How to mow grass in a suburban area

Grass is a real scourge of the summer resident. Any owner of a piece of land outside the city knows how difficult it is to regularly clean up the lawn. During the phase of the most intensive plant growth (in central Russia it falls on June), this must be done at least once every two weeks. Otherwise, after the rain, you will move around the site wet to the waist, clouds of mosquitoes will divorce in the country, and in the thickets - pincers. And for those who want a perfectly level lawn, they need to mow the grass even more often, about once a week. So mowing devices are an absolutely essential tool in the arsenal of any gardener.

Lawn mowers

A lawn mower is the first thing that comes to mind for a novice summer resident. These devices are equipped with a knife in a round holder, which rotates with a motor, the whole structure moves on wheels and leaves a trimmed strip behind. It would seem that this is an ideal option, allowing you not to spend a lot of effort. However, lawn mowers have one drawback: they are only suitable for very flat areas. Bumps, pits, height differences even 10-15 cm significantly reduce the quality of mowing.

If you have a flat area, you can safely buy a lawn mower. In this case, the first thing to decide is whether it will be gasoline or electric. Gasoline (for example, Makita PLM4626N, CHAMPION LM4627) are not tied to a place, but they cost twice or three times more than electric ones, require careful storage, fuel, and also poison air.

Electric lawn mowers (BOSCH ARM 37, Gardena PowerMax 1100/32) are much more environmentally friendly, but they need access to an outlet to use. However, an inexpensive garden extension cord allows you to safely use this technique even on an area of ​​20 acres. Now there are also battery-powered lawn mowers: for example, Makita DLM380Z, Gardena PowerMax Li ‑ 18/32. But, like any battery technology, such devices are more prone to breakdowns, they are afraid of temperature drops and long inactivity.

Perhaps the most important parameter is the mowing width, that is, the span of the blades. It depends on him how wide the path the mower leaves behind - and how many times you have to walk back and forth to work the entire area.

There are self-propelled mowers driven from the engine to wheels that facilitate movement. This is a useful function, since the grass, especially tall, resists the mower and physical effort is required for mowing.

There are also mechanical mowers - inexpensive, but requiring, accordingly, even greater physical effort (Gardena 330 Classic, Husqvarna 54). They are a roller of knives on a handle, which is rolled on wheels and cut off the grass. They work without electricity at all. In addition, there are now robotic mowers that act like robotic vacuums (Robomow RX12u, BOSCH Indego 350). But, in addition to the high cost (from 40,000 rubles), they may turn out to be even more helpless than an ordinary lawn mower on an uneven area where there are many trees and flower bed.

Don't buy a cheap lawn mower from an unknown manufacturer. When mowing grass, knives and plastic parts inevitably collide with stones, sticks, and low-quality materials can crack at the first obstacle. If you are not sure if such a technique is suitable for your site, it is better to buy a product from a trusted manufacturer in the secondary market.

Trimmers

Another popular garden technique is the trimmer. In fact, it is an electric version of a conventional hand scythe (which is why it is also called an electric scythe). There are trimmers with blades, but in most models the grass is not cut by them, but by "antennae" of thick fishing line, which rotate at high speed around the central axis. The line wears out and needs to be renewed periodically, however on irregular trips to the dacha the coil may last for several seasons.

Due to its design, the trimmer does not cut the grass in strips, but rather in semicircles. You will have to monitor the uniformity of mowing and the same length of cut grass yourself.

Another point to consider is that the weight of the device is several kilogramsthat you have to carry on yourself. Unaccustomed, after a couple of hours of waving the trimmer, biceps can hurt. However, such a device does not care about uneven and neglected areas. In addition, the trimmer is much more maneuverable than a lawn mower, and with it it is easy to get where it will not go: to the grass around bushes or fruit trees in tight corners.

Trimmers are also available with petrol (for example, Denzel DT 43S, PATRIOT PT 443) and electric (BOSCH EasyGrass Cut, BLACK + DECKER GL8033). It is better to choose the one that comes with a shoulder strap and two handles - this will greatly facilitate the work.

Braids

Yes, yes, the good old hand braid should not be discounted at all. If you have a small plot of 6 acres or you need to mow some corner, you may not need a sophisticated technique: the efficiency of the scythe will be comparable to the efficiency of a trimmer or lawn mower.

Such a unit is quite inexpensive, does not require electricity or gasoline. And the work of the oblique is an excellent fitness, if it is correctly selected (the length of the handle must be adjusted to the owner).

The disadvantages include the laboriousness of mowing large areas, the need to regularly sharpen the scythe and the danger of an open blade for children and pets. In addition, according to the saying "scythe, scythe, while the dew", this tool is preferable to use in the early morning, while the grass is wet. Then the vegetation is cut much easier and more efficiently.

Mowers

Mowers are, in fact, a microscopic replica of combines that harvest fields. This is a semi-professional technique designed not only for mowing grass, but also for harvesting hay on farms. Like lawn mowers, they are also rolled around the area, but the cutting elements are much more removed outside and they cope much better with tall and neglected grass (and some even with young undergrowth trees).

There are three types of mowers: beam, rotary, rotary disc. The beam (Eurosystems M80 450 Series Motor Mower, AL ‑ KO 126107 Solo by 532) works like a large garden shears and folds the grass underneath. Rotary mowers (such as the Caiman RM 60S) cut the grass with a blade with blades - they handle debris and mounds, but they cover the grass in a thick layer. Rotary disc mowers are equipped with two discs for cutting any grass and even tree shoots.

The disadvantages of this technique are the high cost (from 55,000 to 300,000 rubles) and high weight. But some models can be used as snowblowers in winter.

Riders and mini tractors

And finally, the most non-standard option for serious summer residents is garden tractors and riders. They are suitable for very large and level areas, for country houses with an adjacent farm, where they live all year round.

Riders (MTD Smart RF 125, MasterYard ES1233M) are small in weight and size machines with an operator's seat, which have a small turning radius. Mini-tractors are already more reminiscent of a machine and a price, they weigh several tons, can have a closed cab and are suitable for long-term operation, including in winter. The cost of riders starts at 140,000 rubles: expensive, but comparable to the aforementioned mowers and sophisticated robotic lawn mowers.

Riders are primarily designed just for mowing grass, and mini-tractors are more multifunctional: additional equipment for snow removal, digging can be attached to them trenches and so on.

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If yours is small and uneven plot, the electric trimmer will most likely be enough for you, in addition to which you should purchase a regular braid to trim the grass in the corners. If you have large areas, you have created a level lawn and are willing to pay to maintain it in perfect condition with minimal physical effort - get a rider or a robotic lawnmower. By the way, the appearance of the lawn depends not only on the mowing, but also on the quality of the initial leveling of the ground and on the type of lawn grass - but that's a completely different story.