If you’ve been mowing your lawn for a while without thinking about how the technology actually works, then you’re in the right place. in this article, we’re going to look at exactly how does a lawn mower work?
The reality is, there are a few different types of lawn mowers. From electric to petrol, rotary, to fixed blade. While many of these lawn mowers have plenty of features in common, we’re going to need to look a few different types for a bit more detail on how each specific sort of lawn mower works.
Cutting a lawn can be stressful, but it’s also a good bit of exercise. It’s important you keep your lawn mowed to a good length for a number of reasons. Not only will your lawn look better, you’ll also be able to see things like wildlife better. You’ll also be able to see if anything is lost or stuck in the grass, rather than hidden.
How often you mow your lawn will depend on the sort of grass you’ve got and the sort of finish you like in your garden. The season and weather conditions will also make a difference.
Have you seen those robotic lawn mowers recently? These look set to become more popular as remote and automated systems become better. We’re going to look at how they work, too. So let’s get started. How does a lawn mower actually work?
How does a lawn mower work?
First, let’s have a look at one of the most standard types of lawnmowers. Whether it’s powered by electricity or a petrol engine, most standard lawnmowers work with a rotary blade. These are known as rotary lawn mowers.
With a rotary lawn mower, the rotary blade is turned by a motor. This motor can be powered by a number of different methods, as we’ll look at later.
With any lawn mower, you will mow the lawn up and down and collect the grass. You can mow different patterns if you like. Some lawn mowers have seats and can be driven. These are normally much bigger lawnmowers but still have large rotary blades at the front, so they use the same technology. These seated lawnmowers are good for large areas of grass and can be driven like a normal vehicle. They don’t normally need a license, but you will need to be careful. You’ll actually need to be careful with any sort of lawnmower as they are powerful bits of machinery. Don’t ever go near the blades while the lawnmower is running.
Seated lawnmowers normally run on petrol and have an engine. Some standard non-seated lawnmowers will spread the grass evenly over the lawn, while others have collection bins that need emptying regularly.
Motor engined lawnmowers run on either two or four cycle engines. Two-cycle engines use a gas (petrol) and oil mixture. You can normally pick up lawnmower fuel from most hardware and DIY stores, as well as some supermarkets. Don’t ever use fuel that isn’t compatible with your lawnmower. make sure you’ve checked all the instructions and read the manual carefully.
Four cycle lawnmower motors just run on petrol, and have another system for lubrication. Some other lawnmowers are becoming popular, and these are rotary mowers that are powered by electricity. These can either be via a battery or electric cord.
Rechargeable battery mowers can be convenient because you can just plug them in and let them power themselves, unlike standard fuel mowers where you need to keep refilling with petrol. However, battery-powered mowers aren’t often as powerful as standard petrol mowers. You need to consider what works for you and your garden. Remember that access can be difficult with a corded mower and you’ll always have to be near a power point. While extension leads are possible, these mowers aren’t ideal for larger gardens. You can also now get solar paneled lawnmowers which obviously power themselves, but are only ideal for people in the right climates.
A throttle is normally attached to the motor and is controlled on the handlebars of the mower. This can be squeezed to give the mower more power and make it go faster. It keeps fuel moving to the motor. The motor will shut off when there is no pressure on the throttle at all. This is a safety measure that helps prevent injury or accident. Not all motors have adjustable speeds, but many do these days.
The motor will turn to power a blade. This is normally the rotary blade we just talked about. The blade spins really fast and is powerful. And dangerous, so be careful. The fast spinning blade will cut the grass as it goes over it. The tips of the blades are the sharpest points and do the cutting. One thing to look out for is blunted mower blades. While they don’t need to be as sharp as a knife, keep a look out to see when the blades might need either repairing or replacing.
Some mowers will cut the grass into very small pieces which can be spread across the gaden rather than collected. Others have their own collection bins that are placed in the right position to collect the grass as it has been cut.
While most mowers work like this, there are a few variations. You can also now get automated robot mowers. These are small electric units that can be programmed to mow your lawn automatically. They have software that makes sure they cut every part of the garden, and can then dock themselves and recharge. These mowers are much quieter and can be set on timers to mow every few days or weeks. You can even mow when you aren’t even home or in the garden with them, but they aren’t as powerful or fast as traditional mowers.
Working out how lawnmowers work can help you understand the technology a bit better. If you’re looking to buy a new one, you now know a bit more about what to look for.
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