Buying a lawnmower can be a daunting task.
So many to choose from, different types, different sizes, and different powers and some are super expensive!
That’s why the appliance hunter is here, to help you make an informed decision and buy the best lawn mower out there.
I’ve divided it up into categories and linked each one to Amazon so you can read more about it and order yours today.
Top 5 Best Lawnmowers UK
- Top Choice – Bosch AdvancedRotak 36-550
- Best Petrol – Hyundai Self Propelled 51cm Cut Petrol Lawnmower with Electric Start
- Best Electric corded – Bosch Rotak 32R Electric Lawn Mower
- Best Hover – Flymo Easi Glide 300 Electric Hover Collect Lawn Mower
- Best Robot – Flymo EasiLife 500 GO Robotic Lawn Mower
1. Top Choice – Bosch AdvancedRotak 36-550
Brand: Bosch
Blade Size: 40 cm
Grass Bag Size: 50 Litres
Voltage: 36V
Maximum Area/Charge: 550m2
Pros
- 2 batteries for constant cutting power
- Can handle large gardens
- Runs quiet
- Very comfortable
Cons
- Pricey
- Can be tricky to get the knack of turning it on
The Bosch advanced Rotak is everything you could want in a lawnmower, it’s cordless with 2 batteries so you can have one charging and one in use and it’s got a 40cm blade size great for even large gardens.
Plus you don’t compromise on cutting ability with steel blades and airflow technology that allow you to cut through even thick grass that perhaps hasn’t been cut in a few weeks.
The only issue people have with it is turning it on, it’s a few-step process that involves turning on the batteries and then the mower, it’s fine when you get the hang of it but you might need the manual the first few times you try it.
550 square meters of cutting and 140 minute charge time on the batteries will see you mowing your lawn with ease, all without having to worry about cutting over a cable or dealing with the noise of a petrol mower.
For more cordless lawnmowers check out this article
2. Best Petrol – Hyundai Self Propelled 51cm Cut Petrol Lawnmower with Electric Start
Brand: Hyundai
Blade Size: 51 cm
Grass Bag Size: 70 Litres
Weight: 44kg
Push/Self Propelled: Self-Propelled
Height Adjust: 6 cutting heights – 17mm-75mm
Power: 196cc
Pros
- Easy turning
- 4 speeds
- low cutting height
- Quick cutting with a wide blade and large container
- Long-lasting
Cons
- Pricey
When you’re mowing a large garden, bigger is better, and you don’t get much bigger than this Hyundai petrol mower!
Electric start stops you from having to deal with a pull cord and the 4-stroke engine will last year after year having you cutting your grass easily for the rest of your life. The warranty is 3 years but I’m confident it will last much longer than that with the proper care.
A soft-grip handle makes it comfortable to push around and the 70-litre grass collection will have you emptying the cutting less often giving you a faster mow time.
And the lowest setting of 17mm will give you a bowling green look to your garden, which for my uneven garden wouldn’t work but it has higher settings to accommodate that.
And while 44kg is heavy, it’s self-propelled and whizzes along quite the thing once it’s in action.
You honestly couldn’t do better for a petrol mower, the absolute creme de la creme. But if you need a cheaper petrol option, check out this article on the best petrol lawnmowers.
3. Best Electric corded – Bosch Rotak 32R Electric Lawn Mower
Pros
- 31L Grass Cuttings Box
- Lightweight
- Edge Cutting
- Easy To Assemble
- Cuts Long Grass
Cons
- When You Empty The Box Grass Cuttings Fall Out
This is an awesome budget mower if you don’t want to spend the hundreds of pounds you would on a petrol or cordless model.
Which of course comes with its own problems, the cuttings box isn’t as big, it’s not as powerful, and for some reason, there are always some cuttings that fall out when you empty it.
BUT
You still get good bang for your buck, a lightweight mower with a 10 m cable that will certainly handle a small garden and even do a good job of a medium-sized garden.
It will take a little longer but there are no fumes, no messing around charging batteries, you just plug and play.
It’s also very lightweight which means taking it in and out of the shed is a breeze.
