Scythes and trimmers or how to create the perfect lawn

The 10 best models of equipment for mowing the lawn: How to mow the grass in the cottage?

For a green lawn to look neat and beautiful, you need to regularly mow the grass. There are many devices and mechanisms that can be used for this purpose. Which method of mowing is better to choose, think below.

The right equipment for mowing the lawn can give it a perfectly flat surface and save time spent on lawn care.

What types of equipment can I use?

You can use all sorts of things for your lawn – a trimmer, lawnmower, tiller, hedge trimmer or lawn mower.

Which equipment you choose depends on both the size of your lawn and its purpose.

Large golf courses need a perfectly smooth cut so that the ball rolls over the surface freely. Such courses are therefore usually mowed with a specially equipped tractor or lawn mower.

For small cottage plots fit trimmer or power tiller. And in the absence of the necessary equipment on the farm, you can use a brush cutter or scissors.

A tractor with special equipment

Professional tractors are tractors that are equipped with several gears, hoppers, reversing, different ways of unlocking and height adjustment. Such equipment is used not only for mowing grass, but also for screeding (clearing of moss), ventilation (loosening the soil).

The advantages of tractors are:

• good maneuverability, including on plots;
• the ability to quickly and easily cultivate large areas;
• Versatility, availability of various attachments;
• Convenient operation.

Of the disadvantages can be distinguished:

• High cost;
• Poor maneuverability in rough, uneven areas, in difficult, narrow places.

Secateurs

Secateurs – a garden unit in the form of scissors with sharp awls and a spring handle. Although pruning shears are designed to trim trees, bushes and weeds, they can also be used to trim small lawns or their hard-to-reach areas if needed.

Advantages of using a pruning shear include:

• Budget cost;
• The ability to neatly trim vegetation to cut flowers, shrubs or trees.

Disadvantage: time-consuming mowing process when working with large lawns.

mower

A lawn mower is a device on wheels, which can run on a gasoline engine from electricity or a battery. Such devices are equipped with the function of setting the height of the grass. To do this, you need to reduce or increase the height of the cutting blade relative to the floor surface.

Cordless mechanisms are the most convenient and mobile, but are characterized by limited operating time. Electric ones can be used on small lawns, the size of which does not exceed the length of the power cable and wear. Gasoline ones are often used for mowing large areas – soccer fields, stadiums, but they work louder compared to the previously listed models.

Also, homemade and non-homemade mowers come in homemade and non-homemade mowers. The latter need to be pushed forward, while the latter can be followed simply by walking behind, holding the handles and determining the direction of travel.

You can highlight the advantages of a lawn mower:

• Quick and easy mowing of large areas.
• The high mowing quality. Especially annoying are flat, rotating lawns, so they are usually used to care for a game of golf, as the ball can only roll on perfectly flat grass.
• The presence of a mowing height adjustment function.
• Well-known models make it easier for you to move when the lawn is on a slope.
• The presence of a special tank for collecting the mowed grass.
• Some models are equipped with the function of shredding the mowed grass.

Disadvantages

• High price.
• Low efficiency while working on BUGR sites.
• Impossibility of quality mowing in hard-to-reach places, explained by the narrow areas under the benches.

Mower

The brushcutter is a gasoline mower with a straight boom, bicycle handles, forged shaft and handle straps. Thanks to the powerful gearbox, it is possible to install a blade or a multi-disc hard disc.

The units are not only suitable for mowing small garden plots of up to 20 acres, but also on plots of several hectares.

Advantages of a power tiller:

• Fast and easy mowing;
• Independent work, mobility;
• Availability of additional attachments: mowing heads and knives, brushcutters, special cutters.

The disadvantages of units include:

• During prolonged work, the ranger mount puts pressure on the shoulders, the back can get tired;
• The inability to create a perfectly smooth surface.

Trimmer

Trimmer is a hand-held tool for mowing lawn grass, made in the form of a rod, which has a handle, as well as a special spool and an electric motor. To put the device into action, all you have to do is plug it in. For mowing areas of a large area, an extension cord with a cable of the required length is used.

Some models of trimmers are equipped with a gasoline engine, with which you can work without wires and wear and tear.

