The two most common types of lawn mowers are rotary and reel. Edwin Budding invented the reel lawn mower in 1830. Reel mowers don't have engines and rely only on the muscle power of the operator and the sharpness of the blades. The blades of a reel mower spin at an angle perpendicular to the ground and give a high quality scissor-like cut. Reel mowers are better suited for lawns smaller than 2000 sq. ft. and grass that is cut 2 1/2" and below. Reel mowers are popular among the environmentally conscious folks and those looking for a superior cut. However, rotary mowers are still the most popular type of lawn mower. They have engines and use a blade mounted horizontally that spins as fast as 200 miles per hour. Rotary mowers can chop up twigs, shred leaves in the fall and are much better at cutting tall grass than reel mowers, an important consideration for those who don’t mow their lawn religiously.
For large, flat lawns that are 1/2 acre or more you might consider getting a riding mower or lawn tractor. These mowers have a much larger cutting deck which means the job gets done quicker. If money is the least of your concerns, you should consider a zero turning radius mower. Their rear wheels operate independently which makes quick work of large lawns and provides an extremely fun experience. Be sure you have enough room to store the mower. You also may want to consider upgrading your warranty because some surveys have found that riding mowers and tractor mowers have the worst reliability records of major appliances.
When you spend a lot of money on a machine, you want it to last as long as possible. The best way to ensure that is to set up and follow a proper maintenance schedule. Consult your owner's manual to get started on what your machine needs. You should perform maintenance in the beginning of the season, periodically through the season and at the end of the season. It is even a good idea to perform checks before and after each use.
