Generally speaking, lawnmowers, garden tractors and wheeled brushcutters are used for cutting grass, the main differences being the method and purpose. Lawnmowers and garden tractors are intended for lawn maintenance, in other words a clean cut, without ripping or tearing, and to a uniform height so that the lawn looks pretty and stays healthy throughout the different seasons, based on temperature, hours of sunlight and so on. By contrast, wheeled brushcutters are used to clear the toughest grass and other vegetation, a bit like flail mowers, which belong to the same product family.
It would be inaccurate to make a clear distinction between all these machines, however, because there are also products with hybrid features. The most powerful lawnmowers have characteristics in common with wheeled brushcutters, while some garden tractors have functions similar to those of the wheeled brushcutter/flail mower family. In this article we will clarify the differences and peculiarities of lawnmowers, garden tractors and wheeled brushcutters.
Vegetation and working area
The heart of these machines is the cutting attachment: in lawnmowers, garden tractors and wheeled brushcutters it consists of a cutting deck containing one or more blades that rotate parallel to the ground. In the case of lawnmowers and garden tractors, as the blades cut the grass, the clippings are ejected from a rear or side discharge. With rear discharge, the cut grass is usually conveyed into a grass catcher – which is a must if you want a tidy lawn – or onto the ground. With side discharge, it is left on the ground: cutting with side discharge (or rear discharge without collection) is suited to straightforward mowing tasks, or whenever it is inconvenient to collect the clippings, for example on overgrown fields in the countryside or between the rows of a vineyard or orchard.
Some lawnmowers and garden tractors offer a number of standard or optional grass cutting and handling features: cutting and ejection (rear discharge, with and without collection, and/or side discharge) and mulching cut. In this latter mode, the grass is pulverised and deposited on the ground, thereby enriching the soil with organic nutrients. Similar to direct discharge of the cuttings, mulching is suitable for very large surface areas where collecting and disposing of grass is too labour-intensive.
Although both lawnmowers and garden tractors are used to cut grass and weeds, the difference between them lies in the cutting width, which determines the size of the mowable area and the time needed to complete the job. With cutting widths ranging from 33 to 53 cm, you can use a lawnmower to cut areas from 300 m2 to 2,600 m2 (we are referring specifically to Oleo-Mac lawnmowers), depending on the type of power source and the engine power. By contrast, garden tractors are essential on large plots – up to 4,000–10,000 m2 for Oleo-Mac garden tractors, depending on the type and model – thanks to cutting widths from 72 to 125 cm.
This difference is also reflected in the way the machines are driven: garden tractors are driven from a seated position, whereas lawnmowers are guided by hand from a standing position and, if they don’t have driving wheels, they need to be pushed forward (this applies to push-type lawnmowers). In comparison, with self-propelled lawnmowers you can tackle even large lawns and uphill terrain without too much effort: on that note, here you will find an article focusing on self-propelled lawnmowers.
Compact and easy-to-handle, wheeled brushcutters and flail mowers are also self-propelled – by means of driving wheels or tracks, depending on the model – which enables them to negotiate slopes and uneven terrain. In the case of Oleo-Mac wheeled brushcutters, the rotating blades inside the cutting deck are reinforced mulching blades that are designed to cut and shred grass, weeds and other stubborn vegetation up to 1.5 cm thick. This is a completely different setup from a flail mower, which incorporates a horizontal axle that turns the knife blades and is useful for slicing through anything from grass, weeds, shrubs and brambles to reeds, brushwood and pruning waste, or even the remains of exhausted crops. Neither machine is equipped to collect the chopped vegetation, which remains where it falls to decompose or become buried (such as vine cuttings and green manure crops). Here you can learn more about the particular features of flail mowers.
Rider mowers and all-terrain models are particular types of garden tractor. The blade deck of garden tractors is typically located underneath the machine, whereas rider mowers have a front deck and are compact and agile, ideal for circulating around trees, flower beds, gazebos and so on. In confined or obstacle-filled spaces, the comparatively bulky dimensions of garden tractors with their more generous cutting widths becomes an impediment, to the advantage of smaller or mini models – such as rider mowers – and of course lawnmowers and wheeled brushcutters.
All-terrain garden tractors are basically off-road vehicles, complete with four-wheel drive, that are intended for extreme terrain such as overgrown areas, dense vegetation and underbrush on rugged and very steep slopes (up to a 40% gradient).
Due to the type of vegetation and the difficulty of the work they are intended for, wheeled brushcutters are comparable to the most powerful lawnmower models, differing mainly in terms of their rougher finish and higher capacity (areas up to 2,000–5,000 m2) with a maximum gradient of 20%. On the other hand, all-terrain garden tractors are comparable with flail mowers but cannot be beaten in terms of working area: Oleo-Mac models can handle areas up to 9,000–10,000 m2, whereas flail mowers can tackle areas up to 4,000–5,000 m2 (and with a 25% gradient).
Power and ease of use
The cutting attachment of lawnmowers, garden tractors and flail mowers is powered by an engine or motor. Lawnmowers may be equipped with an electric or battery-powered motor or a petrol engine, the latter usually being the most powerful (here is a comparison of different lawnmowers and our guide to choosing a lawnmower). Rider mowers typically have a petrol engine, but there are also battery-powered models. Wheeled brushcutters and flail mowers are powered by petrol engines.
Depending on the type of power source and motor/engine specifications, the power output of these machines goes hand in hand with their performance. This does not mean that more power is always better. Rather, the power rating should be proportionate to the workload, i.e. the size of the land to be tended or cleared, its characteristics (whether flat, steep or bumpy) and the vegetation you need to work on (from grass to more resistant undergrowth). The engine/motor power itself correlates with other technical specifications of the machine – which you should weigh up against your needs – and ultimately, the price. These technical specs include the overall dimensions and weight, cutting width, number of blades, turning radius, drive system, maximum speed, types of cut available, capacity of the grass catcher (if there is one).
Another aspect to consider when choosing a lawnmower, garden tractor or wheeled brushcutter is ease of use. In addition to being influenced by the propulsion method, which we talked about before, ease of use can be affected by multiple factors:
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Quiet operation: this is a feature of machines with electric and battery-powered motors, which are more comfortable to use and suited to contexts where noise should be limited, such as in residential areas.
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Ergonomics: this encompasses all aspects that require physical effort or force you into uncomfortable positions, such as starting the engine, adjusting the handlebars (specifically on lawnmowers, wheeled brushcutters and flail mowers), setting the cutting height, the drive system, and the position of the controls.
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Run time: this is mainly to do with electricity supply (for electric and battery-powered vehicles) and refuelling (for machines with internal combustion engines), as well as the capacity of the grass catcher, in the case of lawnmowers and garden tractors that have one.
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Versatility: thanks to specific accessories you can also make use of garden tractors for towing, compacting soil with a roller etc.
Maintenance is essential for the efficient operation of all gardening machinery, including wheeled brushcutters, garden tractors and lawnmowers. Here is a collection of articles on the subject: maintaining wheeled brushcutters, how to clean a garden tractor, how to maintain a lawnmower and sharpening lawnmower blades.
