Gasoline or electric lawn mower; how to choose and which one is better Which lawn mower is better: petrol or electric? Overview of the main features of the devices. Comparison of representatives of different categories. Tips for choosing.
Gasoline or electric lawn mower how to choose and which one is better
Regular care of the lawn guarantees the preservation of its attractive appearance and health. An indispensable assistant in this matter is a lawn mower, a tool that is familiar to almost every owner of a personal plot.
The modern market offers a large assortment of considered devices, differing not only in operational and technical characteristics and cost, but also in the principle of operation and the energy source used.
The undisputed leaders are gasoline and electrical appliances. In the course of studying the information below, you will find out which lawn mower is better: gasoline or electric and how the arguments in favor of this or that option are reasoned.
Key selection criteria
When choosing a lawn mower, you need to compare the available options according to several groups of criteria: firstly, technical and operational properties, and secondly, in accordance with the features and operating conditions. Follow the link where, especially for you, we will tell you in detail how to choose a lawn mower, based on your wishes and preferences. For greater ease of perception, information on this subject is presented in the form of tables.
Table. Technical and operational characteristics
| Assessment criterion | Description |
| Power and noise | Gasoline units, all other things being equal, will be much more powerful than their electric counterparts. Electric mowers are powered from the mains, therefore, the possibility of installing high-power motors on them is simply absent, the generated voltage will exceed the permissible limits and the network will simply fail. Along with the, many models come with a battery that allows you to work up to 2-3 hours at a distance from the power source. The level of noise generated by the tool during operation directly depends on the power of the installed motor. In view of this, the inclusion of headphones in the package of many gasoline lawn mowers is not an attempt by the manufacturer to earn extra money, but an urgent need to protect the user’s hearing. It is important to understand that high power is not always an advantage. For example, it is better not to use a high-performance engine on difficult areas. To understand the essence of the statement, we give a simple example: a site is processed with a medium power tool. A bone dragged by a dog, a small stone or any other hard foreign object gets under the cutting element. What will happen to the engine? It will stall. To resume work, it will be enough to remove the obstacle and restart the mower. |
When using a high-powered lawnmower, such circumstances may lead to damage. The motor will most likely not shut off and continue to rotate seized cutting tools. As a result, the knives will bend, deformation of the shaft and destruction of the bushings will occur, and this already requires expensive overhaul.
Generally to service a medium-sized plot, the capabilities of a model with 6-7 horses will be enough. Buying a more powerful unit in most cases is meaningless and impractical.
The following table provides recommendations for choosing a lawn mower, taking into account the characteristics of the service area and ease of use.
See device selection criteria at.
Disposal of clipped grass
Many modern models combine several uses for cut grass. The simplest is dumping waste directly onto the lawn. This is done backward or sideways. This procedure allows you to mow the entire lawn without stopping.
To get a neat lawn, the waste will have to be removed with a hand tool.
The second option is grass catcher application. It is made from plastic, soft durable nylon, or a combination of soft and hard materials.
It is more practical to use a plastic container. It can be easily emptied and washed with a water jet from a hose.
Third option using the mulching function. The process consists in the use of additional equipment provided with the lawn mower.
By installing a plug in the vent hole, you can use the grass as a natural fertilizer.
Mulching knives will grind the cuttings to a state of dust and bring them into the soil right in the direction of travel. This procedure will heal your lawn in a natural way, without the use of chemical fertilizers.
In combination with mulching, it is better to use aerators and scarifiers. In this way, you can achieve the best nutrition for the roots of the plants and in the future get an ideal green lawn.
User comfort
For the convenience of work, it is better to choose a lawn mower model equipped with soft grips. This feature greatly reduces stress on the hands by minimizing vibration.
Using such a device, you can not feel fatigue in your hands for a long time.
Manufacturers use different systems to adjust the cutting height. It is better to choose a device with central adjustment. This saves the operator from having to adjust each wheel separately.
The handle of such a system is usually easily accessible on the panel.
Noise reduction systems, which are equipped with many models, will also allow you to work in a larger room and not annoy others with loud sounds.
The additional function of a garden vacuum cleaner is inherent in many types of lawn mowers, thanks to the special design of the cutting knives and the deck.
The rapid movement of the knives creates a powerful stream of air that lifts cut grass, small twigs and fallen leaves from the lawn into the collector.
Models with large rear wheels have improved cross-country ability. This feature allows them to overcome small obstacles on the way. It is better if these wheels are made on the basis of ball bearings. This design is the most durable, and its course is smooth and soft.
When the operator releases the throttle grip, the engine stops immediately. This will prevent injury or damage to the device in an emergency.
Mower selection criteria
Before the final choice, you should find out some facts about the site for which the purchase is made, and about the mower itself:
- Grass characteristics: You can use a lower power for mowing lawn grass than for mowing field grass and bushes.
- Lawn slope: A wheeled unit is suitable for areas with a slight slope, but on a lawn with a large slope it is better to use a petrol trimmer
- Plot size: The larger the area, the more powerful the mower should be. The same applies to the volume of the fuel tank and the grass catcher.
