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The amount of power a lawn mower has, is important because it influences the quality of cut. Low powered lawnmowers in long or damp grass may struggle. The extra resistance causes the blade to rotate more slowly which in turn means the grass is not cut cleanly and may even be ‘chewed’. You can recognise this as either a ribbed effect in the grass, a silver sheen or straggly straw coloured grass blades all over the lawn. Therefore a quality power source is essential.

A petrol lawn mower produces the most power and should be considered for lawns over 200 metres square or where mowing the lawn may be difficult due to slopes or uneven surfaces. Don’t skimp on power as it is one of the most important factors for a good cut and easier grass mowing. If the petrol lawnmower has driven wheels saving you pushing effort then even more power is needed. How much power is good? Well, the ideal range with ample power for rotaries is 4Hp to about 5.5Hp depending on how wide the lawn mower is.

Cylinder lawn mowers can manage on a little less starting from 3Hp. The wider lawnmowers do more work so need more power. Today there are many lawn mower manufacturers to choose from but often the engine is manufactured separately. Therefore, some Honda lawn mowers may just have a Honda engine. Nothing wrong in that and very good they are too. Kohler, Torx, Rolux, Yamaha, Stihl, Kawasaki and Briggs & Stratton all have excellent power plants. Power is equally important for an electric lawn mower or even a battery lawn mower for that matter.

For areas over 300 to 400 square meters, a petrol mower would be better unless there was some other overriding reason to have an electric lawnmower; weight for example. But as many many lawns come in under 300 square meters an electric mower or battery lawnmower can be the best option. Just get the most power in that width of lawnmower; they generally range from 900 watts to about 3000 watts for rotary mowers and upwards of 900 watts for cylinder mowers. With cylinder mowers you will need to mow at least twice a week as an electric cylinder mower will struggle with a whole week of late spring growth.

The advantage of an electric power source is no engine to service; just keep it clean and sharp. There are no polluting exhaust fumes and electric lawn mowers are a lot lighter than petrol lawnmowers. If a cable is likely to snag in your garden or distance is a problem then a battery lawnmower may be the solution.

A zero-turn riding lawn mower is a beefed up riding lawn mower with a turning radius that is effectively zero. Different brands and models achieve this in different ways, but hydraulic speed control of each drive wheel is the most common method. Both commercial duty and homeowner models exist, with varying engine power options, size of cutting decks, fuel type (petrol or diesel), and prices. A zero-turn mower typically drives faster and costs more than a similarly sized conventional riding mower that has steerable front wheels.

Most current models have four wheels: two small swiveling front tyres and two large drive tyres in the back. Instead of controlling the swiveling tyres to steer the machine, the large drive tyres rotate independently of each other based on the driver's input. They may rotate in opposite directions. The mower can pivot around a point midway between the drive wheels (the classic zero-turn), or it can pivot around either one of the drive wheels if one is stationary, or it can turn in a circle of any radius. Reversal of the direction of travel can be accomplished by causing both wheels to rotate in reverse.

Steering controls differ on z-turn mowers. Instead of a steering wheel, most z-turns have two throttles that control the rotational speed and direction of each drive wheel. The throttles are typically moved by a seated driver who operates levers mounted waist to shoulder high. The mower's engine throttle is controlled separately, if at all. Some zero turn mowers are steered by a joystick or a steering wheel, the advantage of either one being the location of the hands may permit less fatigue during prolonged mowing and the use of a single hand for steering.