Lawn mowers - type overview

For centuries, people all over the world have been tending and caring for their gardens, and many love a tidy lawn around their homes. Whether it's a traditional lawn or a commercial lawn, both need to be mowed. But which machine is right for my lawn? There are now a wide variety of lawn mowers available, suitable for every type of lawn. We'd like to introduce you to some of the most common machines, along with their advantages and what you should consider when purchasing one:

Petrol lawn mowers:

The petrol lawn mower is now the most common lawn mower in gardens around the world. One could also call the petrol mower the all-rounder among mowers, as it can be used to mow virtually any (garden) area.

The most notable features of the device are summarized below:

• Powerful thanks to the combustion engine, it can mow quickly and effectively even through dense and tall grass
• Usually a larger collection basket so that the basket does not have to be emptied as often, thus saving time.
• Robust construction – smaller stones and obstacles are simply “swallowed”

What to consider when using a petrol mower:

• Weight: Due to their robust construction, slightly larger cutting width and drive unit, petrol mowers are naturally heavier – a wheel drive can help with this.
• Due to its power and performance, the petrol engine is louder than electric battery-powered or, of course, manual lawn mowers.
• The maintenance of a petrol mower is somewhat more intensive, including oil changes and checking the air filter.

Electric lawn mowers:

The electric lawn mower remains universally popular. These are primarily found in allotment gardens, and technological developments have, of course, continued.

Here is a brief overview of the advantages of an electric mower:

• Due to its low weight, the electric mower is very user-friendly and can also be transported longer distances, for example by car.
• The maintenance and care requirements of an electric mower are somewhat lower than those of its petrol counterparts, as no oil is required for engine lubrication.
• As far as noise level is concerned, the electric mower can also score points here – much quieter than fuel-powered devices

Last but not least, the starting behavior is a big plus: the electric motor usually does not cause any problems

But like every device, the electric lawn mower also has its weak points:

• Power cable: the biggest drawback of electric mowers is the often annoying power cable – this severely limits the mowing radius and if you're not careful, it can happen that it gets mown down.
• In addition to the above-mentioned point, there is of course also the fact that a power connection and a cable must always be available if you want to mow.
• The cutting width of electric mowers is usually much smaller than that of petrol lawn mowers.
• After rain or when the grass is too high, the electric mower quickly reaches its limits. If the grass is too high, the mower has to be moved over the same area several times to achieve an acceptable result – not only tiring but also annoying in the long run.

Conclusion: The electric lawn mower is perfect for small gardens and impresses with its beautiful cutting results and ease of use. However, for larger areas or those who mow the area infrequently, opting for an electric mower should be reconsidered due to the power cord and lower performance. A petrol mower with an easy start seems more sensible.

Cordless lawn mower:

In recent years, a cordless alternative to electric mowers has become increasingly popular: the battery-powered mower. While the early models weren't exactly the best, there has been a remarkable development.

The following points give you a small insight into the advantages of a battery-powered mower:

• The battery technology combines the advantages of an electric mower without the need for a cable.
• Low weight and low noise, similar to an electric mower.
• Starting the mower is also done at the push of a button – simple and uncomplicated.
• Thanks to lithium technology, which came onto the market a few years ago, battery life has increased and charging times have decreased at the same time.

However, there are some important points to consider even with a battery-powered device:

• The battery limits the mowing time - manufacturer specifications are usually not entirely accurate, as these time values ​​are measured on an ideal lawn.
• Despite the enormous development of battery technology in general, the battery still lags behind electric and, of course, petrol mowers in terms of performance.
• The purchase costs are higher compared to electric mowers and at some point even the best battery will have to be replaced

Conclusion: With the advancement of battery technology, battery-powered mowers are conquering the market a little further each year. At first glance, the battery-powered mower combines the advantages of an electric mower without the annoying cord. However, it's important to consider the right battery (lithium-ion, usually 36, 48, or even 80V), as well as the limited power and operating time – for larger areas, we recommend a petrol mower.

