Comparison AL-KO FRS 4125 vs Huter ELM-1000

- Lawnmower. Classic wheeled lawn mowers in the form of trolleys with two or four wheels. They can have different types of engines; there are both non-self-propelled and self-propelled models. Such units are intended mainly for flat areas of small and medium-sized areas - for example, for caring for a lawn in the courtyard of a private house or a lawn on a city street. At the same time, a lawn mower is in many ways more convenient than a manual trimmer (see below): it does not need to be “carried”, and the design often includes a special bag for collecting grass. On the other hand, traditional mowers are not well suited for tight spaces, uneven areas and tall grass.

— Trimmer. A hand-held garden tool, a kind of mechanized analogue of a scythe. Consists of a motor, a cutting attachment and a handle(s) mounted on one rod. The small width of the working attachment allows you to work even in narrow spaces where the lawn mower cannot pass; with one stroke of the trimmer you can capture a fairly wide strip of grass; and you can cut at any height—including vegetation that is too tall for traditional lawnmowers. In addition, a special fishing line is most often used as a cutting attachment in such devices, which is not afraid of collisions with hard objects (although there are also models with blade knives). The disadvantages of a trimmer are traditional for hand tools: you have to constantly carry the unit on yourself, which can be tiring...during long-term work; and the cutting height has to be adjusted “by eye” (the exception is models with rollers - see “Advanced”).

— Rider (mini tractor). A self-propelled machine that the operator rides on horseback; in essence, it is a smaller and simplified analogue of an agricultural tractor. Note that although riders and mini tractors are combined into one category here, they are still somewhat different units. So, in riders, the engine is usually located in the rear, and the mowing deck or other equipment is in the front; Thanks to this arrangement, the grass is not crushed by the wheels before cutting, and it also makes it possible to work in hard-to-reach places (for example, close to trees). And in general, riders are quite maneuverable and well suited for cramped conditions. Mini tractors, in turn, are not so agile, but they are more powerful, heavier and more passable; the engine in such units is located in the front, the mowing deck is located below, between the axles, and additional equipment (if the possibility of its use is provided at all) can be suspended from below instead of the deck, from the back and/or from the front, depending on the model. The common features of riders and mini tractors are, on the one hand, convenience and comfort during operation (some models can even be equipped with closed cabins), on the other hand, high cost, bulkiness and significant weight. So you should pay attention to this category only if you need a mower for large spaces - it is in such conditions that riders and mini tractors show their best side.

- Haymaker. A type of lawn mower with a reinforced design, designed to work primarily in “wild” conditions, outside manicured lawns - in meadows, long-uncultivated and heavily overgrown areas, etc. In fact, such units belong more to professional agricultural machinery than to lawn mowers in the traditional sense of the word. Most mowers have a distinctive appearance: the body is mounted on two large wheels, and the front part houses a scissor-type cutting system (see below). This design ensures maneuverability on uneven terrain and allows you to effectively cope with even thick stems, even bushes and young trees.

— Robotic lawnmower. The most automated type of lawn mower: in fact, it is enough to set such a machine a program, release it onto the site and press the start button - the robot will do the rest itself. The simplest models use movement along random routes and obstacle sensors; more advanced ones can use a full-fledged mapping system (see “Functions”) and even systems for “smart” recognition of grass height and “memorization” of the areas traversed. Robots are generally able to return to the charging station on their own; Some models may even include solar panels to save energy and increase autonomy. At the same time, the efficiency and productivity of such devices is low; in general, robotic mowers are designed mainly for regular maintenance of already “cultivated” lawns.

— Combisystem. Structurally, such lawn mowers are similar to trimmers: they are based on a rod on which the engine and attachment are mounted, and the tool must be held in your hands when working (in the classic mode of use, like a scythe). The main difference between combisystems is the ability to install a variety of different attachments, thanks to which the functionality is significantly expanded. In addition to standard options like a paddle blade or a line reel, models of this type are compatible with attachments for mowing hay, trimming branches, and even cultivators. Note that attachments can either be included in the standard equipment of the lawn mower or purchased separately. Combisystems are useful primarily for small but complex areas, where, on the one hand, there is no need to process a large area, and on the other hand, one has to deal with an abundance of tasks of a different nature.

- Hovercraft. A rather rare and specific type of lawn mower that uses the principle of an air cushion: when the engine is running, air is pumped under the sole, lifting the entire device above the ground. Such units are not self-propelled, but they are very easy to move: there is practically no friction when moving, and you can push the mower in any direction, not just back and forth. At the same time, the air cushion requires high engine power and is effective only on relatively flat surfaces; and the ability to adjust the height in such models is limited, which is why they are so rare.

The type of engine that drives the cutting tool of the lawn mower, and in self-propelled models, the device itself. At the moment, the following types of engines are used:

— Electric (mains). Mains powered motor. Its advantages are low noise level, low cost and ease of operation (no need to buy fuel and oil) and no emissions into the atmosphere. Among the shortcomings can be called a relatively small power and a short range, limited by the length of the power cord.

