Mowing grass when it’s wet is never easy. Some mowers work better than others in these conditions, so we have compiled our list of ten top mowers and ride-ons which work well when it’s wet.
You don’t want your lawn to have a close cropped appearance which looks so good in high summer, but you still want your lawn to be neat and leaf free and to be left without clumps of grass after it has been cut.
The first to consider is the Oleo-Mac G53-TK AllRoad Plus-4 Self-Propelled Lawn Mower.
This mower has four ways of dealing with the clippings, either discharging to the back or side or collecting in the giant 70 litre grass box.
You can also mulch with this mower but this is not recommended when the lawn is met and the mulching attachment is best left for next Spring when it comes into its own as a time saver.
This mower has a really large 196 cc engine and a cutting width of 20 in making it suitable for larger gardens.
Cutting heights are from 28 mm to 75 mm and these options plus the larger engine means it can tackle sloping lawns and even rougher areas like paddocks and orchards. The deck is of pressed steel.
You can save £200 on t5hjis mower currently as it costs only £299.95. Plus there is a three year warranty and free next working day delivery.
Another powerful machine is the MTD A46SPKV-HW Hi-Wheel Lawnmower with Variable Speed.
This one also has the same four ways of dealing with the clippings and has a 60 litre grass box and a great feature on this mower is the variable speed so you can mow at the speed which best suits the conditions.
Cutting heights are from 28 mm to 92 mm and with the higher drive wheels it will give plenty of grip when the grass is wet.
The engine is 180 cc and from Kawasaki so it is both powerful and reliable.
It costs £349, £130 less than the recommended retail price and it has a two year warranty plus free next working day delivery.
The Toro 20955 Petrol Recycler Lawn Mower (ADS) has a 190 cc Briggs & Stratton engine which has been designed to start very easily.
This mower gives the choice of collecting, recycling or discharging clippings directly back on to the lawn.
With this one you can change from collecting to recycling at the flick of a lever. Cutting heights are from 25 mm up to 102 mm.
It also will adjust to your walking speed automatically.
It costs £395 compared with the recommended retail price of £529 and has free delivery within two to three working days. There is a two year warranty.
You also receive a free jerry can worth £24.95 and free per-delivery inspection plus a bottle of engine oil.
The Efco LR55-VBX 4-in-1 Hi-Wheel Petrol Lawn Mower with Variable Speed Drive, currently on special offer, will handle rougher ground in its stride and has four mowing speeds.
Cuttings are either collected, mulched or discharged to the rear or side. And the engine is from Briggs & Stratton, 190 cc and giving high torque at all speeds.
The cutting width is an extra wide 53 cm and cutting heights are from 25 mm and 82 mm. The grass box has an indicator to show when it’s full.
It costs £399 compared with the recommended price of £565 and it has a three year warranty. Delivery is free the next working day.
Now here’s an iconic mower made in Britain by a company with a prouid heritage.
The Hayter R53S Power-Driven Recycling Lawn Mower VS ES (Sens-A-Speed Transmission) (Code: 448) can either collect, mulch or discharge to the side with cutting heights from 25 mm to 114 mm for the longer areas.
The Sens-a-Speed transmission means it will match the mowing speed to you pace; and a 190 cc Briggs & Stratton engine is easy to start and gives bags of power.
The mower is steel built and has a long working life and comes with a free 10 litre jerry can worth £24.95.
It costs £510 compared with the recommended price of £639 and has a three year warranty. Delivery, the next working day, is free and is a bottle of engine oil.
Now for ride-ons and lawn tractors which have proved very popular this year.
First, the Mountfield 827M Compact Lawn Rider, a neat little machine with a cutting width of 66 cm meaning it can through most garden gates.
Fitted with a 196 cc engine it as a key start and a five speed gear box – four forward and one reverse – and can tackle both lawns and rougher areas where conventional lawnmowers could struggle.
The grass box holds 150 litres and cutting heights are from 25 to 80 mm with six settings. Optional extras include a trailer hitch and a mulch kit.
It is delivered free within two to three working days and is fully assembled and ready to use and costs £1199. Plus there is a two year warranty.
This next one is from an American manufacturer and has some very useful free extras.
Lawnflite RF125 Lawn & Garden Tractor has a96 cm cutting width and a tight turning radius of just 46 cm. Large diameter tyres ensure excellent grip when the ground is damp.
The engine is from Briggs & Stratton and it is fitted with transmatic transmission and although this is a side-discharge machine you can buy a grass catcher and mulch kit as optional extras.
There are five cutting heights from 30 mm to 95 mm and a pivoting front axle will give a smooth finish even on undulating lawns. It also has anti0scalp wheels on the cutting deck to ride of any hillocks in the lawn.
With this tractor you receive free of charge a towed dethatcher worth £89 and a tractor cover worth £59.
The recommended selling price is £1747 but we have it on sale for £1299. Delivery is free within two to three working days and there is a two year manufacturer’s warranty.
Another from the same company, the Lawnflite 603 RT Lawn Tractor has a single blade Direct Collect system with a large turbo fan to blow the cuttings into the grass box.
The high lift blade also helps create the strong air currents under the cutting deck to give excellent grass collection, highly important in British conditions.
The cutting width is 76 cm making it suitable for gardens up to 4000 sq metres and cutting heights are from 30 mm to 95 mm with five settings. And the cutting deck is offset to the right to make it easier to mow right up to lawn edges and close to garden furniture.
It has infinitely variable transmission giving very precise speed control.
The cost is £1499, £250 less than the maker’s recommended price and it has a two year warranty. Delivery is free within two to three working days.
The Mountfield 1530M Lawn Tractor is the first lawn tractor with an 84 cm cutting width to have two cutting blades, a feature which gives a really neat smooth finish.
There are seven cutting heights right down to 26 mm and the twin blades give excellent collection of the clippings even when wet. And there is a loud bleep when the 240 litre grass collector gets full.
The 452 cc engine is from Mountfield and has been engineered to give a long life. It has five forward and one reverse gears and a large fuel tank.
You receive a free mulch plug and tow bar when you buy this lawn tractor and you can buy a grass defelctor for use when cutting longer areas.
It costs £1599, £200 less than the maker’s recommended price and we deliver it free within two to three working days. There is a two year warranty from Mountfield.
And finally a lawn tractor built to a design which is becoming more popular, the Toro ZS3200S Timecutter Zero-Turn Ride-On Mower.
This type of machine is controlled by levers to give very precise steering and is recommended for lawns where there are lots of trees and garden furniture. The steering levers are padded to give a comfortable grip.
This is a commercial grade machine designed for a long life and has a 81 cm wide cut and a 10 in recycler deck although you can purchase a bagging system as an extra and you can use it to discharge cut grass to the side.
It is comfortable to use for longer periods with a high back seat and there is a host of extra available including a rubber floor mat, sun shade and an hour meter kit.
It costs £2325 as against the recommended price of £2599 and has a three year warranty. Delivery is free within three to five working days.
