Getting my lawn mowed

Should I get someone in to do it? Or is that too pathetic? I suppose it is really. That means I'm going to have to buy what we gardeners call a LAWNMOWER.

As far as I can tell there are just two basic cutting designs, with two (or perhaps three (at a push (no pun intended) four)) different ways of powering them.

The big face-offs are these:

Cylinder cutting versus rotary

Surprisingly there are just these two basic designs available; this after getting on for two centuries of lawnmower design and development. If it was up to me we'd have had lasers by now. The cylinder design gives the finest cut, while the rotary is better on rougher or uneven ground.

Petrol power versus electric (mains or battery), perhaps versus hand powered

You can have a noisy, filthy petrol engine, or a clean, quiet-ish electric motor. With a mains cord that's an invitation to disaster if ever I saw one. There are cordless battery designs of course, but they're heavy and you're forever recharging the things. And yes if you're butch and really insist you can still push the thing yourself.

I'll be devoting a whole post to each of these key lawnmower elements.