Garden Lawn Mower Supplies Buying Guides
2008-08-22

Lawn Mower Mowing is one of the most important cultural practices performed in lawn maintenance. Regardless of whether the lawn is fertilized, irrigated or receives applications of control products, proper mowing practices are essential if a high quality lawn is to develop.

Properly mowed lawns will have fewer weed populations, better moisture stress tolerance and generally better quality than lawns not properly mowed. Types of lawn mowers Reel (cylinder) mowers The reel mower was the original form of mechanical mower for lawns, and the mechanism has changed little over the years. A horizontal cutting blade is carried close to the grass, at the desired height of cut. Over this is a fast spinning reel of blades. Each blade in the reel forms a helix around the reel axis, and the set of spinning blades describes a cylinder.

The spinning blades force the grass past the cutting bar. There are many variants of the reel mower. Push mowers have no motor and are used on small lawns. As the mower is pushed along, the wheels drive gears which rapidly spin the reel.

Rotary and mulching mowers Most rotary push mowers are powered by internal combustion engines. Such engines can be either two-stroke or four-stroke cycle engines, running on gasoline or other liquid fuels. Internal combustion engines used with lawn mowers normally have only one cylinder.

Power generally ranges from two to seven horsepower. The engines are usually carbureted and require a manual pull crank to start them, although an electric start is becoming a sales feature in some countries. In the past rotary mowers had a manually controlled throttle to increase or decrease engine speed. Newer models usually have a pre-set throttle speed that prevents over-revving and improves engine life. Hover Mowers Hover mowers are powered rotary push lawn mowers that use a turbine above the spinning blades to drive air downwards, thereby creating an air cushion that lifts the mower off the ground like a hovercraft.

The operator can then easily move the mower as it floats over the grass. Hover mowers are necessarily light in order to achieve the air cushion and typically have plastic bodies with an electric motor. Riding mowers There are a variety of riding lawn mowers on the market today. Some of them offer high horse power, versatility through attachments, excellent maneuverability and more; but, the most important feature on which you can focus is that of safety. You are responsible for the safety of the riding lawn mowers you operate.

A common form of ride-on mower is the lawn tractor. These are usually designed to resemble a small agricultural tractor, with the cutting deck mounted amidships between the front and rear axles. Robotic mowers Robotic lawn mowers represented the second largest category of household autonomous robots used by the end of 2005. A typical robotic lawn mower requires the user to set up a border wire around the lawn that defines the area to be mowed. The robot uses this wire to locate the boundary of the area to be trimmed and in some cases to locate a recharging dock.

Robotic mowers are capable of maintaining up to 5 acres of grass. Robotic lawn mowers are increasingly sophisticated, are self-docking and contain rain sensors, nearly eliminating human interaction for mowing grass. Professional mowers Professional grass-cutting equipment usually takes the form of much larger, dedicated, ride-on platforms or attachments that can be mounted on, or behind, a standard tractor unit. Either type may use rotating-blade or cylindrical-blade type cutters, although good-quality mowed surfaces demand the latter. Wide-area mowers are commercial grade mowers which have decks extended to either side, many to 12 feet. These extensions can be lowered for large area mowing or raised to decrease the mower's width and allow for easy transport on city roads or trailers.

Mower Maintenance All mowing equipment should be kept in good working condition. Having the mower serviced prior to the heavy spring mowing period will help ensure routine, maintenance-free mowing. Mower blades should be sharpened each spring and as needed during the season. A dull mower blade frays the ends of blades and results in brown tips which are unsightly and indicate damaged turf grass.

How to Choose a Lawn Mower Step1 Compare weight, power, cost, safety features, ease of starting, handling and maneuverability, and ease of clipping disposal. Step2 Select a push reel mower if you have a small lawn. Step3 Choose a gas- or electric-powered rotary mower (cuts with a circular blade that rotates under a protective housing) if you have a large lawn made of grasses such as bluegrass and fescue that don't need to be cut shorter than 2 inches high. Step4 Choose a mulching mower if you don't want to deal with clippings. Mulching mowers cut clippings very small so that they disappear into the lawn. Step5 Choose a gas-powered reel mower if you have a large lawn made of grasses such as Bermuda or bent grass that need to be cut shorter than 2 inches high. Step6 Select a self-propelled mower if you have a hilly yard or a large lawn. Step7 Choose a riding lawn mower if you have a really big lawn.