Electric lawnmowers

Flymo Turbo Compact 330-Any Good ?

A well manicured lawn is attractive to the eyes. It might sound silly, but it invariably cheers people up and makes our houses look much more pleasant and more importantly cared for. But unfortunately mowing a lawn can be a real pain especially an oddly shaped lawn. Fortunately some of the best lawnmowers on the market can make the job a lot easier that it used to be – the question is does the new flymo turbo compact 330 cut the mustard. I’m not a big fan of hover mowers but to be honest it’s been a while since I tried one.

Flymo Turbo Compact 330

The Flymo Turbo Compact 330 Grass Collecting Electric Hover Lawn Mower (phew that’s mouthful) has a 33 cm metal blade powered by 1500 Watt motor which should be more than adequately powered for most gardens.
With a fairly large grass collection bin which can accommodate 30 liters of grass, it does minimize the main time consuming part of mowing the lawn which is emptying the grass every five minutes. To be fair the Flymo stored a decent amount of grass although it doesn’t compress nearly as much as some lawnmowers so you’ll still have to empty it quite a bit on a normal sized lawn.

The brochure says the unit is designed to withstand the test of time with a minimum level of maintenance, although I found this particular Flymo to fee a little flimsy but it’s often the case with the electric mowers which make a real effort to minimise the weight.

The cable is approximately 15 meters long which is a decent size, if you’ve had an electric mower before you’ll know whether your garden is suitable. If you haven’t just think for a while, if you’ve got lots of ornaments, shrubs and flower bed interspersed in your lawn are you going to manage pulling a cord along. It’s perfectly ok on many lawns where there aren’t many obstacles – but on some lawns using a corded mower is an absolute nightmare.

Inside the package, you get the Turbo Compact 330 unit (which is the mower in case you’re wondering), an instructional guide and a guarantee registration card. The instructional guide will help you set up the unit. It will also help you on how to properly use the product. It has the dos’ and don’ts so you will have an idea on how to take care of your unit. A one year warranty is already included with the product. It’s pretty easy to set up but as I mentioned it doesn’t exactly feel sturdy – despite this feeling it’s actually quite heavy compared to many electric lawnmowers even when hovering.

Now for the real test, how does it actually cut the grass? Well I tried the Flymo Turbo compact 330 on a relatives lawn – the grass hadn’t been cut for about two weeks in August so was quite long. It was perfectly dry though so it shouldn’t have been too bad, but I’m afraid it wasn’t a pleasant experience.

When I started using it all my remembered horrors of using Flymos in the 1980s came back, it doesn’t seem that they’ve improved much. My main problem (which is a fairly fundamental one) is that it doesn’t cut the grass well – because it’s quite heavy the hovering motion just seems to squash a lot of the grass rather than cut it.

I went over the lawn twice and there were big areas which just had squashed grass, it just lefts these clumps all over the lawn. It was fairly pointless going back over them as the more they got squashed the less likely the grass would be cut – I’m sorry but this is a big fundamental design flaw if the Flymo Turbo Compact 330 I used is typical. Maybe mine was faulty but it looked like more than that to me.

These mowers are pretty cheap but there are loads of better ones at similar price points. It’s honestly not worth saving a few quid getting a mower like this, it’s kind of depressing spending ages mowing a lawn then it not looking much better and the Turbo Compact 330 made a right mess of cutting my relatives lawn. It’s main selling point is cost but you’d expect a few years service out of even a cheap mower and this mower is just not that good at cutting grass – have a look what others think on the Amazon site – Opinions on 330 – I am not alone I think!

Do yourself a huge favor and spend a few pounds extra and get the much, much better mower here – I’ve had mine for four years and it cuts beautifully – it is frankly in a different league to this hover thing.

ALM Lawn Mower Plastic Blades

This spool cover is an easy fitting design that can be fitted by the user so there is no need for costly repairs.

