Cylinder Lawn Mowers

 

The traditional cylinder lawn mower will give you a great finish and it is this type of lawn mower which you see at such places as Wimbledon and bowling greens. The reason that the cylinder lawn mower gives you such a good result is the cutting method. The blade takes the form of a cylinder and is mounted horizontally. This cylinder spins round and narrowly misses a fixed blade mounted on the lawn mower. As the rotary blades move across this fixed blade the grass is cut, rather like a pair of scissors. This is the main advantage over rotary lawn mowers, as they can sometimes 'rip' the grass, the cylinder lawn mower makes a clean level cut. Following behind the cylinder is a large heavy roller, which helps to level the grass and give a smooth finish with those all important sharply defined stripes.

Lawn Suitability

Cylinder lawn mowers are more suited to level lawns. They tend to be heavier than rotary lawn mowers due to the rear roller. This makes them less manouverable and hence more suited to level even shaped lawns. Again depending on the size of your lawn, you may choose an electric cylinder lawn mower or a petrol one.

Safety Features

The blades on rotary lawn mowers are always metal, so when using an electrical lawn mower always ensure that you use a Residual Current Device (RCD). This is available either as an adaptor which you simply plug the lawn mower plug into, or as a plug that is wired directly to the mower. In fact some extension leads autmatically come with RCDs attached as standard. All RCD's cut the current if there is any short circuit from a cut cable or moisture infiltration. With the electric lawn mower, when you let go of the power switch the lawn mower will stop, however, with a petrol powered mower this may not always be the case.

Maintenance

The main point to remember is to regularly clean the old grass from around the blade system. Wet cut grass can easily build up along the body of the blade cylinder, this then puts the motor under added stress and can burn your mower out. Make sure you clean the mower after each use. It is also advisable to have the blade sharpened at least once a season. If your cylinder mower is petrol powered, then it is advisable to get the lawn mower serviced each season as well.

Accessories

The more expensive cylinder mowers come with a whole host of lawn care accessories. The blade cylinder can be removed and replaced with a scarifier, this then rakes up all the old grass, moss and dead thatch, leaving your lawn able to breathe and allowing new growth to develop. This is a great accessory as it helps you to avoid raking the lawn yourself - which can be a back braking exercise.

Cost

ACylinder lawn mower tends to be slightly more expensive than the rotary style. Prices start from around £50 up to £6-700.

 

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