And the edge cutting means you’ll be able to get right up to the boundary of your grass without needing to go back for a strimmer and do the edges separately.
A great corded mower and of course there are more electric lawnmowers here if you’re interested.
4. Best Hover – Flymo Easi Glide 300 Electric Hover Collect Lawn Mower
Type Of Lawnmower: Corded Electric Hover
Cutting Width: 30 cm
Grass Box: 20 Litres
Power: 1700 Watts
Weight: 10.5 kg
Pros
- Lightweight
- Easy to push
- 10 m cable
Cons
- Smaller cutting width
- Better for small gardens
Hover mowers are an ideal choice for small gardens or for people who struggle to lift and push regular mowers. This Flymo is only 10.5kg compared to the 44kg of the Hyundai petrol mower above!
They work best for regular cuttings before the grass gets too long but there are 4 height adjustments so you can start on the tallest setting and work down if need be.
The cushion of air they float on makes them very easy to push along and the 30cm wide blade isn’t the biggest but it’s plenty to fly up and down a small garden in no time.
This Flymo also folds and you can store it on a hook in your shed saving space.
An excellent little mower with decent power output and good cutting ability. For more flymo hover mowers check out this article.
5. Best Robot – Flymo EasiLife 500 GO Robotic Lawn Mower
Brand: Flymo
Pros
- Up to 500 sq metres
- Tilt sensor
- Ultra quiet
- Weatherproof and adapts to weather
This baby has a maximum of 500m2 of cutting power. That’s right this robot by Flymo has got your back for medium-large size lawns. Fully weatherproof it will be out cutting your grass no matter what. Good thing it has different models based on the size of your garden, so you can choose the one that is best suited for you and not waste money on the gadgets too powerful.
Plus if it gets tipped over by accident the blades automatically stop making it safe to leave unattended even with pets or kids.
Fully programmable you just set it and forget it. It also has one of the quietest working volumes on the market so it can mow the grass while you sleep and you get to wake up to freshly cut grass.
And it’s got safety sensors sensors so it will avoid objects that might not have been there before and the perimeter wire will keep it on track.
The only place it struggles is gardens with an incline of more than 25%. But most robot mowers are meant for small-medium flat gardens.
And yes you can read about more of the best robot lawnmowers here.
Buyer’s Guide
Petrol Vs Electric
This is your first question to decide, do you want to go petrol or electric?
I prefer a petrol mower and I’ll tell you why.
Petrol mowers are built to last, with metal components, engines that can keep on going for years and even decades with proper care, and cutting power that can tidy up the most unkempt gardens.
While electric mowers are either tethered or battery and the batteries tend to start losing power after about 2 years and end up needing to be replaced themselves.
The advantage of an electric mower is of course the price, a lower price will save you money in the short term but without that durability, you’ll end up spending more over a lifetime.
Corded Vs Cordless
If you do go for electric, which a lot of people do. You want to decide whether to go with corded or cordless for your power, which basically comes down to what size of garden you have and how much you hate dealing with power cords.
Because if you keep on top of charging cordless mowers are great, you just plug in the battery and off you go, with most being good for small gardens and the ones with two batteries being capable of doing even big gardens.
But that comes at a premium if you go corded you’ll save a lot of money and might even get a little more power in terms of cutting ability. But you have to deal with power cords and even extension cables.
So it’s down to what you need.
Things To Consider When Buying A Lawnmower
Cutting Box Size
I like a nice big cutting box, preferably 40L+ so you can minimize how many trips you need to take to empty it. If the cutting box is too small and your garden quite big you might end up having to empty it every time you take one line up and down.
And it quickly gets to be a pain in the ass.
But if you have a small garden it’s much less important, that’s just the reason you want to consider what size the cutting box is.
Cutting Width
Again this comes down to speed and efficiency. A larger cutting width means fewer passes up and down the garden helping you get finished faster using less fuel and reducing your CO2 emissions.
But a larger cutting width normally means both a more expensive mower and a heavier mower so it’s worth it for medium-sized gardens but again not as important for a small lawn.
