Lawnmowers and powered garden tools

The lawnmower was invented in England: Edwin Budding of Stroud, in Gloucestershire, patented a cylinder mower in 1830, adapting a machine used to trim the nap of woollen cloth. The cylinder design is still made, alongside rotary, hover and robotic machines and a range of powered tools for edges, hedges and leaves.

Types of mower

• Cylinder mowers cut with a rotating drum of blades against a fixed bottom blade, like scissors. They give the finest finish on level, well-kept lawns that are cut often, and cope poorly with long or rough grass.
• Rotary mowers cut with a single blade spinning horizontally. They handle longer grass and uneven ground and are the usual choice for a family lawn.
• Hover mowers are rotary mowers that ride on a cushion of air. They are light and easy to move over slopes and awkward shapes.
• Robotic mowers cut a little at a time within a set boundary and return to a charging station.

A rear roller produces stripes. A mulching mower chops the clippings finely and returns them to the lawn, which feeds the grass and avoids the need to dispose of them.

Power

• Hand-push cylinder mowers suit small, flat lawns and make no noise or fumes.
• Mains electric mowers are light and need little maintenance, but the cable limits their range and must be kept clear of the blade.
• Cordless battery mowers have largely replaced petrol for small and medium gardens. Batteries are often shared between tools from the same maker.
• Petrol mowers suit large lawns and long grass. They are heavier and noisier, and need an annual service.

The width of cut is matched to the lawn: around 30 cm for a small garden, 35 to 40 cm for a medium one and more for a large one.

Trimmers, edgers and hedge trimmers

A line trimmer cuts with a spinning nylon cord and deals with grass against walls, fences and trees where the mower cannot reach. Many turn on their side to trim lawn edges, though long-handled edging shears give a cleaner line. Hedge trimmers are mains, cordless or petrol. Hedges are checked for nesting birds before cutting, and the main nesting season, from March to August, is avoided, since it is an offence to damage or destroy a nest in use.

Leaf blowers and spreaders

Blowers, and blower-vacuums that shred as they collect, save time on large areas of paving and lawn. They are among the noisiest garden machines, and a rake or the mower, set high, does the same job on a small lawn. Fallen leaves left under hedges shelter wildlife, and collected leaves rot down into leaf mould. A wheeled spreader lays lawn feed or seed at an even rate and avoids the scorched stripes caused by overlapping by hand.

Safety

• Mains tools are plugged into a socket protected by a residual current device (RCD), which cuts the power if the cable is damaged.
• Stout shoes and long trousers are worn for mowing, and eye protection for trimming. Ear protection is needed with petrol machines and blowers.
• The power is disconnected, by unplugging, removing the battery or detaching the spark plug lead, before the underside of any machine is touched.
• Stones, toys and sticks are cleared from the grass first, and children and pets are kept away.
• Slopes are mown across, not up and down, with a walk-behind mower.

Wildlife

Hedgehogs, frogs and slow-worms shelter in long grass and are badly injured by trimmers and mowers. Long grass is checked on foot before it is cut. Wildlife charities advise running robotic mowers only in daylight, since hedgehogs feed at night and curl up when threatened instead of moving away.

Fuel, batteries and disposal

Standard petrol in Great Britain has contained up to 10 per cent ethanol (E10) since September 2021. Petrol deteriorates in storage, so only small quantities are kept, in approved containers, and the machine's handbook says which grade is suitable. Lithium batteries are stored indoors, away from frost and heat, and never put in a household bin, where they cause fires. Old electrical tools and batteries are taken to a household waste recycling centre.

Mowing heights and the lawn year are covered under looking after a lawn, hand tools under garden tools, and sharpening and storage under looking after garden tools.