Lawn mowers: types and how to choose

The types of Lawn mowers that suit mowing your lawn area vary according to your needs.

This is because in some lawn areas the grasses are strong, dense, and high. And some areas are situated in slopey, rocky, muddy areas, etc. If so, you might feel uncomfortable as your mower is not compatible with these conditions to mow.

Nowadays, there are lawn mower designs that are specifically developed to run through the above types of lawn areas without much effort.

Therefore, With this blog post, I hope to give you a good guide that can help in selecting the right lawn mower machine for your lawn. So that you can do the job without feeling uncomfortable.

Content

1.Walk Behind Mower 
	a.Rotary Lawn Mowers
		i.Gas Mowers
			p.Push Mowers
			q.Self-Propelled Lawn Mowers (2-stroke or 4 strokes)
				+.Rear Wheel drive
				+.Front Wheel Drive
				+.All Wheel Drive
		ii.Electric cable powered or Battery-powered mowers
	b.Cylinder - Reel mower
2.Heavy duty Ride-on lawn mowers
	a.Zero Turn Mower
	b.Rear Engine Riding Mower
	c.Lawn Tractors
3.Smart lawn mowers
4.People also ask
5.Frequently asked questions - FAQ

Walk Behind Mowers

The name “Walk behind mower” is given to this grass-cutting machine because an operator must walk behind it to control it. These machines either need to be pushed or self-propelled using a motor engine.

The features such as adjustable cutting height, Handler type, speed, cutting width /blade type and etc change with the design you wish to purchase. If you can afford more then you can get a mower with more features inbuilt. But All these walk-behind movers can be categorized as follows,

Rotary Lawn Mowers

Rotary Lawn Mowers are a type of walk-behind mover which uses a high-speed rotating blade underneath. And a motor engine helps to power these mowers. And they can be categorized under 2 types such as Gas powered and electric cable-powered or battery-powered mowers.

Gas mowers

Gas mowers engine built comes in two types such as 2 stroke and 4 stroke engines. Currently, 2 strokes engine used in lawn mower manufacturing in the USA has been banned to reduce air pollution.

All above engine types used Gas mowers are also in two types such as,

This image shows a comparison of a Push mower and self propelled mower — **Figure – Push mower and a Self-propelled Mower**

1. Push mowers

Here, the lawn mower needs to be pushed by an operator in directions where the grasses need to be mowed. This machine is not recommended for lawn areas with hard and tall grasses. As the wheels can get stuck on the grass. For lawn areas with good maintenance just like in

2. Self-Propelled Lawn Mowers (can be found with 2-stroke or 4 strokes)

Self Propelled Lawn Mowers are included with wheels that are powered by a motor engine to move forward. The speed of the mower is controlled by a speed-controlling lever. This lever comes in various forms such as attached to the handle or a separate bar or a shifter.

These Lawn Mowers also have variants according to the wheels that have given the moter power. They are such,

a. Rear Wheel Drive

The motor engine powered the rear wheelset. These mowers work best for mowing inclined hills, Sloppy, uneven surfaces. And it has better traction than front-wheel drive as it has more weight in front. But When you need to turn the mower quickly backward or similar kind direction, you will have to lift the mower using the handle to raise the rear wheels up so that to turn it around. Also, you will have to grab the handle tide to mow in straight lines.

b. Front Wheel Drive

Here, The motor engine powers the front wheelset. And can be mowed straight as the front wheels are locked with the moter engine. It has all the abilities same as rear-wheel drive. These mowers are best for flat lawn areas. But I do not recommend these mowers if the lawn area is uneven, sloppy, or expects more traction due to muddy or tall grass. It is also easy to turn around quickly, as you can bring the mower up on the rear wheel by giving some weight down to the handle.

c. All-Wheel Drive

The moter engine powers all of the 4 wheels just like a 4-wheel vehicle. And it has all abilities the same as the front and rear wheel mowers do. Thus it is recommended for small lawn areas with Terrain Flat, Sloped, and Uneven surfaces. These models are expensive compared to the front and rear-wheel drive mowers.