Lawnmower Blades Range of blades to fit most grass mowers

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Buy ALM Lawn Mower Plastic Blades at Amazon

ALM Metal Lawn Mower Blade

This blade is an easy fitting blade that can be fitted by the user so there is no need for costly repairs. It fits all Black & Decker hover mowers using a metal blade except gx530 (bd033), gx635 (bd034)

Lawnmower Blades Range of blades to fit most grass mowers

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Buy ALM Metal Lawn Mower Blade at Amazon

Flymo Multimo 420XC 42cm 240 Volt Mains Electric Mower

The Flymo Multimo 420XC is a 4 wheel 42cm cut mower and features a roller between the rear wheels for striping. It has a metal blade, 15 metre cable and 50 litre grass box, and large rear wheels for extra manoeuvrability. It also features an easy fit mulch plug for use when not collecting, and an easy reel system for neat and tidy storage

Flymo Multimo 420 XC Electric Lawnmower

See all
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Buy Flymo Multimo 420XC 42cm 240 Volt Mains Electric Mower at Amazon

Flymo Hover Compact 300 Electric Hover Mower

Flymo’s Hover Compact 300, the revolutionary hover mower that collects as you mow on a cushion of air. Making mowing easier and more efficient, this hover mower is ideal for giving your lawn a neat and tidy finish in the shortest possible time, leaving you more time to relax and enjoy your garden.The powerful 1400 watt motor spins at 4,300 rpm, making easy work of your lawn. Your Hover Compact 300 has 4 heights of cut (10 – 30 mm) and a 30 cm cut with a metal blade.The 30 litre…
Buy Flymo Hover Compact 300 Electric Hover Mower at Amazon

Newer version of this Flymo Mower reviewed here – Flymo 330 compact Hover Mower

ALM Lawn Mower Metal Blade

This blade is an easy fitting blade that can be fitted by the user so there is no need for costly repairs.

Alm Fl043 Metal Blade Size: 30cm (12in) – To Fit Flymo Hover Mower Models: Dle-02 Dle03 E30- 1/2/3/4/5/11/12/13 Xe30 Tl E30 Twin Sprinter 30 Sprintmaster 30 Hoverstripe 30 Turbo Compact 300 – Compares To 5126439-72/7 And 5126439-00/8

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Buy ALM Lawn Mower Metal Blade at Amazon

Cylinder Mower Cover

No description for this product could be found, but have a look over at Amazon for reviews and other information.
Buy Cylinder Mower Cover at Amazon

Fisher-Price Bubble Mower

Keep the bubbles blowin’ for a whole lotta mowin’. The all-new one-touch refill system features a bigger bubble dispenser for fewer fill-ups and a one-press no-mess refill. Just press it once and you’re good to go for a yard full of bubble fun. Bubble solution included.

Box Contains

1 x Bubble mower 1 x Bubble solution 1 x Instruction booklet

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Buy Fisher-Price Bubble Mower at Amazon

Bosch Rotak 40 Rotary Mower

There are two main tools that give me loads of problems in my life, printers and lawnmowers and I really don’t know why. If I could I’d happily live without both of them but I can’t, well some of the year I can’t! It’s time now to bring out the lawnmower and do you know what for once I don’t mind as I’ve finally found a decent one – the Bosch Rotak 40 Electric Mower.

I don’t really want a lot from a lawnmower but that’s exactly what I’ve got over the years. I’ve been down the horror that is hover mowers, if you’ve travelled that road you will commiserate I’m sure. I’ve also spent a fortune on big, well built lawnmowers even though I hardly have a huge sized garden – my latest lawnmower in that area is a petrol driven Hayter which set me back several hundred pounds. It does cut the grass well, or should I say did cut the grass well – my wife who could never start the huge thing, pointed out a small little tear in the rubber next to the primer – which is enough to make sure it now never starts for me also.

I did start the detective work trying to find a supplier willing to sell me this small rubber bulb thing for some extortionate amount but in the end just got fed up. I just want a mower that is quick light and simple, something that requires little maintenance and just cuts the grass.

So step forward my latest try and finding such a lawnmower.

Bosch Rotak 40 Rotary mower

The first thing you’ll notice with some dread is the enormous box that it arrives in, fortunately this is quite deceiving as really the Bosch Rotak 40 isn’t actually that big. In fact it’s actually quite light when you do extract it from the huge amount of cardboard – I had mine delivered but I can imagine it would be a struggle to get in a small car in the box!

It does take a little putting together, the grass box is a little fiddly to clip together but nothing too difficult. When you look at the finished item, the initial impression I have to say its plastic, and a slight worry that it looks a little flimsy. Will the Bosch Rotak 40 be able to survive a few summers of grass cutting is initially a worry.

