lawnmowers cheap vs abit more expensive

joeblags

never had a garden so never had a lawnmower!
is it worth spending money on something more expensive?
looking at a £40 flymo and a £70 bosch. not a big difference but if I don't have to spend £30 extra then why would I. there really isn't a great deal that can go wrong in terms on electrics as its only a motor its more a case of does it collect grass like it should do, do the wheels fall of every 2 minutes.


http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/flymo-electric-rotary-lawn-mower---re320-171003
http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/Bosch-Rotak-34--13-Rotary-Lawnmower-325460

chrisw

I can't comment on the Flymo but I've had that Bosch (or a slightly older version) for around 10 years and it's been great. I think the main difference in use is that the Bosch has a roller on the back so leaves nice stripes just after you've done your lawn.

joeblags

10 years, if something for £70 lasted 10 years I couldn't complain at value for money! how does it collect grass once cut?

Ebe_Scrooge

How big is your lawn ? Electric mowers are ideal for smaller lawns, but if you've got something more substantial then it's worth looking at a petrol mower. They'll be a lot more expensive than an electric one, but well worth it in the long run - look after it and it should last for many, many years. I've had my current one for 20 years, and it's still going strong. Also they're a lot more convenient if you have a large lawn - more powerful plus you're not limited by the length of the cable.

joeblags

I have a 20 meter extension cable which I can power from my shed so cable isn't a problem. my front yard is small but my back yard is quite big indeed. I did consider a petrol lawn mower but after been off work for 6 weeks with a broke foot my pay last payday and tomorrow will be only 2/3 of what it normally is so don't want to spend a fortune.

davemorton

I can second the Bosch, great lawnmowers. That said, if the garden is big, petrol all day long, plus on a petrol, the cutting diameter is usually larger, and it cuts the time in half for cutting the lawn.
edit: you mention a 20m extension, how long/wide would you guess is the big lawn?

joeblags

my lawn is massive, my house is an end house so I have a back & side yard. from my back door I bet its 45 foot long easy. I just nipped into b&q and while them bosch mowers look great they are also tiny , id be there all day! I think I need to look at second hand options

davemorton

joeblags wrote: »

my lawn is massive, my house is an end house so I have a back & side yard. from my back door I bet its 45 foot long easy. I just nipped into b&q and while them bosch mowers look great they are also tiny , id be there all day! I think I need to look at second hand options

Definitely! Get a second hand petrol, or if you can, hold off for a month or so until they start getting reduced for the end of the season.

srm1

If you do opt for a petrol mower - watch out for the grass box being material and not plastic construction. I have found the material ones rot quite quickly and cost loads to replace - the plastic grass boxes are virtually indestructable.

societys_child

srm1 wrote: »

If you do opt for a petrol mower - watch out for the grass box being material and not plastic construction. I have found the material ones rot quite quickly and cost loads to replace - the plastic grass boxes are virtually indestructable.

:huh: I'm confused now . . .

Ebe_Scrooge

societys_child wrote: »

:huh: I'm confused now . . .

I know what he / she means. A lot of mowers these days have a grass collection box made of a kind of nylon ( ? ) mesh wrapped around a wire frame support - in the past they were usually a rigid plastic box. I must admit I've never used the mesh ones - as I said in my earlier post, my mower is very old and has a rigid plastic grass box.