What is a Rotary Mower?

A rotary mower is a mower that has blades which spin around a central pivot point, or focus. The blades spin at an angle parallel to the ground and cut the grass by the vacuum and speed created by the spinning blade. The rotary mower is one of the most common types of lawn mowers in existence today, used in everything from residential mowers to commercial mowers. Many may get the rotary mower confused with the reel mower, but there are distinct differences. Reel mowers spin perpendicular to the ground, or vertically. The confusion may stem from the fact that people can actually see reel mowers spinning, but not rotary lawn mowers. Another important difference between the two is the way they are powered. A rotary mower is either powered by a gasoline engine or an electric motor. None are powered manually, as is the case with a reel mower. Whether gas or electric, the blade still spins at the same parallel-to-ground angle for all rotary lawn mowers. Most individuals are familiar with ...  more