05.What to look for
What to look for
- The handle should be adjustable, turned up and comfortable to hold.
- Ideally, the catcher should be made of rigid plastic; with a bag-type catcher you can get showered in dust. The catcher should have two handles, one for carrying and one for emptying.
- Single or dual control levers should blend in with the shape of the handle — this will make a mower easier to use.
- It should be easy to adjust the cutting height without taking the whole mower apart.
- Big wheels improve handling on rough ground.
- Only one of the tested models has a mulcher. If mulching is a priority, you may also want to consider petrol models with this function.
How we tested
CHOICE’s expert testers put all the models through their paces on specially prepared areas of short, medium and long grass. If the mower came with a catcher, this was used during the short and medium-length tests. Our testers also rated the appearance of the grass after the short and medium-grass tests.