Push Mowers

Choosing a push mower

Petrol, electric or battery

Petrol remains the answer for large lawns and long, thick grass. Electric mowers are easy to run and maintain and make sense for lawns around 50m² or less if there is a power point nearby. Battery mowers have improved substantially — you get the low maintenance of electric without dragging a cord, with up to around 90 minutes per charge. Avoid very old battery models that only managed 15 minutes, and charge the night before.

Cutting width

A wider deck means fewer passes. Petrol mowers commonly cut 45–50cm; electric and battery models are more often 30–40cm. Ten or twenty centimetres sounds trivial, but on a large lawn it is a dozen extra runs every mow.

Things to check in the shop

The handle should be comfortable and height-adjustable — a turned-up handle is easier on the wrists. Engine controls should be on the handlebar and easy to operate. Cutting height should adjust easily with several positions. Big wheels handle rough ground better, and a lighter machine is easier to turn. Choose a rigid plastic catcher with two handles — one to carry, one to empty — because bag-type catchers shower you in dust.

Mulching

Mulching mowers chop clippings finely and force them back between the blades of grass, effectively composting into the lawn. A standard catcher mower leaves longer clippings that need removing or they smother the grass underneath.