Grass + leaves - will a strimmer work?

Bengal
Bengal Posts: 30 Forumite
Hi all. I've just moved into a new property. There's a small lawn which is on uneven and sloping ground. The grass is covered in leaves from last Autumn.

Given the uneven ground, would a strimmer be more appropriate than a mower?

And can I strim over leaves and grass together? Or do the leaves need to be raked off first before I strim?

Thanks.

Comments

  • unrecordings
    unrecordings Posts: 2,017 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    my garden is very bumpy an the only thing that tamed it was a simple & cheap cylinder mower like the Qualcast Panther 30. Strimming will also work but it's harder to do a neat job. You can mow/strim leaves & grass together, but depends on how many leaves - I tend to rake the worst off and put it in the leaf bin, then the mowings etc go on the compost

    Why am I in this handcart and where are we going ?
  • Bengal
    Bengal Posts: 30 Forumite
    Thanks. I was actually considering a Black & Decker strimmer (GL9035GB - 900W 35cm) as I'd be surprised if even a manual cylinder mower would manage on my bumpy lawn! Hard to tell at the moment but once the weather improves I'll have a closer look.

    I presume strimming is like mowing when it comes to waiting until the grass is dry?
  • unrecordings
    unrecordings Posts: 2,017 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    IME strimmers tend to cope with wet grass better than manual cylinder mowers. I had a B&D strimmer and it was crap - too heavy duty for strimming against things like walls/rocks etc I got a cheap Titan cordless strimmer from Screwfix about 3-4 years ago - nice & lightweight but beware of budget, brands - you may find it impossible to get a replacement battery if you need one after a few years. The good thing about the Qualcast 30 is the body is so small, it can deal with the bumps that a larger mower can't - that said though there maybe a modern small hover mower that is perfect for you

    Why am I in this handcart and where are we going ?
  • forgotmyname
    forgotmyname Posts: 32,853 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    DIY yourself a set of wheels to fix the height of the strimmer. Unless its a small area a strimmer will take much longer than a quick run over with a mower.

    Your unlikely to keep the strimmer level so you risk chopping it down to root/gound level and possibly killing the grass.

    Raking the leaves off now if not mowing will give the grass more light and allow air through.

    A mower will suck up the leaves, but teh strimmer will just chop them up and hinder your progress.
    Censorship Reigns Supreme in Troll City...

  • Bengal
    Bengal Posts: 30 Forumite
    Must admit I'm going off the idea of the strimmer now, so I think it's going to come down to a manual push mower or a hover mower. Thanks for all your input.
  • Apodemus
    Apodemus Posts: 3,410 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Whichever option you go for, get a decent grass rake as well, rake the leaves off, and don’t go near it with strummer or mower until the frosts are past.
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