A mower is a must-have when it comes to maintaining your yard’s appearance, since it can make the job much easier so you have more time to tackle other things. However, if you have the wrong type of mower, the opposite could happen. Instead of finishing that chore in a few minutes, you take way too long and end up losing the desire to work on anything else for a while.
If you know you need a lawn mower but haven’t ever bought one before, how can you tell that you’re buying the right type? Here are a few things to remember.
Mowing Area
You don’t have to be extremely accurate with your measurements, so a rough idea of how big your lawn is will be a good place to start. Don’t forget any other grassy surfaces that will need regular mowing, too. How big the area is, how often you have to mow, and how much time you’ll have will all affect later decisions when choosing the right mower.
Walking, Riding, or Remote Control?
Personal preference plays a part here, to some extent. For example, you may feel a riding mower would be more efficient because you have a big lawn, but your neighbor may prefer the average walking mower even if they have a similarly-sized lawn because that’s how they get some extra exercise in. Or you have enough space for a riding mower, but you don’t want to deal with any extra steps needed to prepare the mower in the first place, so you opt for a walking mower.
In general, if the total area to be mowed is quite small, you don’t want a mower that’s too big; conversely, a larger area will call for at least a bigger walking mower, if not a small riding mower. Then there are remote control lawn mowers, which will work for any size lawn.
Budget
Unless you have a really big mowing area, it’s best to stick to remote control or walking lawn mowers, and once you’ve decided on the type, it’s time to look at your budget to see which models you can afford.
For walking mowers, cost is relative to the number of features the model has, and some of those features can affect comfort. As for robot or remote control lawn mowers, it’s not just the features that will affect the price, but the effective mowing or cutting area. Those that cost more are meant to cover a bigger area of your lawn, while those that cost less cover a smaller one. But don’t think you can cut corners and get a low-cost lawn mower and then just have it run multiple times a day to cover a bigger mowing area. Some cheaper models aren’t just meant for smaller lawns, but are also lesser versions of the more expensive models, and therefore are less efficient. It’s best to compare features and then find a way to balance the necessary features with the cost.
Comfort
It’s hard to beat remote control and riding mowers when it comes to comfort, since you’ll either be sitting on the mower or controlling it from your home or an outdoor deck. That said, it doesn’t mean that walking mowers can’t be comfortable; the best ones are easy to push along and don’t require a lot of effort to maneuver. Remote control models, on the other hand, often rely on a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection, GPS, and a phone app – or a combination of these. Some, however, don’t have a controller but can instead be programmed to mow within a specific area around which you’ll have to lay perimeter wire to ‘guide’ the lawn mower.
If you don’t mind having to physically be behind the mower, then you should be fine with a walking mower. But if you’d rather be sitting down, then go for either remote control or riding mowers. See which kind of controls you’re more comfortable working with, and then move on from there.
In conclusion, the main things to consider when buying a lawn mower are size of the mowing area, and your budget, and how comfortably you want to do the job. If you want to get some sunshine without being on your feet for too long, a riding mower is the answer. But if you don’t want to set foot outside while still getting the mowing done, then a remote control lawn mower is your best bet.
