Recent rains have given the lawns a late flush of growth over many areas of the country.
You should consider raising the cutting height a notch to keep the lawn looking lush – a good covering of grass will help protect the plants when frost and snow appear.
Let’s just hope that’s a month or two away at least.
But this is the time of year when many old mowers simply give up the ghost.
Cutting longer, damper grass puts more resistance on the working parts and can leave unsightly clumps on the lawn.
If you are looking for a new mower which will resist the tests of damp autumn days, here are ten top machines which will shine in the late autumn sun.
The first is a very well-engineered machine from New Zealand and one exclusive to MowDirect.
Morrison Surecut 3-in-1 Petrol Push Lawnmower is a very solid little machine which can collect, mulch or discharge the clippings at the back.
But make sure the grass is dry before mulching otherwise you will be left with ugly clumps everywhere and the shredded up grass won’t rot away.
The power is from a Briggs & Stratton 125cc engine, an easy starter with an effective silencer.
The grass box holds 42 litres and cutting heights are from 15mm to 69mm. The width of cut is 42cm.
Large wheels make it easy to drive especially over rougher lawns.
The recommended price for this mower is £249 but we have it on sale for £159. Delivery is free the next working day and it has a five year warranty.
And if that wasn’t enough reason to buy there is a free 10-litre jerry can worth £24.95.
Now one from Germany, a versatile mower which has been a great hit this year.
The Einhell GC-PM 47 SHW 5-in-1 Hi-Wheel Self-Propelled Petrol Lawn Mower offers five ways of dealing with the clippings. You can either collect them in the grass box, mulch them, discharge to the side or back or just cut them and let them drop.
Einhell’s own 139cc engine starts easily and it has six cutting heights from 20m to 70mm. The 47cm cutting width makes it a suitable mower for medium sized lawns.
This mower has an aerodynamic blade and cleverly designed cutting deck to increase the air flow and make it a good collector of damp grass.
The grass box holds 75 litres and there is an indicator to show when it is full.
This mower costs £269.95, £130 off the recommended price and it is delivered free the next working day with a two-year warranty.
This one is on exclusive special offer and has a wide, aluminium cutting deck to resist corrosion.
The MTX Jupiter 53SPA Self-Propelled Petrol Lawnmower with Alloy Deck can collect or discharge clippings or mulch them when conditions allow.
Fitted with a 170cc engine it has enough power to deal with rougher areas and sloping lawns.
The grass box holds 65 litres, cutting width is 53cm and cutting heights are from 25mm to 75mm.
This one costs £299, £130 below the recommended price, is delivered free the next working day and has a two year warranty.
To Italy for the next one, a best-seller and a really rugged mower.
The Oleo-Mac G53-TK AllRoad Plus-4 Self-Propelled Lawn Mower, which is on special offer, can collected or mulch clippings or discharge them to the side or back.
This one has a very powerful Emak 196cc engine, offers cutting heights from 28mm to 75mm and again it can easily tackle sloping lawns and the rougher areas which need to be kept cut back.
It is fitted with 280mm rear wheels to give plenty of grip in the damp, autumn weather and it has a 70-litre grass box.
Now here’s one which is a sort of half-way house between a lawnmower and a garden tractor.
This best seller costs £299.95, a full £200 of the recommended price and is delivered free the next working day. And it has a five year warranty.
Next, The Toro 20975 TimeMaster Twin Cut Lawnmower has a massive 76 cm cutting deck and has a twin-blade cutting system.
This produces a powerful air current which has the effect of forcing finely-cut grass into the turf is it rots away quickly.
It can also collect grass and when in this mode the strong air flow blasts the clippings into the box – making it a great collector of wet grass.
Armed with a 190cc Briggs & Stratton engine designed to start in two pulls or less it has been designed to match the speed at which you walk. It even has Traction Assist to help in slippery autumn conditions.
The two wheels at the front make it very easy to manoeuvre around trees and garden seats.
It will give a long working life with its aluminium cutter deck and chassis and a blade brake clutch will stop the blades when you cross gravel paths.
The working height is from 32mm to 108mm enabling you to work on areas where the grass is longer.
It costs £899, £100 under the recommended price and it has a three-year warranty.
We deliver it free within two to three working days complete with a bottle of engine oil.
Now on to lawn tractors.
First the Lawnflite 603 XT-S Lawn Tractor a powerful all-round workhorse with a 420cc MTD ThorX engine started with a key.
This is a really useful Autumn tractor as it has a deck fan to blast the clippings into the collector, very useful for when cutting damp grass.
With a cutting width of 76cm and cutting heights from 30mm to 95mm this a great little and popular tractor is made to tackle most grass cutting challenges as you can discharge the cut grass at the back as well as collect it.
