Petrol Lawnmowers

Petrol mowers are almost always cylinder mowers, although there are some excellent rotary mowers and mulching mowers in the petrol category. Whatever their cut mechanism, petrol mowers will tend to be more expensive than their electric counterpart.

However they do have some advantages that make up for their cost. They are free of cables for a start, so you can get to areas of the garden that might inaccessible with an electrically operated mower. A petrol mower also offers no risk of electrocution: although electric mowers have a cutout switch, there are rare occasions where people cut through the cord and through a mixture of bad luck, unusual conditions etc, manage to electrocute themselves or somebody else. The most obvious advantage of the petrol mower is its power, which tends to be greater than its electric counterpart, but there as another benefit - if you have a large lawn and have to drag and organise several hundred yards of electric lead around as you manage an electric mower, a petrol one may be a real time and temper saver.

There are some downsides to consider - if more than one person in your house does the mowing, make sure you are all happy with the weight of the machine - petrol mowers can be substantially heavier and require more effort to move around. Some people also find them rather noisy, although this seems to depend on individual sensitivity to the frequency the mower 'chugs' at - and earplugs or earmuffs can definitely help.

Top of the range rotary petrol mower courtesy of www.gardening-tools-direct.co.uk