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

BOSCH ROTAK LI RANGE OF CORDLESS MOWERS WITH 36V LITHIUM ION BATTERY

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. These cordless mowers use the same body parts, wheels etc as the mains powered Rotak mowers. The plastic body is light but tough and parts are easily available.

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. Blade height ( cut height) is easily adjusted by one large lever.

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. My one has lasted 4 years so far and is still going strong.  The 34li and 37li models come with one battery and start at about £250, the larger 43cm model comes with 2 batteries for cutting up to 600sqm.

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

click for latest price on Rotak Li 34cm model

click for latest price of the Rotak Li 37cm model

click for latest price on Rotak Li 43cm model

It's like driving an F1 car -( well  sort of)

TOP TIPS FOR CORDLESS MOWERS TO IMPROVE BATTERY DURATION

Cut regularly so that the battery is not strained by long grass.

Remember to charge the battery over winter

Keep the blade sharp - a blunt blade will make the mower work harder

Keep the underside clean - same reason.

The other features I like about the Bosch Rotak range  are

Large, well designed, easy empty, grass box

One lever height adjustment - with cut height written in mm

Optional mulching panel available.

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

New Ergoflex model with better handles out 2011!

The mulching panel saves time and helps feed your lawn

best used for frequent cuts when grass is not too long.

If you don't want to collect the cuttings there is an accessory that keeps the clippings rotating in the blades longer so they are mulched and can then be uses to return nutrients back to the lawn.

Worx   24v Cordless Mowers

and New Greenworks 40v mower.

In 2010 Worx launched 2 new cordless mowers and I tested the more expensive WG 785E version with the 40cm cut and silent power option.

There are/where,  2 smaller versions, the WG783 and the WG784

The WG784 has the same large battery as the model I tested but has a smaller 36cm cut

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 ! All the cordless rotary mowers featured on my page have this option , although with Bosch you will need to buy the optional accessory.

The larger Worx mower has a silent option which in reality just cuts the amount of power going to the blade.

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

Mostly the advantages are price.

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. The smaller Worx cordless mower was mostly sold in B&Q and unfortunately some of the first to be sold had faults that led to poor reviews.

Only the larger model can mulch, both are very quiet in use. I can thoroughly recommend the larger model, after a year of heavy, and especially like the mulching facility. Sadly this mower is currently hard to source in the UK.

If you want my help choosing a cordless mower  e-mail me with some details of your lawn, location,  budget and physical ability. Read on for news of a new 40v mower introduced in 2013.

fred@fredshed.com

Strictly UK enquiries only please

Which cordless mower is best Bosch Rotak Li or New Greenworks 40v?

Breaking News! 

New 40v, LI-ion , cordless mower hits the market! 

It has a 40cm cutting width.

I am currently testing this mower,  mail me for details

The Worx WG785E uses old battery technology but is a good mower and my test sample was very reliable.

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

The Worx and Greenworks mower have a diverter to return clippings to your lawn.

Bosch sell this part for their mowers as an accessory.

If you want to collect the grass then leave the diverter out .

This is the 40v Greenworks cordless mower launched in 2013

It has a 4.amp hour battery and a 40cm cut.

However it does not have a rear roller so no stripes.

NOW UNDER TESTING

This is the 40v Greenworks cordless mower launched in 2013

 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 it can also mulch. The CEL cordless mower  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!

Now the bad news.

Due to the MASSIVE battery and twin motors this mower is very heavy so is hard to manoeuvre in tight spaces like corners where it needs a large turning space.

This mower was designed for the USA market where they have different grass that is cut longer than in the UK. This meant that the first models sold would not cut short enough for the UK but for 2012 the company has told me that they will be modifying the cutting mechanism to allow it to cut under 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.

Please use the link below to buy a spare battery for the Gtech CM 01

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.

This mower will only be suitable for well kept lawns and cutting dry grass.

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

click on the shed to return to the homepage