There was a time when animals such as a sheep grazed on lawns allowing them to maintain and trim the grass if it got too tall. Fast forward to today—tractors and lawn mowers are now responsible for keeping your lawn neat and the grass at an even height.
Lawn Mower Basics: How Lawn Mowers Work
In the middle of the 20th century, most lawn mowers were reel mowers which were powered by the person pushing it. Reel mowers have cylindrical blades which are responsible for cutting the grass.
Thanks to Edwin Bunning, an engineer in Great Britain, we can enjoy a much more convenient way of maintaining our lawns. Bunning invented the very first lawn mower in 1830 which was powered by an internal combustion engine. This was made available to the market in 1902 and the very first electric-powered lawn mower was made available in 1926.
With the expansion of suburban housing and larger lots, it appears that the push mower simply wouldn’t do. Just after the Second World War, a new model of the lawn mower was released. This model (called the rotary mower) could cut longer, taller and larger swaths of grass. As compared to the reel mower, which cut the grass the way it is cut by a scissor, the rotary mower quickly spins a blade horizontally, fast enough to cut the grass it hits.
The “deck” is the casing where the blade sits. This keeps the grass and other yard debris from flying off in all direction when using the rotary lawn mower.
The deck rides on four wheels and has a motor on top of it. A bag, which is responsible for collecting the cut grass, is attached. In the typical rotary lawn mower, a handlebar is attached for easy operation as the operator stands behind it and pushes it to move forward.
Other lawn mower versions are self-propelled. These models have a transmission that uses a motor to turn its wheels. Of course, there are those who own larger properties where walking behind a lawn mower to cover this large area of grass would be tiring; a riding mower is much more convenient.
There are so many types of lawn mowers as it has evolved so much since the first version from Edwin Bunning came out on the market for public use. More so, let’s get an overview of what a lawn mower is.
A lawn mower’s purpose is to cut grass to an even height, allowing you to maintain your lawn. There are many types of lawn mowers and you can have the option of powering it with either battery, electric- or gas-powered engine, or by push power. Inside every lawn mower are blades that cut the grass.
The three basic components of a typical lawn mower are the handle, blades and wheels. While most lawn mowers can function with only these three components, other models also include engine and a steering wheel.
So how do lawn mowers work? The lawn mower is powered by either an engine or a motor; while others still use a push mower, the majority today go for either an engine or motor powered mower.
Furthermore, the mower advances forward when the operator uses a drive system (or pushes it in the case of push mowers) and the lawn mower blades, which are located under deck, spin. As the mower moves forward, the blades spin and anything that comes in contact with the blade (in this case, the grass) is cut.
It is really simple. The real struggle here is to decide what kind of lawn mower would best work for you and your lawn. As there are so many models coming out every year, you should know how each type of lawn mower works and which can best suit your needs.
Rotary lawn mowers are the most popular among the types of lawn mower because it is so easy to operate and it gets the job done. It runs on either two or four cycles. There are also rotary lawn mowers that use electric and can be powered either by electricity or battery.
There are also those that hover above the grass. If you are buying a lawn mower to maintain a golf course or something that big, it is advisable to buy a hover mower. If you’re the kind of person who does not have time to mow the lawn, then the robotic mower is perfect for you. The robotic mower can function and operate without supervision, making it very convenient.