Weight
Petrol lawnmowers are always heavier, they also come with more power but that’s one of the trade-offs. A small electric mower might only be 9kg while a big petrol mower might be 45kg+ which is super heavy!
So you want to be aware of how easily you can wheel it out of the shed because when it’s self-propelled it’s easy to get going, but if you have to wheel it over gravel first you probably don’t want to have the blade spinning.
My shed is in total chaos right now and at the start of spring I had to dig my petrol mower out, and it was heeaaaavy.
Is It Self Propelled
As I was just saying, most people want a self-propelled mower, it makes life so much easier pulling in the lever and off it rolls.
Much more enjoyable than having to push the whole thing especially if the ground is uneven or even on an incline.
I honestly can’t think of a single reason why you’d want a non-self-propelled mower unless you like the exercise? Lunacy…
How Big Is Your Garden
Bigger gardens need a bigger lawnmower. Or you can spend 4 hours every weekend going up and down with what is effectively a motorized pair of scissors.
Is The Ground Uneven
For an uneven lawn you want to stay away from hover mowers, they just don’t work properly and you’ll find they don’t hover as they should.
No, for an uneven garden you’re going to want a rotary mower and I’d suggest a self-propelled one so you don’t get stuck in all the different divots.
F.A.Q
What brand of lawnmower is the most reliable?
This is hard to say, I think it’s a 2-way tie between Hyundai and Honda. Both are well known for their superbly reliable motors and long-lasting petrol mowers.
Bosch are good too but they use more plastic parts and electric mowers just don’t last as well.
How often should the lawn be mowed?
It depends on how fast it grows and where you live. Generally, once a week is a good idea to keep on top of it so it doesn’t take too long but certainly every 2 weeks if you don’t have the time.
The gardener who came round a house I rented did it once every 3 weeks but by that time the grass was super long.
How long do lawn mowers last?
You’ll get 10 years out of a petrol mower that’s serviced and kept correctly, cleaning it out before winter and maybe even sharpening the blade now and again.
For an electric mower, you’re looking at 2-5 years depending on the quality of it, cheaper ones will last you a couple of summers but a more expensive model should do you 5 years.
What is a good price for a lawnmower?
Around £200 and you’re going to get a good motor, towards £300 and up you’re going to get a great one. For under £200 and certainly under £100 you’re going to get something OK that does the job this year and maybe the next but won’t last for life.
Other Lawnmowers Reviewed
Best Self Propelled – Sprint 2691605 460SPX Self-Propelled Petrol Lawn Mower
Brand: Sprint
Blade Size: 46 cm
Grass Bag Size: 60 litres
Weight: 32 kg
Height Adjust: 6 positions – 28-92mm
Power: 140cc
Pros
- Powerful engine
- Good sized grass bag
- Can mulch grass
- Sturdy rear wheels
Cons
- Pricier
- Again a higher cutting height than some people like
Sprint might not be a brand you’ve heard of but the Stratton Briggs engine might be, a quality engine manufacturer who makes engines that are durable and reliable.
Plus you get a giant 60L cutting box so you can keep on cutting with fewer stops to empty or you can even mulch the grass and save yourself having to empty it at all!
An adjustable handle height makes it comfortable for you to use and the ready start technology ensures you can get started even on cooler days and no priming or manual choking is required.
It is a little pricier than other mowers I’ve talked about here but you are getting a mower that will last for years and years. It’s even got a hose connector so you can wash the grass out from around the blade after each use so it doesn’t get clogged or start to rust!
They’ve really thought of everything and it is well worth the cost.
I have more self-propelled lawnmowers reviewed here.
Best for stripes – Cobra RM40SPCE Self Propelled Rear Roller Petrol Lawnmower
Brand: Cobra
Fuel Type: Petrol
Cutting Width: 40 cm
Height Adjust: 6 Positions – 17-75mm
Self Drive: Yes
Grass Collector Size: 55L
Pros
- Wide cutting angle for a faster finish
- Large grass container for fewer stops
- Self-propelled
- 2-year warranty
Cons
- Quite heavy
Some people go crazy for a striped lawn, and I get it. There’s something so tidy and uniform about a perfectly striped garden that’s so pleasing to look at.
