Knowing the Different Types of Lawn Mowers
With the hundreds of varieties that you see in the market today, there are basically two kinds of lawn mowers that will work for you, these are reel mowers and rotary mowers.
In the early 19th century, lawns were usually maintained by hard-working gardeners using scythes and spend many hours just to cut grass at an even length and area coverage.
It was only until 1830 when an English engineer named Edwin Budding invented the first reel mower.
The first mowers were heavy and awkward, but was a great improvement from the scythe.
Over time, engines and other innovations were added, leading to the creation of the rotary lawn mower by Power Specialties of England in 1933.
Reel-type lawn mowers use sharp blades on a revolving cylinder called a reel and when the reel mower is pushed forward - either by muscle or engine power - the reel with the blades move over the grass.
As the mower progresses forward, the rotating blades come in sliding contact with a stationary bar that is parallel to the ground at a particular height for clearance.
The stationary bar is called a bed knife, where the grass is held up and is cut by the shearing action of the reel blades against the bed knife.
The mower can be adjusted to various cutting heights.
Reel mowers can cut lawns depending on the desired grass height and this is why reel mowers are preferred for use on golf courses.
The shearing action of reel mowers make a cleaner cut than that of rotary mowers and often leave finer grass clippings.
Precision blade adjustment is important to a reel mower, since the bed knife must be adjusted at the right position for the grass to be cut properly.
If the bed knife is adjusted too close to the rotating blades, it will only hang up on the bed knife and if the bed knife is too far away from the blades, the grass will not be sheared properly.
Oftentimes, all it takes to make the right adjustment is with a few turns of a screw or bolt to keep the reel properly adjusted and most models even have markings or guides to make it easy to make the proper adjustment.
On the other hand, rotary mowers use a flat horizontal blade that turns at the speed of the engine at variable speeds.
The engine sits on a housing, which is referred to as the deck and an engine shaft protrudes through the deck.
The blade is bolted to the underside of the engine shaft and the underside of the deck provides a clearance from the blade, which acts as a vacuum chamber that lifts up the grass to ensure a better cutting action.
An innovation to the rotary mower is the rotary mulching mower that cuts grass into finer pieces compared to traditional rotary mowers.
Mulching mowers vary from a single blade with non-traditional configuration to two non-traditional blades with a tricked-out deck, but both systems make the most of cutting blade grass several times over until it is cut finely.
They are popular because leaving grass cuttings on the lawn is becoming more popular as a means of fertilization.
Rotary mowers are much easier to use on taller grass, but do not cut as cleanly and evenly as reel mowers.
The spinning horizontal blades for rotary mowers, even with the deck ‘vacuum chamber,’ often causes grass to bend as it cuts and rotary mower blades must be kept sharp in order ensure clean cutting of grass.
However, maintaining rotary mowers are much simpler, since the horizontal blades are easy to remove and sharpen or replace.
As you go along the process of learning what could be the best mower for your lawn, you will gradually be familiar with the various features of each lawn mower type and be able to tell which ones seem right for you.
Take note that there is no point in rushing to buy one unless you are sure of what you need.
Each type has its advantages and drawbacks and by knowing that kinds of lawn mowers that are in the market. You may be able to make that decision to pick the right one that is suited to your needs.
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