Cordless Battery Powered Mowers

The latest and best

Tried and Tested by Fred-in-the-shed

Updated 22nd June 2010

      

The New Worx 24v cordless mower launched for 2010 and the Bosch Rotak 34Li

 

Battery Powered mowers have been around for decades. They were designed for people with small lawns, far away from mains power or people who disliked the smell, noise and hassle of petrol mowers.

An ancient Webb battery mower like the one I used 30 years ago.

Nowadays  - (thanks to improvements in battery technology) cordless mowers can cut larger lawns and are also bought for safety reasons as the lack of cable reduces the risk of electrocution.

The most recent advances in cordless lawnmower technology involves several makes of robotic mowers.

As part of my work I have been using robotic lawmowers for the last 9 years and am impressed with them.

I can imagine that in 10 years or so the robotic mower will be as common as dishwashers as battery prices drop and consumer scepticism reduces.

click here for my page on robot mowers

Continue for

Best Cordless Electric Rotary Mowers

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

 

 

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.

 

use link 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 758E 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 an incredible 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 variuos 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.

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.

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

 

use links below to compare prices

 more details on the Worx 24v cordless mower

 click for details of the smaller 33cm cut Worx Cordless Mower

 

 

 

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

The diverter to return clippings to your lawn

 

 

Cordless Cylinder Mowers

Gtech CM 01

There have been a few attempts at making cordless cylinder mowers but none have survived the test of time. This innovative version may break the mould and has been around for about 3 years so far.

It is British designed and has a 12v lead acid  rechargeable battery. Another good feature is that it folds down to a very small size for winter storage.

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.

Gtech are a UK based company who offer good spares back up and fair prices for items like batteries and consumables.

 

 

 

CEL POWERmow 24v Cordless Mower

I have not tested this one yet but hope to soon. It has a good feature in that it can be used as a push mower if the battery goes flat.

It is very similar to the one shown above but has a larger battery and a 16 inch cut.

 

 

Robot Lawnmowers

 

 The first robot lawmower was made by Husqvarna in  Sweden and was solar powered. Other models have followed like friendly robotics from Israel ,the mowbot from Italy, one form Belgium and now some Chinese efforts.

The latest developments are large commercial size robotic mowers made in Belgium.

I have extensively studied and tested some of these models and can offer advice if you have upwards of £600 to spend on one.

Robot Mowers really do work, however replacement batteries are expensive and if the perimeter wire gets cut it can be a pain to find it underground.

Currently under testing

The Husqvarna Automower 220AC

Over the last 10 years I have  used various Robomows and the Mowbot.

In 2010 I will be testing and reviewing the British made Husqvarna Robot Mower.

The Automower 220 AC is the entry level model and is a true robot mower as it returns to its charging station and comes out whenever you want it to.

Watch this space or mail me for details.

 

 

 

BUY THE ROBOMOW IN THE USA

 

Something Wacky

madmower.jpg (6840 bytes)

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.

 

So you're completely mad as well

 

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

 

grass bag available

For the following lawn care tools

 

Lightweight Lawn shears

Telescopic Lawn Shears

Long Handled Lawn Shears

Lawn Edging Shears

Lawn Aerators

Lawn Rakes

Grass Shears

Lawn Edging knife

see my new page - Lawncare Tools Tested

   

Long handle for long legs

 

 

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THANKS

FRED-IN-THE-SHED

click here for my page on robot mowers

 

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