With a front mower, you can mow the grass of medium to very large lawns comfortably, quickly and reliably. Such a device is primarily characterized by the mower on the front axle - hence the name. The system has many advantages. You can find out what these are in our guide. However, we mainly deal with the types and most important comparison criteria in order to make your purchase decision easier.

Front mowers are available with electric or petrol operation

Table of Contents

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  1. Types of front mowers
  2. Other purchase criteria
  3. What brands are there?
  4. How do I maintain a front mower?
  5. frequently asked Questions

    6. Types of front mowers

    Front mowers can be divided into different types based on several points:

    After result…

    • only with mulch function
    • additionally with grass intake (catcher)

    By operating mode…

    • with combustion engine
    • with battery

    We will now introduce the types to you in more detail.

    Front mowers with or without grass collection in the test and comparison

    In and of itself, the front mower is considered a mulching mower. A mulching mower is a device that does not pick up the blades of grass, but shreds them extremely finely and then immediately ejects them again - as mulch.

    Only with mulching function

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    An "original", classic front mower is only equipped with a mulching function. It twists the blades of grass between the rotating blades until they are small enough to slide between the blades and collect on the lawn. Other pure mulching mowers with a front mower eject the shredded grass at the rear. In both cases, the mulch serves as a natural fertilizer.

    The advantages and disadvantages of front mowers (only) with a mulching function at a glance:

    benefits
    • Easy and quick mowing
    • Natural fertilizer as a result
    disadvantage
    • Any mulch that is not required must be removed afterwards

    Additionally with grass intake

    If a front mower has a collection basket, the mown grass collects in it. It goes from the mower unit into the container through a connecting pipe. The latter is usually attached to the rear of the front mower. You must empty the basket after each use. Sometimes this step is already necessary during the respective mowing session - depending on the volume of the grass catcher or how much you mow.

    tips

    If the grass catcher is full, no more waste can be picked up. It then collects in the form of small heaps on the lawn and creates additional work for you afterwards. You should therefore always empty the container in good time.

    In general, a front mower with a collecting basket can still be used as a mulching mower. Before each mowing, you can use a switch to specify whether you want to process the grass into mulch or collect it.

    The advantages and disadvantages of front mowers with additional grass collection at a glance:

    benefits
    • Flexible changing (mulching and collecting)
    disadvantage
    • The catch basket must be emptied regularly

    Front mower with combustion engine or battery in the test and comparison

    The majority of front mowers are powered by an internal combustion engine (petrol or diesel). Some versions have a battery instead. We briefly mention the most important properties as well as the advantages and disadvantages of these two variants.

    With combustion engine

    Front mowers with a combustion engine are practical for particularly large lawns

    Combustion engine front mowers require petrol or diesel to power them. Compared to battery-operated devices, they are significantly more powerful - they work more powerfully and last longer before they need a new supply of energy, so the tank has to be refilled.

    We would like to mention the high operating volume as a disadvantage (wear ear protection!). In addition, front mowers with internal combustion engines are more polluting.

    The advantages and disadvantages of front mowers with combustion engines at a glance:

    benefits
    • Extremely powerful (a lot of power and long range)
    disadvantage
    • Very loud
    • Harmful to the environment
    • More expensive

    With battery

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    Battery-powered front mowers draw their energy from a battery that you have to charge regularly. The range is usually significantly less than that of devices with a combustion engine - i.e. the battery has to be charged more often than the tank of a petrol or diesel-powered front mower has to be filled up. At the same time, the battery-powered models perform worse in terms of power.

    The big advantages of a cordless front mower are the low operating noise and the fact that it is far less harmful to the environment.

    The advantages and disadvantages of front mowers with battery at a glance:

    benefits
    • Pleasantly quiet
    • more environmentally friendly
    • cheaper
    disadvantage
    • Less powerful (lower range and power)

    Interim conclusion: Which variant is suitable when and for whom?

    Combustion engine: very large lawns, no disturbance from neighbors to worry about
    Battery: maximum medium-sized lawns, neighbors could be disturbed by noise

    tips

    Another distinguishing and comparative feature for front mowers relates to the exact type of drive. There are units with rear and all-wheel drive versions. Fortunately, most front-mounted mowers are offered with four-wheel drive, in which the motive power reaches all of the ground-contacting wheels of the unit. This increases the power and improves the (smooth) ride (control, stability and driving safety) compared to a rear-wheel drive front mower, where the power only goes to the rear wheels.

