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Grass Cutting Machinery
Choosing the Right Mower
Garden Lawn, Brush, Wildflowers, or Meadow Grass? What Are You Cutting?
You need a mower, and you've read our info about the different types of mower, but you're still not sure. In this part of the article we will look at the different types of vegetation you might be cutting, and the different terrain, and then offer some advice as to which mower we would recommend.
Please do not hesitate to contact us on 01444 247689 if you would like to talk about any of these options.
Garden Lawn
For garden lawns, which typically require a short, neat finish, we would recommend either a rotary or mulching mower.
Which you opt for really depends on the type of finish you wish to achieve and whether you want a collection facility.
If you’re not concerned about collection then the mulching mower is a great choice as it helps to feed your lawn as well as cutting it. The finish won’t be as neat as with a machine that collects, but it’s a good, environmentally friendly option.
If you want to collect the grass clippings as you go then a rotary mower is the answer - this will cut and collect at the same time leaving a tidy finish.
Brush / Scrub
For out-of-control grass, weeds, scrub and bramble, we would suggest either a flail mower, wheeled brushcutter, power scythe, or remote tracked mower.
The flails can cut pretty much anything, chopping and mulching, and leaving the cut material as they go. They’re ideal for cutting brambles, tall weeds, overgrown grass, bracken, and more.
The wheeled brushcutters will cut tall, thick undergrowth and are very lightweight and manoeuvrable. They're a little like a strimmer on wheels so are designed to cut tall vegetation.
A powered scythe will cut any height or density of growth up to about 1” thick. But because it cuts at the bottom of the stem leaving a single piece of cut material it usually needs to be cleared away afterwards. The scythe will cut brambles, bracken, first year saplings, in fact pretty much anything!
If the terrain is sloping, difficult to walk on, or very uneven, then the remote control tracked mower is the solution. With wide rubber tracks for grip and a disc mounted with free-swinging tips, this mower will tackle anything you can throw at it!
Meadow Grass
The best mowers for very tall grass are disc mowers, wheeled strimmers, brushcutters, scythes, and the flails, as all of these can cut pretty much any height.
The main consideration when making a choice is the type of finish you require and whether you wish to reuse the cut vegetation, such as hay making.
The disc mower and the scythe will leave a single piece of cut grass, but the flail and strimmer will chop it. You will usually need to rake the cut grass if you’ve used the disc mower or the scythe, so if you’re hay making then these are the best choice. The cutting width of the scythe is wider than that of the disc mower so would require fewer passes.
If you don’t need to reuse or remove the cut material then the flail mower is the best choice - it will cut and mulch in a single pass and there's no need for removal afterwards.
Wildflowers
For wildflower management the only real choices are the disc mower and the scythe.
Both of these machines cut at the base of the stem leaving the seed head intact and allowing the seeds to drop back into the ground to hopefully re-flower. In addition, this method of cutting makes it easy to clear away afterwards as the cut material can easily be raked off or baled.
Other mowers will travel over the top of the vegetation damaging the seed heads, so are not suitable for cutting wildflowers.
The cut material should be left to dry for 2-3 days, it should then be turned over and left for other 2-3 days, after which time it must be removed. This also ensures that the seeds fall into the ground.
It is crucial for wildflower propagation that you remove the cut material as if it’s left the nutrients will penetrate the ground increasing soil fertility and preventing the wildflowers from propagating.
Slopes / Banks
There mowers available that are designed specifically for use on steep slopes. Our BCS bank mowers have a special banks engine from Honda which enables the machine to work via a special one-way valve to guarantee optimal lubrication on slopes and a membrane fuel pump to ensure an optimal fuel flow, as opposed to a standard engine which typically relies on a pressure or splash lubrication system.
In addition to the engine, the BCS machines have other features enabling them to be used safely on a slope including a wider profile and lower centre of gravity for extra stability, and an easy to control brake and steering system for safety. Cutting heads are interchangeable allowing the machine to cut many different types of vegetation from short grass to brush.
The alternative to a walk-behind bank mower would be the Bluebird remote control mowers - capable of working on slopes and tackling everything from long grass to brambles and bracken, these mowers are ideal for difficult terrain and can get to areas that might be inaccessible to the operator and are fitted with wide rubber tracks for traction and a wide profile for stability.
CONTACT US
We love to hear from you on our customer service, product range, website or any topics you want to share with us. Your comments and suggestions will be appreciated.
Units 6-7 Winterpick Business Park, Hurstpierpoint Road, Wineham, West Sussex BN5 9BJ, UK
+44 (0)1444 247689
sales@tracmaster.co.uk
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