Hand reel mower:

The probably oldest device can still be found in many gardens and, even after its long history, still has its charms:

• The transverse spindle with the rotating, curved blades achieves a very smooth cutting surface – for many, by far the most beautiful cutting result
• very light and easy to transport, independent of electricity, fuels, etc. – and maintenance is almost zero

However, the advantages also come with a few disadvantages:

• On larger areas, the desire to mow quickly disappears due to the small cutting width
• The cylinder mower cannot be used on steep terrain or with heavy vegetation

Conclusion: Despite its long history, the cylinder mower continues to impress, especially with its cutting pattern, but the mechanical operation means that the user reaches its limits when mowing large areas.

Mulching mowers:

The mulching mower combines many advantages and is becoming increasingly popular, especially in urban and residential areas.

Particularly noteworthy about the mulcher are:

• no cuttings, therefore no laborious removal
• The finely chopped grass particles also naturally fertilize the lawn – this keeps the lawn looking vital and greatly reduces moss formation

The few points that speak against a mulcher:

• mostly powered by petrol – therefore somewhat heavier and louder
• The lawn must be mulched much more often than mowed so that the grass particles do not become too long and the clippings remain on the lawn and dry (hay)

Conclusion: The ideal device for anyone who wants to avoid grass clippings. The only drawback is the significantly more frequent use. Anyone who takes the time to mulch the lawn frequently will truly enjoy this device. If this is too tedious, we recommend a robot (= self-powered continuous mulcher) or a lawnmower.

Robotic lawnmowers:

"The robotic lawnmower is arguably the best invention in lawn care since the invention of the lawnmower." These and similar statements from robot users have become as commonplace as the robot itself. Over the past few years, the robot has proven itself millions of times over and has become a reliable helper that mows your lawn independently.

Here are some advantages of the robot:

• mows independently at programmed times
• The mowing system of the robot is mulching – through continuous mulching the lawn is naturally fertilized and a beautiful lawn is created
• very low noise level while mowing
• available in sizes from 50m² - 10,000m²

In contrast:

• cannot be used on all terrain

Conclusion: Robots are increasingly conquering the market, not only in Europe but worldwide. In a few years, robots will be the dominant product in gardens around the world. A continuous mulcher without the need for much manual labor, the time saved by mowing yourself is simply eliminated, and you can focus on other things – more free time for you! All in all, robots seem to be the ideal solution for the future, provided the lawn to be mowed is suitable for robots.

lawn tractor

The lawn tractor remains very popular for larger lawns. They are now available in a variety of models – from tractors with a grass catcher to mulchers with a front-mounted mower. Mowing with a tractor gives you a feeling of something almost majestic – you have your own "throne" where you sit comfortably and at the same time work productively in the sun. Who wouldn't want something like that?

Some features that all lawn tractors have in common:

• The cutting width of lawn tractors is larger than that of other mowers
• Can be equipped with various attachments (e.g. snow blade, spreader, etc.)
• Off-road capability, in the all-wheel drive version even on steeper surfaces

In contrast:

• relatively large turning circle – in an area with many trees, the area cannot be mown 100%
• Weight: due to their size, tractors naturally also have a correspondingly high weight

Conclusion: For medium to large areas, a lawn tractor is the ideal solution. Compared to a robotic lawnmower, you get the feeling and sense of accomplishment of a job well done, without having to sweat too much yourself. Even though the market share of robots is steadily growing, there hasn't been a noticeable decline in the use of tractors so far – the tractor has simply proven itself.

With this brief summary, we hope to have given you a rough overview of the most common devices. Of course, there are countless subtypes or specialized devices. If you have any questions about these, our specialist staff will be happy to assist you – including, of course, all of the devices mentioned above. Every year, we find it exciting to see which new products are launched on the market and which ones are being further developed. In future special editions of our guide, we will keep you up to date on the latest developments and also cover the individual specialized devices.

Finally, there is only one thing left for us to say: “If you can no longer see the house, it’s high time to mow the lawn!”