Rotary
mowers are versatile in that they can more easily cope with longer and
rougher grass than other types of lawn mower (so should you leave the lawn longer than you ought between
cuts, it won't be such a battle to deal with). They are perhaps a better all
round solution for most people who use their lawns and want it to look neat
and tidy rather than be a show-piece. That is not to say that a fine finish is
not achievable with any of these machines.
It
is certainly possible to get the striped finish associated with the best quality
lawn with a rotary mower as the stripes are the result of having a rear roller
rather than the blade arrangement.
Rotary
mowers cut the grass with a centrally mounted spinning blade which while it can
give a good finish can't compete with a well adjusted reel mower that cuts with
a cleaner scissors action rather than the chopping action of the rotary.
Small
electric rotary mowers may have plastic blades or a nylon line that cuts the
grass, this has the advantage that it is far less likely to damage the
electrical cable if it is run over than a metal blade. On the other hand such
plastic blades are easily damaged by small stones, sticks or other debris, so
you should always be sure to have some spare blades or nylon line to hand. It
can be very frustrating when you're half way through cutting the lawn, the
blades break and they can't be replaced until the next day or later.
