Lawn «stylists»

Neat green lawn in front of the house— the dream of any summer resident. But such beauty requires a lot of work— after all, it must be maintained in proper condition. An old scythe is hardly suitable for such jewelry work, so you can’t do without lawn mowers and trimmers.

What associations primarily arise with the word «mow»? The amazing aroma of freshly cut grass, endless Russian fields and … a stately man who masterfully wields a scythe. The images are really beautiful, but in reality, mowing required considerable physical effort. Modern technologies designed to facilitate human labor have taken their toll, and the scythe has long retired. It was replaced by automated trimmers and lawn mowers. ATideally, it is better to purchase both a trimmer and a lawn mower at once, since the former will get to the most inaccessible places, and working with the latter is much easier.

Suitable size

All land owners, whether they are rural residents or happy owners of «small-sized» 6 acres, are united by the need to mow the grass. This is laborious work, and it has to be done quite often: in order for the lawn to remain neat, it needs to be mowed 2-3 times a day.month (ideal pile height is approximately 40mm). ATIn this article, we will talk about the most common mowing technique for medium-sized plots (up to 25 acres).

There are many different machines for mowing a small lawn. The choice of a particular sample primarily depends on the size of the latter. Everything is extremely simple here, because you will be guided in the same way as when buying clothes. Manufacturers of garden equipment have approved the dimensions of lawns and indicate them in reference materials. So, size S corresponds to a lawn with an area of ​​150m²M— 150-400m²L— 400-1000m².XL— more than 1000m².

All in your hands

The easiest way to clean up a small area (size S)— buy a trimmer. True, it will not be possible to get a real smooth lawn with it: the height of the stems will always be uneven, because, constantly holding the device in your hands on weight, you are unlikely to be able to ensure perfectly even mowing by eye. Mowing grass over a large area with a trimmer is quite difficult, and not everyone has the physical strength to do it. However, manufacturers are trying to improve the quality of the haircut. So, in order to cut grass on inclined surfaces, the working bodies in some models— for example, ART 26 (BoschGermany)— can be adjusted to the appropriate angle. If you do not make high demands on the smoothness of the lawn, a garden trimmer is enough. BUTin order to maintain in good condition certain areas of the suburban area— borders near the fence, hard-to-reach places (say, near the bushes) andt.P.,— it is simply irreplaceable.

The «heart» of the trimmer is an electric or gasoline drive that rotates the bobbin. ATa spool of fishing line is hidden in it, the ends of which (antennae) go out. Under the action of centrifugal forces, the ends of the fishing line straighten and turn into the sharpest blades that cut the grass. Line diameter— 1-4mm: the thicker it is, the easier it copes with large stems and lasts longer. The cutting width is determined by the diameter of the rotation of the ends of the fishing line (usually 28-42cm). Don’t worry, getting started, you don’t have to measure exactly this distance with a ruler: a restrictive cross knife is installed on the trimmer’s protective casing, which automatically cuts off the excess length of the fishing line when the device is turned on.

Over time, the ends of the line wear out and become thinner. This happens especially quickly when they often come into contact with solid obstacles (stones, bushes andt.d.). If the fishing line breaks, it is necessary to restore the working length of its ends, and, depending on the model— differently. So, in the product ET700 (MTD, USA) manual adjustment is provided: the trimmer should be turned off and the ends of the fishing line pulled out to the desired diameter. ATsemi-automatic designs 8110 (Efco, Italy), HBC26SJS (Homelite, USA) lengthen the «antennae» by tapping the reel on the ground. Some owners of such equipment complain that with such a device, the fishing line is spent uneconomically, since it often involuntarily stretches out (for example, if the device hits a bump). ATGL models350 (BlackDecker, USA) the line is automatically extended by 1-2see each time the engine is started.

