If you are planning to buy a lawnmower, then it is important to understand that there are three basic types of mower. Each type of mower is suitable for a particular type of garden and / or gardener:

Hover mowers - recommended for small or uneven lawns, or for casual gardeners
Cylinder mowers - recommended for medium to large lawns and for gardeners wanting a high quality finish
Rotary mowers - recommended for large lawns

Hover mowers

Hover mowers float on a layer of air generated by a rapidly rotating blade. The blade chops the grass, helping to pulp and compact the grass cuttings into mulch.

Hover mowers are recommended for casual gardeners who do not want to put a lot of effort into mowing. They are also ideal for smaller lawns, especially those that are uneven, irregularly-shaped or sloping, as they are easy to manoevre in tight spaces. Because they have no wheels they can be turned or moved sideways with ease.

The disadvantage of hover mowers is that they will not give the high quality finish that comes from a cylinder mower.

Most hover mowers are electric, but petrol-powered mowers are available for larger commercial use.

When buying a hover mower, you should consider the following:

Power of the motor - the more power, the faster the blade, and the better the cut
Capacity of the collecting box - the larger the box, the less it needs emptying
Weight - the lighter the mower, the easier it is to use and to carry

Cylinder mowers

Cylinder lawnmowers use a "cylinder" of blades and a scissor-like cutting action to give the best possible finish to your lawn. They are also fitted with a roller to give that classic "striped" effect to a lawn. The scissor-like action of a cylinder mower is more efficient than the chopping action of a hover or rotary lawn mower, so cylinder mowers tend to have smaller motors.

Cylinder mowers are not recommended for small lawns, as they are not as easy to manouevre as hover mowers. They are also not recommended for uneven, sloping or irregularly shaped lawns, nor for casual gardeners who are not prepared to mow their lawns regularly throughout the growing season. The first cut of the season will take longer using a cylinder mower, as the mower will need to be set to a high cut initially, then repeated cuts made at progressively lower settings until the desired height is reached. This also means that regular cutting is required during the growing season - at least once per week during summer and preferably twice.

Cylinder lawnmowers are available in hand-push versions, suitable for small lawns, electric-powered versions, suitable for medium-sized lawns, and in petrol-powered versions, recommended for large lawns, football pitches, bowling greens and other large areas of grass that require a very high quality cut.

When buying a cylinder mower, you should consider the following:

Width of cut - wider cuts are more efficient when mowing larger areas of grass
Easy height adjustment
Hand, electric or petrol powered

Rotary mowers

Rotary lawn mowers use a rotating blade to cut the grass and are designed for larger lawns and areas of grass. They are easier to use than cylinder mowers, but will not give the very highest quality cut.

A key benefit of rotary mowers is that they are designed to cope with both rough and smooth lawns. When fitted with a roller, they will give a classic "striped" lawn effect to any area of grass.

Rotary mowers are available in electric-powered versions, suitable for medium-sized lawns, and in petrol-powered versions, suitable for large lawns and other large areas of grass. Options include whether the mower collects grass cuttings, mulches the grass as it cuts, or just discharges the grass clippings onto the lawn.