Way to travel
Before choosing a lawn mower, you should immediately decide whether you will move it around the site yourself, or it should be able to move on its own. The first ones are distinguished by an affordable price, lighter weight and dimensions. It is easier to store and transport them, but physical effort is required to move them. Women and elderly people should not use non-self-propelled mowers.
By choosing a self-propelled version that moves independently, you can serve larger areas. Human intervention in the operation of such a device is reduced only to the task of the direction of movement.
The equipment is distinguished by relatively large dimensions, weight and price, but it is suitable for work on an area of up to 1.2 hectares and does not greatly affect operator fatigue.
In addition to two-, three- and four-wheeled lawn mowers, there are hover models. Their advantages are high maneuverability and cross-country ability on the territory with uneven terrain. But the costs for such mowers are higher than for the wheeled versions, and they are more difficult to operate, hovercraft are not in great demand and are rare. One of the few electric models of this type available for purchase in 2019, the Flymo Turbo Lite 330, with a mains supply, a 1.15 kW motor and a mowing width of 330 mm.
Manufacturer
Another criterion for choosing a good quality and long-lasting electric lawn mower is the device manufacturer. To buy the most functional and reliable model, you should look for products from the brands Bosch, Oleo-Mac, AL-KO or Gardena. Such equipment will last longer, and it is easier to find a service center serving it.
You can find a lawn mower of good quality in the budget segment, up to 10,000 rubles. One of them is the Makita DLM380Z model with a 620 W electric motor. However, the area of the serviced site is small, only 270 sq. M. This means that the buyer of the mower will have to make a compromise between its performance, costs and reliability.
Deck type
A deck is a part of a lawn mower with knives. Usually, the following materials are used for its manufacture:
- Aluminum is a metal that increases the price of the device;
- Plastic is the most profitable deck material;
- Steel is a medium-priced option.
To increase the service life of your mower, choose the right model with an aluminum deck. It differs from the plastic version in increased strength, from the steel part in its lighter weight and resistance to corrosion. The plastic deck is used in the cheapest mowers. But, sometimes, when servicing a plot of 2-4 acres, it makes no sense to overpay. The engine of inexpensive and low-powered equipment will fail earlier than a plastic deck.
How to choose the right gasoline lawnmowerThe gasoline lawnmower benefits
The main competitor to gasoline lawn mowers is electric lawn mowers. The advantages of gasoline lawn mowers over electric ones are as follows:
- Does not depend on the availability of a power source
- They have a more powerful engine, which allows you to work on large lawn sizes
- agile, because do not have an electric cable that will trail behind and cling to all obstacles.
- The petrol lawnmower can cut even harder grass
- Cheaper to maintain (although they break more often)
Despite this, gasoline lawn mowers have several significant disadvantages, namely:
- Make noise
- Assumes additional material costs for fuels and lubricants (fuels and lubricants)
- Emission of harmful emissions into the atmosphere
- frequent repairs and maintenance
- The design of the engine is built in such a way that when the gasoline lawn mower is operating on hills steeper than 25 °, oil stops flowing into the lubrication channels of the rubbing parts, as a result of which the lawn mower may break.
Types of gasoline lawn mowers
Gasoline lawn mower design
There are several types of gasoline lawn mowers, namely:
By engine type:
- Household (for a plot of up to 8 acres, with a motor resource of 500 hours and having a power of up to 5 hp)
- Semi-professional (for a plot of up to 18 acres, with a motor resource of 700 hours and having a power of up to 7 hp)
- Professional (for sites of any size, with a service life of 1000 hours, power over 7 hp)
Cutting width:
- With a width of 42-28 cm. Suitable for plots of no more than 8 acres.
- With a width of 51-53 cm. Suitable for plots up to 18 acres.
By type of collector:
- With cloth collector (for powerful machines). The dignity is well filled. The disadvantage is difficult to clean.
- With plastic grass catcher. The advantage is ease of maintenance. The disadvantage is poor filling of the container.
- With combined collector (plastic cloth). ADVANTAGES Ease of maintenance, good filling.
By functional features:
- Guide the cut grass into the collection box. These types of petrol lawn mowers do not have the more important functions of mulching and side discharge of cut grass.
- Mulch the soil with mown grass. The cut grass is additionally crushed in the deck of the machine and laid with a thin mulch layer on the lawn. These lawn mowers have an outlet for a grass catcher and a plug.
- Lateral discharge of cut grass. Used when servicing large areas of the lawn.
For adjusting the mowing height of the lawn:
- Individual adjustment. Each wheel of the machine has a separate lever for adjusting the cutting height.
- Central adjustment. The adjustment lever simultaneously controls the entire cutting height.
- Screw adjustment. The simplest and most inconvenient way of adjusting the cutting height, in which the height is set manually by moving the wheel axle up / down.
By type of movement:
- Self-propelled. Has a drive that allows the petrol lawn mower to move automatically. The main thing is to direct it to the mowing area.
- Not self-propelled. The unit is moved manually.
By drive type:
- Front wheel drive lawn mower. It is more maneuverable and can be used on level ground.
- Rear wheel drive lawn mower. Used when mowing grass in hilly areas, because more stable when driving with a load on the rear wheels (driving uphill).