At this time of year many of us will be under way with regular grass cutting, following months of cold weather and slow growth. Unfortunately, when we try to start our lawnmowers after the winter, or during the first cut of the season while mowing through the thick, lush growth, we often experience problems with our machines. Often a repair or service can get you back on track, but on occasions it is not possible or cost effective to maintain an old machine. Hence a new lawnmower is required!

Nowadays so many different lawnmowers and garden machinery products exist, it can be tricky and time consuming for the average buyer to identify the best solution for them. On the market there are so many different brands, encompassing small electric machines through to powerful ride-on mowers. Throughout the various ranges is an array of different power types, levels of automation, attachments, implements and finishing tools, cutting heights and widths to name only a few of the variables. To help, we have put together a short, but by no means exhaustive, list of the most essential things to consider when purchasing a new lawnmower:

Size of your lawn – The most important factor. A hand push or electric mower is likely to be suitable on smaller lawns, whilst more powerful high end cordless electric and petrol mowers are a preferred option for medium lawns. If your lawn is particularly large you may want to consider a ride-on mower to save time and effort. Also consider the width of the cutting area. For larger lawns choose a mower with a wider cutting area so that you can cut more of the lawn at once. A narrow cutting area is better suited to small gardens where intricate areas such as borders and flower beds may be present close to the edge of the lawn. Note that some larger mowers have an adjustable cutting width, enabling them to be used in more compact spaces within your garden too.

The Required finish for your lawn – If your lawn is large or in everyday use, it may not be necessary for clippings to be removed. However, if you have a decorative lawn you may want to remove all clippings and achieve visible stripes during cutting using a roller attached to the mower.

Collection boxes – Not all mowers come with a grass collection box. Some models are designed to leave the mown grass on the surface of the lawn in long pieces until it is raked up. Others have an inbuilt mulching mechanism which cuts the grass into very fine pieces and lets it go back into the soil below the lawn. This is a good way of maintaining your lawn without lawn treatments because nutrients contained in the clippings are recycled straight back into the ground.

If you want to dispose of the grass in green waste bins or add it to your compost heap, the easiest way is to use a mower with a grass collection basket. These come in various sizes, so if your lawn is big, choose one with a big collection basket to avoid multiple trips to empty it.

Power – Petrol mowers tend to be most powerful, yet overkill for small lawns. Alongside the size of lawn, you will need to consider the general growing and ground conditions. For instance, if you have a moist lawn with lots of shade and rapid thick growth, you may require a slightly more powerful mower to cut through it. For those with medium, or even long thin small gardens, it may be necessary to consider a cordless electric mower to avoid problems with a cord and reaching to the furthest points in your patch.

Mower type – There are various mower types to choose from including cylinder, rotary and hover. All of them have their advantages and disadvantages, some of which we have touched on above. Cylinder mowers tend to leave a very neat finish on small and medium lawns. Meanwhile, hover mowers are very light-weight and easy to use in small spaces but may not leave such a high-quality finish as the other types. When choosing the type of mower, it is important to consider the weight of the machine and whether the operator is required to push it. For example, some rotary mowers, although heavy, do have a self-propelled function.

Finally, there is the more recent addition of fully automated lawnmowers, which can be set up and programmed to mow a lawn without any heavy manual work from the operator. More information about these innovative robotic lawnmowers and examples of the various other machines can be found in our store where we will be happy to take you through the options.

At Pecks Groundcare and Country Store in Ely we have a huge range of lawnmowers, ride-on mowers, strimmers and other garden machinery to choose from. Our expert team will go through your requirements and help you to choose an appropriate model for your needs. Unlike most DIY stores, we can help you to assemble, deliver, set-up and service your lawnmower and garden machinery throughout its life, giving you full peace of mind. For further information, please call in and see us at 90 Lancaster Way Business Park, Ely, CB6 3NX.