Bosch Rotak 40 in Action

Well there’s not much to tell really, the cord is plenty long enough in my average sized garden even without an extension, it really is very light and you can move it around as easily if not more so than a vacuum cleaner. Being so light you can easily pick it up to avoid obstacles or if you have an odd shaped lawn. A task that was not possible with my cast iron hayter mower I can tell you.

The rotary blades cut quickly and efficiently, the little grass combs on the mower help force the grass back for a very low cut. The grass collection box, holds a surprising amount as it seems to compress the grass in the box, although it does need emptying a few times for most lawns I suspect. The blades seem to cut through everything, any length, leaves, weeds and it even cuts the grass quite easily when it’s damp although I’m not certain that’s a great idea.

It doesn’t actually feel like mowing the lawn, more like you’re running the hoover over it, you actually wouldn’t expect a great finish from the rotary blades in the Bosch Rotak 40 but it is surprisingly good and there are defined stripes which always look good on a lawn.

There is little to dislike, it cuts the lawn quickly and easily, you obviously need to be aware of the cord when mowing but it’s not too hard when you get used to it. It folds up pretty well and I hang it up in my shed. It cuts right up to edges very well and it cuts my average lawns in no time at all. You do have a worry about how well it will last as the majority is built from plastic, but in truth I’ve had mine for three years now and it is still going strong. At the time of writing it’s being sold for around about £125 which I think is a bargain. The Bosch Rotak 40 Electric Rotary Lawn mower is the mower for someone who just wants to cut their lawn quickly and easily, if you want more recommendations look at the reviews on the Amazon web site – here

Updated Links to the new Bosch Ergoflex model (basically the same but cheaper, with different handles)

Choosing a Lawn Mower

When choosing a lawn mower, the first thing you should determine is what the square footage of your lawn is. Some things you should consider are whether it has any steep slopes. In our case, there was a slope which had been created when the river used to be higher than it is right now. How many obstacles are there? When you plant a tree, realize that tree will grow very quickly. You’re going to have to accommodate every tree that you plant, so consider that when you’re deciding upon a lawnmower. It’s easier to hand-mow around trees than it is to use a ride-on lawnmower.

Determining just how dense your grass is will help determine what blade size and rotation you’ll need when you get to the store. If you’re way out in the country, you won’t have to worry as much about the amount of noise you make, and air pollution might also be a consideration of yours. Are there strict neighborhood zoning rules and regulations or noise restrictions that you’ll have to worry about? There might be particular kinds of motors which are restricted.

Cost is of course a main concern. Having around an acre of land, we decided that a hand-pushed lawnmower was good enough. After you’ve considered these things, it’s best to write them down and bring them with you so you don’t forget any once you’re there.

Whether you wish to bag or mulch is important. Bagging means that the clippings are stored and thrown away in plastic bags. Mulching means that the organic material will need to be chopped up finer. Mulching shreds the grass and clippings, redistributing the fragments over the lawn as you mow. You might consider it to be free fertilizer.

Walk-behind mowers tend to be six to ten horsepower, whereas riding mowers range from twelve to eighteen. The ‘deck’ is the housing that houses the blade. Since neither aluminum nor plastic rusts, you might consider those if you live in an area which has high humidity, such as Florida. If the deck is long, so will the blade be long.

Since mowing speed is determined by how much horsepower the mower has, combined with the rate of blade rotation and deck width; you shouldn’t purchase a mower that’s way too big for the size of your lawn.

How fast the mower can turn might come into play if you have lots of gardens or trees on your land. Turning radius is just how much you can maneuver the mower to pass around shrubs and obstacles.

Self-propelled mowers help you with the job. Part of the energy of action is sent to the wheels with such a mower. This means that it’ll be easier for you to push the mower. What you gain in convenience, you lose in money. They tend to range between $500 to $900 dollars. So, as you can see, there are many things to consider when you’re choosing a Lawn Mower.

If your yard is fairly level, it’s small, and you have less than an acre, then a regular push mower will work. They’re self-propelled, and go for as little as $150 – $200. I started out with one of those. They have a blade which turns as you push it. It makes a little whirring noise, but the neighbors will love you. So, when you’re choosing a Lawn Mower, you can pay as much as $5000, or as little as $150.