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| A Victa lawnmower. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
The Problems with Electric Lawn Mowers
These come in two forms, one with a cord and one that is cordless. Corded versions might not be feasible for people with a medium or large-sized lawn because of the limited range that the cord will extend: usually around 100 to 150 feet. Some people consider electric mowers with a cord to be a hazard because of the risk of possibly running over the electric cord while the mower is running, which could put the user at risk of being electrocuted. The cordless electric lawn mower doesn't suffer from this issue. Instead, it runs on 12-volt batteries that can be recharged via a conventional household plug socket. If the keen lawn-smith goes with an electric lawnmower, a cordless one would be a serious option to consider if they were concerned by the potential hazards and limitations that come with a corded lawnmower.
Push Mowers Only for the Fit and Healthy
Push mowers are also common, requiring only man's power as the power source. By pushing the lawnmower, the blades turn as the wheels turn, cutting the grass or weeds. However, push mowers aren't as effective on overgrown weeds and dandelions because of the tall stalks and the speed of the rotating blades. Push mowers use a cylinder or reel system while other powered lawn mowers more commonly use a rotary mower with a vertical axis. A rotary mower cuts the grass shorter than a reel system with the added benefit that the grass is cut in a way that allows it to heal faster and thus, grow faster. With a push mower, the user would find himself or herself having to mow more frequently than with an electric or gasoline-powered mower which is perfect for those looking for a workout but less so for the rest of us!
Ride-on Mowers for Large Lawns
Ride-one can be fun for some people who have a bigger area to mow. Surprisingly, they carry a potential risk for the homeowners who have lawns that have some dips or others who have rolling lawns. Ride-on lawnmowers can tip over if they are on very uneven ground and can't go places where other lawnmowers might into the much tighter parts and close up to in-lawn obstacles such as shrubs and around the base of trees requiring additional work. They are, however, invaluable for cutting large areas of flatter lawn in the lowest possible time.
The Pros and Cons
Petrol power is one of the more common types of mowers. They can be noisy but are very effective and can get to places where a ride-on lawnmower or lawn tractor wouldn't be able to reach as previously discussed. If part of the lawn is downhill and the ground isn't even, that wouldn't be much trouble with a petrol lawnmower because, with the user's help, the mower can get to grass in a dip. Some powered lawn mowers come with throttle control, taking off some of the strain on the user's pushing ability. To work the throttle control on these self-propelled mowers, the user only needs to either press down on the throttle or ease up to either increase or decrease the speed of the mower and this throttle control allows the user to mow his or her lawn easily, almost like a ride-on except with more accessibility.
Owners of a petrol-powered mower also don't have to worry about running over a cord by accident and reduces the risk of other garden lovers tripping over the cord. Users with electrics that run on battery power eventually run out of power and need to be recharged which could take several hours. Imagine this: A beautiful, sunny day with a weather forecast that says the rest of the week will be rainy. It's time to mow the lawn but wait, whoever mowed the lawn last time realized the battery had run out and forgot to recharge it. Recharging a 12-volt battery takes a bit of time as opposed to just pulling the starter cord of your powered mower. If the petrol runs out, all one needs to do is make a quick trip to the fuel station to get a refill and the blades of grass can once more quiver in fear.
Just like any mower, there also are downsides to petrol-powered lawnmowers. Noise is one of those downsides, with many places, specifically in the US and parts of Europe, having a noise ordinance which means that they cannot be fired up outside specific times of the day. It also might be a disturbance to nearby neighbors who don't appreciate the noise of a petrol engine in addition to the usual mower sounds. Another potential downside to petrol-powered lawn mowers is the fuel. With petrol prices on the rise, people are trying to avoid using too much petrol and are often aiming to reduce their fuel intake. Depending on the lawn size and type of mower, the average tank may get 3 to 4 mowed lawns before needing more fuel.
Summary
Petrol lawnmowers are efficient and one of the most flexible mowers to choose from. The gardener can choose whether they want a rotary blade or a cylinder or reel blade and they won't have to worry about the distance they can go, whether extension cords might be required in order to mow the entire lawn or whether they are going to run over the trailing cable. The efficiency of time and fuel or key when looking at total cost of ownership and petrol lawnmowers can pay both of these back in spades.
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