What are the different types of lawn mower?

There is quite a decision to be made when it comes to choosing the right lawn mower for you. Price, quality, size, storage, these all come into consideration. The first thing to decide however, is what type you want to go for, then all the above factors can come into play.

Rotary 

For most gardeners a rotary mower will be a good choice as generally you will not cut your lawn below an inch.  Although suitable for most ornamental lawns a rotary mower will not produce as fine a cut as a cylinder mower.

Rotary mowers cope with undulations and other imperfections in your lawn cutting longer grass and handling uneven surfaces better than a cylinder mower. 

This mower is ideal for the first cut in the spring as it will vacuum up twigs and winter weeds and is a great mower to take a little bit more force than others.

A rotary with a rear roller will produce stripes on your lawn.  It’s important blades are very well maintained and sharp in order to get as clean a cut as possible.

Cylinder

If you are a lawn enthusiast and have an ornamental lawn that you want to cut short, below an inch, you will get a better finish from a cylinder mower. 

Cylinder mowers are far more sensitive than rotary, but when set up correctly and well maintained they provide a superior quality cut, perfect for professionals and very keen gardeners.

The blades are arranged to produce a very fine cut and a striped finish and allow very low cutting heights. 

To get the best results from this mower you will need to have a very well-maintained lawn without undulations and imperfections.

Hover mower 

A rotary mower but sits on a cushion of air instead of wheels, it can handle long grass and uneven surfaces. Usually powered electrically.

Mulching mower

Another type of rotary mower. Most lawn mowers come with a collection box to collect the clippings, but mulching mowers instead chop up the clippings very finely and deposit them back into the turf. The clippings settle at the bottom of the sward and are barely visible. 

Using a mulching mower will return nutrients lost in the clippings back to the root zone. However, when mulching mowers are used on very lush growth (when the grass is long), the excess clippings may have to be collected and placed on the compost heap. 

Models which give options of mulching or collection are preferred.

Ride-on mower

Usually reserved for very large lawns. These may be cylinder or rotary. This mower  will cut down on your mowing time although more expensive than any of the ones listed above.

Choosing a model with a wider cut can make a significant difference to the time taken to mow your lawn so if you don’t have time or the inclination it may be well worth the modest increase in price.

Pedestrian self-propelled models are a cheaper alternative for large lawns.