Glossary

A thermoplastic material that provides a very durable and lightweight alternative to either steel or aluminium for manufacturing cutting decks on lawnmowers. Impact and abrasion resistance is also very good.

Designed to meet the needs of a variety of operators, adjustable handlebars can be adapted to attain a comfortable working position for both tall and short users.

A unique Husqvarna design whereby the cutting deck, blade and grass chute produce optimum airflow. When mowing it helps fill the collector to the optimum level, thus reducing the number of times you will need to stop and empty the collector.

A machine fitted with a row of either fixed or swinging metal blades, powered by a motor or engine. The blades are set to a height where they can cut into the top surface of turf to remove thatch, cut cross-growing roots and open up the soil to moisture and oxygen.

Engine starting is made a lot easier with an auto choke system. The risk of engine flooding is reduced and start-up is problem free, even in cold weather.

A term used to describe a lawnmower that is self-propelled.

Reduces the effort needed to turn the engine over when pulling the recoil rope, resulting in much easier start-ups.

When used in the lawnmower wheels, the ball bearings will increase the running life of the wheels and provide very smooth running.

See recycling.

The blade brake clutch is a very useful feature when you want to move your lawnmower across a gravel driveway or empty the grass collector without stopping the engine; simply deploy the clutch lever at your finger-tips to prevent the blade from turning.

See leaf blower.

A leaf blower that also has the ability to collect leaves, often with the addition of an accessory pipe and collection bag.

Founded in 1908 in Wisconsin, U.S.A., Briggs and Stratton is the largest manufacturer of air-cooled petrol engines in the world, producing over 11 million units per annum. The company’s reputation is founded on providing well priced products with excellent access to parts and servicing.

A straight-shafted hand tool that is used to clear grass and undergrowth. The brushcutter, due to its straight shaft, is capable of powering a metal blade to cut through mature growth that is too tough for a standard nylon line.

See Tap n' Go.

The mowing height of the lawnmower can be adjusted with a single lever located atop the mowing deck. On more expensive lawnmowers this lever is often counter-sprung for ease of use.

An inertia activated safety feature fitted to chainsaws that prevents serious injury. Should the tip of the chainsaw bar be forced upwards through kickback, the forces generated through the front guard will activate the chain-break immediately.

Tines that rotate anti-clockwise are suitable for breaking hard ground and are capable of digging deeply into the soil.

The classic style of lawnmower with a cylinder of cutting blades that rotates on a horizontal shaft. The blades cut with a scissor like action against a bottom plate and provide a very precise cut. The rear roller enhances the tight striping effect that the cylinder mower delivers.

Forward rotating tines allow your cultivator to produce a fine tilth, ready for seeding. Tines that rotate anti-clockwise dig deeply into the soil and break-up hard ground.

Chainsaws from Husqvarna that are equipped with user-friendly features such as spring-assisted starting, quick chain tensioning and tool-less bar and chain fitting.

A machine that starts with the turn of a key. The charge is produced from a small battery located on the body or handlebars of the machine in question.

Unique to Hayter lawnmowers, under-deck enhancement fins sit at the front of the mowing deck and guide the grass towards the cutting blade to produce a very even cut. An increase of 30% efficiency can be obtained in favourable conditions.

Handlebars that are designed with comfort in mind, reducing operator fatigue and preventing the onset of stress related injuries.

An excellent feature to have on a lawnmower to reduce storage space, whether it is in a garage or during transit in a vehicle.

The oil pump integrated into these engines forces oil to the moving parts, ensuring that they receive adequate lubrication, even on difficult terrain such as slopes.

Fuel pumps are designed to ease starting by reducing the number of pulls needed to fire the engine.

See line trimmer.

Usually referring to a fabric grass collector at the rear of the lawnmower, designed to catch the cut grass clippings. Made from a woven nylon mesh fabric, air is able to circulate through the collection system and thus improve performance. A fabric collector will also sit on top of your mower when in storage, saving valuable space.

Often a vented plastic box attached to the rear of the lawnmower to collect the cut clippings. The venting allows for airflow throughout the system to promote better grass collection.

A small and compact cylinder mower that has no engine. The blades turn through a gear mechanism that works when the mower is pushed along the lawn surface.

A powered hand tool with an attached bar that has a set of cutting blades working in a reciprocating fashion, capable of cutting or trimming new growth on hedges and bushes.

The different height settings available on a lawnmower to accommodate varying grass conditions throughout your garden. Long or rough grass demands higher settings whereas short or fine grass can be cut at a lower height.

When fitted to a brushcutter, a high offset post provides greater freedom of movement when working on slopes and hillsides.

The hover mower has a cutting blade that cuts in a rotary style, housed beneath a plastic or ABS cutting deck. An impeller fitted above the blade produces a cushion of air that the mower rides on, making manoeuvrability in all directions effortless.

See hydrostatic transmission.

A fully sealed, fluid governed drive system that permits a seamless speed change of a lawnmower without the need of a gearbox. It permits the operator to work at any speed between the highest and lowest settings, ensuring a consistent cut due to the blade speed never changing.

A rotating circular disc fitted to the inside of a blower or the underside of a hover mower that creates lift or suction. Some impellers are equipped with serrated edges or a metal blade to chop or mulch incoming debris.

