ARTICULATED LIKE A LORRY

Stiga Park 220, from £2,799

AT ANY time of year, a quick mow is a good mow — and if your garden is big enough, then a ride-on mower is definitely a must. The trouble is, they tend not to be very manoeuverable. Valuable time is often wasted trying to turn tightly enough to cut tricky-to-reach patches of grass, or to get underneath bushes and shrubs. Which is where the ‘front cut’ ride-on comes in. The Stiga Park 220 has its cutting blades at the front, rather than under the middle of the machine. It also has articulated steering, which means the rear wheels follow the front, allowing you to turn on a sixpence. The steering takes a bit of getting used to, but it’s great fun when you get the hang of it. A mulching mower, the 220 doesn’t collect the grass but chops it up finely and deposits it back on the lawn to act as a fertiliser. I have always been a bit of a sceptic about this, mainly because I can’t stand the children bringing grass clippings into the house on their shoes. But this one cuts the grass so finely there is no trace left. My main criticism is that I found it a bumpy ride, which kept forcing me to slow down. RATING: 6.5/10