First of all, before I start my review I have noticed some others have written comments where they have compared their lawn mower to a previous better one. They have also given negative comments about features they should have known about before purchase, i.e. cable length, cutting width and the fact a grass box will make it heavier in use. There was a negative comment on this where someone said it was heavier than their previous non grass box model...well...duh! Someone also said they fully researched it before purchase and went on to slate features they knew about. If I look at a product before I buy it and it says, "5 metre cable" I'm not going to complain about how short it is am I? Then there was the comment on being inadequate in long grass. Don't let your grass get too long then or use a trimmer for the first cut.
Let's look at the description.
Please excuse the brash tone, this is directed at those who complain
about features they knew about before buying.
It's a turbo compact hover mower, compact means it may well be smaller than the one you used to own so expect that.
A 33cm metal blade to me indicates a 33cm wide cut. If I thought 33cm was too small, I'd opt for a larger model.
A 30 litre grass box should be ample for a small to medium garden. My garden is quite large but the mower is a perfect compromise when it comes to the amount of grass it holds, too much it gets too heavy so 30 litre is a good size and even better for storing.
1500 watts power is enough power to get through slightly long grass. If your grass is too long, don't blame the mower if it can't cope, blame yourself.
12 metre cable, if your garden is longer, get an extension or a mower with a longer cable.
Cutting heights are adjustable in four steps from 12-32mm. Someone complained they had to use all spacers to get the shortest cutting height...think about that for a moment!
Weight is 11.5kg, this will be when it's EMPTY, account for extra grass weight. It will get progressively heavier the more you cut. If it feels too heavy, empty it.
Two power switch handles are great if you do that "one arm" thing I do on the steep slope in my garden. I'm left-handed and hate mowers with only one handle on the right.
The grass box is under a hinged flap which you lift to remove the box.
This mower is relatively quiet in operation and I've not noticed any vibration. There's nothing worse than a mower that vibrates. I had one and my wife used to video tape me trying to drink a glass of coke afterwards.
It's easy to push-pull or glide over a surface but his requires a little more effort when the grass box is nearly full. I still think this extra little bit of effort is less than the energy used to rake up afterwards. Let's face it, for some, cutting grass is the only exercise they get. They are usually the ones who moan about long grass and extra weight. I'm not the fittest person in the world but I manage OK on a large front and back garden and I have a steep slope at the front.
The blade is easy to remove with the tool provided but the nut holding the blade is nylon. This can get damaged if you are quite rough using it and if you don't pick up harder objects. A quick check of the garden will eliminate possible damage.
There isn't many places where grass becomes stuck so it's a quick clean up afterwards.
For storing the handle folds down, incidentally, when using for the first time all you have to to do is lift it out of the box, lift the handle and clip on the cable.
In conclusion and taking into consideration the fact it's a compact mower with a grass box, I'll say it does what its supposed to do and doesn't do more than the description says. The 12 metre cable quoted IS 12 metres and the shortest cutting height can ONLY be achieved with ALL spacers attached, is there any other way? As its a Flymo, spare parts like blades and the nut holding it are easy to get from most garden centres, DIY stores or by mail order.
I would recommend this mower to anyone with even lower than average fitness and a small to medium garden. If you are fit then a large garden will be no problem, just takes a little longer as it's a compact mower.
I purchased this from Argos for £58. I have noticed it has gone back to its original price of £79.99 but I'm sure you can find it cheaper.
If you want a lighter weighted non grass box, 100 metre cable, 6 foot grass cutting monster then I would suggest you buy something else. You now know its capabilities so you should be able to decide if it's for you or not.
Thanks for reading.
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1500 watt Electric Motor33cm Metal Blade4 Cutting Heights 12mm - 32mm30lt Grassbox ... more
Capacity12m cableWeight 10kg1 year manufacturer's warrantyHere are a few pointers regarding the machinery part of your order.Machinery cannot be left without a signature...
Postage & Packaging: refer to website Availability: refer to website
May 10th, 2009
exceptional by (8%):
very helpful by (92%):
