaller gardens and difficult areas.

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Qualcast Panther 30 Sidewheel Cylinder Lawn Mower
The Qualcast Panther 30 cylinder hand mower ensures the finest cut with its 4 bladed cutting cylinder. The cylinder provides a clean scissor like cut on your lawn, and with a full 30 cm cutting width, it is ideal for small lawns.

CEL PowerMow CY1 24-Volt 7 Ah Cordless 410 mm (16-Inch) Cylinder Mower
A powerful, yet light weight alternative to the conventional petrol or mains powered lawn mowers. Able to cut approx 500sq metres on a single charger, but even if the battery does run down you can still finish the job by using the manual/push power mode.

Qualcast Elan 32 Electric Cylinder Lawn mower
The Qualcast Elan 32 electric cylinder lawnmower has a powerful 400W motor and ensures the finest cut with its 'Quattro-cut' four-blade cutting cylinder. The cylinder provides a clean scissor-like cut on your lawn, and with a full 32cm cutting width the Elan 32 is ideal for mowing small- to medium-sized lawns.

Fiskars 113880 Momentum Reel Mower
Reel mowers are a smart choice. They are good for your lawn, good for your health and good for the environment. Fiskars new Momentum, the world's most advanced reel mower, provides solutions to the problems inherent in traditional reel mowers.

Suffolk Punch SP 12E Electric Cylinder Lawn Mower
This electrical mower with a 12 inch cut would be suitable for small to medium size lawns. The 340 watt variable speed energy efficient motor is easy to start and control.

Qualcast Concorde 32 Electric Cylinder Lawn Mower
The Qualcast Concorde 32 electric cylinder lawnmower has a powerful 400W motor and ensures the finest cut with its 'Quattro-cut' four-blade cutting cylinder. The cylinder provides a clean scissor-like cut on your lawn, and with a full 32cm cutting width the Concorde 32 is ideal for small to medium sized lawns.

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The size of your lawn is important when deciding whether to buy a petrol or electric mower. Generally electric mowers are great for smaller lawns. Lightweight and manoeuvrable, they are easy to handle and the electric cable should not cause any difficulties.

If you have a medium size lawn an electric mower is still a good choice but you might prefer a smaller petrol mower. There won't be a trailing cable to worry about and it will provide the extra power to give great performance but still be light and easy to handle.

A large lawn will mean you want to get the job of mowing over as quickly as possible. Therefore go for a more powerful petrol mower because it will cope very efficiently with a large expanse of grass without over-heating and without the danger of a trailing electric cable.

Bigger petrol mowers come with other time saving features such as wider grass cutting blades and bigger grass collection boxes and many are self-propelled which is a big help when you have a big area to mow.

What size is your lawn:
Small - up to 100 sq m. - Choose an electric mower
Medium - 100-200 sq m. - Choose either an electric or petrol mower
Large - over 200 sq m. - Choose a petrol mower

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