And while all mowers manage basic striping it takes a roller on the back to get really defined stripes.
That’s where this Cobra is ideal.
Another petrol mower able to get all the way down to 17mm cutting height and a cutting width of 40 cm makes even large gardens up to 600 square meters easy to deal with.
Plus you get an electric start so you don’t have to keep pulling at a ripcord to try and start it up every time you empty the cuttings bag, which is 55L so even that has to be done less often.
If you want a clean finish to your lawn this is the mower for you. And if this doesn’t seem quite right you can find more stripping lawnmowers here.
Best for uneven ground – Greenworks G40LM35K2X Cordless Lawnmower
Brand: Greenworks
Type: Battery Powered Electric
Cutting Width: 35cm
Cutting Height: 20-70mm
Power: 40V
Suitable For: Area up to 500m2
Pros
- Cordless so no need to deal with cables
- Very quiet
- 25-minute run time
- 5 cutting heights
Cons
- If you don’t finish in one charge you have to wait
- Need to store batteries indoors
I love a petrol mower but I’m trying to keep this balanced to everyone’s needs, so the Greenworks mower was an obvious choice, no fumes, little to no maintenance, and it’s battery-powered so you’re not dealing with a cord.
It comes with 2 batteries which I like because you can charge one and use one to always keep you cutting and the batteries are compatible with all GreenWorks tools so you can diversify your tool collection without needing more batteries every time.
It’s lightweight at only 15kg so it’s easy to push which is great because it’s not self-propelled and the cutting deck has 5 heights to keep your garden as trim as you’d like.
If it’s uneven ground you’ll want the higher settings for ease of pushing it and so you don’t catch the ground with the blade going over a bump.
25 minutes of battery life per battery should be more than enough to see you around your garden. For other options see my article on the best lawnmowers for uneven ground here.
Best Budget – Flymo Easimo Electric Wheeled Lawn Mower
Pros
- Low cutting height
- 10m cable
- Reasonable blade size
- Great for small to medium gardens
Cons
- Not the easiest assembly
- Struggles with long grass
Flymos are perhaps the royalty of budget mowers, they’ve been doing them right and doing them well for decades now, I remember the adverts when I was still watching cartoons on a Saturday morning.
It’s got everything you need to get your grass cut, a 10m cord so those with small gardens won’t need an extension. A 29-litre grass collector and a 32cm cutting width.
You’ll take a while if you’re taking on a large garden but for small to medium-sized gardens it’s perfect.
It’s also only 8kg in weight so is nice and easy to push around and the motor is an electric starter so you can be off at the push of a button.
Not as powerful as the more expensive models on this list but also… Well not as expensive!
More cheap lawnmowers under £100 here.
Best Small – Hyundai HYM3800E Electric Lawnmower with Roller & Mulching Included
Brand: Hyundai
Blade Size: 38cm
Grass Bag Size: 40 Litres
Power: 1600 Watts
Pros
- Easy empty
- Foldable handle for easy storage
- Lightweight
- Striped lawn finish
Cons
- Power Cord could be longer
- Needs dry grass to work best
Hyundai at the top and the bottom, who doesn’t love symmetry?
This is the ideal choice for small gardens, with a 38 cm cutting blade that will get round in no time and a 40L bag that won’t need to be emptied often plus a 10m power cord, you’re laughing.
And it’s not super expensive but you can trust Hyundai’s to keep on going, and the fact it’s corded means you don’t have to worry about batteries degrading.
I also like that you get a striper to keep your grass looking neat and it has a mulching option if you’re trying to feed the lawn and don’t want to have to even think about emptying it.
Lastly, at only 12.5kg it’s nice and light to push around, and the foldable handle makes tidying it away at the end of the day a lot simpler.
As always here are more small garden lawnmower reviews if you need them
Final Thoughts
And there you have it! With everything you could hope to know about buying a lawnmower and so much choice, you may now be as confused as when you got here…
Though I hope not!
Please click the links through to Amazon check out the products and order yours today, get that grass neatened up.