Types of Lawn Mowers Used in Australia | Which is Best For You?

Types of Lawn Mowers on the Market

There are several different types of lawn mowers on the market, each with their pros and cons, and most are suited to a particular size lawn or type of terrain.

Push Mowers

These are the basic, traditional mowers that everyone knows and loves. As the name suggests, these are pushed by the user through the grass, cutting it along the way.

By far the most popular form of push mower are petrol powered mowers, which use a petrol engine (nowadays usually 4 stroke engines) to spin either a rotary or cylinder blade set to cut the grass.

There are however variations on this which include electric motors, and even purely push powered blades that move in time with the wheels as the user pushes it along.

Push mowers can come with catcher attachments which catch the clippings as you go, or come fitted with mulching decks that cut the grass super fine, so that it disappears back through your lawn.

Pros of Push Lawn Mowers

• Simple to use - These are really simple machines - just turn them on, push and go! 
  
  
• Lightweight - They’re also much lighter in weight than other mowers, which is good when you’re pushing them along, or if you’re loading them in and out of a car, or up and down stairs.
  
  
• Useful attachments - Catcher attachments are also really handy to collect the clippings, rather than leaving clumps and windrows. 
  
  
• Low maintenance - Because the mechanism for cutting it also pretty straightforward, there’s less chance of something going wrong, and they’re easily fixed if something does break.
  
  
• Inexpensive - These are also the baseline mower models and you can pick one up for really cheap.

Cons of Push Lawn Mowers

• Intensive manual labour - These are really labour intensive, as you need to push them along to cut your lawn. This can be really hard if you have quite a large or sloping area to mow, or if your grass is long and thick.
  
  Push mowers with catchers can also get quite heavy as they fill with grass clippings making pushing harder as you go.
  
  
• Lack of power – Because these machines are manual, the amount of power you have depends on your strength as a person. This means that if you aren’t physically strong or you have a large lawn, you’re going to struggle with the task of cutting through your grass.

Who Should Buy a Push Mower?

Push mowers are a great choice for smaller areas where you need to get into tight spaces. If you can move the mower around without breaking your back and don’t feel like you need to see a doctor when you’re finished, then this should be your go-to.

Here is a review of the best push lawn mowers available today. 

Self-Propelled Mowers

These are basically the same as a petrol or electric powered push mower but with one major difference, they push themselves!

These mowers have a gear that when engaged will take all the hard work out of pushing, and will plug along at their own pace leaving you to simply point it in the right direction.

Pros of Self-Propelled Lawn Mowers

• Easy to use - Just as easy to use as a push mower, but with the added bonus of not having to put in as much hard work! These are a really good option if pushing a mower along is a little bit too physically demanding, or if you have an area that is just a little bit too big or hilly to handle with a normal push.
• Powerful – The extra momentum and help from the motor makes these lawn mowers particularly good for thick and lush grass. 
• Useful attachments - They also come with catcher attachments, but you don’t have the problem of having extra weight to deal with.
• Affordable – These lawn mowers tend to cost a bit more than push mowers, but are still very affordable.

Cons of Self-Propelled Lawn Mowers

• Heavier - The extra engine parts needed in a self-propelled lawn mower adds extra weight to your mower, which can make loading into vehicles, or moving up and down stairs a two person job.
• More fuel and maintenance - Self-propelled mowers also have more moving parts and therefore, use more fuel, have more chance of things going wrong, and are quite a deal more expensive than normal push mowers.
• Expensive repairs - If you’re unlucky enough to have the self-driving mechanisms go on you, you’re stuck with a big heavy expensive push mower.

Who Should Buy a Self-Propelled Mower?

If you struggle to push mow your lawn, but still need a mower small enough to get in and around your yard, then a self-propelled mower could be your go-to.

They really do take the struggle out of mowing, and mean that you can tackle those bigger or sloping areas with ease. If you can justify the extra cost and maintenance needs, then go for it!

See our Australian buying guide for self propelled lawn mowers for more info. 

Ride-On Mowers

As the name suggests, these mowers do away with the need to be pushed, and allow you to sit right on top of them. 

These self-propelled mowers come in two types:

1. Ride-on lawn mower - The first type has pedals and a steering wheel for controlling. Normal ride-ons are usually pretty straightforward machines and have a similar setup to a car, making it a familiar experience. 
   
   (Check out our product review and buying guide for the best ride on mowers here.)
   
   
2. Zero Turn mowers – These mowers use two skid steer handles (left and right hand) controlling one wheel each. Pushing them together or one more than the other controls forward motion and steering.
   
   Zero turns are a bit more tricky to drive, but mean you can get into tight spaces and their zero point turning circle means that you can get in and around trees and obstacles with ease. 
   
   (Here is our reviews of the best zero turn mowers available in Australia.) 

Both come with a comfortable seat, meaning that you can mow your lawn literally sitting down. These mowers are more like a tractor, and generally have 4 air-filled tyres and a large cutting deck that either sits in the middle of the mower or sticks out the front of it.

This deck can be lifted up and down to change the cutting height, and can be engaged and disengaged as needed. It’s a pretty broad category, and there are different sizes available for different sized lawn areas.

Pros of Ride-On Lawn Mowers

• No manual labour - These take all the hard work out of cutting your lawn. You can do the exact same job without any physical labour, while sitting down.
  
  
• Gets the job done fast - Because of their speed and larger cutting deck, usually in a fraction of the time. They’ll chew through longer grass without missing a beat, and can go up and down hills all day.
  
  Ride on mowers are perfect for mowing large areas that would be impractical to do with a push mower, and can slash the time it takes which means more time for other gardening tasks!
  
  
• Wide range of sizes/options/prices - Because of the large number of options available, you should be able to find a size that suits your needs.

Cons of Ride-On Lawn Mowers

• Size - These can be pretty big machines. They’re designed for use on a diverse range of situations, from larger backyards and properties, to public parks and sports fields. This means finding the right one is a bit daunting.
  
  They can also be quite cumbersome, meaning that they might not be able to get into all the nooks and crannies of your yard and you might need to get out a push mower to finish the job.
  
  
• Lack of agility - Because of their design, some may not have a great turning circle and might be a hassle getting around trees or buildings.
  
  
• Expensive – They tend to cost a lot more than other mower types, so they’re not very budget-friendly for most homeowners.
  
  
• High maintenance – They need regular servicing and repairs to keep them in tip top shape.
  
  
• Heavy - Ride on mowers are also pretty heavy, so can get bogged in mud if you’re not careful. They also need ramps to be loaded on and off a trailer, and can’t go up and down stairs like a push mower can.

Who Should Buy a Ride-On Lawn Mower?

If your lawn is too big for a push mower, then you pretty much have to have a ride on, but only if it will fit and you can actually get it into the area!

If you can drive a car, you can drive a mower and if your lawn area is not too busy with trees and other obstructions, you should be right with this type of mower.

Here are our hands on reviews for the best electric riding mowers available in Australia. 

1. Bosch Manual Garden Lawn Mower AHM 38G

2. Bosch Lawn Mower ARM 37

3. Baumr-AG 780SX 4-in-1 Petrol Steel Deck Lawnmower

4. WORX WG779 40V Lawn Mower

5. Greenworks 21-Inch 40V Self-Propelled Cordless Lawn Mower