Types of Lawn Mowers; Electric, Gasoline, Robotic and Hover Lawn Mowers

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Mowing is one of the common landscaping maintenance practices that every gardener must perform in order to maintain a neat and healthy lawn. To achieve great results, you need to use the right mowing tools. A lawn mower is what you need as it enables you cut your grass tidily with great precision. Over the years, different types of lawn mowers have been developed to suit the need of different users and ease of operation.

When shopping for a lawn mower, you are likely to come across the following types of lawn mowers. They vary in functionality, mode of use and cost.

What are The Different Types of Lawn Mowers?

1. Rotary Mowers

Rotary lawn mowers are designed with a horizontal blade at the base which rotates clockwise cutting the grass as you push them. They are either petrol or electric powered and they are mostly used to cut big grass that have not been mowed in the recent days.

Rotary lawn mowers are faster compared to cylinder lawn mowers thus, making them ideal for mowing large lawns. There are a wide variety of rotary lawn mowers on the market mainly categorized as push or ride rotary lawn mowers.

LawnMaster LMRM1801 Push Reel Lawn Mower 18-Inch 5-Blade
  • SCISSOR-LIKE CUT: No ripping or tearing of grass blades for a better and healthier lawn
  • CUSTOMIZE YOUR CUT: Effortlessly change the height of your cut with 9 cutting positions varying between 3/4-inches and 2-inches
  • MAX MANEUVERABILITY: Features an 18-inch deck and 10-inch front wheels for easy navigation around the lawn
  • MOTORLESS DESIGN: Environmentally friendly with no gas or batteries needed
  • QUALITY MATERIALS: Designed with durable steel blades built to last

Last update on 2024-03-01 at 09:50 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

2. Cylinder lawn mowers

A cylinder lawn mower is designed to give a precise grass cut to a yard with small grass.  They are designed with a barrel containing a chain of rotating blades and a static blade fixed to the rear side. When the blades are moved clockwise, they are able to cut the grass against the rear blade.

Cylinder lawn mowers are ideal for gardeners with small lawns where grass in never left to overgrow. They are less noisy compared to other models and new designs have also been developed with motors inside.

3. Electric Lawn Mowers

Electric lawn mowers as the name suggests, they are powered by electricity. They are not noisy as gasoline lawn mowers and they come in two varieties corded and cordless. They are effective and faster and they are suitable for use on small-medium lawns.

Pros of electric lawn mowers;

  • They are efficient and less noisy compared to gas lawn mowers
  • They are lightweight and easy to operate
  • There are no fuel filters and spark-plugs to change
  • They are cheaper in the long run
  • They are environmental friendly. They don’t release emissions to the environment

Cons of electric lawnmowers

  • Corded electric lawn mowers have limited coverage
  • Electric lawn mowers are only ideal for small lawns due to their small motors
  • They require regular charging which might delay the mowing task
  • Corded electric lawn mowers pose a risk of electrocution when mowing on a lawn with water
  • They are a bit expensive compared to other models
  • They are not effective when used to mow overgrown grass
Sale
Greenworks 40V 16' Cordless Electric Lawn Mower, 4.0Ah Battery and Charger Included
4,729 Reviews
Greenworks 40V 16″ Cordless Electric Lawn Mower, 4.0Ah Battery and Charger Included
  • CORDLESS LAWN MOWER – Get more done, faster, with Greenworks electric lawn mowers. This 40v push lawn mower provides the power you need with up to 45 minutes of runtime on a fully charged 4.0Ah battery. The battery completely charges in 120 minutes.
  • LIGHTWEIGHT, EASY TO USE – A lightweight 16” cutting deck allows for easy maneuvering through small to medium yards (up to ½ acre) more efficiently. Easy push button start and lighter weight make it a great choice for your lawn.
  • VERSATILE – Battery powered lawn mower has a single lever 5-position height adjustment with a cutting height range from 1-1/4″ to 3-3/8″ for the best cut in all environments. The 2-in-1 feature offers versatile use with mulching and rear bagging options.
  • MAINTENANCE FREE – This walk behind lawn mower is virtually maintenance free, with no gas, no oil and no emissions. It starts instantly and is quiet but delivers gas-like power for your toughest projects.
  • INCLUDES – Battery operated lawn mower comes with mower, grass collection bag, 40V 4.0Ah battery, charger and operators manual. It offers a 3 year tool and 3 year battery warranty.

Last update on 2022-08-22 at 11:04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

4. Gas Lawn Mowers

Gas lawn mowers are powered by gasoline and they are used to mow large lawns. They have big capacity engine motor making them ideal for lawns with thicker grass. These types of lawn mowers lawn mowers are too noisy and they are not allowed in some areas due to air and noise pollution.

