Few smells are as synonymous with summertime as the heady hum of petrol and freshly-cut grass – a transformative whiff that’s akin to Proust with his Madeleines for me.
Thankfully though, the ritual of lawnmowing has come of age since my childhood days of half dislocating my shoulder yanking the stiff starter cord on my dad’s aged Suffolk Punch before promptly flooding the engine – again.
Come the 80s and the UK went electric. As gardeners were lulled by manufacturer’s bold promises of ‘plug and play’ ease, a new breed of plastic mowers filled sheds across the capital. The marketing melee between Flymo and Qualcast became the Blur vs Oasis of its day, the latter mowing into its rival with the cheeky claim its products were ‘a lot less bother than a hover’.
More recently, with electric models seen as a cleaner, greener option, many of us have gone cordless, aided by the development of cheaper, longer lasting and quicker charging lithium-ion batteries. As a cordless is only as good as its battery though it pays to aim for at least 4ah (Amp hours), where possible, or preferably invest in a spare.
Meanwhile, the more reluctant mowers among us have invested in robotic lawnmowers, possibly as a companion for that robot vacuum cleaner we bought (and tripped over) during Lockdown. This leaves even more time to debate the big burning issues of the day such as the relative merits of mulching VS collecting your grass trimmings.
Yet even in these tech-savvy times there’s still a place for the humble hand push mower, offering a cheap, quiet and low-maintenance ‘grab and go’ solution that’s perfect for taming small lawns and awkward green spaces. Add one to your spring and summertime time lawncare programme, alongside other classics such as scarifiers and ‘Springbok’ rakes and your lawns will look lavish through autumn.
Read on for a taste of who and what’s currently mowing down the market, from hi-tech to traditional, from £59.99 to just over £500.
Einhell GC-HM 300 Cylinder Lawnmower
Best for: Budget Hand Push Lawnmower
There’s something particularly satisfying – not to mention environmentally friendly – about mowing under your own steam using a simple, old-school hand push lawnmower. Indeed, when you’ve got limited lawn space it can be just the job and this affordable option is a case in point being extremely light (6.5kg), quiet and refreshingly hassle free.
At 30cm-wide its five steel cutting blades offer a narrow cutting path that’s really handy for taming your fiddly bits although Einhell bill it as an option for lawns of up to 150sqm.
While decidedly basic, it ticks the main boxes, offering an easily adjustable cutting height that can be set to four levels, from a 37mm to a sensationally short 13mm.
Other welcome features include the easily removable 16-litre basket for catching the cuttings; large, wide lawn-friendly wheels; and a 4.5cm diameter plastic roller to finesse your finish. Tidy.
Buy now £59.99, Robert Dyas
Black & Decker 3-in-1 Strimmer with Mower Base
Best for: Budget Hybrid Lawnmower
Ok, so calling this funny-looking fella a lawnmower is pushing it but I reckon this budget hybrid lawnmower, weighing in at just 6.61kg, constitutes a rather nifty and versatile garden gadget, not least for users who are elderly or suffering from ill health. Or perhaps you’re simply one of the many Londoners who aren’t prepared to be out preening your patch every summer night. Regardless of your motivation, it’s actually a pretty neat idea, comprising a corded electric 550w, 240v grass trimmer that ‘locks’ into a plastic, wheeled mower base so you can push it over your lawn. This having adjusted the trimmer’s telescopic handle to suit your height.
In this ‘mowing’ mode the trimmer’s rotating cord, spinning at up to 7500rpm, provides a 30cm-wide mowing path. Once finished, release the trimmer to tackle any tall patches of undergrowth, twisting the handle round to lick those lawn edges into shape. While it won’t gift your lawn a perfect finish it’ll certainly help keep the green stuff in check and stop the neighbours from commenting on the state of your garden. When done, simply hang the two parts in your shed till next time. Simples.
Buy now £69.00, Amazon
Flymo Turbo Lite 250
Best for: Budget Hover Lawnmower
Who else but Flymo? Since the company has been flooding the UK with its hovering tangerine helpers for decades you should have a pretty good idea of what you’re in for with this product. So long as you’re ok with a corded electric option that doesn’t collect the clippings – and you don’t mind faffing about with the spacers to switch between the four available cutting heights, from 11mm to 31mm – you’ll be on pretty safe ground.
Best pitched at smaller gardens, and a good bet for sloping and irregular-shaped spaces, this ‘hover’ mower does just that, floating over your lawn aloft a cushion of air while its horizontally-spinning metal blade, powered by a 1400W motor, unleashes an apocalyptic, 25cm-wide tirade upon your cowering grass, powered by that 10-metre electrical cable. Heady stuff.
When done, the dual-lever handles fold down nicely for storage, and at 5.1kg it won’t break your back lifting it onto the hook in the shed either.
Buy now £79.99, Amazon
Cobra GTRM38P Limited Edition Electric Lawnmower
Best for: A Feelgood Lawnmower
Love pink? Want to give something back while getting something in return? Then look no further than this great little initiative from the fine folks at Cobra who’ve teamed up with the charity Breast Cancer Now on this limited-edition electric lawnmower. Cobra will pass on £25 from each sale to the charity and they’ve not stinted on the feature set either, ensuring purchasers get a tidy piece of kit as well as a nice fuzzy feeling from supporting a good cause.
