If you have a lawn you also have a lawn mower. It is an indispensable machine for maintaining cleanly cut grass. However, not all lawn mowers are the same. Different types of lawn mowers serve different purposes – for example, someone with a large area of grass to take care of would probably benefit from purchasing a ride-on mower they can sit comfortably in while mowing the lawn.
For average lawns, a walk-behind lawn mower is the most popular choice. These are the mowers that you guide yourself by pushing them from behind. The most common types of walk-behind lawn mowers are push lawn mowers and reel mowers.
Push lawn mowers
Push lawn mowers use a high-speed rotating blade to cut the grass underneath them. They are typically powered by gas but you still have to push them in the right direction using your own strength. Nowadays, you can also find electric push lawn mowers that are either corded or cordless.
Push lawn mowers do a good job on both even and uneven lawns and they can tackle small hills as long as you raise them high enough. The power of push lawn mowers is determined by the engine. Generally, the more cc an engine has, the more strength it has to cut your grass.
They also come with the bagging option. You can catch the snippets of cut grass in the bag attached to the back of the machine. This allows you to easily empty the insides without having your lawn covered in grass clippings.
While push lawn mowers can effortlessly cut your grass and are a popular choice amongst homeowners, remember that you will also need to spend some money to fuel them. Check out the best push lawn mower on Handyman’s Garage.
Reel mowers
Reel mowers, also referred to as cylinder mowers, are a relatively simple machine that operates without an engine, relying solely on the power of your muscles.
Reel mowers are also good for your grass itself. They don’t tear the grass like push lawn mowers do but instead make a clean cut similar to a scissor cut. Grass cut that way heals more quickly and is less likely to fall victim to various diseases. They simply make the lawn look much nicer.
The second of their two most substantial advantages comes from the fact that there is no engine. This makes reel mowers an environmentally-friendly solution to proper law maintenance. They don’t make any noise so you can feel comfortable mowing your lawn at any time of day (or night, however it is not recommended due to limited visibility). You don’t need to purchase separate gas or oil to power them so you also save on money.
However, reel mowers can be taxing to use due to their manual nature. If you don’t have a lot of stamina or your lawn is rather large then they might not be the machine for you.
Reel mowers seem like a clunky thing from the past but this is simply a misconception. While it can be difficult to know which is the best reel mower, you want to get a modern model that is lightweight and easy to push around.