Headlights keep you working when it’s murky and an adjustable seat makes it a comfortable tractor to drive whatever the conditions. It also has wide tyres for extra grip in the wet.
It has a tight 46cm turning radius and transmatic drive for easy speed control.
And with this one you receive a free trailer worth £199.
It costs £1499, £200 below the recommended price, has a two-year warranty and delivered free within two to three working days.
But for a small extra fee you can receive this tractor on Saturday if you order before 3pm on Friday afternoon.
From German garden machinery manufacturer Al-Ko comes the Al-Ko T16-92HD Special Edition Lawn Tractor.
Designed for lawns up to 6000m2 it has a twin cylinder Briggs & Stratton engine and is another machine that’s ideal for damp autumn conditions.
It is fitted with a Hi-Lift blade to propel wet clippings into the 220-litre grass box.
And this can be emptied from the driver’s seat.
The hydrostatic drive means the speed is infinitely controllable – it drives almost like an automatic car in fact.
There are six cutting heights from 30mm to 90mm and the cutting deck is fitted with anti-scalp wheels so it follows the contours of the lawn without scalping it.
Another handy autumn feature is the large tread tyres which give great grip while being kind to the lawn surface.
Order this tractor and you receive a free trailer worth £119 and there is also a free tow hitch.
A mulch kit and rear grass deflector can also be bought for special prices.
The lawn tractor costs £2299, a £400 reduction on the recommended price. It has a five-year warranty and free delivery within to three working days.
Again, there is the option of a Saturday delivery if ordered by 3pm Friday.
This next one is a rugged and versatile machine from Italy, the Oleo-Mac OM105-20H Garden Tractor.
This one will mulch, discharge to the rear and collect clippings – the rear discharge deflector is an optional extra.
With a cutting width of 105cm it is ideal for areas up to 12,000, around three acres. And has a 310 litre grass box.
The power comes from a 656cc Briggs & Stratton twin-cylinder engine and it has hydrostatic transmission.
It has twin cutting blades which create a powerful air current and lead to excellent collection of wet grass and help limit corrosion. The cutting deck has twin wheels to help it follow the contours of the ground closely without scalping it.
And the powerful engine gives it bags of power to tow the many attachments available.
Add to that a full dashboard and a front bumper and you have a solid hardworking tractor made for year-round use.
It costs £2999, £1000 off the recommended price and we deliver it free within three to five working days. For another £50 it can be delivered on a Saturday of you order before 3pm Friday.
There is a five-year manufacturer’s warranty.
This one is a great tractor for larger gardens and is from one of Britain’s favourite makes.
The Mountfield 2248H Garden Tractor, currently on special offer, has twin cutting blades to produce the all-important blast of air to deal with wet clippings.
The cutting width is 122cm making it suitable for really large areas and the power is from a 656cc Briggs & Stratton engine; the transmission is hydrostatic so it is dead easy to drive.
The grass box holds 320 litres and there is an alarm to tell when it is full and it can be emptied from the driver’s seat. A mulch kit is supplied for use when dry conditions allow for its use.
A two bar is supplied and there are four anti-scalp wheels on the cutter deck as well as a wash port to make it easy to clean after use.
It costs £3999, £300 off the list price and it has a five year warranty. Normal delivery is within two to three working days but again for a small extra fee you can have it delivered on a Saturday if you order by 3pm Friday.
And finally, a real bargain if you have a small park or estate to manage.
With its 13e2cm cutting width, the Simplicity Contender SZT550 Pro Zero-Turn Ride-On Mower gives really close control over tight areas as it can turn on the spot.
A 724cc Briggs & Stratton engine provides the power to the hydrostatic drive for this mower which discharges cut grass to the right in neat rows. A mulch plug is supplied for formal areas when conditions allow.
This is a really comfortable tractor designed for larger areas – it has arm rests and cruise control. And it has 12 cutting heights.
The normal price for this machine is £6999 but we have it for sale for £4499, a massive reduction.
Delivery is within four to six working days and is free and it has a two-year warranty.
This is a difficult time of year for lawns as the inevitable rain and heavy dew lead to faster growth, but wet lawns can prove a challenge for many mowers.
These machines above will help keep your gardens looking neat and tidy right through the year – remember that recently grass has kept growing every month and some people have been cutting their lawn on Christmas Day.
If you’re not sure which mower is best, please ring us on 020 3026 8712 for our advice and see these pages for a huge selection of lawnmowers and these pages for garden tractors and ride-ons.
And keep an eye on our site for more garden machinery which will prove useful during the autumn and winter.