If the top half of your chainsaw bar nose makes sudden and unexpected contact with an object, the bar and saw are forced upwards and backwards towards the operator; this is known as kickback. The inertia activated chain break is installed to stop the chain rotating immediately.

A device, either hand-held or wheeled, powered by an engine or motor designed to clear and gather leaves into specific areas before they can be collected for disposal. Internal impellors produce powerful streams of air to make this possible.

A lightweight hand tool that is commonly used to tidy-up grass areas after mowing. The line trimmer normally has a bent shaft that allows close and precise trimming up to fence lines and ornaments. Line trimmers are only capable of turning a nylon cutting line.

A hedge cutter blade attached to a long shaft, making it possible to cut the tops or sides of hedges that are out of the reach of a standard hedgetrimmer when the operator is standing on the ground.

A form of vibration damping fitted to Husqvarna hand-tools to enhance operator comfort.

A simple device normally made from plastic, fitting into the rear discharge chute of your lawnmower, effectively blocking the discharge of grass clippings. The clippings are then held under the mowing deck and chopped multiple times by the cutting blade, before being returned to the lawn as fine mulch.

Automatic shut off of the engine is activated if the oil levels drop below a safe operating level. Serious engine damage and wear is prevented with this system.

This control is a safety feature located on the handlebars that cuts-out the engine as soon as it is released. It normally takes the form of a bail-arm that follows the contours of the handlebar itself.

Saucer shaped and attached to the outer tines of cultivators, plant protection discs prevent soil and earth being thrown onto nearby plants whist cultivating.

A lawnmower cutting deck that is made from highly durable polypropylene to provide a combination of both lightness and strength.

See scarifier.

A lawnmower without a drive system that needs to be pushed across a lawn area with your own energy.

A modern design of engine from Briggs and Stratton designed to make starting easier. The system negates the need to prime the engine and also reduces resistance in the starter cord by up to 30%.

If you remove the grass collector from your pedestrian lawnmower you will allow the grass clippings to exit from the rear-discharge aperture.

The opening at the rear of a lawnmower, allowing the ejection of grass from under the mowing deck and into the grass bag (if fitted).

Essential if you require a striped finish to your lawn, the rear-roller also allows for precise mowing up to the edges of flower beds and borders, preventing the lawnmower tipping due to the inset nature of the front wheels compared to the rear roller. The biggest machines have split steel rollers aiding durability and turning whilst smaller mowers often have ABS polymer rollers for lightness.

The cutting blades on a double-sided hedgetrimmer that work in a backwards and forwards motion are referred to as double-reciprocating blades.

Also referred to as mulching, the recycling of grass clippings back into your lawn is an environmentally clean way of cutting your grass. Special cutting blades and mowing decks chop grass clippings very finely and return them back into your lawn. The clippings feed the grass with nutrients and also provide draught resistance during dry spells of weather.

Often fitted to large tillers to allow for better manoeuvrability when working in heavy soil or tight spaces. The reverse gear eliminates the need to pull the cultivator out of a hollow or corner.

The most popular style of lawnmower with a cutting blade housed beneath the mowing deck. The blade rotates in a circular direction on a horizontal plane, cutting grass with a chopping motion.

See blade brake clutch.

A powered machine that is fitted with a cylinder of rotating sprung tines, set to a height where they rake the top surface of a lawn to remove moss and thatch.

Power from the engine drives either the rear wheels or rear roller of a lawnmower to propel it across your lawn. This means you don’t have to push it yourself, saving you energy on undulating ground or when the grass collector becomes full.

A very useful feature to have on a lawnmower if you regularly need to cut grass areas that are rough in nature or have not been cut for some time. The side-discharge chute enables the cutting blade to eject grass as quickly as possible, lessening the chance of overloading the system and stalling the engine.

An easy to access adjustment facility on the side of a chainsaw, the side-mounted chain tensioner allows the operator to rapidly carry out maintenance in the field with a simple set of tools.

See central height-of-cut adjustment.

The wrapping of nylon cutting line inside the trimmer head of a grass or line trimmer.

A spring-loaded mechanism inside the trimmer head of a grass trimmer or brush cutter that permits extra nylon line to be released by simply tapping the head on the ground whilst the tool is in use.

The plastic head fitted to a line or grass trimmer that contains the nylon cutting line.

Husqvarna’s special chainsaw feature that allows the chain brake to be activated manually with either your left or right hand as well as automatically from the inertia caused as a result of kickback.

A self-propelled lawnmower that has an adjustable ground speed; useful for changeable conditions within a garden.

A clever system from Honda that permits the operator, through a cutting deck mounted lever, to adjust the level of grass collection or mulching that the lawnmower delivers to suit his or her own preferences. Mulching, bagging, discharge or leaf shredding can be performed by the same lawnmower.

A nipple attached on top of the mowing deck allows for the attachment of a standard hosepipe. When turned on whilst the cutting blade is spinning, the underside of the deck can be washed to maintain optimum mowing performance.

The actual cutting width of the mower blade and not the overall width of the lawnmower itself. The width-of-cut is not adjustable.

High performance 2-stroke engine technology from Husqvarna that reduces fuel consumption by 20% and emissions by 75%.

Super tough material used to make the cutting decks of some Honda lawnmowers. It is rust, dent and corrosion resistant.