There are riding lawn mowers, push lawn mowers, self-propelled lawn mowers, electric lawn mowers, and even robotic lawn mowers. Each of them have assorted features such as side discharge, rear discharge, bag loading discharge, multiple speeds, adjustable heights, and multiple colors, but all of them essentially contain the same basic lawn mower parts necessary to do the job. These basic parts include:
Housing and Wheels
The chassis, housing, or framework is typically comprised of steel, though many supporting lawn mower parts are forms of resin-based plastics with heat and vibration resistant properties. Older mowers have been constructed of wooden lawn mower parts with steel brackets. Whatever design, the mower housing rests atop some form of axle-connected wheels, safely covers all the moving lawn mower parts -- especially the high speed cutting blades -- and somewhere allows for the discharge of grass clippings.
The Operator's System
There is also a system of lawn mower parts built with the operator's convenience and safety in mind. When a person operates a push lawn mower, there is an assortment of tubing or framing -- typically made of steel - forming a handlebar with handy controls extending above and behind the mower at a comfortable height and safe distance allowing the operator to stand erect while walking at a casual speed. Riding mowers are large and more complex and allow the operator to sit down while driving and include a more elaborate steering system. Robotic mowers have an operating console, permitting the operator to simply power up, program and power down. In these cases, sensors function to cut the grass without human operation.
The Blades or Cutting Implements
In the case of the old-fashioned mowers known as reel mowers, the blades were multiple and curved (slightly twisted) and spun around on the same horizontal axis as the axle to which they were affixed. Modern rotary blades are sharp-edged blades, usually numbering two, that spin on a vertical axis at a high enough velocity to easily cut through grass at a much faster rate as well as being able to handle taller, wetter and thicker grass than the conventional reel mowers can manage. There are also complex blade arrangements known as multiple blade or gang mowers designed to be pulled by full-blown tractors but these are not typically used on lawns. They are more suited for large commercial cutting jobs.
The Power Source
The power source for the reel mower is the human pushing it. The power source for a rotary mower whether pulled, self-propelled or ridden, is an engine. The engine can be a standard gas engine, a two-cycle engine that utilizes a gas and two-cycle oil mixture, or an electric engine that uses an on-board battery or long extension cord to an electrical outlet.
Additional parts found on a lawn mower might relate to optional features such as speed controls, height adjustments, discharge bag attachments and even connections or holding brackets for personal operator devices such as beverage containers or electronic devices.