Weighing in at 17.2kg the 1600w electric lawnmower features a 10m power cord and a 38cm cutting width. It’ll cut at seven heights, from 75mm down to a trim 20mm, and it will either mulch your grass trimmings or collect them in its 40-litre cuttings bag.
There’s even a rear roller to help achieve that classic striped look on your lawn. Nice one Cobra.
Buy now £121.99, Just Lawn Mowers
Ferrex 1800w Electric Lawnmower
Best for: Corded Electric Lawnmower Under £100
Budget supermarket chain Aldi does it again with this sub-£100 from the Ferrex brand that’ll save gardeners more pennies to spend on their peonies. No wallflower itself, this 230-240v machine boasts some impressive under-the-bonnet power, boasting a powerful 1800 watts. Given the 44cm cutting width, generously-sized 55-litre grass cuttings bag and stated weight of 16.6kg it should be both voluminous enough and manoeuvrable enough for most.
It’s pretty user friendly, too, from the lever adjustable cutting height settings to the foldable, height adjustable handle that feels pretty good in the hand. That 10m cable length is pretty standard although you’ll doubtless still need to combine with an extension cord.
The best feature, however, surely has to be that attractive price tag.
Buy now £99.99, Aldi
Einhell Expert GE-CM 18/30 Li 18v 30cm Cordless Lawnmower
Best for: Cordless Lawnmower under £150
If you’re after a lightweight solution for a small, flattish lawn measuring, say, 50-60sqm, and your budget won’t stretch beyond £150, then this quality option from dependable German brand Einhell could be for you.
Tipping the scales at 9.71kg, it may not have the sturdiest of builds, and that flimsy grass cuttings collection bag won’t win any design awards, but it’s easy to manoeuvre and delivers where it counts. The narrow 30cm cutting width is great for tight spaces and there’s a choice of three cutting heights, from 30-70mm. Plus, while that single supplied 18V 3ah battery won’t have you mowing from dawn until sundown, I bring exciting news, readers.
Purchase yours before June 15, 2022 at either Wickes or Toolstation, returning your details to the manufacturer within 30 days of purchase using the supplied leaflet, and Einhell will gift you a free, additional Power X-Change 2.5ah battery that’s also interchangeable for use in other cordless Einhell kit. Handy.
Buy now £139.00, Wickes
VonHaus 40v Cordless Lawnmower
Best for: Affordable Lightweight Cordless Lawnmower
With its 11kg weight and cordless capabilities this cut-price cutter is an attractively affordable lightweight cordless lawnmower that’s supremely easy to use, aided by the nice ergonomic carry handle and foldable body for ease of carriage and storage. The ability to choose between five handle positions is another plus point in terms of control and usability. Powered by a 40V battery that can generate a cutting speed of 3,600RPM, and can also be used to power other items in the brand’s cordless garden range, it features a 33cm cutting width and five cutting heights, ranging from 25mm to 65mm.
Fully charged in an hour, the battery promises a run-time of 25 minutes if mulching the cuttings, or slightly less if collecting them in the 30-litre box. Thanks to the combination of that light weight and the choice of wheels, twice as wide on the back (28mm) as the front, your lawn will leave an impression on you rather than the other way round.
Buy now £164.99, Amazon
Greenworks 48V Cordless 36cm Lawnmower and 25cm Line Trimmer Kit
Best for: Value Cordless Lawnmower and Trimmer
Being a fan of the reliable and dependable Greenworks range, and liking a bargain, I was instantly drawn to this cordless lawnmower and trimmer kit. A great garden combination starter kit, it features a 48v mower that makes good use of both the two supplied 24v 2ah batteries, a full charge in the double charger taking around an hour. While the lawnmower lacks refinements such as a roller, and its cutting area isn’t as wide as some of the brand’s other offerings, this 36cm model is perfect for those whose needs aren’t too exacting.
There are five cutting height positions, from 25-70mm, operated via a simple lever, and you can either mulch your cuttings or collect them in the 40-litre bin. At 17kg the lawnmower is pretty light, aided by a handy carry handle and a fold-over main handle for ease of storage, and Greenworks reckon you’ll get up to 250m2 of cutting on a full charge. Best of all, the kit comes with a double charger and a 25cm line trimmer for those pesky edges and wild areas, for which you can interchange those 24V batteries. Sweet!
Buy now £249.99, Robert Dyas
Makita PLM4626N 46cm 140cc Push Rotary Petrol Lawnmower
Best For: Value Rotary Petrol Lawnmower for Larger Lawns
As a longstanding DIYer I’ve come to love Makita products for their longevity and durability, easily justifying their price tags, and while this model might not be the most powerful in the range I reckon it’ll take care of many readers’ needs. Billed as suitable for lawns up to 1,400m², that sub-£400 price point provides a very compelling power to price ratio. Delivering the goods is a four-stroke, 140cc Briggs and Stratton 500 ‘E’ series engine, promising low noise and clean exhaust emissions. Welcome features include the durable steel body; seven cutting heights, from 25mm to 75mm; and heavy duty 60-litre cuttings bag with its viewing window topside, presumably to see if you’ve accidentally euthanised the family pet.