Let’s look at the pros and cons of gasoline lawn mowers.

Pros of gas lawn mowers

  • They are affordable
  • They are durable compared to other models
  • They have big engine capacity thus, making them ideal for large lawns
  • They are not corded, thus increased mobility
  • They are safe to use compared to corded electric lawn mowers

Cons of Gasoline Lawn mowers

  • They are very noisy thus, unfit for the environment
  • They are heavier and require much strength to operate
  • They require regular maintenance which can become costly
Craftsman M105 140cc 21-Inch 3-in-1 Gas Powered Push Lawn Mower with Bagger
1,152 Reviews
Craftsman M105 140cc 21-Inch 3-in-1 Gas Powered Push Lawn Mower with Bagger
  • 140CC OHV GAS POWERED ENGINE: Engine comes equipped with recoil and auto choke. No more fussing with a primer or choke – just pull to start!
  • 3-IN-1 CAPABILITIES: Unit has side discharge, rear discharge, and mulching capabilities.
  • 21-INCH CUTTING DECK: Efficient cutting deck helps trim grass in one quick pass for an easier yard job.
  • DUAL-LEVER ADJUSTABLE CUTTING HEIGHT: Choose from 6 different height settings to suit user’s needs.
  • DURABLE WHEELS: Zag Treaded tires measure 7 inches in the front and 8 inches in the back.

Last update on 2022-04-10 at 22:44 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

 5. Robotic Lawn Mowers

 Robotic lawn mowers are improved gadgets that are designed to mow your lawn without any assistance from you. They are ideal for people with mobility problems or individuals who don’t like mowing themselves.

All you need is to place a border wire marking the area where you want it to mow. A robotic lawn mower will then use a sensor technology to detect the boundary lines from this wire and it will cut the grass inside this set boundary.

Related; Best Electric Weed Eaters

What are the pros and cons of robotic lawn mowers?

Types of lawn mowers- Robotic lawn mower
Bowhill House, lawns – and auto-mower by David Hawgood is licensed under CC-BY-SA 2.0

Pros of Robotic lawn mowers

  • Effective and self-reliant. It only requires you to set it up and it will do the rest
  • It comes with advanced innovative technologies such as sensors and navigation systems
  • Lightweight and easy to store

Cons of robotic lawn mowers

  • More expensive compared to other brands
  • Short battery life
  • Hard to repair in case of mechanical failure
  • Not safe for use in homestead with pets and small kids
Gardena 15201-20 SILENO Minimo - Automatic Robotic Lawn Mower, with Bluetooth app and Boundary Wire,...
625 Reviews
Gardena 15201-20 SILENO Minimo – Automatic Robotic Lawn Mower, with Bluetooth app and Boundary Wire,…
  • Highly intelligent robotic lawn mower: GARDENA SILENO Minimo automatically mows yards up to 2700 sq ft using PATENTED streak-free technology, with easy connectivity via Bluetooth EasyApp Control, Auto-Schedule and EasyConfig
  • Precise, silent navigation: Relax in your backyard while SILENO Minimo expertly navigates narrow spaces and tight corners while quietly cutting your grass with one of the quietest in class noise levels of 57 dbA
  • Safe and reliable: The boundary wire ensures the Robotic Lawn Mower only mows the areas specified while collision sensors ensures the mower operates safely with no accidents or damage to your garden
  • All-weather and terrain: SILENO keeps mowing rain or shine and cuts all shapes of lawns within the boundary wire limits, from simple to complex including slopes of up to 35 percent
  • DIY Installation: Easily set-up your robotic mower at home, using YouTube installation videos or user-friendly instructions and everything you need, provided in the box!

Last update on 2022-12-22 at 09:35 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

6. Hover Lawn Mowers

They are unique types of lawn mowers which are designed using latest technologies. Hover lawn mowers are circular in shape and they work by creating a cushion of air between lawn and mower.

They are designed with spinning blades and an impeller above which pushes the air downwards through the blades making it move above the ground.

Hover lawn mowers are not designed with wheels as other models. These types of lawn mowers are powered by electric motors and they are ideal for use on lawns without tough terrains.

Pros of hover lawnmowers

  • Easy Mobility. They are easy to move compared to the wheeled mowers
  • Lightweight thus, making them easy to transport and use
  • They can be used even on steep slopes

Cons of hover lawn mowers

  • They are not very effective on tough terrains or lawn edges
  • Prone to breakage. Since they are required to be lighter, hover mowers contain plastic blades which can be broken easily by obstacles.

Conclusion

There are different types of lawn mowers to choose from in the market today. The choice of a specific lawn mower should be guided by your lawn size, budget, environmental impact, efficiency level and ease of use. A lawn mower is an important tool that every gardener must have in order to maintain a neat and stunning lawn.

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