— Electric (battery). Electric motor powered by its own built-in battery. It has all the same advantages as a mains-powered motor; in addition, such devices are not limited in movement, since they do not require a network connection during operation. On the other hand, the battery life of battery lawn mowers rarely exceeds half an hour, the battery weighs a lot and takes a long time to charge, and the power of such devices is even lower than that of network ones (despite the fact that they are noticeably more expensive).

— Petrol. Gasoline internal combustion engine. The advantages of such engines, in comparison with electric ones, are independence from the mains connection and high power, which allows you to work with dense thick vegetation. On the other hand, gasoline engines are heavier, more expensive to run, require the purchase of fuel and lubricants, and emit exhaust gases into the...air.

— Diesel. A type of internal combustion engine. In terms of basic features, diesel engines are almost identical to those described above, but they also have their own characteristics. On the one hand, in such units it is easier to provide high power and good torque, so they are better suited for "heavy" tasks; and diesel fuel is cheaper than gasoline. On the other hand, diesel engines themselves are more expensive, heavier and more difficult to operate. Therefore, they are not particularly popular among lawn mowers, this option is found mainly in riders (see "Type"), where high power is more important than the mentioned disadvantages.

— Gas. A rare variety of internal combustion engines that use a propane-butane mixture of gas as fuel. Their advantages over gasoline units are economical consumption, high mowing performance, and a small amount of harmful emissions into the atmosphere. In addition, gas fuel reduces the load on the engine, which, in turn, prolongs its operational life. The reverse side of the coin is the need to fill the cylinder with liquefied hydrocarbon gases at specialized filling complexes or the frequent replacement of gas cartridges.

— Without engine(manual). Lawnmowers that are not equipped with any motors and use the muscular strength of the user — when working, it is necessary to push the device in front of you. The advantages of such a scheme are low cost (both the device itself and its operation), independence from fuel and electricity, and maximum environmental friendliness; disadvantages are the relatively low quality of work and the significant expenditure of physical strength.

The capture width provided by the unit, in other words, the width of the strip of land cultivated in one pass. In fact, this size corresponds to the width of the working nozzle.

The large working width is useful when processing large open spaces, as it allows you to finish the job in a small number of passes. On the other hand, for hard-to-reach places, relatively narrow tools are better suited, able to go where a wider unit will not fit. In addition, the width of the tool directly affects the weight and price.

In general, it makes sense to compare in terms of working width only units of the same type (see above). However, it is worth noting here that trimmers do not differ so much from each other — most models capture from 25 to 45 cm (and a wide processing band is provided by moving the nozzle from side to side). As for the other types, in the most modest models the capture width does not exceed 40 cm, in the heaviest and most powerful it can be 56 – 60 cm or even more(in mini tractors — up to 1.5 m).

The width (diameter) of the trimmer knife characterizes the size of the paddle knife (or saw blade). Such a nozzle has a smaller capture width than a fishing line, however, it allows you to mow more dense thickets, including shrubs.

The minimum cutting height provided by the lawnmower — that is, the smallest height of grass that can remain after the passage of the machine. It makes sense to pay attention to this indicator mainly in cases where the lawn is planned to be cut as short as possible. In addition, the lower the minimum height (with the same maximum), the wider the height adjustment range of this model.

The maximum cutting height that the lawn mower can achieve is the maximum height of grass that can be left after the machine has passed.

This parameter is relevant mainly for those cases when you want to leave the grass on the lawn relatively long. In addition, lawn mowers with high cutting heights have a wide range of mowing adjustments.

The number of cutting height settings provided by the lawn mower. The more such settings (with the same adjustment range) — the more accurately you can choose the mowing height. Note that in some robots (see "Type") this number reaches 30 or more with a range of 30 to 60 mm; in other words, you can select the height to the nearest millimetre.

The cutting height adjustment method provided in the machine.

— Synchronous. Adjustment carried out "in one movement" — as opposed to the manual described below. In traditional lawn mowers, it is usually carried out by a lever that changes the height of all wheels at the same time; in other units, not the wheels, but the cutting tool itself, can be adjusted in height. Anyway, synchronous adjustment is much more convenient than manual adjustment, and for some devices (for example, robots and riders, see "Type") this is generally the only technically possible option. However, in classic mowers, such a system complicates and increases the cost of construction.

— Manual. The meaning of this type of adjustment depends on the type of device. So, for trimmers, this is almost the only possible way by definition: in them, the cutting height is regulated by how high the operator holds the working nozzle. In lawn mowers, manual adjustment means that you need to separately adjust the height of each axle, and even each individual wheel. Such systems are simpler and cheaper than synchronous systems, but less convenient to use.

Direction of ejection of grass cut by the lawnmower.

The main options for the direction of ejection are back or sideways; there are also models in which you can choose the direction. At the same time, we note that in classic units, the ejection back is almost always carried out into the bag(up to the point that when the bag is removed, the hole is automatically covered with a lid), but when the bag is ejected from the side, it may not be — this is convenient, for example, when mulching ( see above).

Also note that riders (see "Type") have their own specifics: in units with rear discharge, after removing the bag, it is necessary to install a special plug, and then the cut grass will simply remain under the deck. In some mini-tractors, a similar way of working (without a bag) is provided initially; it is also considered a rear ejection, although the grass does not flow backwards, but downwards.