As days go by, landowners are finding more and more reasons to invest in a lawnmower. “Edwin Bear Budding” invented the first lawnmower, and since then the machine has become popular worldwide. Thanks to science and technology, there is no shortage of improved versions of lawnmowers on the market today.
Many people ask me whether it is really worth it to go for a more expensive model, or should they just buy the bare minimum for the lowest price available.
A good lawn mower makes a big difference in your ability to keep your lawn squeaky clean and neat. Whether your property is small or large, investing in a powerful lightweight lawnmower that is easy to maneuver with straightforward controls will benefit you greatly.
But what do I mean by a “good” lawnmower exactly? Well, there are many factors you should consider.
How to Identify a Good Lawnmower
Like any other machine, there are various factors that determine the quality of a lawnmower. A good lawnmower that will make a difference is defined by:
Performance
A good lawnmower is defined by how efficient it is when in operation. It has the right engine size to cut through any grass or weeds on your lawn. A good engine with better fuel consumption can make a big difference in how fast you can get the job done, as well as the cost of operating the machine itself.
The engine is the heart of any mower so it really isn’t worth it to buy from unknown manufacturers. A quality one on the other hand will help you keep your lawn in order for years to come.
Another mistake many people make is buying a mower that is smaller than what they actually need. I’ll cover this topic in greater detail a bit later.
Comfort
A good lawnmower should be comfortable. If it is a walk-behind model, make sure that both the length and angle of the mower’s handle are adjustable. This will ensure that you don’t have to mow your lawn in an unhealthy posture.
Many people seem to think that this isn’t all that important but trust me, it is. Not having the handle adjusted for your height will strain your body and make the whole lawn-mowing process take longer than it should.
Not to mention that it will make you hate mowing your lawn after a while.
When it comes to riding lawnmowers, make sure that the seat itself is adjustable. Fortunately, given how expensive these mowers are manufacturers are extra careful to provide maximum comfort for all body sizes.
Durability
A lawnmower is a significant investment, and you do not want to waste your money on something that will only last a few years. Again, you get what you pay for so don’t go for unknown brands or mowers that were put together from second hand-parts (unless you know the seller well).
Apart from that, I usually prefer mowers that are made out of metal parts instead of plastic (with a few exceptions). It just makes them more durable.
Online Reviews
You can usually tell if a mower is good by the number of reviews, ratings, and testimonials that it receives online. In most cases, customers will always be quick to complain if they encounter any flaws while using their mowers. Multiple complaints concerning the same mower are a red flag, especially if they address the same issue!
Getting a Good Lawnmower
Buying a lawnmower has never been easy. After all, there are many things that you should consider when purchasing a new mower. From selecting the blade-style to choosing between a push or self-propelled model… It is just a lot!
Here are some of the things you should consider before buying:
Lawn Size
Before selecting a lawnmower, make sure you know the size of your yard. Push lawnmowers are only recommended for areas with yards of up to ½ an acre or less. Anything beyond that will most likely give you a hard time when mowing.
After all, pushing the mower around large pieces of land is tiresome, especially on hot sunny days.
Because of this, for large properties, you are better off buying a riding lawnmower.
Deck Size
The deck size is basically the size of your blades; a smaller deck means small edges and vice versa. Deck sizes range from 20 to 70 inches, with the 20 representing the small to medium-sized walk-behind mowers, while a deck as wide as 70 inches is only found in large riding lawnmowers.
A large deck size is great if you have huge open areas on your lawn but it quickly becomes a hindrance if you have to maneuver around obstacles.
Terrain
Another thing you should do before buying is to examine the terrain in your backyard. Are there any slopes? People with flat pieces of land usually prefer push mowers or reel mowers.
However, if you have to mow a sloppy area then a self-propelled mower will be your best choice. Self-propelled mowers use their engines to power the wheel, reducing the strain when climbing hills.
Of course in theory you can get away with using a simple push mower even on slopes but trust me, it gets old fast.
Power Supply
Lawnmowers are powered in two ways; using gas or electricity. While you might prefer one form of power supply over the other, know that they all have pros and cons. Gas-powered mowers are robust and last longer, but it can be hard to maintain them for a beginner. Also, most of them need to be started with a pull cord which can be quite a challenge for some people (you can check out this article I wrote about pull cords if you ever run into this problem).
On the other hand, battery-powered mowers are generally quieter and easier to operate. However, they can run out of power pretty fast.
Corded electric mowers don’t have this problem but the cord itself limits their range and maneuverability, and you will always have to be careful not to run over the cord.
Therefore, the optimal choice can vary greatly for each person. It all depends on your lawn!
Mistakes People Make When Buying a Mower
Like with everything else, there are some very common mistakes that people make when buying a lawnmower. Here are some of them just off the top of my head:
- Getting the wrong size of mower for your lawn.
- The cheapest mower is not always the best.
- Buying a mower that you can’t start.
- Buying a push mower for sloppy areas.
- Buying a mower that is too weak.
- Electric vs. petrol; choosing the wrong source of power.