The vast majority of reviews on our site are rotary mower reviews. That's no great surprise though given that the majority of lawn mower models on the market today feature a rotary blade system. And it's not hard to see why. They're able to cope in a wide range of conditions, taming even the wildest of lawns and you typically get more bang for your buck too. So unless you're responsible for tending to the local putting green or want your lawn to look just like one, a rotary lawn mower will likely be a solid bet, and we've got plenty of reviews for you to have a look through below.
Our Rotary Mower Reviews
If you've landed on this page you're probably already quite sure that a rotary mower is indeed the right choice for your lawn. But just to make sure, we're going to talk about some of the main pros and cons of rotary mowers below.
Advantages of Rotary Lawn Mowers
More Flexible - Able to Cope with More Varied Conditions
Rotary mowers are the best fit for the majority of yards just because they're more flexible in terms of the conditions that they will mow successfully in. Long grass? No problem. Have a thick grass variety? You're covered. Lot's of debris on the lawn? No need to pick that all up before you start. Cylinder mowers would struggle in all three of those scenarios.
You Have More Choice
While it's true there are lots of manual cylinder mowers (also called reel mowers) available for purchase, when it comes to powered/motorized options there are very few. But with rotary mowers, you have more choice than you can imagine, from the very cheap and simple to the super expensive with all the bells and whistles. And having lots of choice never hurts.
Fewer Blades, Less Maintenance
The maintenance requirements of your mower boils down to two main factors; the power source it runs on and the type of blade it has. We won't talk about power sources here, but if you choose a mower with a rotary blade, you'll have less maintenance to do compared to a cylinder mower. This is because cylinder mowers feature multiple blades, which take longer to sharpen, but also because they have to be kept ultra-sharp to cut effectively. A rotary blade will usually only need to be sharpened 1-2 times per year.
Drawbacks of Rotary Lawn Mowers
Cutting Technique Not as Healthy for Your Grass
The main disadvantage of rotary mowers is that they tear the grass blades, rather than slice them cleanly and precisely like a cylinder mower. This can increase the risk of infection or lawn disease, but if proper lawn maintenance practices are followed, the added risk is quite low.
Not Able to Produce Super Short Finish
If you've been dreaming of transforming your lawn into something that resembles the local putting green, a rotary mower will crush those dreams, as they aren't able to cut the grass short enough to produce such a finish. Something around 1.5 inches is often the shortest cutting setting on a rotary mower.
