What is the best lawnmower?

It comes down to rotary vs cylinder mowers when deciding what is best. Your pick of the two comes down to what sort of cut you want your lawn to achieve and how much time you have on your hands!

Quick - What lawnmower works best?

Cylinder: Showstopper luxury lawns

Rotary: Everyday use family and pet lawns

Cylinder lawnmower

Person with crocs using a bright cylinder mower

A cylinder mower bares its teeth at the front, having anywhere between five and twelve blades that work together with a fixed bottom plate to slice the grass like a pair of scissors. The cylinder mower’s cutting method delivers a better finish than a rotary mower, provided you have the time on your hands – this method requires weekly cutting as a cylinder mower will NOT cut long grass!

Advantages of a cylinder mower

Quality of cut

As well as providing a better cut, a cylinder mower will leave your grass blades feeling healthier after mowing! The scissor action of the cut places the grass under less stress from mowing, meaning quicker recovery, less brown tips, less water loss and, therefore, less likely to get sick from disease!

Finer finishes

Cylinder mowers are perfect for more delicate lawns, allowing you to mow at extremely low heights. Lower mowing will create a dense lawn making for luxurious appearances, especially if you attach a roller chasing after those showstopper stripes!

Multitasker

The blades of some cylinder mowers can be swapped out to work as a rake or even to scarify your lawn, helping to keep up with lawn maintenance and ensuring you have a lush and healthy lawn!

If you are interested in growing a fine lawn, check out our guide on how to care for a fine lawn!

Rotary lawnmower

Close up of orange lawn mower cutting grass

A rotary mower works with one high-speed blade spinning underneath. Instead of the scissor cutting used by the cylinder, the rotary blade chops at the grass on impact due to its high speed. Rotary mowers perform well when cutting your grass higher and less frequently, making this the ideal mower for those who have less time but still want to love their lawn!

Advantages of a rotary mower

Long grass cutting

While cylinder mowers produce the better cut when mowing fine grass, rotary mowers are a step above when it comes to mowing grass with a higher finishing height, thanks to the uplift draft caused by their rotary blade.

Simple to use

Rotary mowers are easy to use on every type of lawn! If you find your lawn has a lot of bumps and dips, you will still be able to achieve the perfect cut using this type of mower. Rotary mowers are also easier to manage off the lawn, with maintenance being at a minimum. While a cylinder mower requires regular maintenance of its blades to avoid chewing the grass and giving a poor cut, rotary mowers will last you anywhere between 2-3 seasons before their blade needs replacing!

Debris tolerance

Rotary mowers are better equipped than cylinder mowers to handle any sticks or stones that may be playing hide and seek on your lawn, thanks to the high-speed rotary blade. Meaning you can get on with mowing your lawn in peace without worrying if your mower’s blade’s next spin will be the last!

Which one do I need to stripe my lawn?

This is a personal preference as you can stripe your lawn with either mower, as long as it has a rear roller. For our full guide on how to stripe your lawn, click here.