Mulching mowers cut and re-cut the grass finely before dropping it, with the result that the lawn looks as if the mowings have been collected.

Unfortunately they work best in dry conditions and if the grass is wet from dew or rain, the mowings stick to the underside of the deck and have to be scraped off at intervals. Otherwise they build up to the point where the blade can no longer spin and the engine stalls.

So try these out first if you can (you could hire one), or choose a machine with optional collection and mulching, made by John Deere, Hayter, McCulloch, Mountfield and Toro.