Depending on the model and manufacturer, the trimmer can be:

1. Cordless – such devices are characterized by mobility, the battery capacity is usually enough for 1 hour of work.
2. With the upper location of the engine – they have a high performance. In appearance, such trimmers are similar to a motor-block and can work with a knife or fishing line.
3. With the bottom-mounted engine – less powerful, compared to the previous ones, the scythes can be reached only on fishing, they are lightweight and easy to use. However, when working with large weeds, hard and wet grass can cause problems.

The advantages of the trimmer are:

• relatively low cost;
• convenience when working in open areas and in difficult places, for example, to work around flower beds, near curbs and benches.

Disadvantages

• You can use network devices only if you have access to electricity.
• Limited battery life;
• Some underpowered models can not qualitatively load the wetland.

bot

With the help of pruners usually form hedges. In the absence of a trimmer or lawnmower in the household, they can be used to cut the lawn grass.

The equipment is a long blade with serrated edges. The device can be powered by a battery, electric or gasoline engine.

The advantages of black trimmers are as follows:

• low weight;
• relatively low cost;
• The possibility of changing nozzles with different types of blades;
• easy mowing of large weeds;
• Maneuverability.

Cons:

• Inability to create a perfectly smooth surface;
• Disadvantages: You have to bend down low to mow lawn grass.

secateurs

There are many different models of secateurs, which can be mechanized or manual.

With the help of lawn shears spend mowing the grass in small areas, as well as in those places where they could not be mowed during the work of the lawnmower, tractor.

It is advisable to use hand shears for small beds with flowers and other decorative plants, between which the lawn grass will be sown.

The advantages of secateurs can be called:

• inexpensive;
• convenience when working in hard-to-reach places.

Disadvantages

• The work with shears requires a considerable amount of labor and time;
• the impossibility of obtaining a perfectly smooth and high-quality surface.

Read more about pruning shears in this article.

Why is it better to cut by hand?

There is no point in buying expensive equipment for mowing the lawn in a private yard or at the cottage. Usually in such cases, manual mowers are used – devices: trimmers or gasoline mowers. But even in its absence, the lawn can be kept in order, taking an ordinary hand, a knife with a sharp blade, a garden scythe, scissors or an old sickle inherited from his grandfather.

Knives or scissors are in every home, but their use requires considerable labor and time. In addition, uncomfortable scissors in a long haircut can damage the skin of the hands.

A scythe or sickle is a more convenient option, but these tools are not able to cut the grass at the same height, and the lawn after their use may not look too neat. Do not take a sickle or scythe if you have no experience with them – it can lead to injuries.

Best lawn mowers

The top 10 best lawn mowers include the devices listed below.

Self-operated lawn mowers

The work process is most facilitated by the ability to steer with a joystick or programmer to the desired distance and mode.

Such devices include the following.

Makita

The self-powered lawnmower powered by a 2600W gasoline engine is capable of combining areas of up to 2200 m². The working width is 51 cm, the cutting height is 25-70 mm. There is a manual control. The price of the device is 38300 rubles.

Husqvarna lb 256s

Rotary art device is suitable for mowing flat areas with a steel cutting deck. Cutting width is 56 cm, there are 7 levels of mowing height adjustment from 25 to 75 mm. The maximum speed is 3.6 km/h, the power of the gasoline engine is 2.4 kW. The price of the unit is 44,000 rubles.

Conventional lawnmower

Compared to self-propelled, these devices are less in price and require manual control: the lawnmower is held by the handles located behind, and directed in the right direction.

Al-Ko 3.82 SE

Powered by electricity, lightweight and maneuverable model, which at the same time collects the vegetation in the 37-liter grass collector. Cutting height 20-60 mm, the engine power of 1400 watts, cutting width of 38 cm. The price of the unit is 11 000 rubles.

Patriot Pt 1433e

Model on the electric motor power of 1400 watts with a plastic grass collector of 30 liters allows you to cut a strip width of 32 cm. The height of the cut is 25-65 mm. The price is 8 000 rubles.

Mower

Comfortable and relatively inexpensive machines are suitable for mowing lawns with incomplete coverage, are lightweight, maneuverable and work longer.

