Lawn Mower
A lawn mower or lawnmower is a piece of equipment that has one or more revolving blades to cut grass or other plants of a lawn at an even length.
Lawn mower employing a blade that rotates about a vertical axis are known as rotary mowers, while those employing a blade assembly that rotates about a horizontal axis are known as cylinder or reel mowers.
Many different designs have been made, each suited to a particular purpose. The smallest types, pushed by a human, are suitable for small residential lawns and gardens, while larger, self-contained, ride-on mowers are suitable for large lawns, and the largest, multi-gang mowers pulled behind a tractor, are designed for large expanses of grass such as golf courses and municipal parks.
Rotary lawn mowers are often powered by internal combustion engines. Such engines can be either two-stroke or four-stroke cycle engines, running on gasoline or other liquid fuels. Internal combustion engines used with lawn mowers normally have only one cylinder. Power generally ranges from two to seven horsepower (1.5 to 5.25 kW).
The engines are usually carbureted and require a manual pull crank to start them, although an electric start is becoming a sales feature in some countries. In the past rotary lawn mowers had a manually controlled throttle to increase or decrease engine speed. Newer models usually have a pre-set throttle speed that prevents over-revving and improves engine life.
The deck of a rotary lawn mower is typically made of steel. Lighter steel is used on less expensive models, heavier on more expensive, which lasts longer.
Other deck materials include aluminum, which doesn't rust and is a staple of higher priced mowers, and hard composite plastic, which doesn't rust and is lighter and less expensive than aluminum. Electric mowers typically have a plastic deck.
Rotary lawn mowers typically have an opening in the side or rear of the housing where the cut grass is expelled. Some have a grass catcher attachment at the opening to bag the grass clippings. Special mulching blades are available for rotary mowers.
The blade is designed to keep the clippings circulating underneath the lawn mower until the clippings are chopped quite small.
Other designs have twin blades to mulch the clippings to small pieces. This avoids the need for bagging the clippings or raking the clippings. Not only does this save labor, as no organics are removed from the lawn, less fertilizer is needed.
Lawn mower manufacturers market their mowers as side discharge, 2-in-1, meaning bagging and mulching or side discharging and mulching, and 3-in-1, meaning bagging, mulching, and side discharge. Most 2 in 1 bagging and mulching mowers require a separate attachment to discharge grass onto the lawn.
Some side discharge lawn mower manufacturers also sell separate "mulching plates" that will cover the opening on the side discharge mower and, in combination with the proper blades, will convert the mower to a mulching mower.
These conversions are impractical when compared with 2 or 3-in-1 mowers which can be converted in the field in seconds. There are two types of bagging lawn mowers. A rear bag mower features an opening on the back of the mower through which the grass is expelled into the bag.
Hi-vac lawn mowers have a tunnel that extends from the side discharge to the bag. Hi-vac is also the type of grass collection used on riding lawn mowers and lawn tractors and is considered more efficient. Bag mowers are limited to smaller yards unless the operator wants to empty the bag several times during cutting.
Mulching and bagging lawn mowers are not well suited to long grass or thick weeds. According to Consumer Reports, despite all of the new grass collecting/mulching technology, most Americans continue to use side-discharge when mowing.
Rotary lawn mowers come in three price ranges. Low priced mowers use older technology, smaller motors, and lighter steel decks. These lawn mowers are targeted at the residential market and typically price is the most important selling point.
These lawn mowers are sold through large discount and home improvement stores, range between $100-$400 and have a typical service life of 7-10 years. Higher priced mowers are also primarily targeted at residential customers. These mowers have more features and often have heavier steel, composite plastic or aluminum decks.
Most of these mowers are sold through independent dealers who also service the equipment and cost between $400 and $1000. These lawn mowers will last as much as twenty years given regular maintenance.
Commercial grade lawn mowers are the most expensive rotary mowers. They are "targeted" at grounds maintenance companies and other professionals, but are commonly sold to home owners as well.
These lawn mowers feature the latest technology and include features like disk drive, oil filters, and very heavy steel and, more often, aluminum decks.
These lawn mowers are sold through independent dealers who service the product and have a service life far beyond twenty years given regular maintenance. A commercial grade mower typically costs well over $1000.
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