Stripes down your lawn really does create the perfect finish! They can be seen on tennis and football pitches and around stately homes or large estates all over the UK. But what if you want to create a little of that perfection in your own back garden? Believe it or not, it is actually a lot easier to achieve than you would think! It isn’t that you are cutting your lawn wrong – it’s that you have the wrong lawnmower!
All that you need is to purchase a model that is designed to create that striped effect and you will be on your way! Here are some of the best lawnmowers that we found were up to the task!
Best Pick – Yard Force 40V 37cm Cordless Lawnmower
- Powerful Mower with a brushless motor - giving you optimum power and efficiency
- 40V Samsung lithium-ion 2.5Ah battery and quick charger
- 37cm cutting Width and rear roller for stripy looking lawn
- Single lever height adjustment with 7 cutting heights ranging from 25mm-75mm
- Large 40-litre hybrid grass collection bag with a full level indicator
Last update on 2024-04-23 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
How do you get stripes on your lawn?
The question that is pondered by many…how do you actually achieve that striped look on your lawn? Is it the way the grass in lain? Is it the type of grass that is used? Actually no – it just depends on you having the right lawn mower.
A good quality lawn mower with a roller is going to be able to help you to achieve those fabulous stripes…and it is all down to sunlight! As you mow your lawn going in one direction and then back the other, the roller will bend the grass in a uniform direction. So one stripe will face one way and the next stripe (as you come back the other way along the lawn) will face the other. This means that the sun reflects on the different sides of the blade, creating a shadowed dark stripe and a light stripe that reflects the sun!
Click here for a video with more information on the best way to achieve a perfectly striped lawn.
In A Hurry?
Best Type of Lawn Mower for Stripes
Whether your neighbours are already out there striping their lawns, or maybe you want to be the first to start the trend, or possibly even you have a garden party coming up and want your garden to be picture perfect. Whatever your reason for being in a hurry…keep reading for the information you cannot do without.
The first thing that you need to think about is the type of lawn mower that you are going to need to create stripes in your garden, as they are not all going to be up to the task!
You are going to need to purchase either a cylinder mower or a rotary mower. Cylinder mowers have a front blade and a roller, both of which are going to work together to create the stripe so will really add to the definition between stripes! However, they are best suited for well maintained lawns that are cut regularly to an even level. They are going to struggle on gardens that are damp or more bumpy (or if you have let your grass grow a little too long) and can actually do more damage than good in these circumstances.
Your second choice is a rotary mower with a roller, which will have a rotating blade then a roller on the back to create the stripes after the grass has been cut. These are more hardy mowers that are going to be better able to cope with lawns that aren’t completely flat or where the grass is slightly longer, so if you know that your lawn isn’t perfect but you are wanting to get it to that point then a rotary mower may be the way to go.
NOTE: It is worth mentioning that not all rotary mowers come with a roller on the back – so this is something you need to check for before buying. Equally some lawn mowers have rollers on the front, which is fine – but if you are wanting to achieve the best stripe then you need to look for a model with a back roller.
Power
The type of power that you go for really comes down to budget and personal preference. There are three options that you will have to choose from.
- Manual – A manual lawn mower will usually be your cheapest option, and is definitely going to be the cheapest in terms of running costs. But, they do require a lot of work and effort from you. This is fine if you have a relatively small lawn that is flat and on a level, but for any slightly larger gardens or gardens on an incline you are going to have a lot of work on your hands!
- Electric – Electric lawn mowers are the best middle ground, offering you a middling price bracket and a middling amount of support in the mowing! They are low maintenance and going to be suitable for small, medium and even some larger gardens (if you opt for a cordless model). You just need to consider that you are going to be reliant on being close to mains electric, or recharging your batteries, which can be time consuming.
- Petrol – Petrol lawnmowers are going to offer you the most power by far. They are best suited for larger gardens that can justify the expense and the size, but they will leave you having to put in very little work to achieve your stripes – which can only be a good thing. Not only this but they will be up to the task of taming longer lawns if yours has become a little unruly. You do need to bear in mind however that they do require much more maintenance and upkeep. They are also quite heavy and bulky so consider where your lawnmower is going to be stored when not in use.
Lawn Mower/Roller Size
We usually say that the size of lawn mower you should be purchasing depends on the size of garden that you have. So, a smaller garden you can get away with a smaller mower and vice versa. But, if your main interest is the stripes on your lawn then this is a factor that you are going to need to consider too.
The width of your lawnmower (and the roller that is on the base of your lawnmower) is obviously going to impact on the width of the stripes that you are able to create. A wider roller is going to bend the grass in larger stripes, so you will have less stripes on your lawn but they will be thicker. Whereas, a smaller mower with a smaller roller is going to leave you making more trips up and down your garden (as less of a width is covered with each trip) however you will then have more stripes in your garden.
Largely this comes down to personal preference, as a wider mower is obviously going to make your life easier, cutting more of your lawn in each trip, however if you have a smaller garden this could result in you only having 2 or 3 stripes in your lawn, which could ruin “the look” a little bit!
We found that lawn mower widths ranged from around 25cm up to 50cm (for the considerably larger models) so you can see there are lots of aspects to consider.
Grass Collection
Grass collection is so important if you are wanting stripes on your lawn. You need to remember that raking your lawn afterwards is really not going to be a good idea as this will destroy the stripes that you have worked so hard to create. Equally although a mulching option on your lawnmower is going to be good for the health of the lawn, it isn’t going to be good for the look of your stripes.