If you plan to work in harsh environments (stiff stalks, scrub, neglected weeds andt.etc.), which the fishing line is «too tough», take a look at the models that provide the ability to replace the bobbin with the «antennae» with a metal disk with sharp sharpened teeth. ATin any case, remember that it is better to mow tall grass in several passes, removing 10-15cm, otherwise it wraps around the bobbin and blocks its rotation, increasing the load on the engine until it breaks. Therefore, it is more expedient to buy devices with engine protection against overheating and shutdown (then it will simply turn off at a critical load).

Electrical. The most affordable are electric trimmers powered by the mains. They are made in the form of a cane, equipped with a convenient handle with a switch.

When buying a device, you will have to choose a model with the location of the electric motor at the bottom or at the top of the reed. ATin the first case, the reel is mounted on the shaft of a low-power motor (200-500W). As a rule, such a trimmer allows you to bring the final gloss, removing the «roughness» in the appearance of the lawn. This device is quite capricious and is ready to work only with low and soft grass. ToAlso, because the motor is low, the manual does not allow cutting wet grass for safety reasons.

Similar problems are not terrible for devices with an engine power of 600-1300W located at the top of the boom. Rotation is transmitted to the working tool by means of a flexible metal cable passing inside the rod.

Electric trimmers— very practical tools that do not need any consumables other than fishing line. The only thing that significantly limits their use is— the presence of the mains and the length of the electrical cable. However, working with any electric trimmer requires constant attention.— after all, the cable can get under cutting knives or damage green spaces.

Rechargeable. If you do not like fiddling with the power cable, twisting and unwinding it, constantly moving it from place to place so as not to damage the flowers, it is worth getting a cordless trimmer. By design, these devices are similar to electrical ones. They are charged from the network, and then function offline. Instead of fishing line, plastic knives are mainly used here. The time of continuous operation of the battery trimmer, as a rule, does not exceed 30min. During this period, it is possible to process approximately 100m² lawn. Then the battery must be recharged (depending on the model, this takes 3-10h). But the user is provided with a respite. Many of these rates will not suit. But if you still like just such a wireless model, there is an opportunity to cheat: buy several batteries at once and change them in the process.

Petrol. If electricity is not available to you for any reason, you can opt for a gasoline trimmer with an internal combustion engine running on a mixture of gasoline and oil. Structurally, such a trimmer resembles an electric trimmer with an overhead engine, only a two-stroke (less often four-stroke) gasoline is installed instead of an electric motor. Its advantages: complete autonomy, long life of continuous operation, ability to function in rainy weather. But there are also unconditional disadvantages: an increased noise level compared to electric ones, the presence of exhaust gases, the need to purchase and store fuels and lubricants, vagaries at startup (the exact composition of the mixture must be observed).

Increasingly, lawn mowers such as Viking are equipped with mechanisms for mulching, that is, grinding the cut grass with special blades to the smallest particles. To prevent the grass from remaining on the lawn, they are equipped with grass collectors made in the form of plastic containers or fabric bags.

Less effort, more space

If the plot is M or larger, or if you want to create a perfectly smooth lawn (with a deliberately flat soil surface), it is better to take a lawn mower into service. FROMit is easier to work with it, because you do not have to carry it in your hands. The height of the grass can limit the use of such a device: if the area is literally overgrown with weeds to the waist, you should first, using a trimmer, remove at least half the length of the stems. In addition, using a lawn mower, it is problematic to carefully mow the grass around a flower bed or shrub, as well as on an uneven area (with bumps, pits andt.P.). Lawn mowers are diverse: they are mechanical, electric, battery and gasoline.

Mechanical. The most primitive type of lawn mower— mechanical (spindle). It is made in the form of a two-wheeled cart, which is pushed in front of a person. The device does not have a motor and consumes the energy of the user. The working tool of the unit is a drum rotating from the wheels. There are longitudinal bars on it (they also serve as knives), capturing the upper parts of the grass and directing them to a horizontal knife. At the same time, knives in different models «cooperate» in different ways: they are in close contact with each other, like scissors, or there is a gap of about 0.05 between them.mm. The latter option is preferable because it makes the job easier and virtually eliminates noise. Distinctive feature of mowing with a mechanical lawn mower— an even cut of blades of grass, in contrast to the torn edges that remain after cutting with rotating tools (fishing line or knives).

