buying lawnmower, some advise please

stphnstevey

Hi

Need a new lawnmower! So far had hand me downs from parents - a strimmer and a rotary lawn mower

However the rotary lawn mower has really given up the ghost (maybe because I haven't been cutting the grass enough and it has grown too long!)

Not very big lawn, but I still hate cutting the grass

Just had to do the lawn front and back with the strimmer as the grass was too long - arms feel like jelly now!

Thinking of getting a hover mower - are these more likely to handle longer grass? The mechanism of action just seems more effecient and certainly less struggle than a strimmer!

What are your experiences?

Suzy_M

Choice of mower depends on many things - for starters and in no particular order:-

Size.
Shape - simple square/rectangle, curves, pathways.
Current condition of ground - bowling green or goal mouth.
Desired conditon of ground.
Quality of cut - do you want a 'lawn' or just a patch of grass.
Will you cut regularly or just when you can't ignore it any longer.
How physically fit and able you are.

coolagarry

I've got one of these
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/7303047/c_1/1%7Ccat_9554618%7CLawnmowers%7C9554777/Trail/searchtext%3ELAWNMOWER.htm
a rotary lawnmower with a grass collection box. Dead easy to use and the lowest setting is not too low so it stops you from scalping the grass. Because it is so easy to use it encourages you not to let the grass grow too long.
If you don't like mowing then make sure that your lawn is as easy as possible to mow. Try and get it level with edging around the sides and no complicated flower borders making it more of a chore.

shandypants5

I got thru a couple of flymo turbo hover mowers before I gave up on them.

Our garden is pretty uneven and if you hit the blade on lumps or rocks occasionally the bearings fail pretty soon (1 summer =1 flymo dead)

Allso a "hover" mower that "collects" the grass doesnt really work.

I have a petrol wheeled rotary now and it seems much sturdier, well 3 summers so far:D

When I say rotary, I mean like a hover but with wheels..

wibblewibble

AHA! Someone asking the very question I wanted to know about - hence googling and finding this thread :cool:

We have a battery mower - now this is a wonderful piece of kit no leads needed, nice and light etc however unless the grass is kept very short it cannot cut the whole lawn in one go and takes 24 hours to recharge not only that but it simply isn't powerful enough to cope with the "first cut" of the year or with grass longer than about an inch or 2.

The way the weather has been so far this year and hubby being away that has meant I am really struggling, and the grass at the moment is looking more like a tropical jungle than a lawn.

The other issue is that its all different kinds of grass, and is lumpy and bumpy and stoney - with some clumps and tufts dotted here and there for good measure.

I have been tempted to buy a petrol mower but I am concerned about the fact it uses petrol (go figure) and that means storing petrol but at the same time I don't particularily want to get an electric mower cos knowing me I'll run over the flipping cable and electrocute myself

We have had hovers in the past with very little success - invariably they seem to snap the front end off or crack and then don't hover anymore or they have over heated and died.

I'm on a very limited budget - don't want to pay more than £100 (and have seen a petrol one for that price) but am wondering how "safe" petrol mowers are?

What I need is something with a bit of ooomph which will cope with not very good grass but won't be so heavy I can't manage it.

Any suggestions?

boiler_man

wibblewibble wrote: »

AHA! Someone asking the very question I wanted to know about - hence googling and finding this thread :cool:

I'm on a very limited budget - don't want to pay more than £100 (and have seen a petrol one for that price) but am wondering how "safe" petrol mowers are?

What I need is something with a bit of ooomph which will cope with not very good grass but won't be so heavy I can't manage it.

Any suggestions?

Tesco Direct are selling off a petrol lawnmower at £115 (search around for £12 off voucher). It will be heavy but not hard to push as it is self propelled.

Henwen

Hi Wibblewilbble

Electric mowers are so much cheaper than petrol in initial and running costs. They are safe if you use a few pounds of the saving to buy a circuit breaker to cut the electrical current if you do mow over the cable. I've tested this with a hedge trimmer so I know this works! An electric mower could cost as little as £25 and some of the slightly more expensive ones would be heavier duty and would cope with most lawns. My own lawn is a long way from Wimbledon standard! Also electric mowers tend to be lighter so are easier to lug around.

Hope this helps

stphnstevey

coolagarry wrote: »

I've got one of these
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/7303047/c_1/1%7Ccat_9554618%7CLawnmowers%7C9554777/Trail/searchtext%3ELAWNMOWER.htm
a rotary lawnmower with a grass collection box. Dead easy to use and the lowest setting is not too low so it stops you from scalping the grass. Because it is so easy to use it encourages you not to let the grass grow too long.
If you don't like mowing then make sure that your lawn is as easy as possible to mow. Try and get it level with edging around the sides and no complicated flower borders making it more of a chore.

Is that one 'self powered' ie you don't have to push it, the wheels have a moter which power themselves?

Been looking at some and metal blades look best, but on internet it's hard to tell

I don't like the cylinder ones and am torn between a hover and a rotary mower as I like the mechanism of action ie horizontal cutting. The small hovers are plastic blades though. Although the hovers don't have wheels, so I guess are more easily manoverable?

lynnemcf

boiler_man wrote: »

Tesco Direct are selling off a petrol lawnmower at £115 (search around for £12 off voucher). It will be heavy but not hard to push as it is self propelled.

Thanks for this, I've just got home to find that my lawnmower has been stolen ... the thieves took off the roof of my shed to get to it. They must have taken their time, they also stole the petrol can and the oil.

coolagarry

stphnstevey wrote: »

Is that one 'self powered' ie you don't have to push it, the wheels have a moter which power themselves?
Been looking at some and metal blades look best,

The ones that are self powered tend to be much larger, heavier and more expensive. The type I indicated was a rotary mower with one metal blade (there's a hole in the middle and it's bolted onto the body of the machine)
Blade height is adjusted by screwing the wheels into one of three threaded points in a veretical row.
These mowers are cheap, light and really easy to use but effective.