After years spent as a gardener, both domestic and commercial – I am an expert in lawn mowers. There are many different types of them available on the market today: electric or petrol? Manual or robot? The following guide will help you make your decision.
Lawn mowers come in a range of different shapes and sizes, from cordless electric to petrol powered rotary cylinder lawnmowers. The size of your garden will dictate what type you need; for example if you have several acres of land then it is better to invest in something like an expensive ride on mower or robot powered lawn mower that can cover large areas with ease.
However, smaller gardens require much more careful consideration because they are too small for the larger machines but at the same time may not be small enough for less powerful models such as the very small corded electric options available today.
Lawn Mower Types
Lawns are important to most homeowners as they want them to look their best. Here’s a list of several different types of lawn mower with their associated pros and cons which will help when deciding which ones would work better for your situation.
Hand Push Mowers – Best for Small, Well-Kept Lawns Up to 100m²
These mechanical mowers are the most basic type. They’re also by far the cheapest. Simply push them along and a bladed cylinder spins and slices the grass in a scissor-like action, producing one of the cleanest cuts you can get (as long as you keep your blades sharp).
Hand push mowers work best for small, level lawns that are already well manicured or those with smaller yards to maintain who don’t need a larger model.
View the best hand push lawn mower here.
Electric Lawn Mowers – Best for Small Lawns Up to 200m²
Electric lawn mowers come in a range of power outputs and are good for small to medium-sized gardens. Whether you have bumpy uneven grass or a well-cared for lawn, there’s an electric model out there that will suit your needs perfectly.
The downside is the fact that they can only be powered by a limited length cord; however, some models do offer longer cords than others which makes this problem more manageable.
View the best electric lawn mowers here.
Hover Lawn Mowers – Best for Small Lawns Up to 200m²
Hover mowers are fairly cheap, which makes them a common choice. Their big advantage is their manoeuvrability. Unlike most lawnmowers with fixed wheels that rely on them to move across uneven surfaces and difficult terrains, hover-mowing uses an air cushion for lift instead of relying solely on what little power comes from its battery or other engine source (usually electric).
This means they can easily be manoeuvred around awkward shapes like gardens where grass has grown long between low bushes – perfect if you have oddly shaped spaces your standard wheeled mower might struggle with because it requires less effort to get around obstacles than one with wheels. They mainly come in electric versions suitable only for smallish yards due to their power cords, but this is the case with all corded electric mowers.
Hover mowers have two main issues;
- They’re not great on bumpy uneven lawns which can lead to lawn scalping if you hit a bump or a thick tuft of grass.
- Their grass collectors are small, and many models don’t come with one.
See reviews of the top rated hover mowers here.
Cordless Lawn Mowers – Best for Small, Medium & Large Lawns
Cordless mowers bridge the gap between electric and petrol versions.
A cordless lawnmower offers a more convenient solution than an electric or petrol mower for those with medium to large yards, as they are not restricted by power cords like other models are.
Battery life will vary depending on how often you use your new mower – in general, expect around 30-40 minutes of run time per charge but if there’s long grass or rough terrain involved this may be shorter.
Cordless devices also require batteries which must be charged before use; choose wisely according to what type you want (LiMnO2 versus LiFePO4) as they have different energy densities that translate into varying running and recharging times.
See cordless lawn mower reviews here.
Petrol Lawn Mowers – Best for Medium to Large Lawns
Petrol lawn mowers are the most common choice for larger lawns, although some can perform well on smaller ones too. They’re not limited by a power cord or battery life and they’ve got much more power than any electric or cordless models. That makes them your go-to for rougher patches of grass that may be tougher to cut with other types of equipment – like weed whackers or strimmers.
You do have to keep up routine maintenance though: petrol needs refilling; blades need sharpening before each season starts; filters should also be cleaned regularly because blockages will shorten engine lifespan prematurely.
View top-rated petrol lawn mower reviews here.
Ride-On Lawn Mowers – Ideal for Lawns Large Lawns of 1,000m² +
If you have a large lawn, there’s nothing better than an electric ride-on mower. They’re great for tackling big plots of land much faster and more efficiently than petrol machines. And as if that wasn’t enough to convince anyone of their worth, they’re a lot of fun to drive around on.
Electric models come with all sorts of features too – some can tackle paddocks and meadows in addition to the regular cutting duties while others are able to tow trailers or pull ploughs.
I wouldn’t invest unless your garden is suitable (too small will make it impractical). For those with larger gardens, however? Invest without hesitation – these mowers will save you loads of time.
Robot Lawn Mowers – For Lawns of All Sizes
Robot lawn mowers were originally seen as a luxury product that only people with more money than sense would buy. However, recent advances in technology have made these machines increasingly popular and now you can find them on the market at much cheaper prices.
There are several reasons why robot lawnmowers might be worth your consideration; first if you hate cutting grass yourself – robot mowers are ideal in getting some free time back during summer months when most gardens need regular maintenance.
A lot of homeowners spend nine hours each season maintaining their garden so they could use those extra minutes or even whole days rather than just being stuck outside weeding all day long.
You can buy them for all sizes of lawn too, from small plots to massive lawns of up to 5,000 sq. meters. Another very good reason for choosing a robot mower is if you’re disabled or if there’s some other reason why you’re not able push around your manual one.
It doesn’t matter how unruly your grass is – these robots are pretty much guaranteed never to get stuck. The only downside? They cost about £500 and more expensive models will cost buyers several thousands of pounds.
Take a look at our reviews of lawn mowers under £100
Final Verdict
There is a lawn mower out there for every gardener. You should choose based on the size of your lawn as well as your preferences for power source and whether you would prefer to go cordless.
Don’t want to bother cutting the grass at all? Then a robotic lawn mower is the only choice.
