What Type Of Lawn Mower Gives The Best Cut? The Answer May Surprise You!

The Best Types Of Mowers For a Clean Cut

If you wondering what type of mower you should get for the best cut, then you need to look at all the options on the market, including there blades to figure out what suits your lawn.

There is no particular type of mower that will give the best cut to your lawn, as there are too many variables at play, such as the health of your lawn and the blades you are using. 

To make things easier for you, we have put together a small guide about the types of mowers out there and the types of blades you can get with your mower, so as you can decide which combination is the best for cutting your lawn.

What Types Of Lawnmowers Are There?

Before we can figure out which mower will give the best cut to your lawn, we need to familiarise ourselves with the different types of mowers on the market first, as you can decide which power will be best suited to you.

Push Mowers

One of the first mowers we will discuss are push mowers, these types of mowers are also called reel mowers and operate there cutting blades with the force of you pushing.

These mowers tend to use a cylinder blade system and are best suited to small flat gardens without any slopes. They are also very cheap and easy to maintain.

The downfalls to these kinds of mowers are that they might not give the best cut in comparison to other more powerful mowers, especially on thicker lawns. They are also very time consuming so not suited to larger lawns.

Pros

• Affordable.
• Great for small gardens.
• Little maintenance.

Cons

• They aren't very powerful, so don't give the best cut.
• Time-consuming.
• Can't handle thick grass.

Electric Mowers

Electrical mowers are much less common nowadays due to the rise of battery-powered mowers which don't have a cord.

These mowers are pretty powerful but are still only suited to small lawns because of there cord, the corded system also means you never run out of power.

The drawbacks of this electric mower are the cord which is restricting when mowing, meaning they can't be used for larger lawns, otherwise you would have to have a very long cord.

Pros

• You never run out of power.
• Good for small lawns.
• More powerful than push mowers.

Cons

• A cord is restricting.
• Not good for large lawns.

Battery Mowers

Next up we have battery mowers. These mowers operate with rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and don't need much maintenance.

They come in push or self-propelled form and are very environmentally friendly, another plus is that they don't have a cord, which gives you much more freedom.

The downfalls of battery mowers are the fact you will run out of charge eventually, which can be annoying when you are halfway through mowing your lawn.

Pros

• Not a lot of maintenance is needed.
• Environmentally friendly.
• No cord.

Cons

• The battery will run out of charge.
• Can be expensive.
• Not as powerful as petrol mowers.

Petrol Mowers

The last mower type we will go over is petrol mowers. These mowers operate with an engine and come in two strokes or four-stroke engines, meaning you will have to put fuel and oil or either according to what your mower needs.

These mowers are great for tackling long and thick grasses and come in push or self-propelled form. Price-wise these mowers are also not that expensive.

Drawbacks of petrol mowers are that they are not environmentally friendly and they need a lot of regular maintenance on their engine. They can also be very loud.

Pros

• Best for thick grass.
• Affordable.
• Can be used on large gardens.

Cons

• A lot of maintenance is needed.
• Not environmentally friendly.
• Loud.

Overall, so as you can judge which type of powered mower will give the best cut to your lawn, you need to take into account what kind of lawn you will be mowing.

Petrol self-propelled mowers will give the best cut on a large and thick lawn, however, push reel mowers may give a better and more controlled cut on a small garden.

What's The Difference Between Rotary & Cylinder Mowers?

Rotary and cylinder refer to the type of cutting blades that come with your mower.

Both types of blades will give a slightly different cut to your grass and have there pros and cons depending on what lawn you have.

Cylinder Mowers

Mowers with a cylinder blade system use a scissor-like action to cut grass and are located at the front of your mower, they can have several blades, with some having up to twelve, the more blades you have, the better your cut will be.

This type of blade cutting action is considered the 'best' for your grass and will give a good finish, they also have more range of cutting heights.

The negatives of cylinder style blades are that they will need constant adjustments so as you can get the best finish to your grass.

Pros

• They give a clean cut to your lawn.
• More range of cutting height.

Cons

• Needs constant adjustments.

Rotary Mowers

Rotary mowers on the other hand use one high speed rotating blade underneath the mower to cut grass. These type of blades do not need adjusting that often and work well if you have a medium height lawn.

Downfalls of rotary style blades have to be their lack of cutting heights, their quality of the cut is also said to be poorer than cylinder blades but this isn't that noticeable.

Pros

• Don't need adjusting.
• Work well on medium height lawns.

Cons

• Poorer quality cut.
• Lack of low cutting height.

To conclude, cylinder mowers are probably the best if your looking to get a professional cut on your lawn, however, rotary mowers can also do a great job so the decision is up to you.

Does Cutting Width Matter?

Cutting width does matter on a mower as it will control how much grass you can cut each time you mow.

So for the best cut on a large lawn, you would need a bigger cutting width and vice versa for a smaller lawn.

If you use a larger cutting width on a small lawn then it will be much harder to navigate the mower, especially in tight areas, a smaller cutting width on a bigger lawn will mean it will take longer to finish mowing.

We have listed out the ideal cutting widths and mower types for each lawn size below.

• Small lawns - You should use a cutting width between 30-34cm and either electric, battery or push mowers.
• Medium lawns - A cutting width between 35cm and 40cm is the best in this case and electric, cordless and petrol mowers will do the job.
• Larger lawns - Look for a cutting width bigger than 40cm and stick with petrol mowers.

Extra Tips To Get The Best Cut With Your Mower

Now we know which types of mowers suit what lawns, and how rotary and cylinder mowers differ in there blades, we have a few tips below that can help improve the cut quality of your mower.

• Keep your blades sharp - Sharp blades can affect the quality of your cut, making it cleaner and allowing you to not have to pass a piece of grass multiple times. A blunt blade will tear your grass rather than cut it.
• Mow at the correct time - Mowing early morning or night gives your grass some time to heal before the sun comes out.
• Overlap when you mow - So as you can make sure you have an even cut on your grass overlap each run you make slightly each time you mow.
• Don't cut more than one-third of your grass - Cutting more than one-third of your grass could potentially damage it as the sun will be able to reach the roots of your grass.
• Mow in patterns - Putting a roller with your mower can create stripes on your lawn and make you're cut look more professional.

Frequently Asked Questions About Which Mower Gives The Best Cut?

What are the best mowers for getting a good cut on large lawns? 

For larger lawns we recommend cylinder mowers or rotary which are petrol driven and self-propelled, you might also want to consider investing in a riding mower.

How often should I sharpen the blades for a high-quality cut? 

This depends on how often you use your mower and the quality of your blades when they start to cut grass in uneven patterns and tear the blades - these are some sure signs your blades need sharpening.

Should I cut wet grass on my lawn?

You should avoid mowing your lawn when the grass is wet as it can form in clumps and make it difficult to mow.

Last Words

Overall, there is no specific type of mower that will give you the best cut, as each type of mower and blades have their advantages and disadvantages, suiting different sized and types of lawns.