Criteria for Choosing an Electric Lawn Mower, How to Choose an Assistant For Gardening

This article will discuss such a popular tool among summer residents and owners of private houses as a lawn mower. Their assortment is currently quite large, so we have systematized and ordered all the information. We present to your attention a kind of instruction for choosing this unit.

The need for a tool in the country

A plot with a neat and well-groomed green lawn looks much nicer than chaotic thickets of grass.

But to maintain it in this state is quite difficult, because the grass has the ability to grow quickly, especially in rainy periods.

Electrics or gasoline: pros and cons

According to the type of energy consumed, lawn mowers are electric and gasoline.

Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. To understand which lawn mower is better – gasoline or electric, consider the main pros and cons of each of them.

• Maneuverability. The only significant drawback of electric models is the limited freedom of movement during operation: this is due to the presence of wire. Firstly, the length of the wire does not always allow you to get to all corners of the site, but this can be solved using an extension cord. Secondly, there is always a chance of wire getting under the knives, you constantly need to monitor this, correcting it during operation.

• Storage. Naturally, before buying any equipment you need to think about where it will be stored. As for garden tools, for the winter he usually hides in a barn, garage or even transported to an apartment. And if your premises do not have enough space, then it is better to give preference to electric lawn mowers: it even fits on the bal-KONE. In terms of size and weight, it outperforms the gasoline. Over, the latter is generally not recommended to be stored in the apartment due to the presence of a sharp smell from the fuel.
• Thrift. Electric lawn mowers are several times cheaper than gasoline. This is due to the complexity of the design of the gasoline engine. In addition, oil and gasoline are also more expensive than electricity.
• Service. The best lawn mower in this regard is electric. Such models are elementary in maintenance. Before work, they just need to be plugged into the outlet. Whereas it is first necessary to pour gasoline and oil into gasoline, monitor the level of these fluids, and from time to time carry out engine maintenance (change or clean the filter and spark plugs).

• Noisiness. The electric motor runs quietly and almost without noise. Therefore, unlike noisy gasoline, such units can be operated at any time of the day without disturbing the neighbors.
• Body material. Gasoline models are mainly made with steel bodies. They are much stronger than electric, whose cases are plastic. However, this indicator can also be a minus, because the steel is heavy and amenable to corrosion.
• Environmental friendliness. Exhaust gases, as by-products of a gasoline engine, pollute the environment. Thus, eco-tech enthusiasts will prefer electric mowers.

How to choose a lawn mower for a summer residence, selection criteria

According to the above criteria, a clear advantage of electricity-powered models is seen. Now let’s dwell on how to choose an electric lawn mower.

Self-propelled, non-self-propelled

Non-self-propelled mowers, which have to be rolled by hand, they weigh relatively little, therefore they are convenient to carry and store. But at the same time, they require a lot of physical effort if any irregularities, bumps or bumps are present on the site. Self-propelled the trolley itself moves, the person only sets the direction of movement for it. Engine power is directed not only to the operation of the knife, but also to the movement of the wheels. Such mowers have a rather impressive weight and are convenient for working in large areas.

Engine power

The engine power that the mowers are equipped with is typically between 0.8 and 3 kW. The more power, the more performance.

However, one should not blindly give preference to the most powerful models. If your lawn is well-groomed, you cut the grass in time, too powerful lawn mowers will be unnecessary. They will unnecessarily consume large amounts of electricity. But low-power engines overheat faster, so when choosing, look for continuous operation time in the product passport.

Usually, electric mowers for a standard summer house are designed to work up to 30 minutes. This time is enough to cut the grass on the site.

Type of lawn grass (width and height of mowing)

The grass mowing width depends on the size of the knife installed in the mower. Inexpensive standard models have a knife width of about 30 cm, for more advanced models it can reach 46 cm. This figure affects performance. So, you can process the entire plot in 15 passes, or you can in 9. Here, the choice of an electric lawn mower is determined from the point of view of labor costs and the time spent on putting the lawn in order.

With the help of lawn mowers as a result, you can achieve different heights of lawn grass. There are three ways to adjust:

• Rearrangement of each wheel;
• Rearrangement of a wheel axis;
• Using a lever or button.

This criterion is not so important, since summer residents usually use only one level.

But if you are going to equip an art lawn on your site, then give preference to models with push-button or lever adjustment.

Grass catcher availability

Almost all wheel models are equipped with a grass catcher. A capacity for collecting mowed grass. They are soft and hard.

Soft grass collectors are usually larger in volume, but their disadvantage is that they are quickly contaminated by grass and have to be washed from time to time, and they are also less durable. Plastic containers are strong, but it is difficult to determine the degree of fullness in them. The grass catcher can always be dismantled and the mower used without it.

Deck requirements

In the deck are the working parts of the lawn mower. Knives. It can be made of (by increasing value):

• Plastic;
• Steel;
• Aluminum.

Models with an aluminum deck are not subject to corrosion. Therefore, they are more durable. Cheap lawn mowers are equipped with a plastic deck, but sometimes it is advisable to give them preference because the electric motor often fails before the plastic part is damaged.

Additional Features and Functions

In addition to the main characteristics, when choosing an electric lawn mower, you should pay attention to a number of additional functions and features.

For example, some models are equipped with a function of mulching, i.E., grinding mowed grass. The resulting mulch is used to feed the lawn.

There is also a feature such as lateral grass discharge. It will be useful when cutting grass on the sidelines. Lawn mowers differ in width and diameter of wheels. If you are the owner of a relief area with bumps, give preference to models with large wheels.

Popular models of electric lawnmowers for gardening

The best lawn mower was recognized as electric Model STIGA Combi 48 ES. This is a 1.8 kW self-propelled mower. It has a steel deck, a folding handle, an adjustable handle, and high maneuverability. Benefits also include:

• 5 levels of mowing;
• Mulching function;
• Steel case;
• Grass catcher for 60 liters.

The disadvantage is the long time of the promotion of the knife (about 30-50 s).

Another popular model is Makita ELM3711. It weighs only 14 kg thanks to the plastic case. It is equipped with a soft grass catcher with a volume of 35 l, a folding adjustable handle, suitable for processing large areas.

• Low noise level;
• High maneuverability;
• Smooth start;
• Wheels on bearings;
• Affordable cost.

Minuses:

• Wheels are loose;
• Low quality plastic;
• It is difficult to cut grass near obstacles.

The last model I would like to dwell on is Bosch Rotak 43. This is a non-self-propelled grass mower with an electric motor with a power of 1.8 kW, weighs only 12.4 kg, has a hard grass catcher with a capacity of 50 liters.

• Ease of management;
• The ability to mow grass in hard to reach places and on a relief site.

Minuses:

• No mulching function
• Expensive repairs.

We hope our article will help you decide and choose the ideal mower for your lawn.