Best Cordless Mower ?

Breakthrough in battery technology!

The Bosch Rotak Li was new in 2007 and was the best battery powered mower I had seen until then.

Over the years I have tested many cordless mowers and although I liked the concept of "no cable -no petrol",  none of the mowers were machines I could have used as my main machine. An example of this was my old 12v Black &Decker cordless mower with 4 wheel steering that moved much like a shopping trolley, gave a surprisingly good cut on a small lawn, but lacked the power to cope with longer grass or larger lawns

The Bosch Rotak Li was the first cordless mower that I was happy to use without a backup mains mower due to its lightweight but very powerful 36v Lithium Ion rechargeable battery.

 BOSCH ROTAK RANGE

WITH GRASS COMBS

CUT RIGHT TO THE EDGE OF YOUR LAWN

NEW ERGOFLEX MODELS WITH BETTER HANDLES LAUNCHED IN 2011

The Bosch Rotak range of mowers has been around 3 or 4 years and are the mowers I recommend most because they cut so well and have extra durable Bosch motors.

The Rotak Li comes in 3 sizes, 34cm, 37cm cut and 43cm cut. All have height adjustment from 30mm up and sturdy wheels with a little rear roller for that stripy effect.

The 36v battery is the same as the ones used in Bosch Professional Power tools like Builders drills so it is well tried and tested. The smaller 34li and 37li  come with one battery and start at about £250, the larger 43cm model comes with 2 batteries for cutting up to 600sqm.

Old and new models

        old        and      new model

Use the links below to compare prices from another Fredshed recommended supplier

click for latest price of the Rotak Li 37cm model

click for latest price on Rotak Li 43cm model

use the link below to compare more prices

 more info on Bosch Rotak Li

The other features I like about the Bosch Rotak range  are

One lever height adjustment - with cut height written in mm

Solid, easy to empty grass box.

Cut right up to the edge with the grass combs and inset front wheels

Sturdy wheels with small rear roller to help produce the stripes we love to see.

Easy to obtain spares like replacement blades

 buy mower blades for Bosch lawn mowers

Worx   24v Cordless Mowers

(with Silent and mulching options)

In 2010 Worx launched 2 new cordless mowers and have been advertising them on the TV. I have been testing the more expensive WG 785E version with the 40cm cut and silent power option.

The mower is very well made and has some nice design features. I especially like the handle folding mechanism and the easy stop start setup.

The large battery has a massive 10 amp hour capacity and can cut a large lawn or a medium size one several times. Height adjustment is positive and easy but with all cordless mowers remember to try and cut your grass more regularly as this will help extent your battery life and capacity.

The mower has various cutting options. If your grass is kept short and you want to return the nutrients to the lawn you can insert a diverter and mulch the clippings. This not only helps the lawn stay fertile but saves you the time of emptying the grass box !

If you are concerned about noise and don't want to upset a psychopathic neighbour then there is a dial you can twist to reduce the noise. I suspect that this just cuts some power to the motor so don't expect to use this on longer grass.

Using the Worx mower is a pleasure as it is powerful and fast for a cordless mower, and gives a good cut, with stripes due to the rear roller.

There are advantages over the Bosch models and some disadvantages depending on what you are wanting it to do.

The large model has a 40cm cut and 10amp hour battery for £300 approx , the smaller WG783E model has 33cm cut with 5 amp hour battery and costs  approx £150.

Only the larger model can mulch, both are very quiet in use. I can thoroughly recommend the larger model.

If you want my help choosing a cordless mower  e-mail me with some details of your lawn, location,  budget and physical ability

fred@fredshed.com

Strictly UK enquiries only please

use link below to buy or find out more about the Worx Cordless Mowers

(link below is for the smaller 33cm model)

The large 10amp hour battery compared to Bosch's 2.6 amp hour one

The Worx has a diverter to return clippings to your lawn

Which is best Bosch Rotak Li or Worx 24v?

Mail me with your lawn details if you would like my personal recommendation for the best cordless mower for your needs

 e mail fred@fredshed.com

 CEL DM20

NEW SELF PROPELLED CORDLESS MOWER - UNDER TESTING NOW!

 The CEL DM 20 is a breakthrough in mower technology and has the most powerful battery ever used in a rotary mower.

Excluding Robot mowers , this is the first battery powered mower that cuts the grass and drives itself along so you don't need to push it.

It does this by having 2 separate motors, one for cutting and one for driving. It also uses a huge 17amp hour rechargeable battery using tried and trusted dry lead acid technology. the CEL DM20 has a 20 inch, (51cm) cut and like the Worx 24v model can also mulch. it has a steel deck and can also discharge the clippings from the side if you don't wish to collect or mulch. Depending on the length of your grass this mower will run for up to 1 hour on a single charge.

I have tested one on my lawn in Oxford and have discovered that it is even powerful enough to pull me along behind it in my wheelchair!

First models of this mower were designed for the USA market where they have different grass that is cut longer than in the UK. This meant that the first models would not cut short but new versions from July onwards will cut as low as 1 inch.

Launched at the gadget show live 2011 April 2011

Tested on my lawn - April 2011

Cordless Cylinder Mowers

Gtech CM 01 - Now Discontinued

There have been a few attempts at making cordless cylinder mowers but none have survived the test of time. This innovative version lasted around 5 years but its weakness was its small 12v battery.

Cylinder mowers give a finer cut but do not cope well with long or wet grass.

Also a 12v battery is relatively small so this machine is best suited to small well kept lawns

My neighbour has had his Gtech for about 3 years and loves it. He has replaced one battery and you will notice he has a very small lawn which he mows regularly.  If you want a similar machine that will give a great cut but do a larger lawn see the CEL powermow below.

CEL POWERmow 24v Cordless Mower

This British designed mower is like the Gtech above but has a much larger more powerful battery, and a 16 inch cutting width.

 It has a good feature in that it can be used as a push mower if the battery goes flat before you finish mowing

What on Earth is This ?

Before I had a robot to cut my lawn I used this contraption. A petrol Flymo driven by an electric wheelchair.  

If you need advice buying tools because your disabled in anyway, e mail fred@fredshed.com for expert advice.

WOLF CART - Mowing made FUN!

This German made Go-Kart is also a very efficient and safe Lawnmower with a 6HP, electric start, 3 speed petrol engine. The grass is mulched into fine clippings which can be scattered to feed your lawn or collected in a bag. For around £1000   you get the big boy to mow the lawn, every week!

Update 2007 - Wolf Cart is now discontinued

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