[Closed] Yay what electric lawn mower?

Just bought the Rotak 40 after my cheapie Petrol Mountfield spluttered to a halt.

It feels light, easy to manage and does a very good job of mowing my lawn. It's really good.

But I don't feel quite so manly mowing the lawn any more 🙁

My Bosch is 17yrs and still going strong. Never been cleaned and has been badly treated since new. Still going strong, I am amazed at it's awesomeness. Would definitely buy another if it failed. It owes me nothing.

I've just gone the other way and bought a petrol one to replace the knackered old wired one. Quite like the power, noise and (as commented above) it does make me feel more manly, lol.

I went Li Ion - it's the future don't you know!

LiOn in use yesterday... 🙂 You need a big f off petrol jobbie for extra manly gnarrr. Electricity? It's witchcraft I tell thee....

[IMG] [/IMG]

Lions are carnivores. It's a lamb you want to keep the grass short.

I use Bosch Rotaks, they last about 3 years and then the motor dies.

On my 3rd one now.

Get a Hayter, just don't expect it to pick up wet grass 👿

TBf I'm not sure any bottom of the range electric mower is going to pick up wet grass well. There a local Hayter dealer, so might pop to B&q then them to compare quality (there definitely a lot more costly but if there quality kit..)
Cheers all

Ps not adding a couple of hundred quid for a fire hazard 😈

Wife is a part time Gardener doing mostly local gardens and she bought a Rotak 40 last year and it's been great. Made in Britain too (somewhere in Yorkshire maybe...)

I just bought a Bosch Rotak. It was second hand but little used. Small. No idea which one. TBH the 'hoovering up the grass properly' concept is still novel, having just moved on from 70's flymo technology.

So, er, Bosch Rotak?

I used to sell lawnmowers (large DIY chain, I used to deal with all the faulty stuff/returns etc).

I wouldn't touch anything made by Flymo with a bargepole.
I wouldn't touch a cheap petrol mower (less than maybe £300) unless I really had no power available.
I wouldn't have a battery lawnmower.

I bought a Bosch Rotak, because they were never returned faulty. Over the course of a summer season I'd maybe get 100+ Flymos returned faulty, all the people who brought them back said they'd never touch one again.

The previous mower, a Wolf was great. Wet or dry grass it all went in the box. I only replaced it as I gave it to my daughter when she got her first house. Solidly built and we'd had it 10 years with only a new blade being required.

The new model looked like a toy. The flimsiest plastic possible that looked like it would shatter of you bumped into anything. Styling was crap too.

Bought the Hayter. It was a toss up between that and a Honda. It's very well made, easy to use (are they all) and cuts the lawns very well. Just hates damp grass.

Had to buy a Flymo for early and late season use.

I bought a Bosch Rotak, because they were never returned faulty.

Odd, I've killed two in the last few years, not that large a garden either....

Both died out of warranty so just ended up at the tip. I just see them as disposable and if I get 3-4 years from it, then that's ok.

My Rotak 40 is just over 10 yrs old and hasn't missed a beat. When (if) it dies then I'll get another, possibly a cordless one.

Had a look in the flesh, bosch's quality taken a nose dive, B&Q's own brand Mac Allister were cheaper & seemingly better quality (shorter warranty). The Hayter & Viking were much better quality, but rightly so at £100+ more.
Hmmmm

I bought a WolfGarten last year after reading so many negative reviews of Flymo and the apparently cheap Chineses made Bosch models you get at large DIY stores.

It has not put a foot wrong and I've been really happy with it. Mine has quite a few ride height options too. Think it was about £180 for the model I got.

The smallest Rotaks do look a bit cheap and cheerful, perhaps the larger models are more robust.

Nah, looked at the next model up, just as bad.. The next step up again, is more mower (size wise) than I need

I was watching a robotic Flymo lawnmower at a customers today. It looked quite good just trundling around the lawn all by itself.
I really wanted to stick some Peacock feathers on it or make it look like a Hedgehog though.

My rotak started acting up tonight, about 10 years old also. It's been making an odd high pitched noise for a while, but tonight started cutting out intermittently.

Vorlick, mine was making high pitch noses on and off for years, I assumed the bearing had seized and would eventually release (stored in a slightly damp garage). Mine went to half power a couple of times (from cold, not over heating) before completely cutting out.

Anyways.. so I've kicked the trend and decide the Bosch build quality was too cheap and crap to spend my money on, though the Bosch three year warranty will probably be a big draw for most ppl. So I've gone [s]stihl[/s] Viking ME235, as I like the more substantial build quality and it cost basically the same as the Bosch (admittedly viking base model vs bosch's 2nd tier). It was a Which magazine winner too

Interesting that there are loads of people saying their old Bosch Rotaks have lasted really well; and loads of people saying that their new Rotaks seem ok after a year or two, but nobody with any personal experience of the new Rotaks lasting well.*

Got a newish Rotak based on STW recommendations about 3 years ago and it's pretty poor. Gutless and makes dying noises in anything other than short grass.

* Yes, I know.