Lawn mowers & mowing

Types of lawn mower

Rotary lawn mowers

A typical pedestrian rotary mower with an 18" cut ideal, for small - medium sized lawns.

Cylinder mowers don't perform well when they cut long grass. However a rotary mower does not produce the same high quality finish of a cylinder mower. The rotary mower consists of one or more blades depending on the width of cut. The blade is mounted beneath the hood or deck of the mower and runs parallel with the grass.

It cuts the grass by spinning very quickly, and as it makes contact with the grass it cuts it with the sharp cutting edge on the blade. It is vital to ensure that the cutting edge is sharp as this achieves a cleaner cut. A rotary mower which is not sharp would not leave a clean finish to a lawn. This could also result in shortening the life of the mower as it is made to labour and work harder if the blade is not correctly maintained.

Rotary lawn mowers are more maintenance friendly and more versatile than a cylinder mower. It is easier to keep the blade sharp with a grinding machine. However, after the blade has been reground it is very important to make sure that the blade is balanced correctly.

If it is not balanced, it can cause the mower to vibrate resulting in damage to the mower. It is very easy to adjust the height of cut on a rotary mower unlike some cylinder mowers.
There is very little maintenance involved with a rotary mower. It only requires the blade to be kept sharp to achieve optimum cutting performance and to reduce stress on the grass. If the grass is cut cleanly with a sharp mower it recovers quicker resulting in a healthier lawn.

It is also important also ensure that the bottom of the hood is kept clean. This is because grass can accumulate underneath the hood reducing the performance of the mower. This is more likely to occur if the mower has been used in damp conditions.

Cylinder lawn mowers

Correct mower set up on a cylinder mower is essential to ensure optimum cutting performance

A cylinder mower will generally give a better quality finish and will cut lower than a rotary mower. This makes it the preferred choice for anyone who is serious about a very high quality lawn.

It is important not to let your lawn get overgrown with a cylinder mower. They perform best when they are used on a regular basis removing a small amount of grass each time, they do not perform well when cutting long grass.

These mowers generally require a little more maintenance. It is important to keep the cylinder and bottom blade set properly to achieve the optimum cutting quality. This is a relatively easy task as long as the blades are kept sharp.

At the start of each mowing season it would be very beneficial to pay your local mower centre a visit to get the blades sharpened. This can only be done with specialist machinery and would certainly pay dividends during the growing season.

Purchasing a lawn mower

Buying a lawn mower can be an expensive exercise so it is vital that you buy the right mower for your lawn. There are a few things to take into consideration before your purchase, these include:

• The size of the area to cut: If you have a large area to mow, consider buying a ride on mower, which has a wider cut therefore saving you valuable time.
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• Power Source: Petrol and electric are the most common types of lawn mower although you may want to consider a push mower if you have a small area to mow. There are a good range of both electric and petrol mowers on the market now. While electric is quieter do you want the hassle of a cable following you around the lawn?
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• The type of cut required: As covered in the previous section, Rotary mowers are good all rounders and excellent for most types of lawn. If you are not to concerned with the quality of your lawn or you allow it to become a little long at times, a rotary mower would be ideal. If you want a high quality, close mown lawn, a cylinder mower is the way to go.

Lawn mower maintenance & service

The majority of problems would occur with a cylinder mower while not being used because of it's more complex operation. With a rotary mower there would be less to go wrong. If the mower started it would probably just need a sharpen, or the blade replacing, a simple task for a rotary mower.

Once you have had your mower serviced it should give trouble free use during the season with a little care and maintenance. After use make sure that any grass is cleaned off, on a cylinder mower use an airline or stiff brush to get rid of any debris.

Do not to use water as this can get inside bearings and damage them, oil or grease any lubrication points in accordance with the manufactures recommendations. On a rotary mower make sure that the bottom of the deck is kept clean by using a scraper.

It is also important to remember when working with sharp cutting blades to make sure the mower is not running and the power source has been isolated. ie: the electric plug is unplugged or the spark plug cap is removed to prevent any injury or accident from the mower suddenly starting.

How to cut your lawn

You should also check your lawn for any debris, stones etc as these can damage blades. They can also be dangerous to the operator and people nearby.

For best results cut the lawn when it is dry. The grass should ideally be cut in a different direction each time it is cut. This is to stop a nap forming on the lawn, if cut in the same direction every time the grass will eventually lay in one direction. This is more applicable to cylinder mowers.

Most experts recommend that you do 2 or 3 breeds around the lawn then continue cutting in strips up and down. Others will tell you to do the cuts around the lawn to finish. I prefer the second method as you will pick up debris that the mower has dropped whist turning at the end of each run.

However both methods are fine so choose the one that suits you or your lawn. As a rule clippings should removed after each cut to prevent the build up of thatch or organic matter.

When mowing try not to remove more that 1/3rd of the leaf at any time as this will stress the grass and may cause it to go yellow and weak for a few days. If it does get overgrown, mow more frequently gradually reducing the height of cut until you reach the desired height of cut.

How high do I cut my lawn?

A good height for a low maintenance domestic lawn which gets a lot of use and wear would be about 25mm or 1". Any lower and it would stress the grass, any higher and you would loose the tight sward and encourage coarser grasses at the expense of the finer grasses.

The height could be raised to about 30mm in the winter months. A rotary mower would be ideal for this type of lawn as the mower is quick and easy to maintain.

If you have a high quality lawn a reasonable summer height would be about 13mm or 1/2". Raise the height to 19mm or 3/4" in the winter months. Anyone mowing at this height should use a cylinder mower as they produce a better quality finish and cut.

When mowing at lower heights, it is important to make sure that your lawn is level to prevent scalping the turf, resulting in damage to both turf and lawn mower.

Mowing at a lower height stresses the grass, therefore it requires additional maintenance to keep it in a healthy condition.