Cordless lawnmower? Any recommendations?

[RobinBHM]

I'm considering a cordless lawnmower and wondered if anybody has one and if they are any good.

Bosch have a few models and seem the obvious choice.

Makita have some models which look interesting, the batteries are 2 x 18v - which seem to be the same as their power tool range.

I have 2 fairly small lawn areas, both a bit awkward in shape so a cordless seems the face of it a good idea. I suppose my biggest concern is finding the batteries lose capacity and then Im left having to fork out a significant percentage of the purchase price of the mower to replace.

 

[Zeddedhed]

I thought 'cordless lawnmower' was pikey-speak for goat.

 

[RobinBHM]

I can imagine my neighbour saying to me: 'your f.......g cordless lawnmower has just eaten my prize winning dahlias'

Robin

 

[AJB Temple]

One of the TV gardening programmes did a test on them recently (this year), with about half a dozen different ones. The twin battery ones were not necessarily better. Would be worth you having a hunt around you tube as it was quite a good comparison.

 

[DTR]

Qualcast Panther?

 

[finneyb]

Go on spoil yourself get a robotic lawnmower - http://www.mowdirect.co.uk/lawn-mowers/ ... awn-mowers

Brian

 

[NazNomad]

I have 4 cordless lawnmowers, but I'm assuming you don't mean Shetland ewes?

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Qualcast Panther?

They're cracking mowers - I pushed my dad's up and down the lawn a lot as a teenager earning my pocket-money. With a sharp bottom blade and the cylinder set just right, surprisingly little effort needed, and they leave superb stripes.

 

[RobinBHM]

One of the TV gardening programmes did a test on them recently (this year), with about half a dozen different ones. The twin battery ones were not necessarily better. Would be worth you having a hunt around you tube as it was quite a good comparison.

Many thanks, Ill have search for this.

Cherrs Robin

 

[dickm]

if it's the programme I saw, think the Bosch came out on top.
Not been made for decades now (like the Panther) but I bought an Atco 12V 17" cut cylinder mower (yes, 17") for my mother's 1/4 acre of lawn and it did sterling service for a good many years. 12V lead acid battery, which only lasted about 3 years, but made a lovely finish.
There was also a similar 14" Webb, which seems to fetch interesting money on Ebay as a vintage classic!

 

[DTR]

Qualcast Panther?

They're cracking mowers - I pushed my dad's up and down the lawn a lot as a teenager earning my pocket-money. With a sharp bottom blade and the cylinder set just right, surprisingly little effort needed, and they leave superb stripes.

I used to mow my grandfather's lawn with this one :wink:

 

[graduate_owner]

OK, serious answer.
I bought a Bosch 36v cordless afew years ago and it did work fine but did not cut the area that the advertising promised. I used it for 2 years with no problems, then the following season it just cut out. I checked everything - battery, switch, connections, leads, everything, just no apparent faults. So decided it must be the motor. Cost of mower, about £350. Cost of replacement motor, about £150. I then decided to take a look inside the motor to see if I could find the fault. Big mistake!! The electronics which control the speed / torque / whatever are set in a solid block of resin and the transistors of the electronics were soldered to the motor cover,so removing the cover broke the lot apart ( it was jiggered anyway).

That was a damn expensive mower and I have not bought any other Bosch tools since.

As an update, I saw a Bosch mower on ebay with no battery, charger, grass box etc, just a brand new mower. So I bought it and now have a brand new mower ( but no blade yet), but with used accessories. I think I will sell it as it is because it was too small really anyway.

Overall though, I am not impressed with Bosch any more.

K

 

[DrPhill]

Not quite what you are after, but we have a Brill. It is mechanical rather than electromechanical, and simple at that. It is designed to cut with the blades just missing the anvil, so resistance to push is minimal. Probably as easy to push as a rechargeable. It cuts perfectly well on a regular trim, but would struggle if the grass got too long - though I imagine the same could be said for the rechargeables. (I have a 2-stroke strimmer for when/if that happens)

I used to use it when we had more grass. I even used it to cut grass for other people when their lawns were small and I needed money. It is easy to carry, light and maneuverable(?spelling). We have a small patch of grass now (<10 sqyd) and my wife does the mowing with the Brill.

