Lawn Mower Buying Guide

hi

it's not quite time for us yet, but very soon

we definitely need a lawn mower for the summer, but we still don't really know what kind. I have already looked around a bit, but I’m not making much progress.

lawn area: ~250sqm, max 300

we previously had an old corded mower as renters. The advantage here was that it runs very quietly, you don’t need to provide any gasoline, and starting it is very comfortable (lever forward and off you go). The disadvantage, of course, is that you shouldn’t/can’t mow over the cable and it’s theoretically always in the way. Then there are, of course, cordless devices which do not have a cable. However, I doubt the battery lasts long and loses most of its capacity quickly (2-3 years) so eventually you can’t mow the whole lawn in one go with one charge. Also, battery mowers generally have less power than a gasoline mower.

then there’s the typical gasoline mower. If so, definitely one with self-propulsion. The advantage here is that you don't have cables in the way. The disadvantage, as I see it, is that you often have to pull hard on the cord to start it (not ideal for women/children) and you have to store gasoline somehow. On the plus side, it has the most power and would easily manage taller grass (if you were lazy sometimes).

we don't really have a brand in mind yet either. I would like to get a robotic mower in a few years, but my wife isn’t keen on that. 250sqm can be done quickly with a good mower anyway.

do you have any recommendations? Is it worth buying the devices online (price-wise)?

that's a thing. For me it went like this: I didn't want electric. I had to put up with that long enough with my parents earlier. So gasoline. They also come with an electric starter, but that is usually only installed in the higher-priced models and it wasn’t worth it to me. Colleagues advised me to go with Sabo, but it seemed to me that the name was paid for there. Viking, Honda and Husqvarna were in the close selection. The engine is often the same from B+S, the equipment differences minimal. Briefly I considered a mulching mower, but I wasn’t sure if I had enough diligence for that (mowing at least once a week so it doesn’t get too high). For me it ended up being the Viking MBT 248T. Pricewise, with a 399 MSRP fully okay for me. With wheel drive. Starting it really isn’t like how you know it from grandpa anymore. After one pull it’s on. And you don’t need bear strength for that. Gasoline (regular super) in a 5l canister in the garden shed. When the rest from the canister is in the mower, refill it full again at the next fueling. I mow about 600m2. I wouldn’t buy online. Pricewise I don't think it balances out the disadvantages. The mower came from the dealer in the neighboring town with oil and gasoline filled. If something is wrong with it, I know where to go.

We had a cordless lawn mower from Ryobi with 2x18V batteries. Allegedly for up to 600m² lawn area. If the grass was very low and very dry and I went through it very quickly, I managed to mow about 300m² of our lawn with one charge. Usually, however, I needed 2 charges for wet or taller grass, sometimes 3. With 2 batteries, that means at least 4-5 hours of waiting. Newly sown grass is very dense. The cordless mower is too weak for that. I was therefore faced with the choice of buying a second battery set for almost €200 or parting with the device.

I decided against the cordless mower and in favor of a petrol mower.

Advantage of the cordless mower:
- very handy
- good for small or awkwardly shaped plots up to 150m² or if you have regular time to mow as a retiree.
- quiet
- light

Disadvantage
- expensive
- powerless
- only mowable at the highest height setting, too weak for lower levels.

Electric lawn mower bought from father-in-law. 120 € for 140 sqm lawn

that's enough for us

I have thought about this too.

- Borrowed an electric mower with a cable. That’s creepy. Once and never again, the cable is constantly lying in the way. You bend down more than you mow.

- Battery mower: I only like it moderately, it’s also expensive.

The advantage would have been: I could have stored both variants in the house, I don’t have the garden shed yet.

So: Gas lawn mower after all. Please with drive.
Buy a new one? That then stands outside? Not an option.
Found a 20-year-old mower in a shed at acquaintances, with drive and Briggs & Stratton motor. Price: 0.0 euros. Took it in for service, had it repaired for 82 euros.

What can I say: One pull on the cord last week, it ran again after winter. The mower has enough power – mowing with a gas engine still suits me best.

If I ever buy a new mower, it will most likely be one from Wolf.

Best regards
Thorsten

Sounds like petrol is still the preferred option. The wolf mowers have also really caught my eye: just not quite sure which one actually does the job. It would be nice if it had a mulch function right away.