Self Propelled Lawn Mowers – Advantages and Disadvantages

If you are thinking of buying a self propelled lawn mower you need to understand how they work and what you should be looking for. There are various kinds of drive systems employed by these types of lawn mowers, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.

Do you need a front or rear wheel drive mower?

A from wheel drive mower will work well on flat surfaces but not so well on slopes where you need to lift the front wheels from the ground by pushing down on the handle. A rear wheel drive mower on the other hand is easier to use on a slope as the downward pressure needed is aided by having the drive on the rear wheels. larger wheels will help to increase the traction but will give you less traction on slopes or when the grass is wet.

A drive that employs a pulley and belt will work well when new but the belt tends to stretch from use and loosens the drive. Tightening the belt is not always an answer and in this case the belt will need to be replaced.

Another kind of drive is a turntable drive which uses gears and belts to provide power to the wheels. This type of drive will need the drive wheels and discs cleaned regularly with degreaser sold for engines to avoid slippage in use caused by contamination.  You should also check if the drive uses plastic or metal gear wheels as plastic wheels have a much shorter life than metal wheels.

Operating a self propelled lawn mower

When using a self propelled mower the operator holds the handle or bar to allow the blade to spin. Taking your hand off the bar stops the blade from spinning but doesn’t shut down the drive so you can move the mower without cutting any grass when necessary. To avoid forming ruts it is advisable to mow in different directions each time you mow the lawn. You should also avoid making sharp tunes when using this kind of mower as this can put too much stress on the bar.

Petrol driven self propelled mowers will also need regular maintenance including changing the plugs and filters, just as you would with a car’s internal combustion engine.

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