Comparison STIHL RME 235 vs Makita ELM3320

The minimum cutting height provided by the lawnmower — that is, the smallest height of grass that can remain after the passage of the machine. It makes sense to pay attention to this indicator mainly in cases where the lawn is planned to be cut as short as possible. In addition, the lower the minimum height (with the same maximum), the wider the height adjustment range of this model.

The maximum cutting height that the lawn mower can achieve is the maximum height of grass that can be left after the machine has passed.

This parameter is relevant mainly for those cases when you want to leave the grass on the lawn relatively long. In addition, lawn mowers with high cutting heights have a wide range of mowing adjustments.

The number of cutting height settings provided by the lawn mower. The more such settings (with the same adjustment range) — the more accurately you can choose the mowing height. Note that in some robots (see "Type") this number reaches 30 or more with a range of 30 to 60 mm; in other words, you can select the height to the nearest millimetre.

The area of the site for which the lawn mower is designed. It cannot be argued that this parameter is critical when choosing a device, these are only manufacturer's recommendations and are very conditional. However, they are more than justified and generally show the available front of work based on the heating of the motor, the capacity of the tank or battery, and other factors that affect the duration of work.

A type of bag used in a lawn mower to collect grass clippings.

— Hard. Bags (containers) made of a hard material, usually plastic. Such a container is more convenient to unload than a soft one, it is more durable and reliable, but it weighs a little more.

— Soft. The advantages of soft fabric bags are primarily low weight and the ability to fold after hours, which can facilitate storage. In addition, the degree of fullness of such a bag can be controlled by eye without any special indicators. On the other hand, soft bags are very inconvenient to unload.

— Combined. Bags that combine soft and hard materials in construction; the upper part is usually made solid. This combination makes it easier to unload the bag and at the same time allows it to be rolled up quite compactly for storage.

— Is absent. The absence of a bag is characteristic of some varieties of mowing units — in particular, mowers and trimmers (see "Type"). In classic lawn mowers, it usually means that this model does not involve collecting grass — all cut vegetation remains on the ground. At the same time, most of these models have the function of mulching (see above), however, there are exceptions.

- Self-propelled. In self-propelled lawn mowers, the engine rotates not only the cutting tool, but also the wheels of the lawn mower; thus, the user does not need to push it in front of him - it is enough just to set and control the direction of movement. This is convenient, but such models are more expensive than non-self-propelled ones. This is due not only to the complexity of the design, but also to the fact that such devices require more powerful engines - after all, power must be divided between the cutting nozzle and the chassis. For the same reason, a self-propelled unit will be less productive and efficient than a non-self-propelled analogue of the same power. However, some types of lawn mowers are by definition self-propelled - in particular, these are heavy professional models that would be difficult to push with your hands, as well as mini tractor riders(see "Type").

- Height adjustable handle. Possibility of height adjustment of the lawn mower handle, which allows to optimally adjust the device to the height of the user. This feature is especially useful for short or, conversely, tall people - by default, lawn mower handles are made for medium height, and it would be inconvenient to work with the unit without height adjustment.

- Piano wheels. The lawn mower has special, so-called. caster wheels (similar to th...ose used, for example, in supermarket carts). These wheels automatically turn in the direction of movement of the device, which significantly reduces the turning radius of the lawn mower and increases its maneuverability. At the same time, it is worth noting that this design is usually used only for the front wheels, while the rear ones remain rigidly fixed to the axle. So moving such a structure sideways still does not work.

- Flushing fitting. The presence of a fitting in the lawn mower for connecting a garden hose; usually such a fitting is located on the deck and is designed for a standard connector used in hoses. In accordance with the name, this function allows you to rinse the deck and blade of the unit, removing grass residues and other contaminants from them: just connect the hose, turn on the working nozzle and give water. This is much more convenient than removing the deck and washer blade by hand - especially when it comes to a heavy professional mower or rider (see "Type").

- Cup holder. The presence of a cup holder in the design of the lawn mower - a specialized stand for glasses and relatively small bottles. Such a stand usually has a characteristic recess where a container with a drink for the operator is installed. Often, cupholders are made in pairs, they are placed on a separate panel between the tubes of the handle of the unit. There are coasters in traditional lawn mowers and riders (mini tractors).

The maximum speed that the engine in an electric mower can run at (see "Engine type").

It makes sense to compare according to this indicator only engines of the same power. In general, higher rpm improves performance but reduces torque. Conversely, a relatively slow engine will be inferior to a “fast” one in overall speed, but it will better cope with dense dense vegetation. So it’s worth choosing by engine speed, taking into account what is more important to you — speed or efficiency in difficult conditions.

The diameter of the front wheels of the unit. For more information about this parameter, see "Rear wheel diameter" — everything written there is true in this case. We only note that the front wheels relatively rarely have their own drive, so the diameter for them is not as important as for the rear ones.

The diameter of the rear wheels of the unit.

Larger wheels, on the one hand, increase cross-country ability and allow you to effectively overcome pits, bumps and other obstacles on rough terrain. On the other hand, they cost more, are more expensive, and in self-propelled models, they also require more traction from the engine.

This indicator is often determined by the type of lawn mower (see above). So, mowers and riders, by definition, have large wheels, because they are designed for difficult terrain, and in a minitractor, the wheels must also withstand a fairly significant weight. But robotic lawn mowers, on the contrary, are used mainly on flat surfaces with low grass, and they do not need large wheels.

If you have to choose among classic lawn mowers, where this parameter can be different, you should proceed from the planned working conditions. So, if we are talking about a flat lawn — you can not pay much attention to this indicator; but for rough terrain with pits, tubercles, ditches, etc., you should choose larger wheels — from 25 cm or more.