I often get asked what is better, using a rotary mower or a cylinder mower. It’s a funny question because both are great in there places so ill try to answer this question by giving some pros and cons of both starting with rotary mowers.
Rotary Mowers
Pros,
- Affordable – one can buy a decent rotary mower between $400-$500
- Flexible -Rotary mowers are great on a wide variety of lawn types as well as being more suitable to cutting longer grass
- Low maintenance costs
- Reliable – having very few moving parts they tend to be very reliable
- Compact
Cons,
- They can ”tear” lawn – because they use a slasher style bade the cutting of each blade can be a more of a tear this is not overly good for your lawn and can cause a broken tinge.
- Limited to how low they can cut
- Blades will wear out very fast in sandy conditions
Cylinder mowers
Pros,
- Clean cutting – cuts like a pair of scissors leaving neatly cut blades of grass
- Rolls lawn as you go leaving a nice flat finish with stripes
- Suitable for fine couch grasses – ( can be used on other grasses but best results will be seen with this type of grass)
- Leaves a carpet-like lawn ( subject to your lawn being dethatched and top dressed)
- Your lawn can be the envy of your neighbors.
Cons,
- Heavy and bulky can be difficult to maneuver and store
- More costly to purchase good reel mowers start at around $1500.
- More costly to maintain with lots of moving parts and a more complex cutting system will increase maintenance costs to approximately $150 per year
- Regular mowing is highly recommended at least once a week ( not the best option for the time-poor)
- Unsuitable for long grass