Oasis TB-100 Eco

Model with manual control based on 1,3 liters gasoline engine. C. and a 1-liter tank volume. It can work both with a fishing line and a knife. The body is made of plastic and metal, the weight of the device – 8.6 kg. The cost of the model is 6100 rubles.

Champion LMH5637bs

The wheelchair works with a gasoline engine rated at 3.7 kW. It is equipped with a fuel tank of 1.5 liters, its width is 56 cm. The weight of the unit is 36 kg, the price – 18500 thousand rubles.

Trimmer

Unlike the power block, trimmers are designed for domestic use and have less performance, functionality and price.

Daewoo datr 450e

Electric trimmer has a telescopic handle, which shreds the grass to a width of 9 inches and weighs only 1.4 weighs only 3 kilograms. Grass is cut with a 1.2 mm thick fishing line. The price of the model is 2,390 rubles.

Ryobi One+

Electric trimmer can run on battery power and shred grass with a thick 1.6 mm line. The cutting width is 25-30 cm, the weight of the device – 2.3 kg, the cost – 9 000 rubles.

electronics

Such electric devices are designed for mowing the edges of lawns. Usually there are three parts in the kit: scissors, scissors with wheels and a telescopic handle, which allows you to cut the grass without bending over.

Gardena Comfortcut Li

The model weighs 1.3 kg and is equipped with a 3 Ah battery, which is enough for 80 minutes of autonomous work. The cutting width is 80 mm, such shears perfectly cut both lawn grass and weeds and bushes. The price of the model is 8500 rubles.

Bosch Isio 3

The device on a lithium-ion battery provides autonomous operation for 50 minutes. The model is equipped with several attachments, weighs only 500 kg. The cost is 6000 rubles. If necessary, you can separately purchase a telescopic rod with wheels, the price of which ranges from 900 to 1300 rubles.

Women

If the lawn is cared for by a woman, then when choosing a technique for mowing, you should give preference to light, small models, which are characterized by simplicity and control.

In the absence of an opportunity to purchase an expensive self-propelled lawnmower, you can pay attention to a fairly light electric model al-Ko 3.82 SE, with which even a person of retirement age or a child will cope.

Because of its heavy weight and more complex construction, it is better not to use brushcutters for women, and the trimmer with a telescopic rod and its small weight – the most suitable option.

Manual

For manual trimming, it is most convenient to use electric trimmers with a telescopic handle with a stand on wheels. If there is no desire or possibility to buy such a device, any tool available in the household will do – secondary scissors, ordinary scissors, sickle, scythe.

On small and uneven areas

It is most convenient to mow small areas with a power tiller or trimmer. Uneven lawns are treated with the same tools or electric shears without a handle and wheels.

Can I make a device for mowing with my own hands?

The easiest and most common option for making a device for mowing the lawn independently is to replace the grinder on the trimmer.

This will require:

1. Attach the cutter from the shovel to the handle of the grinder (the easiest way – duct tape).
2. Nuts are inserted into the holes, and then a fishing line is screwed on.
3. If you want and know how to work with a welding machine, you can additionally make a protective cover. However, in this case, the tool cannot be turned back into a grinder.

Why is it important to choose the right one?

To maintain the beautiful, well-groomed look of a green lawn, it needs to be mowed often. Choosing the wrong grass mowing equipment or tool leads to increased labor and time costs, and can cause back pain over a large area due to the use of an uncomfortable device.

If there is no power source nearby, it is worth buying a power unit that runs on a battery or gasoline engine. And if you need to get a perfectly smooth lawn, it is better to give preference to professional lawn mowers.

video on the subject

About tools for mowing spider grass is told in the video:

Conclusion

Lawn grass needs to be mowed regularly. To ensure that the process of lawn care does not take a lot of time, effort and nerves, it is necessary to choose the right equipment for mowing the grass.

As a rule, a trimmer becomes the best and more affordable option for taking care of the lawn at home or at the cottage. Lawn grass growing in small areas, such as flowerbeds, can be cut with a secateurs, regular or brook one. If you plan to play golf on the lawn, it is worth buying a good lawn mower or mini-tractor, equipped with special blades.

