With grass cutting season now well underway again, finding the right lawnmower can make all the difference to maintaining your lawn and ensuring it looks its best.
Choosing a lawnmower depends largely on the size of your garden, as well as budget and picking a machine which suits your lifestyle.
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While there is a huge variety of lawnmowers available online, buying direct from a retailer allows you to try the machine in terms of being easy to operate, manoeuvre, and decide if you have the necessary space to store it as Luis Galan of Atkins Bandon outlines.
“If you find a good salesperson, they will ask you the right question, what type of mower you are looking for, the size of your garden, is it flat or sloped and how much time you have to spend cutting the lawn. Some people, myself included, enjoy cutting the lawn, I find it relaxing, but if you have a busy lifestyle, you need a mower that suits the time you can give to your garden.”
Buying direct from a retailer says Luis means you will be guaranteed a full warranty and will also have a means of speaking directly to someone if you encounter any problems or need the machine to be repaired.
For a small garden, Luis recommends a battery operated electric mower, which depending on the model you purchase should have an average battery life of 30 to 45 minutes.
“A battery operated mower is easy and clean to use, there is no added issues of buying and filling the machine with petrol and for someone older or with limited strength, there is no pull cord on a battery mower, they’re started by a button and are very easy to use.”
Luis says a compact electric mower is lightweight, easy to operate and requires little maintenance. “They are also quieter to use which makes them ideal if you are concerned that noise may bother neighbours.”
A medium size garden says Luis needs a more robust lawnmower, either a petrol self-propelled mower or a robot machine.
“For a keen gardener and someone who enjoys cutting the grass a self-propelled mower is ideal and is reliable, however, if you have a busy lifestyle and don’t have enough time to spend in the garden, then I would recommend a robot mower. “
Robot mowers he says have become increasingly easy to set up.
“The majority of robot mowers on sale now are wireless and operate via an antenna. The initial installation process is fairly straightforward or a retailer can set it up for you. The machine has a few settings depending on how big your garden is or how many days you want it to operate. If you have a slope in your garden you may need a machine with a bigger battery which can cost more, but your retailer will advise you on all these options.”
Once set up, Luis says a robot machine requires little input from the home owner.
“The machine will return to the charging station itself, so there is very little to do.”
For a large garden, Luis also recommends a robot machine, as well as a ride-on mower.
Although ride-on mowers require a bigger investment, they significantly reduce the time and effort needed for mowing a large space.
“Again, if you enjoy cutting the lawn a ride on mower is a good option, and they are easy to manoeuvre around shrubs and trees.”
However, if purchasing a ride on mower, Luis says you should factor in running costs and service charges.
“The thing to be aware of with a ride-on mower is that it has an engine and parts which need servicing, you also need somewhere to store it.”
Robot mowers, he says, have evolved and can easily suit a larger lawn.
“Robot mowers are now used to cut football pitches and are easily suited to a larger lawn.”
Ultimately, when choosing what lawnmower to purchase, the key things to consider are ease of use, your time commitments, maintenance requirements, and availability of replacement parts.
Whether you’re tending a small urban patch or a sprawling rural lawn, selecting the right mower will help keep your garden looking its best throughout the year.
