What type of lawn mower should I get?

[Shane]

I’ve just bought my first house and need to invest in a lawn mower. We have an average sized backyard and there’s also some grass out the front but my needs are pretty modest. I have no idea what to look for. Can anyone give me some advice? I’m particularly confused on the benefits/drawbacks of 2-stroke versus 4-stroke. And are electric mowers now worth considering?

[stupidfish]

Hi Shane,

I work for Bunnings but I also only recently bought my first lawn mower and I have to recommend a cordless battery powered mower. It may not have the same guts as a 4 stroke mower but the convenience of no cords and no petrol is a winner.

I only have a very small area of grass so was happy with the Ozito - you may be happy with that but you can also get a Victa or Ryobi cordless mower as well.

This is the one that I got: http://www.bunnings.com.au/ozito-power-x-change-cordless-mower-and-trimmer-combo-kit-_p3380949

Hope that helps.

[Deanna]

Hi @Shane

I recently bought an electric lawnmower from Bunnings. I purchased the Ozito 1400W - and I am happy with the purchase.  I no longer need to worry about having petrol on hand, or the hassle of the pull start.

I just need to remember to keep the extension cord out of the way  LOL

Let us know what you end up getting.

Deanna 

[Kermit]

Good question, I’ll be interested to hear people’s opinions. I see plenty of manufacturers are now selling electric mowers with the same interchangeable Lithium battery pack as other tools. This seems like a convenient and smart option. I still have a two-stroke that's about 10 years old but I do like the idea of ditching the petrol mower. It’s messy and can be a little inconvenient having to get petrol in a jerry can, mix it with oil, etc. It is also starting to blow a lot of smoke. I bought a two-stroke because I had heard they were a little easier to maintain in that you don't need to have seperate oil and fuel top-ups. 

[Jackson · Accepted solution]

I grew up with an engineer dad who demanded perfection in his lawns down to the millimetre, so I never really got a chance to have a go on his trusty petrol mower... but I do have a bit of experience with battery-powered mowers.

I wouldn't recommend getting one if it's the only battery-powered tool you're going to own, because you'll spend half your time waiting for batteries to charge before you can finish the job. I'd only go the battery option if you're planning on buying a few different tools with batteries to share between them. That way, you're always using one battery while you charge another.

If you do decide to go down the battery path, there are a few manufacturers offering the 'one battery for all your tools' type range so I'd shop around and see which one suits your needs the most.

[Helen]

I purchased a Ryobi 36v battery mower from Bunnings, the best thing ever I just love it, it works hard, no 'pussyfooting around" I love that I can mow my lawn myself. I don't have the strength anymore to pull start things!  

[greygardener]

I just got a Victa battery-powered mower. No more mixing petrol and oil, no more fumes and no more struggling to start it. I'm looking forward to the grass growing so I can mow it!

[greygardener]

Used the new mower for the first time on the weekend. It is fantastic. So light and easy to maneuver. No fumes and very quiet. The grass was a little wet from recent rain and it coped with no problems so it certainly seems powerful enough for my needs. Battery is quick to recharge and lasted for enough time to thoroughly mow the lawn and nature strip. Very happy with it. Don't think I could ever go back to petrol now. The only downside is that the cutting width isn't as wide as my previous mower but as its much lighter and easier to push I think it was probaby quicker than my old mower anyway.  

[Dark]

Hey there

When i laid my grass 2 yrs ago i had no idea what i was getting into. Lawn sort of became a hobbie for me. I started off with a 4 stroke rotary mower that ran off normal petrol and a bunnings manual push lawn cutter with a bag. After awhile i decided to test run a battery rotary and did the same job. Battery charges on electricity and no power chords down side just not much guts and less run time where petrol more guts and longer run time and the manual push cutter well that all depends on your fitness. I eventually borrowed a cylinder mower (look up in google for description) and got a nice cut that was more even like a bowling green. All comes down to how much you wanna spend and how much pride you wanna take. Higher end will be the cylinder mower followed by battery then petrol then the manual push.

[MikeM84]

Depends on size and complexity of lawn, simple and small lawn (electrix or battery is fine)
if your lawn is big or bumpy or on slope, definately a 4 stroke victa or masport would do.
2 stroke vs 4 stroke (2 stroke you need to mix oil and petrol together) 4 stroke you have normal 95 unleaded petrol and separate compartment for 4stroke oil
hope this helps.