5 Things to Consider When Purchasing Your First Lawn Mower

A healthy lush lawn goes a long way in making your property beautiful. To ensure you maintain a beautifully manicured lawn, you will need to get a suitable mower to achieve the right cut. Using the right lawn mower will allow you to take on any landscaping tasks effectively and efficiently. 

Though it can be quite overwhelming for a homeowner to sort through the various models and accessories, you need to look through the different features to get a lawn mower tailored to suit your needs. Below are 5 things you should consider when buying your first mower.

Terrain

Lawns with a flat terrain are usually simple to maintain using a basic push mower. A number of homes however have decorative features like trees, flowerbeds and garden benches which prohibit lawn mowers from moving in straight lines across the lawn. When mowing a lawn with such features, you need a mower that can easily change direction and cut around them. 

Examples of mowers that have such flexibility include front wheel drive push mowers and zero turn mowers. If you live on hilly land, self-propelled walk-behind mowers are suitable as they have the ability to move up and down inclines with ease.

Type of lawn mower

Lawn mowers fall under two primary categories and these categories are determined by how they are operated. A user can either walk behind a push mower and push it across the lawn, or sit on a riding mower and use a lever system or steering wheel to operate the mower. Mowers can also be classified by how they are powered. There is an electric mower which is powered by electricity either through a cord or a battery, a push reel mower which relies on the force of the person pushing it to cut the grass, and a petrol-powered mower which uses petrol. Electric mowers generally make less noise compared to petrol-powered mowers.

Maintenance

A properly maintained lawn mower usually lasts longer than one that receives very little attention from the owner. You should consider how much maintenance the mower requires and whether you have the ability to do the maintenance work that will be needed before you purchase a lawn mower. 

Regular maintenance of a lawn mower includes checking the level of the oil, inspecting the mower to make sure that everything is working as should be, and removing any debris or grass clippings. Owners should also ensure that they regularly change the oil, replace the air filter and replace damaged or worn out blades.

Size of the area to be maintained

It is very important to consider the size of the area you want to maintain because it will help you in choosing the mower best suited for your property. Push mowers generally work well for lawn mowers with an area that is less than 2,000 square meters, while riding mowers make it easier to maintain larger pieces of land. Those looking to maintain areas larger than 12,000 square meters should consider a zero turn riding mower which covers large areas in less time. 

The size of the land will also help you choose the best power source for a mower. Electric mowers that are corded do not usually have a cord long enough to allow the mower reach across large lawns. Electric mowers however work quite well for smaller areas. Petrol-powered mowers generally have the power needed to maintain larger areas. 

Features and Accessories

When purchasing a mower, you will find that there is a wide range of features and accessories one can choose from when purchasing a lawn mower. Some of the features that mowers have include automatically creating mulch to naturally fertilize the grass, while others have detachable bags to collect the grass clippings. 

Other popular accessories include vacuums to pick up leaves and other debris as well as lawn sweepers that do the same job as that of a rake. When choosing a lawn mower suitable for you, you can consider which accessories you may find useful.