How to choose a new lawn mower

With the arrival of spring and summer time comes the inevitable activity of chopping the grass in your yard, and that implies that it is an excellent time to have a reliable garden mower readily available. Maybe you are planning to buy your first mower, or possibly you wish to make a giant improve. Regardless, you will have a number of choices to select from.

In years previous, the choice was easy. Both you went with a garden mower you could possibly push from behind, or one which you could possibly journey on in consolation. Lately, there’s extra to think about — as an illustration, along with conventional gas-powered mowers, now you can select electrical garden mowers which might be powered both by extension cords or battery packs.

Choices are good, however they’ll make the choice of which garden mower to decide on tougher. Listed below are a number of elements to think about earlier than you store.

Yard measurement

Push mowers, whether or not powered by gasoline or electrical energy, are a good selection if in case you have a small yard of an acre or much less. In case your yard is ¾ of an acre or bigger although, you will want one thing extra succesful. To deal with greater lawns, go for a driving mower or zero-turn mower. Due to large chopping areas and sooner rolling pace, these extra sturdy machines cowl extra floor in much less time.

Dealing with grass clippings

The way you wish to eliminate the lower grass will assist slim your choices. You’ve three decisions. Facet discharge mowers throw grass clippings again into the yard. Different mowers have luggage that let you accumulate and eliminate the clippings individually. 

Mulching mowers lower grass into smaller items and return them to the yard as mulch. Different mowers provide a mixture of those skills. Mowers that mulch or have bagging techniques gives you a cleaner wanting yard, however additionally they value greater than the easy aspect discharge mowers. 

One other issue to think about is time. When you select to bag your clippings, you will should cease usually to empty the grass from the mower’s bag to a group bag. You additionally wish to be certain your native sanitation division will choose up this yard waste.

Garden mower sorts

Push mowers

Fuel-powered garden mowers

Fuel-powered push garden mowers have been round for years and are nonetheless a well-liked alternative. Whereas most of those mowers use a pull wire to begin their engine, there are some fashions which have an electrical starter, which eliminates the necessity to yank the pull wire to begin them. 

Fuel-powered garden mowers that aren’t self propelled can vary in worth from about $170 to $730.

Corded electrical garden mowers

The largest benefit with corded electrical garden mowers is you do not have to cease to fill the gasoline tank or change the battery. They proceed operating so long as they’re plugged into an outlet. The primary challenges are the size of your extension wire, the placement of your shops and the variety of obstacles in your yard. 

For instance, if in case you have quite a lot of timber or bushes, it’s possible you’ll must do quite a lot of backtracking so your extension wire would not get tangled. It is also vital to decide on an extension wire that meets the garden mower’s specs. The least costly possibility, corded electrical push mowers can vary from $75 to $280.

Cordless electrical garden mowers

The first distinction with battery-operated mowers is the battery kind and the various quantities of voltage. The upper the quantity of voltage, the longer the garden mower can run on a single cost. In case you have a bigger yard, it’s possible you’ll both must cease to recharge the battery earlier than you full the job or buy an additional battery you could swap in mid-cut. Typical battery run occasions vary from 30 to 60 minutes. The value for cordless garden mowers ranges from about $315 to $650.

Self-propelled garden mowers

Though it is a extra typical characteristic with gas-powered garden mowers, there are battery-powered self-propelled mowers available on the market, too. 

Self-propelled mowers are both front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive (FWD or RWD, quick). FWD mowers work nicely on even terrain and are straightforward to show round obstacles in your yard. When you’re bagging your clippings and the gathering bag is within the again, RWD mowers work greatest. They’re additionally good on uneven terrain. Fuel-powered self-propelled mowers can vary from $280 to about $2,400 for more powerful models, whereas cordless electrical self-propelled garden mowers run from around $330 to $750.

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Using garden mowers

Whereas most driving garden mowers are gasoline powered, there are a number of electrical fashions now available on the market. Typically, driving garden mowers value greater than their push mower siblings. That mentioned, they’re preferrred for individuals with bigger properties, sometimes ¾ acre or extra. Fuel-powered driving garden mowers vary in worth from about $1,400 to $3,900, whereas the electrical fashions run wherever from $2,600 to about $3,500. Take a look at our information on what to know earlier than shopping for a driving garden mower.

Zero-turn garden mowers

By way of driving garden mowers, the zero-turn mowers are the cream of the crop, and a typical alternative for skilled landscapers or individuals with very massive yards. They’re much simpler to show than a typical driving garden mower, making it straightforward to chop round timber, bushes and different obstacles. The costliest model of mower on our listing, zero-turn mowers can value a lofty $4,500 to up to $15,000.

Robotic garden mowers

Robotic garden mowers require the least quantity of effort in your half. These battery-powered mowers function on autopilot and may navigate across the obstacles in your yard. They work nicely on flat yards which might be small, lower than an acre, and vary in worth from $1,200 to $2,400. Study extra about robotic garden mowers.

Extra options to think about

Listed below are another elements to think about when purchasing for a garden mower:

Width of the mower deck

On push garden mowers, the width of the mower deck can vary from 10 inches to 17 inches or extra. The smaller the dimensions of the deck, the extra passes it’ll take you to finish the yard — however the smaller measurement can be a profit in small yards which have quite a lot of obstacles to navigate and turns to make. Using mowers sometimes have mower deck widths from 30 to 66 inches. The deck width for zero-turn mowers is comparable, 34 to 66 inches.

Reducing top

Relying on the time of yr, it’s possible you’ll wish to lower your grass longer or shorter. It is that is vital to you, search for a mower that makes it straightforward to regulate the peak of the mower deck.

Consolation 

Push mowers which have adjustable handles will make it simpler for individuals of all heights to have the ability to function the machine. On driving mowers, you wish to discover one with a snug seat. Many driving mowers even include cup holders that will help you keep hydrated throughout the lower.

Expense 

Past the preliminary buy worth, you will wish to ensure and think about the price of sustaining the garden mower. For gas-powered mowers, this consists of the continued value of gas, motor oil, and elements akin to spark plugs.

Making the acquisition

Earlier than heading out to the shop to purchase your new garden mower, think about all of the issues we have mentioned, from the dimensions of your yard, to what you propose to do with the clippings to the one that will likely be doing a lot of the chopping. It will make your buy alternative a lot simpler. For extra recommendation, make sure you take a look at our information on the execs and cons of electrical garden mowers.