Carry on Gardening : Tools : Mowing

Introduction
Maintaining a lawn is one of the most time consuming and expensive tasks for gardeners in the UK. The choice of mowers and electric grass trimmers is vast and complicated. Petrol mowers are more suitable for larger lawns and are best purchased from a specialist.

Which power source to choose?
The power source can either be petrol or electricity? For smaller lawns, electricity is more convenient as a lightweight model of mower can be used. For very small lawns or rough lawns with patchy growth an electric grass trimmer may be an alternative solution.

Electric mowers
All cable operated electric mowers and electric grass trimmers should only be used with an RCB (residual circuit breaker) which plugs into your electric socket and may prevent electrocution in the event of the cable being cut. Warning: If you think you may have damaged your cable, turn off the power supply and disconnect the plug before examining it.

Cordless technology
The price of battery powered (cordless) mowers is falling fast and these easy-to-use mowers are becoming more common. Cordless electric grass trimmers and hedge cutters are also becoming more common. However gardeners with disabilities or age-related mobility impairments need to be very careful when using these products since the heavy batteries required can make these tools unwieldy and cause strain injuries.

Petrol mowers
A petrol engine is a complicated and potentially fickle piece of equipment. You will need to have a safe area to store petrol and be able to purchase it regularly. Pull starting a petrol mower may lead to back, neck or shoulder strain. Electric start models are available, but at considerable added cost. Some petrol powered-mowers keep running and can potentially move without an operator. Do not use one if you are likely to fall. Choose a mower with a safety cut-off.

Cylinder and rotary mowers
Mowers can be divided into two sorts, those with rotary blades or cylinder blades. Hover mowers are a form of rotary mower without wheels. Choosing which type depends on your lawn type and the finish you require.

Cylinder mowers
These produce the best finish but are not so good on long or damp grass. They also require more maintenance and sharpening. Stones and debris may cause serious and costly damage to your blade. Wear gloves and take care when cleaning the cylinder Some models can be adapted to rake your lawn.

Self-propelled electric cylinder mower
Although this mower is very heavy it is self propelled and does not require pushing. A speed control enables you to set the pace to suit your abilities. For people who have some spanner skills the cylinder blade can be replaced with a scarifyer which does an excellent job of removing moss and dead lawn thatch.

Rotary mowers
These cope better with long, wet and rough grass and if fitted with a roller
can achieve a stripped effect. For older, mildly disabled or hobby gardeners
with small to medium size lawns, I would recommend wheeled electric rotary
mowers because they can cope with a variety of conditions, are easier to
push and manoeuvre, and require little maintenance. Cordless versions are
even easier to use but cost more and may require replacement batteries.

Lightweight electric rotary mower
New for 2002 the Qualcast Easi-Trak has been specially designed to have
extra cutting power and be light enough to be carried in and out of your
shed or house. The grass box is easy to remove and there are 3 cutting
heights from 20-60mm. The extra powerful motor has been designed to deal
with rough grass but can also produce a fine cut for a better finish.

For larger lawns the Power-Trak 34 (£129.99) also has single lever cutting
height adjustment, and a grass box with top opening for putting in weeds and
other debris.

There is also a heavier version suitable for higher quality lawns, It has a single lever cutting height adjustment and rear roller for stripes. It is the Qualcast Cobra 32 at £100.

Cordless electric rotary mower
New for 2007, the Bosch Rotak Li uses the latest battery technology to make a cordless rechargeable mower that is much lighter than previous models.

The Lithium Ion Battery is small and light but packs enough power to mow a medium size lawn if it is not left to grow too long. Charging time for the battery is only 1 hour and cutting time will depend on the length of your grass and how quickly you push the mower.

The grass box is easy to remove and there is one lever to set cutting height of the metal mower blade from 20-60mm. There is a roller at the rear of the mower to help make the striped effect on the lawn.

Motor	850kw
Cutting width	37cm
Weight	7.8kg
Price	£289.99
Model	Rotak Li
Supplier	Qualcast Atco (Bosch)

Suitable for people with small to medium sized lawns where there is no mains power or where an electric cable may present a hazard.

Hover mowers
Once started, the hover mower can be easy to move, but unlike other mowers, it will have to be carried to the lawn to start off with and carried back afterwards. When using a hover mower avoid the tendency to swing them from side to side as this is an inefficient way to mow, and may lead to back strain. To adjust the cutting height you will probably need to tip the mower upside down and be able to use a spanner.

Smallest hover mower
This is the lightest hover mower available but without a grassbox. It has swing-back plastic safety blades and two cutting heights. The main drawback is that you may occasionally have to rake up the grass clippings. The absence of wheels requires it to be carried to and from the lawn. As with all Flymo mowers, two hands are required to operate the power and safety catch.

Hover mower with grassbox
For larger lawns the Hover Compact 330 hover mower has a 33cm cut and grass collection box and comes with a metal blade. Hover mowers require the use of a spanner to adjust cutting height. Cannot be used without grass box.

Wheeled rotary mower
Choose one with adjustable handle height and if possible with a single lever that adjusts the cutting height. Clean the blade and underside regularly to maintain efficiency.

Automatic and robotic lawnmowers
These futuristic machines have actually been around for nearly 10 years and are gaining popularity with four different manufacturers offering their machines to gardeners wanting to make life easier for themselves.

Automatic mowers are the simpler and cheaper machines that are driven or placed on your lawn and then set free to cut the lawn at the push of a button. The automatic mower will then cut your lawn and stop and turn itself off when it has finished. Automatic mowers require some human intervention to recharge but undertake the actual grass cutting on their own.

Robotic lawnmowers go one step further by residing on your lawn in a battery charging station and coming out at pre-set times (chosen by the owner) to cut the lawn and then returning to the charging station to be prepared for the next cut.

Both automatic and robotic mowers are battery powered, mulching rotary mowers that do not collect the grass but instead cut it so fine that the clippings are absorbed into the lawn and actually nourish it.

Both machines require some setting-up work involving pegging down a perimeter wire that enables the mower to define the area of lawn (or lawns) to be cut.

Entry level automatic lawnmower - Robomow RL350
This battery-powered rotary mower works on its own, cutting your lawn and mulching the cuttings. To set up the mower you first need to peg down a thin wire around the perimeter of the lawn to guide the robot. Once this is done the wire is left in-situ and gradually disappears into the lawn. A small battery-powered control box supplies a current to the wire which the mower detects and then cuts all the grass inside the area.

The mower is quite heavy (50kg), but can be driven with a remote control unit from your garage or shed onto the lawn. Once on the lawn you press the green button and away it goes! This mower will not work on slopes over 15 degrees and is more suited to level well kept lawns. The three cutting blades are height adjustable.

This mower has been around a couple of seasons now and is beginning to prove popular. It is quite expensive at the moment but as more are sold this may change. I for one, am sure that robotic lawnmowers are practical now and will become even more so in the future.

Especially good for anyone with a mobility impairment and potential for those with visual impairment.

Fully robotic lawnmower Mowbot - 200DL
This battery-powered rotary mower works on its own, cutting your lawn and mulching the cuttings. To set up the mower you first need to peg down a thin wire around the perimeter of the lawn to guide the robot. Once this is done the wire is left in-situ and gradually disappears into the lawn. Due to its lightweight construction and state of the art battery and electronics this small mower can cut large lawns and even has a rain sensor to delay mowing if the lawn is too wet. There is an optional wireless remote control to enable the mowbot to be used on lawn areas that are difficult to wire up due to size or distance from a power supply.

Especially good for anyone with a mobility impairment and potential for those with visual impairment.