A lawn mover is a machine that uses a revolving blade or blades to cut grass at an even height. A lawn mower is a must-have for those who need to maintain any large plot of grass-covered land.

Types of Lawn Mowers

Types according to Blade Rotation

The Rotary Mower uses blades that rotate vertically. It uses collision to cut the grass that makes an uneven cut and many times it slices grass leaves which later on become yellowish and droopy. This machine can cut the grass lower than the standard height which is 13mm.

The Cylinder or Reel Mower uses blades that rotate horizontally. Its cutting blade can be fixed to a desired height of cut. The spinning blades in the cylinder cut evenly and efficiently. With this mower, the grass heals fast resulting to a dense and continuous lawn growth.

Types according to Power Source

The Electric Mower is divided into corded and cordless electric mowers. They do not make a lot of sound unlike the gasoline lawn mowers. The corded electric mower can only reach an area depending on the length of the cord which is from 100 to 150 feet. The cable poses some problems because it may be mowed over by the machine itself or get tangled with it. The cordless electric mower, on the other hand, is powered by 12-volt rechargeable batteries. It is easier to use than the corded. It is, however, more costly and less powerful than the gasoline mowers.

The Gasoline (petrol) Mower has a greater power and can cover a bigger size of land. This type of lawn mower creates pollution brought about by the combustion in the engine. It makes more sound than the Electric mower.

The Robotic Mower is guided by the border wire surrounding the area to be mowed. It is able to find the recharging dock and do its own recharging. New designs already include rain sensor features and even bigger land coverage.

The Hover Mower uses vertical axis blades and an impeller above the spin blades to force air downwards and raise the mower above the ground. This machine is effortless to use because the mower floats over the grass. It is very useful in golf courses and bigger land areas. However, the quality of the cut is not consistently even because of unpredictable air movements.

The Riding Mower or Ride-on mower works well in bigger lawns. The user of this type of mower can actually seat on the mower and maneuver the machine. Most of the Riding mowers use horizontal axis blades. There are also different designs of the Riding Mower.

The Lawn tractor is an example of a Riding mower. It is like a mini agricultural tractor.

The Grass Cutting Equipment is also a ride-on mower used by schools, sports arenas and other big organizations due to the wide expanse of the grass-covered land. It is a large ride-on mower that has cutting device attachments or decks.

The Gang Mower is another ride-on mower which is better than the Grass Cutting Equipment when it comes to cutting quality performance. It also has cutting device extensions.

The Wide-Area Mower (WAM) is also a ride-on mower that is for commercial use. It has extensions on both sides of up to 12 feet. These attachments or decks can be lowered during operation and raised when not in use.

Tips in Buying Lawn Mowers

A push mower that needs a push to move around, or a self- propelled mower that slowly moves around and is just being guided by the operator, is a good choice for a small, level lawn. The push mower is a little lighter than the self-propelled and almost 50% cheaper. However, self-propelled mowers are less strenuous to use.

Price is important, but, the years of service and the quality performance are more vital considerations. Smaller engines with old technology maybe cheaper and could last for 7 years. Bigger engines with aluminum decks cost between $200 and $1000 but the service life is at least 20 years.

An electric mower is better than a pull start.

It is better to buy the lawn mower from the lawn mower dealers because they can send a technician in case a repair is needed.

If the size of the lawn area is medium to large, a self-propelled mower is good. If the area is small, a manual reel lawnmower is recommendable.

Choose a mower that can cut, eject, collect and mulch.

Safety Measures in Using Lawn Mowers

Read the lawn mowers’ instructions manual carefully.

Clean the area before using the lawn mower. Even small items can ruin the blade.

Lawn mowers can fire things out and hit somebody, especially small stones that get its way.

The mower should be cleaned after every use. Excess grass or dirt on the mower can lessen the performance efficiency.

Wet lawns should not be mowed.

Don’t pull a working mower backward.

Be sure to check every part of the mower before using it. Any gas or oil spill might cause some accidents.

The ride-on mower is not for games or transportation. Only one person should ride on it.

Keep the safety feature on the mower. Check the safety guards and shields.

The height adjustment of the mower should be done before starting the engine.

Hot engines can burn the skin.

Gasoline lawn mowers release toxins, never leave them in an enclosed area.

Remove the grass bag after the engine is turned off. The blades are extremely sharp and should have no contacts with anything but grass.

Spark plugs should be disconnected always when using the mower.

Keep the mower unplugged or turned off if you need to leave even for a few minutes.

Unplug the mower if there’s smoke. Have it repaired before using it again.

Never do a self-repair on the mower. It is better to let the experts handle any of its engine or electrical problems.

The gasoline that got stuck for a month inside the mower will not work. Change the gasoline or put some fuel stabilizer solution to the mower.

Keep the children and pets away when working on a lawn mower.

Keep the lawn mower in an excellent working condition through proper maintenance.