Choosing the right lawnmower
A lawnmower is quite an investment for a gardener. Many criteria should be considered when making your choice : the surface to mow, the width of the cut, and the type of traction. Here's a look at what's available.
The main criterium to consider is the size of the surface to be mowed. A simple manual lawnmower is will largely suffice for small surfaces, providing you mow regularly. It is inexpensive and ecological. But if you can't mow regularly (in the case of a holiday residence for example) or if you have a large surface to mow, you should consider buying a more sophisticated type of mower. There is a vast range of models available.
For small, regular surfaces without borders, the best choice is an electric mower. This is easy to use and requires little maintenance.
For larger surfaces (over 500m²) or for lawns which are far from a source of electricity, a mower with a thermal engine is recommended. The advantage of this model is that it is autonomous - there are no wires that will get in the way when manoeuvring it. On the down side, a mower with a petrol engine is noisy and requires regular maintenance and certain precautions must be taken during the winter.
Many models of thermal mowers are available. They differ according to the power of the engine, the width of the cut, and also in the way they are pulled. Depending on the type of land to be mowed and the presence of borders, you should opt for a mower whose movement you can cantrol easily if the lawn contains obstacles to be avoided. For a large unobstrued surface, a walk-behind mower is best.
For surfaces between 1,000m² and 2,000 m² choose a ride-on mower. A lawn tractor is best for surfaces over 2,000m².
In all cases, choose a model that has a grass catcher, as this willl save you time and effort after cutting. Apart from the models dealt with above, another option is a robotic mower which runs on solar energy, suitable for an unobstrued, flat lawn.
Did you know ?
- Electric or thermal hover mowers are generally easier to handle, especially on slopey surfaces. However, these models can't be fitted withn a grass catcher.