Line diameter
The diameter of the fishing line supplied with the trimmer (more precisely, with a reel attachment, see "Tips").
In modern models, this parameter can be from 1 to 4 mm. At the same time, a thicker fishing line handles better with dense thickets, but it works rougher, the treated lawn is not particularly even, and for the effective operation of such a nozzle, a fairly powerful engine is needed. On the other hand, a fine line provides a clean and neat cut, but is not suitable for heavy vegetation and large stems. Thus, thick fishing line is usually equipped with powerful units designed for "launched" lawns with an abundance of thick stems. Thin, on the other hand, is found mainly in low-power electric trimmers with a lower engine location, designed for neat lawns with regularly cut grass.
We also recall that many trimmers have the ability to replace the standard reel with another one that differs in line thickness.
Nozzles
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Blade knife. A knife in the form of a pair of blades, rotating around a vertical axis in the manner of propeller blades. Two blades are the most popular, almost standard option for rotary lawn mowers (see “Cutting system”). Note that in the case of trimmers, using a knife allows you to achieve higher performance and cope better with thick grass than using
a reel with fishing line. On the other hand, the blades do not tolerate contact with stones and other hard objects very well; in case of such troubles, various tricks may be provided (for example, automatic engine brake).
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Spindle knife. Attachments used in spindle-type lawn mowers. For more information about such units, see “Cutting system”; here we would like to remind you that spindle blades are inferior to blade blades in terms of productivity and efficiency in thick grass, but they provide a cleaner cut, which allows you to give the lawn the most neat appearance possible. So this option is well suited for regularly trimming relatively sparse, well-groomed vegetation.
- Reel with fishing line. Most often used in trimmers (see “Type”). According to the general principle of operation, it is similar to a blade knife (see above), however, the working tool in this case is not blades, but pieces of thick fishing line rotating at high speed. The main advantage of a fishing line over a bladed knife is it
...s almost complete insensitivity to collisions with stones and other hard objects: upon impact, such a “blade” will simply bend and literally immediately straighten due to centrifugal force. True, such attachments cope somewhat worse with thick stems, but in practice everything depends on the thickness of the fishing line (see above) and the speed of its rotation.
— Cultivator. An attachment designed to loosen the soil. Externally, it is a set of gears mounted on a horizontal axis with teeth of a specific curved shape. Due to the rotation of these wheels, loosening is carried out. Combisystems are mainly equipped with such attachments (see “Type”). At the same time, the width of the cultivator is usually small; it is poorly suited for full-fledged garden work, but it can be useful when cultivating a small flower bed or several beds.
— Saw blade. Attachment for cutting relatively thick woody stems (for example, bushes or small tree branches). Installed mainly on trimmers (see “Type”). Externally, this attachment is very similar to the working element of a circular saw: it uses a rotating rim with characteristic teeth along the edges. The disc may have holes to reduce weight.
— Scissor mower. In this case, we mean a special attachment, most often used in mowers (see “Type”). This attachment has the appearance of a characteristic horizontal “comb” with two rows of teeth moving relative to each other. Its design is described in more detail in the paragraph “Cutting system - Scissor”, but here we note that trimmer-mowers are indispensable when working with dense vegetation and thick stems; they can easily cope with thickets that are too tough for other attachments.
— Brush cutter. As a rule, the brush cutter attachment is used in trimmers (see “Type”). It is a long blade with teeth for trimming and trimming bushes or hedges, and trimming small tree branches.
— Without attachments. Absence of any attachments in the standard configuration of the lawn mower. It is assumed that the customer will purchase them separately for specific needs.Soft start
The presence of a
soft start system in the lawn mower engine.
The design features of electric motors are such that when power is applied directly, the start occurs very abruptly — both in a mechanical and electrical sense. Firstly, the engine itself spins up in a jerk, in a very short time, which increases the wear of its parts. Secondly, at the moment of start-up, there is a sharp jump in current strength, which creates significant loads on the power grid (or the batteries of the unit). The soft start system eliminates these phenomena: it limits the starting current, allowing the motor to accelerate smoothly and preventing voltage surges.
On the other hand, additional electronic circuits affect the cost, sometimes quite significantly. So there are few models with this feature nowadays, and you should pay attention to them mainly in cases where the mentioned advantages are of fundamental importance — for example, if the device is purchased for a house with weak wiring that does not tolerate voltage surges.
Noise level
The level of noise produced by the device during operation. Usually, a certain average indicator is indicated in the characteristics — in the standard mode of operation; however, the actual values usually do not differ much from the claimed ones.
The lower the noise level, the more convenient the unit to use and the less tired the operator. In the case of lawn mowers, this is especially true, since such equipment is quite noisy — even the quietest models (some robots) give out about 47 – 48 dB, which is comparable to talking at an average volume. Note that the decibel is a non-linear quantity, and it is easiest to evaluate the actual loudness using comparative tables. Here is the simplest table for the values found in modern lawn mowers:
— 60 – 65 dB — talking in raised tones at a distance of about 1 m;
70 dB — loud conversation of several people at the same distance;
75 dB — loud laughter at a distance of 1 m;
80 dB — motorcycle engine, medium power vacuum cleaner.
90 dB — loud screams, freight car at a distance of 7 – 10 m;
100 dB — a subway train or a loud car signal at a distance of 5 – 7 m, an industrial workshop;
110 dB — tractor engine at a distance of about 1 m.
In addition to subjective sensations, there are specific sanitary standards that limit the impact of strong noise. So, according to European standards, noise of 85 dB is allowed to be heard without protective equipment for 8 hours, 91 dB — 2 hours, 97...dB — half an hour, and 103 dB — only 7 minutes. So when choosing a unit, you should take into account the duration of work with it — with high noise, you may need protective headphones.
