Painting the Forth Road Bridge is often what it feels like you are doing if you have a medium to large-sized garden which needs regular mowing. A petrol lawn mower could be your best option for reducing the amount of time you need to spend pacing the lawns each week, as they generally give a better finish than electric mowers and don’t need to be charged or plugged in to work. This means no more long extension cords running across the garden, and a definite end to not being able to mow the lawn because the battery is flat.
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Of course, petrol lawn mowers run on wet fuel, which you will need to buy from a petrol station in a suitab le container. Once you have the fuel it will last a long time, with modern petrol lawn mowers using between £4 and £10 of petrol per year. The average electric lawnmower uses around £4 of electricity per year, but when you factor in a larger mowing area this cost can rise considerably.
One of the biggest advantages to buying a petrol lawn mower is the lower maintenance costs combined with the longer life of the product. With basic engineering knowledge it is simple to service and maintain a petrol lawnmower and keep it in good running order for many years longer than any other type. The oil, spark plugs and air filter are the main things to check and replace, and a dealer service will cost around £70 – £90 depending on the model, so it is well worth learning to do these things yourself. If you or a member of your family are very mechanically minded then maintaining and repairing a petrol lawnmower can be easy, and could result in significant cost savings over the life of the product.
It is worth noting that older second hand petrol lawnmowers might have a two-stroke engine, while newer, modern petrol lawn mowers usually use a four-stroke, which is a different type of engine to maintain. For the mechanically minded this should not present a problem, but it is worth doing your research into the engine type if you are going to carrying out your own maintenance and repair.
Even though a petrol lawn mower is more expensive than an electric lawn mower, they are usually cheaper than a cordless, battery powered one and give the same freedom in terms of cord-free mowing. If you have small children, or elderly people living in your home then a lawn mower with a cord could be a tripping hazard. This is especially true for those of us with large lawns who cannot watch family members at the same time as mowing, as over the noise of a lawn mower it would be very hard to hear that someone had fallen.
The last thing to consider is the weight of a petrol lawn mower and the physical strength required to lift it in and out of storage as well as starting it using the pull cord. Some petrol mowers have an electric start button or a similar system for starting the engine, but if you are on a budget then the good old-fashioned pull cord is what you will get. Most people can get the knack of starting a petrol lawn mower, but those with limited upper body strength or mobility may find it nearly impossible. Those people may also find pushing the mower and getting it out of a shed too much to bear as well, so petrol lawn mowers are better option for the physically fit, and those who enjoy tinkering with engines.