The Lawn Mower Buyer’s Guide: Everything You Need to Know to Buy the Right Type of Lawn Mower

If you know you need a new lawn mower, but aren't sure how much mower you need or what features you might want, don't worry. We've got you covered. Use this guide to select the right machine, and happy mowing.

Step 1: Walk or Ride?

The first step is the choice between two basic types of lawn mowers: riding mower and a walk-behind. Any more ground to cover than a 1/4 acre, you'll want to ride if for no other reason than to get the lawn done faster.First, make an approximation of your mowing surface. Simply walk off large rectangles , counting your steps as you go. Add up the areas of the rectangles. No need to get too precise here. An average man’s stride is about 30 inches and a woman’s stride is about 26 inches, or measure your own stride for the most accurate measurement.

An acre is 43,560 square feet, so one-fourth acre is 10,890 square feet. Anything above that threshold, and you'll likely want to get a riding mower. In fact, the vast majority of people wouldn’t dream of cutting a ¼ acre of grass with a 22-inch walk mower, but we have to start somewhere. So think realistically about how much time you have to mow your lawn on a busy weekend and select your equipment accordingly.

For lawns from ¼ of an acre to 2 acres, you'll most likely be most comfortable with a rear-engine riding mowers, light-duty lawn tractors, and residential-duty zero-turn mowers. Anything more than two acres and you'll want a commercial-duty zero turn mower.

Step 2: Performance

When you’re thinking about buying a lawn mower, you need to find the mower that matches up with what you need for your lawn. You’ll find that walk-behind mowers have engines that range from 140-cc to 190-cc. Pick the engine size that will handle tasks like cutting through tall grass, wet grass, leaf mulching and bagging.

There are several different engine styles out there, including a side valve engine, engines with overhead valves or a direct overhead valve. An overhead valve engine is quieter and has better fuel consumption typically, but it costs more.

Step 2: Cutting method

There are two main cutting types which you will come across when selecting a lawn mower.

Examples of rotary and cylinder cutting blades

Rotary - a blade which rotates on a horizontal plane

Rotary mowers are the most common and are suited to a wide range of grass cutting. Whether it be caring for a formal lawn, through to tackling fields with longer, rougher grass. Rotary mowers:

give a good cut but not as fine as a cylinder mower

are cheaper to maintain than a cylinder mower

have the grass collector at the rear of the mower allowing easier cutting into corners

are better on long grass as there is no front roller

have blades that are less susceptible to damage

Cylinder - a cylinder of blades which rotates against one fixed blade

Cylinder mowers are designed to give the cleanest cut and can cut down to the lowest heights. They are at home on fine lawns and sports turf where the ground is mostly level. Cylinder mowers:

give a better quality cut on a formal well maintained lawn

will cut shorter than a rotary mower without damaging the lawn

often have a faster forward speed (if self-propelled) than self-propelled rotary mowers

sometimes allow the cylinder to be removed and replaced by attachments from a lawn care system, such as a scarifier

Recommended Mowing Practices

Trim the grass no more than one third of the grass blades’ overall height at a time.

Set up a weekly mowing schedule.

Weeds can be naturally blocked from growing if the grass blade length is three to four inches long.

Change mowing patterns to help keep grass healthy.

It is best to mow the grass when it is dry.

Mowing on inclines and hills can be dangerous.

Wear eye protection regardless of the project size and wear ear protection when using noisy mowers.

Push reel mowers provide the user with a good workout. Keep in mind that users exert only one fourth the amount of energy with a self-propelled mower than with a manual push reel mower.

Recommended Mowing Practices

Trim the grass no more than one third of the grass blades’ overall height at a time.

Set up a weekly mowing schedule.

Weeds can be naturally blocked from growing if the grass blade length is three to four inches long.

Change mowing patterns to help keep grass healthy.

It is best to mow the grass when it is dry.

Mowing on inclines and hills can be dangerous.

Wear eye protection regardless of the project size and wear ear protection when using noisy mowers.

Push reel mowers provide the user with a good workout. Keep in mind that users exert only one fourth the amount of energy with a self-propelled mower than with a manual push reel mower.

Recommended Mowing Practices

Trim the grass no more than one third of the grass blades’ overall height at a time.

Set up a weekly mowing schedule.

Weeds can be naturally blocked from growing if the grass blade length is three to four inches long.

Change mowing patterns to help keep grass healthy.

It is best to mow the grass when it is dry.

Mowing on inclines and hills can be dangerous.

Wear eye protection regardless of the project size and wear ear protection when using noisy mowers.

Push reel mowers provide the user with a good workout. Keep in mind that users exert only one fourth the amount of energy with a self-propelled mower than with a manual push reel mower.