It’s not self-propelled, which some won’t like (but personally I do), and that one-year guarantee seems a bit stingy, but hey, you can’t have everything, and all told I reckon it’s a peach – a truly great value rotary petrol lawnmower for larger lawns.
Buy now £386.95, Amazon
Cobra Airmow 51B
Best for: Lawnmower for Steep Slopes
Uneven terrain can prove mighty challenging for some lawnmowers, stopping lesser machines in their tracks, but unless you spent lockdown constructing a tribute to the short-lived Marble Arch Mound in your backyard this highly capable, petrol powered ‘hover’ lawnmower from Cobra should have your undulating garden needs covered. Indeed, the AirMow 51B is almost as happy hovering about, or hanging out, on the slopes as a minor member of the Royal household, capable of tackling inclines of up to 45 degrees, according to Cobra.
Moreover, with that powerful combination of Briggs & Stratton 575 EX Ready Start engine, nice and wide 51cm cutting width and floaty ‘hover’ motion over the grass, buoyed by a cushion of air, it makes refreshingly light work of large areas. At 20kg it won’t feel inordinately heavy or unwieldy either, plus it comes with a quick release wheel set to transport it to where you need it to be. Comes with a two-year warranty.
Also available at Mowers Online.
Buy now £419.99, Just Lawn Mowers
LawnMaster L10 robot lawnmower 20V Max
Best for: Value Robot Lawnmower under £500
Given how robot lawnmowers can vary between costing silly money and being as much use as a jam fireplace, I simply love the L10, constituting as it does a great value robot lawnmower with a sub-£500 price tag, 18cm cutting width and a cutting height that’s easily adjustable from 60mm to 20mm.
The supplied 2.0ah battery should be good for 35-40 minutes of runtime off a charging cycle of around 45 minutes and LawnMaster reckon it’s good for lawns up to 400sqm, handling sloping lawns with gradients of up to 35 per cent. Once set up it’s about as low maintenance a lawncare solution as you can get.
Want your lawns cut daily? You got it. Every other day? No problem. Going on holiday? It’s got you covered. Simply set up the boundary wire in your garden, as per the instructions, position the charging station and this bad boy will automatically recharge, carrying on regardless, as programmed, its mulching action helping nourish your lawn.
Rain needn’t stop play either, thanks to the L10’s IPX5 waterproofing, and sensors shut off its blades if it’s picked up or bumps into objects, ticking the safety box. Plus, PIN code protection prevents your jealous neighbours from hijacking its flight route to take out your prize-winning petunias.
Chances are that, as you eyeball it lovingly out the window, you’ll wonder how you did without it.
Buy now £429.99, Amazon
Hyundai HYM530SPE
Best for: Petrol Lawnmower for Larger Lawns Around £500
This self-propelled blue beauty, aimed at gardens of around 186sqm or more, makes light work of large spaces with its 53cm cutting width, 70-litre grass collector bag and that beefy Hyundai OHV 224cc four-stroke engine. Switching between the eight different cutting heights, ranging from 25mm to 75mm, is a doddle thanks to the handy lever and firing it up is a breeze thanks to the electric push-button ignition. It takes uneven terrain in its stride, too, aided by the large rear wheels and rear wheel drive, and it’s also got a mulching option.
Trip and fall on a mole hill and it’ll cut out as you let go of the handle rather than plough on through your neighbour’s fence like a scene in a bad sitcom . Afterwards, simply fold the soft grip handles forwards over the body to hang for storage. There’s no roller, mind, so you won’t get that classic striped lawn effect (for a model with a roller consider its slightly more expensive sibling) but there is a cup holder to rest your beer in while mowing on a hit summer evening (always drink and mow responsibly, folks). Comes with a three-year warranty.
Buy now £559.99, Hyundai Power Products
Titan 41cm, 125cc Self-Propelled Rotary Petrol Lawnmower
Best for: Value Petrol Lawnmower
Fancy bagging yourself a self-propelled rotary petrol mower with a Briggs & Stratton OHV Engine for under £180 now that Screwfix has knocked £20 off it? Yes, I thought that’d get your attention. With its 125cc four-stroke engine and 50-litre grass box it may not be as powerful or feature rich as it’s more expensive rivals but the Titan blows me away with its feature set for the price.
Selling points include the strong steel body and hardened steel blade delivering a 41cm cutting width. It offers seven cutting heights, from 25mm to 75mm, and while it’s not the lightest, tipping the scales at 25.8kgs, its Anti-Vibration System helps ensure you don’t feel like you’ve boxed ten rounds with a heavyweight by the time you finish. Supplied with a two-year guarantee, all told I reckon it’s an astonishingly good value petrol lawnmower – a stellar option for those who don’t need a high-octane, hi-falutin’ option and would rather focus on filling that 0.8 litre tank than breaking the bank.
Buy now £179.99, Screwfix
