Lawnmower reviews: Features explained
Types of lawnmower
For a typical lawn, wheeled rotary mowers are the best choice
There are three main kinds of mower: cylinder, wheeled rotary and hover, all available as electric or petrol powered. You can also buy hand-pushed cylinder mowers.
Cylinder lawnmowers
Cylinder mowers have a cylinder with several moving blades that cut against a fixed blade, like scissors. Some operate on a ‘contact-free’ system, where the blades pass very close but don’t actually touch. Cylinder mowers are good on neat, frequently mowed lawns and those with a heavy roller will leave a striped finish, but they struggle with longer or rougher grass.
In addition to electric and petrol machines there’s the option of a hand-pushed version. Hand cylinder mowers don't have any electrical cables or petrol - their power source is you! You provide the forward force, which also turns the blades.
Wheeled rotary lawnmowers
These use a fast-moving blade that acts like a scythe, and are the best choice for a typical lawn, especially where you can move up and down in straight lines. Those with a rear roller will produce a striped effect. Mains electric mowers are useful for small to medium lawns, with a nearby power socket. Petrol rotary mowers are best for larger lawns and for mowing away from the house. They also cope better with meadows left to grow long between cuts. Cordless mowers can also be used away from the house, but most have a limited battery life before they need recharging.
Hover rotary lawnmowers
These also have a rotating blade, but they float on a cushion of air rather than resting on wheels. In theory they're more manoeuvrable than wheeled mowers and good for awkward-shaped lawns because you can move them in all directions, but they don’t leave as neat a finish and struggle on long grass. Basic hover mowers are light and manoeuvrable but don't collect the clippings. Hover collector mowers have a grass box, usually built into the top of the mower, but this makes them less manoeuvrable.
Find out which is the best grass trimmer for edging your lawn
Lawnmower features to look for
Mulching
Mulching mowers are a great way to feed your lawn
Mulching mowers recut the clippings into tiny pieces and blow them back on to the lawn, where they break down and feed the grass.
Some have a metal or plastic plate that blocks off the outlet to the grass collector; others have a knob that converts quickly from collect to mulch.
Self-propelled
Large petrol mowers, more than about 45cm wide, are hard work to push around. Look for a self-propelled version. These have two control bars: one operates the blade and cuts the engine if you let go, the other engages the drive to the wheels. Some have a variable speed, otherwise you have to match your walking speed to the mower.
Long switch
A long switch is a bar that runs the width of the handle or a double switch, allowing you to use both hands to save wrist strain. It's better for left-handers, too. Most models now have these.
Folding handles
Some mowers have handles that fold neatly for storage
Adjustable handles
Check the height is suitable for you. Some lawnmower handles are adjustable.
Rear roller
Some mowers have a roller instead of the rear wheels to give a striped effect. This is most pronounced with the heavier petrol mowers. A roller also makes it easier to balance it when you cut over lawn edges. Some electric mowers have four wheels with a rear roller that operates at the lower cutting heights only.
All hand cylinder lawnmowers have a small rear roller, but most aren’t heavy enough to give pronounced stripes.
Grass collector
Save effort - let a grass collector do the work!
A big grass collector saves numerous trips to the compost heap. A window in the top or an indicator to tell you when it's full are also useful.
With hand mowers, the grass collector is open and relies on clippings thrown up by the blades landing in it.
Read our tips for successful composting
Cutting height
A lawnmower with a wide cutting range (eg from 12-70mm) is useful if you have to cut more than one lawn of different qualities, or different heights at different times of the year. If you want to cut a fine ornamental (bowling green) lawn, look for a minimum cut of close to 12mm.
A single height adjuster is easier than adjusting each wheel in turn. With the cheapest lawnmowers you have to remove and replace each wheel, or in the case of hover mowers remove the blade and add or remove spacers, which is fine if you rarely change the cutting height.
Cable storage
Hooks on the handles for storing the cable are useful; some have a cable reel built into the grass box.
Battery types for cordless models
The working life of batteries depends on a number of factors including usage, charge and discharge sequences. It's important to follow the manufacturer's instructions to get the most from your battery.
There are two main types of battery - NiCd and Lithium-Ion.
NiCd batteries are particularly affected by being intermittently topped up and should be left to fully discharge before being charged or it can shorten their life.
Lithium-ion batteries are designed to deliver similar power with less weight. They also have little self-discharge and none of the memory effects associated with NiCd and so their life span can be expected to be considerably longer.
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