This means that you are going to need to look for a lawnmower with a standard bag for collecting all the grass cuttings, which can then be emptied onto a compost pile or into your recycling bin. Collectors come in various different sizes, with some being made from fabric so they seem to expand as they fill with cuttings and others being made from plastic so are solid and sturdy from the start. The size of your grass collector is obviously going to impact on the weight of your lawnmower so this is a factor to consider as well if you are wanting a lighter model.
We found that grass collectors were ranging in sizes from around 10L up to 20L – sometimes more.
TOP TIP: We love grass collectors with a viewing window as it makes it so much easier to see when your collector is getting to the point of needing emptying!
Best Budget – Flymo EasiMow 300R Electric Rotary Lawn Mower
- Utilises a powerful 1000W motor so you can tackle your lawn with ease.
- A 30cm cutting width and 20-60mm cutting height ensures a neat and tidy finish to your lawn.
- Equipped with a large 30 litre grass box, meaning less time spent emptying grass clippings.
- It’s 10m cable gives you the freedom and flexibility to move around your garden area, without the need to worry about reach.
- Equipped with dual lever handles allow you to comfortably operate the lawn mower with either hand for greater flexibility and manoeuvrability.
Last update on 2024-04-24 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Additional Lawn Mower Features
Now you know the main things to look for if you are wanting to create uniform stripes in your lawn, here are some more general features that you need to consider when buying a lawn mower. These are just as important because it is no good buying the best lawn mower for stripes if it isn’t actually suitable for the lawn cutting needs that you have!
Cutting Height
All lawnmowers have different cutting heights depending on the look that you are wanting to achieve. A shorter lawn is going to offer a really perfect, manicured look but could leave your stripes slightly less defined as the roller has shorter grass blades to direct. Whereas a longer cut is going to make it easier to see the variation in the stripes but you will potentially find yourself having to cut your lawn more to keep on top of the grass.
Cutting heights range from as little as 10mm up to around 75mm.
Weight
The weight of your lawnmower is going to impact on how easy it is to move around and to push along whilst you are mowing. A self-propelled mower (found with some electric and more often petrol models) is going to push itself forward with just a little support from yourself, but unless you are opting for one of these then weight is going to be a factor.
A heavier mower is arguably going to sit deeper on the lawn and therefore the roller will be able to bend to blades of grass better, but a lighter lawn mower is going to be much easier for you to move around.
Best of the Best
- Anti-vibration features will help to reduce the vibration effect that you feel going up into your arms when mowing. This can reduce fatigue but also long term damage from the vibrations in your arms.
- Comfort grip – Look out for models offering comfort grips made from foam and rubber that are going to reduce fatigue when working.
- Grass combs – These “pull” in the grass from the edge of the lawn allowing you to create that immaculate edged finish to your lawn. This can save you a lot of time as you won’t have to go round with an individual trimmer after mowing the lawn.
- Eco-friendly – If you are going for an electric or petrol powered model then look out for one that is going to be eco-friendly. This will help to reduce your running costs, whilst also helping the environment.
Best of the Rest
- Hand propelled rear roller mains electric lawnmower for that striped effect finish
- 35 litre grass collector with vision window
- Mulching plug Included
- Integral rear roller and front anti-scalping plate
- Ideal for lawns up to 10 metre by 10 metre
Last update on 2024-04-24 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
- Utilises a powerful 1200W motor and 32cm cutting width so you can tackle your lawn with ease
- Choose your ideal cutting height with a choice of five settings between 20 to 60 mm for a perfect lawn
- Equipped with dual lever handles allow you to comfortably operate the lawn mower with either hand for greater flexibility and manoeuvrability
- It’s 10m cable gives you the freedom and flexibility to move around your garden area without the need to worry about reach
- Equipped with a large 29L grass box so you can spend less time emptying as well as a rear roller for a striped finish to your lawn
Last update on 2024-04-23 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
- 330mm cutting width: Ideal for small lawns
- Ultra-lightweight and durable rust-free chassis: Weighs just 9kg
- Rear roller mower: Get that traditional British striped lawn
- Eco-friendly mulching feature: Returns extra-fine grass cuttings to the lawn for a greener, healthier lawn
- 3 adjustable cutting heights: Get the perfect finish on your lawn
Last update on 2024-04-24 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Frequently Asked Questions
What warranty will I get with a lawn mower?
The average warranty that we found for most lawn mowers were around 2 years. However, we did find some that were considerably more or less than this. We wouldn’t recommend purchasing a lawn mower that offers less than a year warranty, but on the flip side we found some that go all the way up to 5 years!
What is the best lawn mower for stripes?
A cylinder or rotary mower is going to be the best to create stripes in your garden providing it has a back roller – this is the essential bit of kit that you need to create the stripes. You will also tend to find that a two-wheeled mower with a roller will be the most effect as you will have more weight (and therefore more force) pressing down on the roller, which in turn presses down on the grass to hold it in position.
Are there any other ways to get stripes on your lawn?
Yes – if you aren’t sure about investing in a specific lawnmower then you do have the option of purchasing a stripe kit to add to your current lawnmower. This is a weighted bar which is put on the back of the lawnmower so that it can position the grass correctly. They aren’t quite as effective as a lawnmower already fitted with a roller and they won’t be compatible with all mowers so this is something to consider!
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