How To Choose The Right Lawn Mower For Your Lawn

Maintaining a lush green lawn does not have to be a difficult task, but it does take the right equipment. You will need the right type of lawn mower to adhere to the type of landscape you have. The following are some types of lawnmowers: Push Reel Mowers - This type is good if you have a small lawn, about 8,000 square feet or less. They are light, quiet, and virtually maintenance free. They are also environmentally friendly. Reel mowers cut grass like scissors, leaving a fine spray of clippings to be used as mulch for your yard. They do take some effort, but they are not any harder to push than an 80 pound gas mower that is not self-propelled. Gas or smallest electric lawn mower - Choose this type if you have a large lawn that is made up of grasses like bluegrass that does not need to be cut shorter tha 2 inches high. The electric mowers are usually quieter than the gas powered ones. You can get a gas or electric powered mower with a grass catcher, which should be easy to remove, dump, and then replace. Rear bag mowers collect clippings more effectively than the ones with the side bags as they can hold more and also allow the mower to fit into smaller places. However, the ones with the side bags usually cost less. Mulching Mower - This type is good if you do not want to deal with the clippings. Mulching mowers will cut the clippings very small so that it can disappear into the lawn. This type of mower is similar to a regular lawn mower and in many cases mulching may be a feature on a regular lawn mower. Mulching returns the grass clippings to the yard where it can be quickly decomposed, which will add water and nutrients back into the yard. Mulching mowers will have a second, smaller blade located above the main cutting blade. This second blade will cut each blade of grass or leaf debris that was cut off by the main blade into a smaller size, which makes it easier to break down in the lawn. Self-Propelled Mower - Choose this type if you have a hilly yard or a large lawn. This type of mower pretty much does the work for you. It has a drive system which consists of a belt drive, a gear box, and a wheel drive that causes two of the wheels to rotate. Thus, when using the mower, you will not have to use a lot of force to push it because once you start the drive system, the mower will propel itself making it great to use in a hilly yard or cutting a large lawn. Riding Lawn Mower - This type is best if you have a really big lawn. Buying a riding lawn mower is a major purchase, so it is best to consider your needs and choices carefully. If your lawn is more tha 3/4 acre in size then you might want to strongly consider purchasing a riding mower. If the lawn is smooth, then any mower deck will do, but if the lawn is uneven then you'll want a riding mower with floating wheels. If you have a lot of trees or tight spaces, you'll want a riding mower with a narrow mowing deck, such as 32", to allow for maneuvering in the tight spaces. If you have yard debris like trees dropping a lot of leaves in the fall, you may want to buy one that has an optional bagger attachment to catch the lawn clippings and leaves.