Posts Tagged ‘Bosch Mowers’

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)

Why Choose an Electric Lawnmower?

The new Quiet and Efficient Electric Lawnmower

The choices on the market for electric lawnmowers can be quite initimidating, but it’s worth doing your research.  They really are a very energy efficient and clean way to keep your lawn down without the need for fossil fuels directly.  Of course the most efficient is the manual lawnmower where you provide the energy but that’s not always practical.

There’s one thing for sure that the electric lawnmower is generally a lot quieter than it’s petrol counterpart.  From the minute you just press a button compared to the usual hefty tug on a cord, electric is oh so much easier.  The sound level is also a very important consideration for many, even slight differences in decibel ratings are extremely significant when you have to listen to them for a long time whilst cutting your lawn – a 10 decibel difference can mean something is almost twice as loud.

Reliability of your Lawnmower

Don’t get persuaded into the belief that the more you spend, the more reliable and long lasting your lawnmower will be.  Reliability relies on many factors, even routine maintenance has a big effect on how long your mower will last.  This will inevitably require more practical skills with a petrol lawnmower.   Electric lawnmower generally require less maintenance other than keeping the blades clean and sharp.

Spare parts and Servicing

Is another often overlooked area, some spare parts can be extremely difficult to find,  I have a very expensive petrol Hayter mower which is currently unusable due to the requirement of a small rubber bulb.  This has been a nightmare to find even going through the ‘official Hayter suppliers”

Generally though the bigger the name, the easier you’ll normally find spare parts and replacements which are required for instance these Rotak spare blades

Experts usually suggest that most powered mowers last between 5-7 years, the much smaller routine maintenance of a cord and battery mower is paid for perhaps in a slightly shorter life.  Certainly I have seen many petrol mowers lasting into a second decade, electric motors tend to eventually fail especially if underpowered for the conditions they are used in.

In a larger garden or one with lots of obstacles you might actually find it worthwhile investing in a battery powered mower, these are a little more expensive due to the cost of the batteries however if you get a good one they are a joy to use.