How to make your lawn even prettier: useful lawn mower features for perfect mowing

I’m sure that after the second part of my story about the Karcher LMO 36-40 Batty Set battery, you were intrigued, because I promised to tell you about additional features of its functionality.

Where you can put the Karcher LMO 36-40 Batty battery pack

You already know how to assemble Karcher lawnmower (I wrote about it in the first part), after the test of time you understand how long battery lasts, and with your own eyes saw how much grass I managed to mow on the lawn and in the protected corners of the plot with high – no, very high! – grass (you will find the proof in the form of a photo in the second story). These are all standard tests – I suggest that we move on to two “chips” of the lawnmower and evaluate their benefits.

Why do you need a comb on the side of the body?

The first thing I wanted to check is the comb for neat cutting the grass along the edge of the lawn (this is how the manufacturer describes its purpose).

Lawn edges are a pain for me. We have no curbs, the soil has settled a lot and there is a sharp stone cut that the paths are lined with. Gradually we are adding soil along the paths, forming a level lawn slope. But this isn’t done everywhere, and it doesn’t work well in all fixed places. So mowing the grass along the lawn edge becomes a walk on a narrow ledge with unmowed tufts on one side and knives on the rocks on the other.

Treating the edge of the lawn

It took me a long time to find the mowing comb in the box, but it turned out that it was already built into the lawnmower. However, I couldn’t get a good look at what it looked like. So we just knew it existed and tested it out.

The result of cutting the edge of the lawn

Of course, no miracle happened, but the result is much better than with other lawnmowers.

The double high edge treatment

What really pleased me was the almost absolute cleanliness of the paths after driving. When mowing lawns with other lawnmowers, a lot of the cuttings fly out from under the blade and fall into the slots in the grass box. Then you have to sweep it up. Here, you don’t have to sweep up anything, so to speak. That’s a real plus!

Almost clean paths.

Mowing the grass alongside beds with borders.

I decided to test the comb again in different conditions. The instructions read: “Hold the mower firmly against a wall.” I don’t have those walls along the paths, but I do have raised beds. Let’s take a look.

Mowing along the wall.

You can see the work of the comb better here. Some of the grass was left flat, but let’s face it, it was obscenely high.

What is the mulching feature for?

The second optional feature is mulching. When you mow with this option, the grass clippings are not collected in the grass catcher box, but distributed evenly over the lawn. This is said to provide extra nutrition for the lawn grass.

To mulch, remove the grass catcher box and install a mulching wedge on the back of the mower.

The mulching wedge and where to install it

Mowing as usual. With a smooth, steady movement, the grass is evenly distributed. However, if the mower turns or goes back and forth, it gets piles. The Kärcher mower’s mulching wedge does its job conscientiously.

The result of mowing with mulching

To be honest, I have to say that I don’t like mowing with mulching. The dried out grass, in my opinion, doesn’t look very groomed and prickly when you walk across the lawn. However, I think if you mow often and only cut a little of the height, it may not be as noticeable. But it will make it easier and faster. With mulch, the last time I mowed was in the fall.

Conclusion after three phases of testing

Modern lawn mowers plus or minus have the same characteristics. Therefore, the choice of a garden helper consists of three stages – determining the type of engine, the required size and evaluation of convenience.

On the advantages of cordless mowers, I have already written in detail in the first part. Electric mowers are inferior in this ranking because of the need for constant connection to the mains. The gasoline engine requires much more maintenance and care. Cordless lawn mowers are quickly ready to start, do not require frequent maintenance and are reliable in operation.

Kärcher cordless mower inspires creativity

The right size of lawn mower depends on the size and nature of the lawn. The Kärcher LMO 36-40 lawnmower is ideal for mowing large, open areas due to its wide mowing surface. It also handles the grass for individual plantings such as trees, shrubs or perennials well. But it won’t go into tight spaces.

Kärcher LMO 36-40 cordless lawnmower Battery pack

I described the test of its basic functionality in the second part of this trilogy. Overall, I give the Kärcher lawnmower twenty out of ten points for ease of use. Every little thing about it is well thought out or simplified to save us time and effort.

I put together a short video for you – the most important and most interesting features in 1 minute.