When buying a new lawn mower, it is important to consider how you intend dispose of all of your cut grass. In this short article we will try our best to illustrate the advantages and disadvantages for each of the following mowing methods…

• Mulching grass using a conventional mower.
• Cutting grass using a Robot Mower at regular intervals.
• Collecting your grass.
• Cutting and leaving the grass via side or rear discharge. 

 

Mulching

A mulching lawn mower works by repeatedly cutting the grass within the mower deck housing. The idea is that when the grass finally returns to your lawn, it will be so finely chopped you will struggle to see it afterwards.

 

 

Advantages of using Mulching Mowers:

• You will save time by not having to repeatedly reverse to the grass compost heap to unload.
• You will not have a huge pile of cut grass to dispose of.
• Grass clippings act as a good fertiliser for your lawn.
• Mulching mowers are both smaller and lighter than those that collect grass.
• Not having a grass collector allows for articulated / out front mowers.

 

Disadvantages of using Mulching Mowers:

• A mulching lawn mower’s biggest weakness is long grass. If you try to cut long grass the mower will simply leave a mess on your lawn. During the spring when the grass grows more quickly, your lawn may need cutting at least twice a week to avoid this happening.
• The grass clippings despite being very small, tend to stick to your shoes when damp. Which isn’t popular with some people when accidently brought into the house!
• To avoid leaving too many clippings on your lawn, you may have to mow more often i.e. This will cost you more in fuel, as well as your own time.
• Mulching can lead to unwanted weeds being spread around your lawn.
• Although mulching helps to generate grass growth, it can also aid the growth of unwanted moss. A bigger problem for damp UK lawns.
• The stripes created on your lawn don’t look quite as professional as those created by a grass collector mower (with a roller or brush).

 

 

 

Cutting grass using a Robot Lawn Mower

 

Click here to see our Robot Mower Range

 

Technically speaking a Robot Mower doesn’t actually mulch grass. Because they cut the grass continuously and therefore only take off a few millimetres at a time. i.e. It won’t mulch but it will still leave very small clippings on the ground afterwards.

So, the concept (leaving cut grass on your lawn afterwards) is exactly the same but a with a Robot Mower the grass is being mown 24/7. Day and night. And no matter how bad the weather is.

This therefor changes things slightly as you should no longer have worry about allowing your grass to grow too long.

Advantages of using a Robot Mower:

• The job is kept on top of 24/7, wet or dry, and without you even being there.
• Weeds never get the chance to grow or flower because are cut before they ever get the chance.
• Robot Mowers can sometimes cut areas of grass that conventional mowers cannot.
• As Robot Mowers will cut a blade of grass only once (using a razor), they are incredibly energy efficient, cheap to run, and use no fossil fuels.

Disadvantages of using a Robot Mower:

• If for whatever reason your lawn is left to grow long (mower fault, forgot to turn it on whilst on holiday etc), unlike a conventional mower a Robot Mower will really struggle to get your lawn back to normal.
• You will never have nice looking lawn stripes.
• On damp days ad and dewy mornings, grass clippings may still get dragged into the house.

 

 

Grass Collecting Mowers 

Mowers that collect grass are still very popular. Especially with those who like to keep an immaculate lawn.

Click here to see our Walk Behind Grass Collector Mower Range

Click here to see our Ride-On Grass Collector Mower Range

 

Advantages of grass collecting mowers:

• Grass collectors always leave a tidy finish. Even when you let the grass grow too long.
• No cut grass being left on your lawn means that there will very few grass clippings getting stuck to your feet on damp days.
• Grass collectors that are fitted with a roller leave the best-looking stripes.

 

Disadvantages of grass collecting mowers:

• The main disadvantage of collecting your grass is the huge pile of it that needs to be disposed of afterwards.
• There is also a lot of time taken up by having to continuously reverse back and forth to the pile of cut grass to unload. Plus… if the ground is wet tyre marks will soon appear in areas that get repeatedly driven over.
• Collector mowers tend to be bigger and heavier.

 

 

Side or Rear Discharge Mowers

It would be unfair to compare Side and Rear Discharge Mowers with Collectors and Mulchers. Simply because this added feature nearly always comes as an extra to other types of mowers. 

Ever wondered why some mowers have this feature? Having the ability to discharge freshly cut grass without having to mulch or collect it, allows the user to cut very long grass without straining the machine.

Therefor it is important to have this feature if you know that you will be having to cut very long grass in the future.