Because the resistance is so low, the grass can be cut when the soil is a bit wet. The wheels still turn when a more resistive device would skid instead of moving the blades. My wife has managed to keep the grass under control for the last two+ years (including three winters) without needing any other mower.

 

[RobinBHM]

OK, serious answer.
I bought a Bosch 36v cordless afew years ago and it did work fine but did not cut the area that the advertising promised. I used it for 2 years with no problems, then the following season it just cut out. I checked everything - battery, switch, connections, leads, everything, just no apparent faults. So decided it must be the motor. Cost of mower, about £350. Cost of replacement motor, about £150. I then decided to take a look inside the motor to see if I could find the fault. Big mistake!! The electronics which control the speed / torque / whatever are set in a solid block of resin and the transistors of the electronics were soldered to the motor cover,so removing the cover broke the lot apart ( it was jiggered anyway).

That was a damn expensive mower and I have not bought any other Bosch tools since.

As an update, I saw a Bosch mower on ebay with no battery, charger, grass box etc, just a brand new mower. So I bought it and now have a brand new mower ( but no blade yet), but with used accessories. I think I will sell it as it is because it was too small really anyway.

Overall though, I am not impressed with Bosch any more.

K

Many thanks for that feedback, a cordless mower in the £400 region, us a lot to pay if its made with cheap parts and only has 2 or seasons lifespan. A mains mower at £100 or so wouldnt matter if it didnt last long. Although the cheap electric qualcast mower we have is over 15 years old.

 

[No skills]

Is the ergo stuff available over here? The oztooltalk chaps seem quite impressed with their stuff.

Although I'm anti makita, if I was already invested in their 18v system I would be tempted to try their 2x18v mower - theirs no shortage of batteries (now they seem to have resolved any issues).

I have to lay a lawn this year, I have the same dubious decision to make in the future.

 

[pcb1962]

I replaced my Flymo with one of these 3 or 4 years ago http://www.amazon.co.uk/Einhell-BG-HM-30cm-Litre-Mower/dp/B002XCGQN8
My lawn is about 80 sq m and it's no more effort than an electric and gives a better finish.

 

[diygarden]

The Bosch Rotak 32 cordless mower is probably your best option. Great features and customer reviews, although it's around the £300 mark. The Evopower EVO1536Li is also very good, has similar featured and is about £80 cheaper. The main difference is the Bosch takes about an hour to fully charge, whereas the Evopower is closer to 5 hours - a big difference!

 

[graduate_owner]

Well mine was the Bosch Rotak 36v and, as I said, turned out to be a very expensive waste of money.

K

 

[deema]

A couple or more lambs in spring, and a roast in Winter.

 

[RobinBHM]

I spent ages looking at the Bosch and Makita offerings and having seen reviews of the Bosch that had owners not happy that their machines battery only lasted a couple of seasons I became put off the idea.

I ended up buying the sovereign 32cm 4aH cordless from Argos. I paid about £130 for it which for a cordless mower is a bargain and I decided I wouldnt be too worried if it only lasted a couple of years.

http://www.argos.co.uk/product/2908777

Ive now used it for most of a season and Im very pleased with it.

A quick review:

Plus's
- cuts really well, is as powerful as a mains mower
-convenience of a cordless is amazing, no irritating lead, no petrol starting issues etc
-extremely light, would be easy for an older person to use
-cuts my small lawns, only about 80sq metres on 1 battery charge
-so easy to get out and use, I was finding during the summer it was easy to cut twice a week, a quick whizz round and only empty box once
-grass collection very good on dry grass, really packs the grass box in tight
-I used it in Nov and Dec for winter cut and leaf collection which it managed surprisingly well
-battery lasted so far very well and charges quite quickly



Neg's
-you need to keep a tight grip on the switch or the deadmans handle cuts out the power
-its a bit of a toy, not much in the way of alpha male vibe compared to a real petrol honda! (best to cut front lawn after dark )
-it could ideally do with a cutting height between the lower 2 height settings
-underside of mower has a real complicated layout, toom any nooks and crannies makes for painstaking cleaning (as if I clean it anyway!)
-chute blocks quickly with wet grass, but no worse than any other mower type, if you cut really wet grass, expect chute to need clearing often

Would I buy again: definitely, I could buy 3 of these for the price of a Bosch