What type of lawnmower would best suit fairly small suburban front and back gardens?

Worztron

Hi.

Should I get my cheap petrol lawnmower repaired (leaks petrol and probably needs a checkup anyway), get an electric lawnmower, or a manual lawnmower? I like to cut the grass at the highest level (level 5 on petrol lawnmower).

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks.

ShatterProof

A push reel mower.

Better for you and better for the grass.

colm_mcm

Electric is good because there’s zero maintenance bar the blade.
They’re usually narrower than a petrol one though and have a smaller grass box so will probably take longer to do.
Don’t cheap out on the lawnmower (as in don’t under-spec it) if it’s something you’ll be wanting to use for years to come.

bobbyss

When you are in the mood to cut the grass it may be damp. This may not be good with an electric mower.

Worztron

ShatterProof wrote: »

A push reel mower.

Better for you and better for the grass.

Hi SP. How often would the blades need to be sharpened?

Worztron

Would reel mowers be good for strengthening your back & shoulder muscles?

ShatterProof

Worztron wrote: »

Hi SP. How often would the blades need to be sharpened?

To be honest, I’m a lazy auld so and so and have a petrol mower. I was only passing through but it’s a fair question if one of those in the know would like to answer.

strandroad

Worztron wrote: »

Hi SP. How often would the blades need to be sharpened?

We've had ours for more than 5 years and the blades are still fine. We don't cut super short though.

Worztron

What would be a recommended push non-motor mower that can cut at a high level (i.e. something like level 5 on a petrol mower)?

disposableFish

Worztron wrote: »

Hi SP. How often would the blades need to be sharpened?

The "by the book" answer is that you should have your (petrol) mower serviced annually, including blade sharpening.

Can't imagine that happens too often though.

disposableFish

Electric mower, 100%.

light, easy to use and hassle-free. All the ones I've used have cut the grass very, very neatly too.

I prefer the corded ones myself - no worries about batteries.
People seem to worry about the cord, but it isn't an issue as long as you've got a long enough lead and stack it on one side and mow away from it.


TBH, I'd recommend them every time (unless you've got a really big lawn or you let it get really long between cuts)

bobbyss wrote: »

When you are in the mood to cut the grass it may be damp. This may not be good with an electric mower.

Not good how?
They're better in my experience - the light weight means it doesn't make a mess of the lawn and they collect grass much better*, which one of the big nuisances with a wet lawn.

*(why? I have no idea, they just do - it's true of the 3 electric mowers I've used, bot cheap and good. No rolls of grass starting to pop out the bottom when it's 2/3 full)

Worztron

Hi disposableFish. Can you adjust the electric mower height level to cut at about the same level as the highest petrol lawnmower level?

phormium

Battery is the handiest, you just missed the Aldi special

magicbastarder

strandroad wrote: »

We've had ours for more than 5 years and the blades are still fine. We don't cut super short though.

Same here. A bit of a tweak every now and then with a spanner and it works fine.

colm_mcm

Worztron wrote: »

Hi disposableFish. Can you adjust the electric mower height level to cut at about the same level as the highest petrol lawnmower level?

There’s no universal highest level for petrol or electric. Some big wheeled petrol mowers often raise higher than some electrics given that they’ll sometimes be used on more uneven terrain. Your average cheap mower might have a 70-75mm cutting height - you can easily get electric mowers that go that high.

fryup

phormium wrote: »

Battery is the handiest, you just missed the Aldi special

i'm sure there's a few hanging around

pappyodaniel

I got one of those easy glide flymos from Woodies and I'm delighted with it. My garden is small but there's an incline so it was difficult pushing the petrol lawnmower up it. The EasyGlide is a doddle as there's no pushing involved. I think it cost me around 120€.

miezekatze

pappyodaniel wrote: »

I got one of those easy glide flymos from Woodies and I'm delighted with it. My garden is small but there's an incline so it was difficult pushing the petrol lawnmower up it. The EasyGlide is a doddle as there's no pushing involved. I think it cost me around 120€.

We have one of those too, works out well. We used to have an old second hand petrol mower, but I think these are too heavy and big for a small garden. We sold it and then got a manual one, that didn't work out at all as our garden isn't even enough and there are too many stones etc. The flymo works best for us and its much smaller and lighter than most petrol mowers, I'd definitely go for an electric one anyway.

Worztron

colm_mcm wrote: »

There’s no universal highest level for petrol or electric. Some big wheeled petrol mowers often raise higher than some electrics given that they’ll sometimes be used on more uneven terrain. Your average cheap mower might have a 70-75mm cutting height - you can easily get electric mowers that go that high.

Hi Colm. How would I figure out the height (number 5 setting) of my lawnmower? Would it be from the ground to the body or ground to the actual blade?

colm_mcm

Actual blade. As in how tall the grass would be.

BopNiblets

I have a Ryobi battery one, great little thing, light and does the job on a 9x6m garden with plenty of charge left.

disposableFish

Worztron wrote: »

Hi disposableFish. Can you adjust the electric mower height level to cut at about the same level as the highest petrol lawnmower level?

As others have said, it varies but 70mm seems to be about the norm - that's what my current (bosch) one is. My last petrol one was a little higher than this, but not much.

In other news, it seems that bosch blue lawnmowers are a thing. Looks like a beast (for an electric)... at 48kg it probably loses a lot of the advantages of electric though.

I purchased a manual one myself and i am delighted with it, i had a few electric over many years but was tired of moving the cable around and getting snagged on objects.

I bought this one from Amazon it is small an very light a joy to use. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0020VE1W0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

There are three different sizes as well to suit your needs.

Might get one of these also, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Multi-Sharp-1101-Cylinder-Mower-Sharpener/dp/B005OIEVJE/ref=pd_sbs_86_1/258-7295761-3439607?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B005OIEVJE&pd_rd_r=131bf9e7-0b32-4ccc-a6b7-6f180e3b0733&pd_rd_w=TBLlO&pd_rd_wg=O62vn&pf_rd_p=15756fbb-4ceb-4379-9d2c-7af36daab01e&pf_rd_r=RHGQMB7K4JCPK4ZHFDMP&psc=1&refRID=RHGQMB7K4JCPK4ZHFDMP

Worztron

I measured my lawnmower from the ground to the blade (the bit that curves downwards). It was about 7.5cm. I find that to be the ideal cutting length.

Worztron

Someone else in the house just bought an electric mower. The max cut height is 60mm.