To properly maintain your grassy area, you will need to use your mower for more than fifty hours each year. It is therefore preferable to invest in a model adapted to your needs, comfortable to use and efficient. If you have a small plot or prefer to opt for an electric mower, discover our advice for choosing the right model.
Models of electric mowers
There are several models of electric mowers.
corded electric mower
The corded electric mower is a model that is suitable for areas to be mowed between 200 and 800 m². As the name suggests, these mowers are wired and can only be operated when plugged into the mains. Depending on the size of your land, you will need to opt for a more or less long extension cord and take care at all times not to cut the wire during mowing, which can be restrictive.
However, these machines consume little energy, are very efficient, less noisy than thermal models, easy to start up and use, but also simple to maintain. Nevertheless, to be sure to buy a reliable and solid model, avoid the first prices and invest in a mower from 150 to 175 euros at least.
The battery-powered electric mower
Battery-powered electric mowers are also very efficient and easy to use, but they are only suitable for land that does not exceed 500 m², as the battery life is limited to an average of 30 minutes. Of course, and we recommend it, you can invest in the purchase of a second battery to double your usage time. It will also allow you to mow your lawn while the other battery is charging and not be stuck in the event of a power failure.
If the price of these mowers is interesting and is close to that of corded electric mowers, be careful about the price of the batteries. Indeed, some manufacturers sell their machines at low prices, but charge you the batteries at more than 200 euros each.
The electric air cushion mower
If you have a very small area to mow, an electric air cushion mower may be a solution. These small models hover above the grass by a breath effect. Easy to handle and light, they are on the other hand a little less efficient than the previous models and are only suitable for very small grassy areas.
The robot mower
These mowers work on their own and mow the lawn for you, in your presence or in your absence. These mowers are very practical for maintaining large areas to be mowed without effort.
There are two cutting modes: with peripheral wire, which consists of placing a wire all around the surface to be mowed to delimit the area of intervention of the robot, and without peripheral wire, to be reserved in gardens where the areas to be mowed are well defined naturally. If your garden is flat and easy to mow, a basic model will be sufficient. On the other hand, if it includes slopes, irregularities, obstacles, nooks or narrow passages, it is recommended to invest in an improved model with more features.
Unfortunately, these handy robots are expensive, since it takes up to 2,000 euros, or even more. Moreover, they are more difficult and expensive to maintain than the others.
How to choose your electric mower?
To choose the right electric mower, you will need to take into account several important criteria.
A self-propelled mower or not?
Not all electric mowers are self-propelled. If this feature is not necessarily useful on a flat and small ground, it can be very interesting and comfortable for a sloping or uneven garden, as it facilitates mowing and handling.
cutting width
The cutting width can vary from 30 to 60 cm! Depending on the surface of your land and any obstacles there, choosing the right width is very important.
Most models also offer to adjust the cutting height, often between 2 and 6 cm. Rarely available on entry-level electric mowers, it is an interesting option for cutting the grass more easily at the desired height.
Finally, when it comes to cutting, some mowers have an easily accessible, removable and cleanable blade. This is significantly more convenient for maintaining your mower and is guaranteed to extend its life without asking too much effort.
The power
The power of the mower must be directly related to the surface to be mowed for the device to be effective. If your land is up to 300 m², a small power of up to 1000 W is sufficient, which corresponds to entry-level models. Between 1000 and 1500 W, you can mow an area of 250 to 600 m² with comfort. You are then in the range of the most efficient electric mower models. For surfaces over 1,000 m², opt for a top-of-the-range mower with more than 1,500 W. Below this, the level and quality of the cut will be far from adequate.
The pick-up device
The plastic collection box remains the most common device on electric mowers. To avoid unnecessary efforts, we advise you to opt for the largest possible container, in order to limit the round trips to empty it. 30 liters is a minimum capacity for your comfort.
However, also pay attention to the fact that the bin should be easy to remove, attach and empty. This is a detail that is important when the area to be mowed is far from negligible! Canvas collection boxes are very comfortable for mowing because they are lighter, they absorb noise and dust better. On the other hand, they are more difficult to empty.
However, some electric mowers don’t come with bins. Some push the grass to the side, requiring manual scooping after mowing. Others have the mulching function which consists of crushing the mowed grass into fine debris which is immediately redistributed in the lawn and which serves as a natural fertilizer. Be careful though, because your stimulated grass will grow back faster and will need to be mowed more often. Thus, if your lawn is naturally more beautiful, it will require more maintenance time.
Safety and comfort
Some electric mowers are equipped with height-adjustable handlebars. This detail is useful for mowing your lawn more comfortably and avoiding back pain and premature fatigue. Others offer a foldable handlebar, which is even more practical for storing the mower if you are short on storage space.
Make sure that the device is equipped with an emergency stop button in the event of a problem. In addition, some machines are equipped with a disengageable blade to empty the collection box without switching off.