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How to choose the right lawn mower

Getting someone else to do a job for you can be costly. But with the right approach you can do a lot by yourself. You’ll save time and money by using the handy step-by-step instructions that you’ll find on the SKIL website. These step-by-step instructions are divided into categories relating to the different kinds of jobs in and around the home, and give you clear, A to Z explanations.

Just click on one of our step-by-step instructions and you’ll be able to get started right away!

  1. The best mower for a small lawn

    A manual push lawn mower or rotary mower is powered by you pushing it rather than by electricity. The blades are mounted in a cylinder, which revolves when the mower is pushed. This produces a precise, even mowing result. The compact design means you can easily manoeuvre a push lawn mower round objects on your lawn. A push lawn mower takes up very little storage space, too.

  2. The best mower for a small to medium-sized lawn

    An electric lawn mower runs on a power source, which makes mowing child’s play. Electric mowers are usually easy to manoeuvre around objects on your lawn. And most electric mowers come with a handy container or bag to collect clippings. They don’t make a lot of noise and they’re available in energy-efficient versions. Be aware that, in compliance with EU law, most electric lawn mowers come with a short cord, so you’ll need an extension cord.

    Cordless and robotic lawn mowers are now also available. They usually cost quite a bit more.

  3. The best mower for a medium-sized to very big lawn

    A petrol mower is often used for bigger lawns. It’s also a very practical solution if you’re a long way from a socket. Petrol lawn mowers are more powerful and heavier than electric mowers and they’re often quite bigger too. A petrol lawn mower is less environmentally friendly, due to the exhaust emissions. You can also get ride-on petrol lawn mowers, which are designed for big lawns and fields of grass covering more than 500 square metres (more than 5000 square foot).

  4. Choose the desired mowing width

    Lawn mowers are available in various mowing widths. As a rule of thumb, the wider the lawn mower, the quicker you’ll get the job done. When determining the right mowing width you should also take account of the size of the lawn. 

    Small to medium-sized lawn
    Here, a mowing width of 29-33cm (11-13 inches) will be adequate. These are often the lighter, compact lawn mowers that are easy to handle and stow away after use.

    Medium-sized to big lawn
    Here, a mowing width of 38cm (15 inches) will suffice.

    Big to very big lawn
    Here, you should go for a mowing width of 38cm (15 inches) or more.

    If you have a big lawn with a lot of trees or bushes, a smaller mowing width may be more convenient.

  5. Adjustable mowing height

    On most lawn mowers, you can adjust the mowing height. In doing so, you increase or decrease the distance between the blades and the ground to cut the grass at just the right height. Some lawn mowers allow you to set exactly the mowing height you want; others have a choice of standard heights.

  6. Power

    A lawn mower’s power and speed are mostly stated in wattage and the number of revolutions per minute. As a rule of thumb, the smaller the lawn, the less power is needed to mow it. So electric lawn mowers are available in 500 Watt versions, but also in 1300 Watt versions. Petrol lawn mowers are usually more powerful than electric ones, which makes them well suited to mowing bigger areas.

  7. Grass collection

    Some mowers leave the mowed grass behind on the lawn. You need to rake up all the clippings, which can take quite a long time if you have a big lawn. That’s why many mowers come with a container or bag to collect clippings. Saving you a lot of time and effort.

  8. Mowing mulch

    A mulching mower is another option. This type of mower cuts the grass clippings into tiny pieces and blows them evenly into the grass. This prevents the soil from drying out and gives fungus less chance to develop. The grass clippings form a compost that acts as a source of natural nutrients for the lawn.

  9. Strimmer

    A strimmer is a convenient solution when you need to tidy up along walls, fences and flowerbeds – or simply trim the edges of your lawn. Basically, anywhere you cannot easily get to with a regular lawn mower. And a strimmer is the ideal tool for small pieces of grass on uneven ground.

    Low-power strimmers are well suited to trimming lawn edges, whereas the more powerful versions can be used to mow weeds and tough, higher grasses. Strimmers have a plastic blade or a nylon line. The big advantage of a nylon line is that, if it breaks, only a small piece of the reel is lost. The line can then be extended, either automatically or by hand.

    You should always wear safety goggles, long trousers and full shoes when using a strimmer.

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