    Other purchase criteria

    There are many things to consider when buying a front mower

    Aside from the exact mowing method (with or without a grass catcher) and the drive system, when purchasing a front mower you should consider the following criteria:

    • working width
    • cutting height
    • ideas
    • service
    • catcher size
    • tank volume

    working/cutting width

    It is essential that you place great value on a pronounced working width. The wider the cutting area per pass, the less often you have to cover the lawn before you are finished mowing.

    cutting height

    Ideally, the front mower gives you plenty of leeway when it comes to the cutting height, so you can enjoy a lot of flexibility when mowing.

    ideas

    Does the front mower offer several adjustment options, for example in relation to the working and cutting width as well as the driving speed? Example: If there are many obstacles on the lawn to be mowed, the width of the device should be adjustable to the conditions.

    service

    Ideally, the front mower can be easily operated using easily accessible switches. To find out what this criterion is like, it is best to look at both the product descriptions from the manufacturers and some customer reviews.

    catcher size

    If you opt for a front mower with a grass catcher, you should make sure that the container is as large as possible so that you don't have to empty it during the mowing process.

    tank volume

    The tank volume plays a not insignificant role in a front mower with a combustion engine. The larger it is, the greater the range of the device.

    What brands are there?

    Here is a list of trusted brands that sell front mowers:

    • Stiga
    • Vikings
    • McCulloch
    • MTD
    • Cub Cadet
    • Cramer (Tourno)
    • Toro Ransomes
    • Castelgarden
    • EFCO
    • Etesia
    • Kubota
    • John Deere
    • Husqvarna
    • Iseki
    • WOLF garden

    Front mowers of all kinds are available in well-stocked garden and DIY stores as well as in various online mail order companies such as Amazon, Otto et cetera.

    How do I maintain a front mower?

    Have your front mower professionally serviced annually. If you are an expert yourself, you can of course do this task yourself.

    You should also clean the device regularly. The best way to clean the mower deck efficiently is as follows:

    1. Raise cutting deck.
    2. Connect the water hose to the water connection in the deck.
    3. Activate rotation of the knife blades.

    Of course, it is also important that the knife blades are lubricated and sharpened as required so that they remain consistently powerful.

    frequently asked Questions

    What is a front mower?

    In the classic ride-on mower, the mowing deck is located under the seat

    A front mower is a special type of ride-on mower. As the name suggests, the mower is not located under the seat (as in the classic ride-on mower), but on the front axle, supplemented by two support wheels. The advantage of this setup is that you can work the terrain better. With a front mower you can even mow under bushes. Thanks to the support wheels, the deck always precisely follows the contours of the lawn. In addition, the turning circle of a front mower is tighter than that of a conventional ride-on mower or lawn tractor. This means that you drive particularly small radii and can usually save yourself the hassle of touching up with a lawn edger.

    Important: In principle, a front mower is a mulching mower that does not collect grass (i.e. does not have a grass catcher, but shreds the mown grass and ejects it again as mulch). However, there are now also a number of ride-on mowers that are equipped with a front mower and grass catcher.

    How does a front mower work?

    Front mowers work much like other ride-on mowers. As a rule, they have a powerful combustion engine. Some models are offered with battery operation instead. The respective "source" generates energy for

    • the driving (the wheels) and
    • the rotation of the knife blades.

    Conveniently, you can independently control the speeds of the drive and blade rotation.

    Depending on the working principle, the front mower picks up the cut grass via a pipe into the collection basket or firstly rotates the blades of grass very small and then guides them straight out of the mowing deck onto the ground (collection basket versus mulching function).

    Who benefits from a front mower?

    Front mowers are particularly recommended for

    • Individuals with a very large garden,
    • farmers and
    • Maintainers of parks, golf courses and other sports fields.

    Basically, a front mower enables comfortable and back-friendly mowing of the lawn. You don't have to walk behind the mower when tending the lawn; You sit on it and rule over both the device and the lawn from above.

    How much does a front mower cost?

    For solid entry-level models, you pay from around 1,900 euros. At least 2,500 euros are incurred for high-quality mid-range devices. Premium front mowers cost from around 5,000 euros. The price range goes up to around 12,000 euros.

    What makes a premium front mower so special and expensive?

    Premium front mowers are characterized by the following features:

    • Four-wheel drive for excellent traction on all terrains and in all weather conditions
    • Power steering and center articulated steering for excellent machine maneuverability
    • individually adjustable cutting width up to 125 centimetres
    • extremely powerful combustion engine
    • Speeds of up to 14 kilometers per hour
    • minimized vibration on the steering wheel for a more comfortable driving experience

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