Electric cable (cord) powered or Battery-powered mowers

These mowers best match for smaller or medium size lawn areas. It’s because the battery life or the cord length might not be enough to mow a larger area with one-time use.

This image shows photograph of electric lawn mower — **Figure – Electric Lawn Mower**

The designs look like same as gas mowers from the outside. But compared to gas mowers electric mowers are less heavy. Therefore issues may arise while you try to mow lawn areas with taller and thick grasses.

As these machines are powered by electric motors “Quiet operation” is an added advantage. And also you can breathe cleaner air while working.

as there is no harmful fume emission by this machine.

With the current day evolving of technology, you can buy electric mowers with options that best suit your lawn area’s condition. As far as you have the strength to afford them.

Cylinder – Reel Mowers

Cylinder Mowers also have two types in general. Such as manual push mowers and moter engine-powered cylinder mowers.

**Figure – Comparison between manual and engine powered Cylinder-reel push mower**

These mowers are equipped with rotating cylinders that have blades around them and a fixed stationary bed knife. Here the reel blades guide the grass into the bed knife so as to trim the grass using a sheering action.

You will need to mow your lawn atleast once a week as if you are using a cylinder mower. These mowers cannot be used on lawn areas with tall and thick grasses. They get stuck on the reel if the grass leaves are too high. And you won’t be able to mow your lawn properly.

That’s why these mowers are often used on golf grounds like yards to keep the grass height shorter daily. If you like to give the same vibe to your lawn area, you might need to mow your lawn more often. The shorter the grass height, the more often you need to trim.

Heavy duty Ride-on Lawn Mowers

These Heavy Duty Ride-on Lawn Mowers are the best match for larger garden areas with more than 1 acre in size. It’s because they are built in with good comfort. So that you can work on the lawn area for a long period of time.

Nowadays Ride-on Lawn Mowers are built in various designs to overcome various problems while mowing. But, You sort out all those variants in the market under 3 main categories such as,

1. Zero Turn Mower

These Ride-on Zero Turn mowers are matches best for large uneven lawn gardens as it support quick turns while driving. These quick turns are done by rear-wheel-break steering. With the use of a 2 lever-controlling system. And the engine powers the rear wheels.

Both electric and gas-powered models are available to purchase on the market. The Cutting deck is mid-mounted under the vehicle.

You need a little bit of training to learn the controls well. It’s because when you need to turn your mower to a side, the lever combination that supports it is different compared to normal wheel drive.

There are only 4 lever control combinations to drive this mower. They are such as

Right and left both levers forward – This will move the Mower front straight
Both levers backward – To move Mower backward straight
The right lever to front and left to backward – This will turn the mower to Left Side while moving to the front
The right lever to backward and the left to frontward – This will turn the mower to the right side while moving to the front
You can do the same in opposite to turn your mower while moving backward as well

The options such as adjustable seats, Deck height, Battery Charge durations, Cutting time for electric/ gas power machines, Fuel consumption, Driving Speed, Mulching functions and baggage and etc… are varied with the versions and models available on the market.

If you have more buying power then you can get a Zero turn mower with more options that match your needs.

**Figure – The image shows some photographs of Ride on lawn Mowers**

2. Ride on Mowers

Here, in heavy-duty ride-on lawn mowers the engine is located on the rear side and it powers the rear wheelset. These heavy-duty lawn Mowers best match for lawn areas with more than 1-2 acres in size.

It comes with a comfortable seat and easy to maneuver steering wheel system. And all the other options such as mulching the weed and putting it in bags, weed collecting bags, machine speed, cutting width, cutting height and etc can be seen with ride-on mower models with higher prices. You will have to decide what’s best for you with the money in your hand.

You can easily notice the difference between a normal Ride on mower and a Lawn Tractor. By checking the cutting deck positioning on each mower you can easily find the difference. The cutting deck is on the front in normal Ride on mowers. But on mowing tractors, it is positioned under the vehicle(between the front and rear wheels).

