THE CUTTING CREW
THE sound of mowers being fired up is beginning to echo across the country as the sun shines and lawns get cut. This year a range of high-tech robotic grass-cutters has arrived to compete with a bewildering choice of contraptions. These include cylinder mowers, rotary machines and hover cutters.
Experts warn that before visiting your local gardening centre to pick up the latest mower you should consider other solutions. Brian Radam, author of the authoritative Haynes Lawnmower Manual, says: ‘A lawnmower has a cylinder with blades and a roller attached that allows for a cleanly cut, formal finish.
‘Many people confuse this with a grass cutter – a machine with a rotary cutter underneath that keeps a lawn neat and tidy by thrashing and ripping at the grass. It does not provide the same striped finish as the mower.’
British lawnmower makers have declined in numbers in recent years. Firms such as Qualcast – at one time manufacturer of the Atco and Suffolk Punch ranges – are no longer British owned. The company was taken over 20 years ago by German industrial giant Bosch. It then licensed major retailers Argos and Homebase to sell Chinese-made mowers under the Qualcast name in 2011.
Separately, Bosch licensed the Atco and Suffolk Punch brands to Italian company Global Garden Products, which now also owns former British mower manufacturer Mountfield.
Ian Britstone, a researcher at the British Lawnmower Museum in Southport, Merseyside, says: ‘The lawnmower was invented in 1830 by Edwin Beard Budding of Gloucester. He tested the contraption at night for fear that locals thought him mad. Their heyday began in the 1920s with manufacturers Jerram & Pearson making water-cooled engines – some of the best ever made.
‘Other 20th Century classics followed, including the Ransomes Ajax and Suffolk Punch. Examples of these older machines still running and well serviced cost £300. They are a similar price to the cheaper modern machines but far better for many lawns.’
He adds: ‘With old mowers you can still get parts but the machines need to be looked after and serviced. If a £5 part on a modern mower breaks the machine might well be scrapped.’
Britstone also says that many traditional mowers were not even petrol or electric-powered. A top quality cylinder push mower should have its blades professionally sharpened once a year – a full service might cost £90.
Radam agrees that a second-hand classic mower in tiptop condition is hard to beat but understands why many gardeners now want to invest in a new machine. He says: ‘If someone is intent on buying brand new the best place to start is a garden specialist rather than a large DIY store or super- market where you might be directed to just pick a box off a shelf.’
Keith Christian is director of the British Agricultural & Garden Machinery Association. He says there are 1,800 specialist garden machinery dealers across Britain – 250 of which are association members. He says those wanting a new machine should look for his trade body logo in a shop – or contact the association for a local dealer on 01295 713344 or visit bagma.com.
Christian says: ‘Find a dealer who not only knows what they are talking about but who can offer an after-sales service that includes maintenance and parts.’
Robot mowers are still relatively new – and expensive – but Radam believes they have a market because not everyone likes mowing their lawn. He says: ‘People who enjoy the experience say it helps them forget their worries while enjoying the smell of freshly cut grass.’