I am asking on behalf of my fiancée here, she loves gardening and has recently taken a keen interest in all things green. But she is wondering about what kind of lawnmower is best for a beginner? We have a small garden, but we live right next t an orchard so the grass seems to be growing very quickly and the soil is always damp. Do we need anything fancy? Or will a run of the mill mower be adequate for keeping the lawn looking Neat? And can you recommend a make that you particularly trust above others?
If your lawn is very small you may not need a lawnmower. You maybe able to use a weed wacker to cut the the grass if you do not let it get too long, just a quick off the top cut. If you do needto get a mower a pushmower is also a good call for a small yard.
I would not recommend an electric mower. I bought one a few years back that had a battery instead of being gas-powered. Big mistake. Although all their literature assured me that my yard was plenty small enough to be able to be completely mowed on one charge, that was under VERY ideal conditions. I had to baby the lawnmower and the battery was very picky and ended up deteriorating fairly quickly. I had to buy another battery and switch out the old one as I was mowing because it didn't have enough juice to finish my yard. Oh well. Lesson learned. Other than that, I would recommend just a cheap, small lawnmower either a plug-in electric one with a cord (totally different experience than a battery-powered one) or a gas-powered machine. I don't think you have to spend a lot of money on one to get the job done.
I'd recommend self-propelled, for sure. That can make a big difference. The one I used last time was a Husqvarna all wheel drive, and it was a big pain in the butt, especially in my front yard, which has fences, trees, and all manner of obstacles, so I am not a fan of that kind. Here's a comparison from Popular Mechanics:Log In
If your yard/garden is really that small, any little, cheap gas mower should last of a good while. Especially, if you clean the grass off of the blades and on the top every time you use it. You'll want to check the oil occasionally, too.
If its small enough, or even an option, I'd recommend either a weed wacker, or, what I use is an electric lawnmower. It has a very long extension cable, plus I have some sockets outside, so it's quite sufficient for me. No need for a battery. Just watch out for bladed lawnmowers. Considering the grass is wet, I've always had problems with it clogging the mower.
Is the electric self propelled? I mow my hugs yard every once in a while when me husband works over. It isn't to 20million steps I have to take. It's pushing the mower in the tough spots that wears me out
Does the electric mower have a push button start? What really does me in is the pull start, because I don't have enough strength in my shoulders to do it with either arm, so I waste a lot of time trying to pull it and pull it, and it never fails that when I get it started, something happens and the motor quits, so it seems to be a neverending process. I know the gas mowers with push button starts are quite pricey, so if i could find an alternative, that would be helpful.
Nope, but the thing is so lightweight I could lift it over my head with one arm. Pushing it's a breeze!Yeah, my one has a quick and easy safety and power button. Just plug it in, flip the switch and press the start button! Mine looks very similar to this:
A lot of people have focused on the word “small” whereas the one that jumped out at me was the word “damp”. How damp are we talking about? Because I was always thought to never mow wet or very damp grass. I've used exclusively Flymo ones with cords, the last one I had was a Flymo Chevron which would get blunt blades if the grass was a bit too high.
@Yosh That's very cool looking, sort of like a vacuum. Is it heavy? Does it matter if the ground or grass is wet? Electricity sort of scares me, and I sure wouldn't want to electrocute myself, but that looks like something I could probably manage, especially if it's got a push button starter.
@Diane Lane I know what you mean about the starter. The cord on my old one broke and the only way my husband could fix it is attaching the smaller string to it. So you have to get the same amount of umph with only half as much pull.
I don't know why any of them have pull starters, with as many people as we have with health issues. From what I've seen the push start ones cost more, not surprisingly. It would be one thing if it stayed running, but my yards are awkward, so I have to stop and start it several times, and then end up medicated for several days after, which is definitely not ideal. LOL re: smaller string. That might work better for me, since shoulder issues interfere with my pulling height.
It's super lightweight. Pushing it along the lawn feels almost weightless? I'm not sure how they do it, because there are no wheels either. I'm guessing it uses a similar method as a hoverboard would, but its always worked great for me. It takes a little more effort when the grass is wet, but I've yet to have it clog. I've never had a problem with the electricity aspect. There's a nice thick cord that looks super water and wear resistant. There's also a battery version I believe, but I've heard. The battery life isn't very great.
I'm very intrigued, can you tell me the brand and model number you have? I'd like to look around and see if they have them here, and how much they cost. I've never heard of one like that, and it sounds as if I could maneuver it much better than the wheeled varieties we have here, that keep getting mired in the soggy ground in my yards. It's not always soggy, but I am on the coast, with lots of humidity and tropical rains, so that's always a consideration. So far, all the ones I've found online for this area have wheels, ugh. Apparently Flymo isn't sold in the U.S. I'll still look around to see if I can find something comparable, though.
My yard is the same way. Different areas grow in different speeds and thickness. I love mowing the yard. It's probably the best workout I have ever done. The shorter string, though, I can't get enough umph into it. My husband is really good at starting it, but if I go out and mow he has to come out every few minutes to start it again lol Until we get a new one he uses the neighbors riding mower in return for doing the neighbors yard
Sorry about the delay! I've been offline for a few days :3 I use a Flymo Turbo Lite 330 Electric Hover Lawnmower. I found one on ebay for pretty cheap. This is the UK site though, but it should give you an estimate! Log In
A regular conventional petrol mower will work for you just fine. How are you two with small engines? If you know a thing or two I say pick up a used one and fix it up. If not, then go to a good dealer and pick up a cheap model BUT make sure they will give you free maintenance for a few years.