The ride-on mowers with cutting deck in the front are really helpful when cutting grasses beneath fences, benches, and tight corners. Also, the wheels won’t stuck on the grass as your cutting deck moves first on the grass that needs to be trimmed.

Thus it is a good product to get in hand for professionals who tries to offer a wide range of lawn mowing services.

Also, there are some small models of ride-on mowers that have cutting decks under the vehicle as well (between the front and rear wheels but not a tractor model).

If your lawn area consists of uneven landmarks such as hillsides, and sloppy areas, it is better to find a mower machine with a lower gravity point and wider wheels. As it helps to keep the mower steady without falling to the side or slipes in the grass.

There is an inclining limitation that your machine can keep working. It can be varied from 10” to 30”. Thus You will need to ask the retailer for that detail while you make the purchase.

3. Lawn Tractors

There are two types of Heavy-duty tractors that can mow your lawn area. They are such as,

Lawn tractors and
Garden tractors.

The difference between a lawn tractor and a garden tractor is that,

In Lawn Tractors – Only the lawn deck and all other accessories regard to lawn mowing are available. And also in some designs winter attachments such as Snow throwers and snow plow blades too available. If your lawn area is about 1 to 3 acres in size, then this is a good option.

But Garden Tractors, Are heavy-duty larger machines with water-cooled engines and stronger transmission power. They can work with larger lawn decks and advanced pro-grade accessories such as leaf vacuums, power tillers, large snow blowers, and heavier snow plows.

There are some basic facts that you need to take under consideration when trying to buy a lawn tractor.

Full assessment of your lawn garden (yard size, sloppy locations, barriers, fences, small entrances, footpaths, maneuverability, gates and etc…)
How much time you can invest in mowing
Storage space you can allow in your home to store.

The mower deck size varies from 36 to 46 inches with the model you going to purchase. More the deck size easy to cover a large area at a time is an added advantage. But if you have narrow gates and paths then you might need to adjust accordingly.

The gas tanks of these mowing tractor models range from 1.3 gallons(4.9L) to 3 gallons(11.3L) in storage. And Some of these models have a translucent gas tank under the hood with no gas indicator while some have a gas level indicator on the dashboard.

The inbuilt seats most likely are comfortable and in good condition. And more likely they are attached to the tractor with springs to have good suspension.

Small lawn tractor models come with a single acceleration padel with a reverse gear facility. But Some Large models have dual paddle systems to move forward and backward by just paddling the front or rear paddle.

Some tractor models come with the bumper in front for safety while some do not. Since these heavy machines can move faster, better buy a model which has a bumper in front to keep your lawn tractor engine safe from collision with barriers.

Smart lawn mowers

With smart lawn mowers you dont need to operate them manually. As it is programmed to work automatically. They are battery-powered. And has around 15 to 30 pounds in weight. You will be provided a boundary wire to mark the boundary of the lawn area which you wish to mow.

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ

How often should I mow my lawn/ yard?

It depends on the way your grass field grows and the height you need to keep them constantly. Thus the trimming period varies according to your need. And you need to make a schedule by practically counting the days ahead to fix your trimming date.
During winter times you might need to consider the weather condition and mow accordingly.

What are 3 lawnmower safety tips?

1. Always follow the safety guideline before use of your lawn mower. wear protective gloves, sturdy shoes, long pants, googles, and ear protection while mowing
2. Avoid touching, or trying to adjust the blades under the machine while it’s operating at all costs.
3. Dont drink alcoholic beverages before starting to mow
4. Keep your mind on the machine’s operation at all times by avoiding distractions.

What is the 1/3 rule in mowing lawn grass?

This rule means that you should not trim your grass not more than 1/3 of its leaf height. It helps to keep your grasses healthy and not get dry out unnecessarily.

Things we need to know about Lawn Mowers Before Buying

Walk Behind Mowers

Rotary Lawn Mowers