What to consider when buying a mower?

Date: 19-09-2019

Mowers STIHL Honda Victa

When it comes to buying a new mower, the choice can feel as overwhelming as the overgrown yard you are trying to tackle. So many great brands on the market with so many different sizes, styles, features and even power options.

No longer does it come down to just buying the best mower you can afford.

Here’s some key things to consider when looking to buy a new lawn mower.

How big is the area you are wanting to mow?

Whether you own a lawn large enough to house a small herd or one you can jump over, buying the right size lawn mower is key. A mower that is too big for the space will be hard to manoeuvre in tight spaces, but one that is too small will make the weekly mow a task of epic proportions.

Think about the size of your lawn. Think about how fast you want to get the job done. As a general rule;

Smaller lawns (up to 300m2): 40-46cm cutting width
Medium lawn (300-500m2): 35-40cm cutting width
Larger lawns (Over 500m2): over 50cm cutting width.

Once you get over 1000m2 you probably want to start looking at features like Self Propelled, Push Button Start or even a Ride On or Robotic Mower, to make you time even more enjoyable in your garden.

If you have a small to medium size lawn, battery powered lithium-ion mowers are a great option. No need to worry about fuel, just charge and go.

STIHL battery mower

2 stroke or 4 stroke?

Small petrol engines are generally either two-stroke or four-stroke. Two-strokeengines tend to be simpler in design and have fewer moving parts, so they can be both compact and reliable. However, typical two-stroke engines produce a great deal more pollution because they run on a blend of petrol and oil.

Four-stroke engines, while more complicated, run on ordinary unleaded petrol and so produce a lot less pollution.

Current emissions laws in Australia have phased out two-stroke engines that do not meet current emissions guidelines.

If you've got a beloved old two-stroke mower in your shed, you will still be able to keep it and use it. But when it’s time for a new one you’ll be replacing it with either 4-stroke or a lithium-ion battery mower.

Honda Buffalo mower

Budget

For many people buying a lawn mower is a chore and tend to think buying as cheap as possible, but like buying any mechanical or electric device, buying quality nearly always pays dividends in the long run and if you judge your mower purely on price, you could be in for a very short and frustrating ownership period.

It may be tempting to try to save money by buying a mower with a less powerful engine. However, don’t forget that those few kilowatts or horsepower or whatever, could be the difference between a neat lawn and a burned out pile of metal in your garden. If you have grass that is thick or you intend to cut wet grass, you need a certain amount of power and you can seriously overburden your mower by trying to cut too much with too little juice.

Look at features, build, and guarantees and, do spend as much as you can afford on your mower and it will serve you well.