What is a lawn mower root cutter?

The lawn mower root cutter is a special advanced tool in lawn maintenance. It is not used to cut grass blades, but is a blade or device specially designed to cut vertically and scratch the surface layer of turf soil to break the "root layer" problem of the lawn.

You can think of it as a tool for performing "minimally invasive surgery" or "deep physical therapy" on your lawn.

Core purpose and working principle

Purpose: To solve lawn soil and root problems caused by long-term maintenance rather than mowing blade height.
Working principle: The root cutter usually rotates vertically or at a slight angle at high speed, and its sharp edge penetrates and cuts through the soil surface of the lawn (the depth is usually about 1-3 cm).

Main functions and problems solved

Breaking the wither layer: This is the most important function. The hay layer is a compact layer of undecomposed old grass stems, leaves, and roots accumulated on the soil surface. It is like a layer of "felt" that blocks water, fertilizer, and air from entering the soil, causing the root system to become shallow and diseases to breed. The root cutter can effectively cut off, break and partially throw it out of the soil surface to facilitate subsequent cleaning.

Cut off stolons and lateral roots: Stimulate lawn plants (such as bermudagrass and zoysia grass) to produce new tillers and root systems, making them grow denser and stronger, thereby achieving natural rejuvenation effects.

Loose surface compacted soil: Improve soil aeration and water permeability.

Prepare for reseeding: The small trenches in the soil provide an ideal germination seedbed for new grass seeds, improving the success rate of reseeding.

Main types and forms

A root cutter is not usually an accessory for a handheld lawn mower, but is part of a professional lawn care machine (commonly known as a root cutter or groomer).

Mainly divided into two categories:

Drum root cutter:

On a horizontal drum, a series of thin, sharp straight or slightly curved blades arranged in a spiral are mounted vertically.

When the machine moves forward, the drum rotates at high speed, and the blades are like countless knives, continuously and evenly cutting the turf vertically.

This effect is more subtle and suitable for regular maintenance and fine lawns such as putting greens.

Throwing knife type/astral disk type root cutter:

Multiple freely rotating star-shaped cutterheads or bladed blocks are installed on the horizontal rotating shaft.

When working, the cutterhead rotates at high speed, using centrifugal force to make the blade hit vertically and cut into the soil.

This type of impact is more powerful and suitable for treating thicker grass layers and firmer soils, but the lawn surface will look slightly rough after the operation.