The grass cut by the spindle mowers remains on the lawn, just like when using a trimmer. But some models are equipped with grass catchers, which allows you to collect mowed greens. Manufacturers recommend mowing the lawn regularly as overgrown grass clogs the drum and makes mowing difficult. It is advisable to use such lawn mowers in S-sized areas, since they are tiring to work with on large areas.

Electrical. Such a device looks like a four-wheeled cart that a person rolls in front of him. ATthe engine is located in the body; on the output shaft of the latter, a two-blade metal knife is fixed with bent ends, like those of a fan. The curved blade creates an air flow. Under the action of his blades of grass take a vertical position, and the rotating knife cuts them at the set level.— it is determined by the distance at which the knife is located from the surface of the earth.

The cut grass is taken out of the housing to the cut surface or falls into the grass collector (box or bag). To simplify the disposal of this greenery, some lawn mowers are equipped with a mechanism that performs mulching: it grinds the grass and then scatters the resulting small particles onto the mowed area (later they become fertilizer for the lawn). The Viking company (Austria) together with the University of Vienna investigated the effect of such top dressing on the grass cover. The results of its impact turned out to be better than with the traditional (3 times during the season) introduction of substances that improve plant nutrition into the soil of the site.

For many, the most important parameter when choosing a lawn mower is its self-propelled. ATa non-self-propelled device has an engine, but it consumes energy only for mowing and processing grass, and a person has to move the device. ATIn a self-propelled unit, part of the drive energy through the gearbox is spent on moving the mower itself. This certainly makes the job easier, especially over a long period on large areas.

Rechargeable. Modern lithium-ion batteries allow for a single charge (it is reduced to 1h) to process an area up to 600m². BUTif you purchase replacement batteries, you don’t have to wait at all until the batteries are ready to go. But as convenient and practical as battery lawn mowers are, they usually have to be moved around the site by a person. Andthey are not as powerful and productive as their electric counterparts.

Petrol. By purchasing a lawnmower with a gasoline engine, you will forget about inconvenient wires and dead batteries. In terms of quality lawn treatment, it will not yield to electric. True, you will have to put up with an increased noise level (about 90dB) and exhaust gases. ATmaintenance, gasoline mowers are much more complicated than electric ones (you need to buy fuel and store it). BUTthe problem of a large mass (due to the use of two- or four-stroke internal combustion engines) is quite easy to solve, since the device is self-propelled. The main difference between two-stroke and four-stroke engines is that the latter have a separate compartment for engine oil, and for a two-stroke to work, you need to mix oil with gasoline in a strict ratio. Two-strokes perform better on slopes, but four-strokes are less cranky when starting up.

The price of a cut lawn

The market for grass mowing devices is widely represented by the products of such leaders in the production of garden equipment as AL-KO, Gardena, Metabo (all— Germany), Craftsman (USA), Honda, Makita (both— Japan), Husqvarna, Stiga (both— Sweden), Viking (Austria), Skil (Netherlands), Blackdecker, BoschEfco, MTD andetc. Electric trimmers cost an average of 2-5thousandrub., petrol and battery a little more expensive— near 5-8thousandrub. From around 5thousandrub. prices for electric non-self-propelled lawn mowers start, from 8thousandrub.— for gasoline. BUTfor the rider will have to pay already from 50thousandrub.

Electric trimmers

Battery trimmers

Petrol trimmers

Electric lawn mowers

Battery lawn mowers

Gasoline lawn mowers

The editors thank Viking, Honda, BoschAL-KO, MTD, Makita, Stiga for help in preparing the material.

The material was prepared based on the results of a reader survey on the action website » We create new ideas.

• Source: Ideas for Your Home Magazine#138

Material prepared

Natalya Utochkina

Material prepared

Tatyana Popova