Lawns should be looking their summer-perfect best right now with a little warmer weather after all the rain leading to a real flush of fresh growth.
But like all other aspects of gardening, they can’t just be taken for granted and need regular care.
And that includes scarifying and feeding, making sure the edges are crisp and neat as well as regular trimming.
So here are ten top machines to keep them up to scratch so they are looking their best for summer parties or just to relax in the deck chair and admire all you hard work.
So let’s start with a great machine for keeping your lawns healthy.
Scarifying lawns – teasing out moss and flat-growing weed and dead grass – will unsure that new growth is vigorous and healthy.
The Einhell GE-SA 1335P Petrol Combi Scarifier / Aerator has two steel rollers, one with knives the penetrate the roots and allow moisture and essential nutrients to penetrate the soil and the second with 26 spikes which tease out surface debris.
These twin rollers are simple to swap and are mounted on ball bearings.
They are drive by a 53.2cc Einhell engine and there is a one litre fuel tank.
There are three working depths and a plastic deck to resist corrosion and keep the weight down. And the wheels won’t damage the surface.
New and exclusive for this year, it costs £199.95, £200 off the recommended price and is delivered free the next working day with a two year warranty.
Next is a handy little device which really comes into its own in the autumn but which can keep lawns and patios are areas like tennis courts and swimming pool surrounds neat and tidy through the summer months.
The Agri-Fab 26″ Push Lawn & Leaf Sweeper (45-0218), on special offer, is ideal for picking up leaves and grass and other summer debris and especially effective around patios.
The action of the wheels over the ground power brushed 66cm wide and with each rotation of the wheels the brushes go round four and a-half times.
Also the working height is adjustable so that you can lower the brushes for the summer when you clear hard areas like paths and raise them in the in winter when there are lawns to be kept leaf free.
Weighing in at 13.5kg, this machine costs £159, £30 less than the maker’s recommended price, is delivered free the next working day and has a three year maker’s warranty.
The humble grass plant is like us, it likes something to eat.
Time-saver: Agri-Fab Smartspreader
So you need to spread fertilizers from time to time to keep it healthy.
The Agri-Fab 45-0462 Type Smartspreader is an ideal way to ensure carry this out. It has a 59kg hopper and can cover 7500m2 before it needs re-filling.
There is a device for controlling the flow rate and it is easy to push along as it is mounted on pneumatic tyres. But there is also a hitchpin if you want to tow it behind a lawn tractor.
It costs £229, has a three year maker’s warranty and is delivered the next working day free of charge.
Not that long ago every garden had a roller, often made of an old oil drum filled with concrete.
They are a very useful addition to the gardener’s too box for rolling down the inevitable lumps and bumps on the lawn and preparing seed beds for planting.
If you could do with one of these have a look at this, the Al-Ko Lawn/Garden Roller.
Fill it with water and it weighs 72kg or if you want a heavier device fill it with sand and it weighs 120kg.
It has a working width of 50cm and is fitted with a scraper bar to clear the debris which is inevitably picked up.
It costs £89, is delivered free the next working day and has a two year warranty.
Nothing shows off a lawn, or indeed a garden, like sharp lawn edges. This can be achieved with a scaffold board and a sharp spade but there’s a machine to deliver a much neater finish for much less effort.
The Earthquake WE43 Petrol Lawn Edger has a 43cc engine and four working depths from zero to 3in, meaning it will leave a three inch deep border next to the lawn.
It achieves this by a strong metal blade and it is fitted with a guard to stop debris kicked up from hitting the user.
It has a low weight and is easy to control and guide along lawn edges.
It is priced at £319, is delivered free the next working day and has a two year warranty.
Now a selection of mowers and lawn tractors, this first one new for this year and exclusive to MowDirect.
The Morrison Oxford 48RS Self-Propelled Petrol Roller Lawnmower is a really well-built, solid machine with a Briggs & Stratton 163cc engine, a very easy starter.
As it has a solid steel rear roller it will be leave a classic striped finish, the sort you see on many refined country gardens.
And having a rear roller it can cut right up to the edges or borders.
A special blade reduces mowing time by 15 per cent and the aluminium cutting deck keeps the weight down while resisting corrosion.
The cutting width is 46cm and cutting heights are from a very low 10mm up to 70mm making it an excellent choice for lawns up to 1000m2.
It costs £499, £300 off the recommended price, has a five year warranty and is delivered free the next working day with a free 10-litre jerry can worth £24.95.
Next, an all-time British manufactured favourite, the Hayter Harrier 48 Autodrive Lawnmower with Variable Speed (Code: 490).
This has a 48cm cutting width and is another with a rear roller to leave the fabled striped finish.
Powering this along is a 190cc Brigs & Stratton engine designed for a long life and to run quietly – and it is very easy to start.
This has a cutter bar friction disc to protect the crankshaft from bending should you hit something really solid.
Cutting heights are from 13mm to 60mm and the grass box holds 70 litres.
It is delivered free the next working day along with a bottle of engine oil so you can get mowing straight away.
The cost is £765 compared with the recommended price of £899 and there is a five year warranty from Hayter.
Here’s another new mower from a leading British brand and long-time favourite.
The Mountfield SP555RV Petrol Rear-Roller Lawnmower (with Variable Speed) has a powerful Honda 190cc engine designed for a long working life.
This one has a brand new deck made from aluminium and steel, a 53cm cutting deck and a 75 litre grass box. Cutting heights are from 13mm to 65mm.
And having a rear roller gives you that much-loved striped finish.
Another feature is company’s Twinclip technology which cuts the grass twice to give a more uniform fish and ensure the clippings are tightly packed into the grass box.
It is also fitted with an anti-scalp plate so you can cut the grass short without damaging the turf.
It is priced at £849, £150 off the recommended price, is delivered free the next working day and has a five year warranty.
Now a couple of machines made for larger areas of grass.
The Mountfield 827M Compact Lawn Rider is a long-time favourite with a cutting width of 66cm yet narrow enough to get through most garden gates.
Mountfield’s own 224cc engine provides the power and it has five forward and one reverse gears.
The grass box holds 150 litres and there are six cutting heights from 30mm to 80mm. The grass box can be emptied from the driver’s seat. You can also buy a mulch kit of you prefer to deal with the clippings this way.
This one is £100 less than the maker’s recommended price at £1199. Delivery is free within two to three working days and there is a two-year warranty.
And finally a lawn tractor from a leading USA manufacturer and one that comes with a free trailer.
The Lawnflite 603 XT-S Lawn Tractor ha a 420cc engine and is noted as an excellect collector of wet grass as it has a built-in fan to blow the clippings into the grass box.
You can also discharge the clippings straight out the back where you arfe cutting rougher areas like small paddocks or orchards.
Cutting widths are form 30mm to 90mm. The cutting width is 76cm and the turning radius is 46cm, very useful when cutting in restricted areas.
This one costs £1499, £200 off the recommended price and has a two-year warranty.
With this lawn tractor delivery is usually within two to three working days but if you order by 3pm Friday we can deliver it for you the following day for an extra charge.
We are the country’s leading retailer of lawn and garden tractors and a full list can be found on these pages.
Please give us a ring during normal office hours on 020 3026 8712 if you would like out advice on these or any other items of garden machinery.
