Corded or cordless.....that is the question.

[Tolkienista]

My five and a half year old corded Flymo lawnmower has pretty much given up the ghost this afternoon, I just about got my garden cut but I don't think I want to use it again because it's turned really noisy and I think the motor is about to die.

Anyway I'm attaching a photo of my garden, it's a nightmare to use with an extension lead as I have to be so careful when manoevouring the lead around.

Any thoughts on cordless mowers? I don't want to spend a lot & I've noticed they are heavier than corded mowers, so are they more difficult to push around?
I cut my grass once a fortnight in the summer & i may well stick with corded in the end as better the devil you know.

Hello Tolkienista,

Have a look at these ones

https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/lawn-care/best-cordless-lawn-mowers/

https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/lawn-mowers/article/how-to-buy-the-best-lawn-mower-aGhEi1V0rGcC?source_code=911CSJ&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=generic&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADoAS42_TipQl7R6J5tr6_Pd_I_lX&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIscLE69rWhgMVj5ZQBh2fTQAjEAAYASAAEgJAIPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Happy gardening
TheSustainableGardener 👩‍🌾

Weight shouldn’t matter while you’re mowing because in theory the mower is propelling itself. Weight may matter when you’re getting it out and putting it away.

If you forget any idea of stripes, you should be able to mow that lawn in two halves, start near to you at the right and work your way to the end, switch it off and start again at the left. Making sure the cable leads from the mower over your shoulder makes it easier to avoid running it over.

Five and a half years!

My qualcast has been going 30

Why not a petrol mower?
Ours cuts our lawn in half the time it takes my neighbour with his electric mower

@MereDintofPandiculation it wasn't an expensive mower and my previous one (qualcast) lasted much longer, but the sound it's making makes me think it's really on its last legs.

@thesustainablegardener thanks for the links, much appreciated.

@MereDintofPandiculation that's exactly the way I cut my garden, starting on the right hand side then moving over to the left of the picture. But I find it a pain continually moving the lead around, it's hard work.

@BruceAndNosh I'm in my mid sixties, live on my own and I feel the way forward is to go cordless as I head towards 70.
Maybe I'm completely wrong, but I just couldn't see myself using a petrol mower.

We have a worx one, we already had the two batteries because we have the worx cordless hedge trimmer and strimmer. Our garden is a similar size and I can do it all on eco mode. I love it!

We’ve just changed from petrol to cordless and are very happy with the decision , we bought a McGregor 37 cm cordless in the Argos sale and it’s perfect for our needs and so much lighter for getting in and out / out the front etc as we have a couple of steps .

@Floralnomad that's really good to hear your experience of using cordless. I love gardening, but the older I get the more frustrating I find the dreaded lead and extension lead.

@PocketPhoenix thanks for your informed reply and that's great you have extra battery power from other gardening tools

I've got a Spear & Jackson cordless mower from Argos. I love it.
It's light and easy to manoeuvre. Battery charges quickly and I reckon you'd easily get your lawn cut in one charge.

I have some mobility issues and this mower is so much easier to use than my previous corded rotary and Flymo.

Not all mowers pull themselves along. We were going to replace our self propelled petrol mower with a battery one but couldn’t find anything suitable at the time.

We have a petrol mower that is really cumbersome to turn , just got an einhell cordless one and it is a dream - we have a second battery for it and garden is similar size to yours

How heavy is it to carry? Is it a one-handed job or even a one-finger one?

Our cordless does barely 1/2 garden on one charge. Average sized garden and average sort of mower.

We have a cordless Mountfield Typhoon which I bought to do our tiny front lawn. Mistake. I lug the corded one round there every time.

Our cordless did both our lawns twice , average sized garden , the battery also charges in 1 hour .

I purchased a Bosch Rotak cordless mower about 6/7 years ago, to replace a push mower, and have been very happy with it. I’m 77, so I wanted a mower that was easy to use, and this fitted the bill. I do have to lift it up and down a couple of steps, and it is a bit heavy, but I’m still able to do this. It gives a lovely finish, which I’m happy about, and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend a cordless mower - there are many more brands around now, and prices seem lower too, just do your research.

Last spring, I decided to do late-night mowing as rain was forecast the next day and mowed the power cable. I was actually quite pleased, as I'd been thinking about a battery one, so I didn't fix it. I've been so happy to have a battery one and not deal with the flex. A couple of times I've not charged the battery, but it hasn't been much of an issue and is so much faster.

Cordless every time, 100%. So much easier to whip out and do a quick mow. Get one with a battery that can be used in several different things eg strimmer, hedge cutters so you can add them to your system as and when.

If you really want to splash the cash you could go for a robotic one that just bumbles around as and when, but they aren’t cheap.

Cordless. Ours isn't heavy at all, and does front and back of a good sized garden (typical 1930s suburban) on 1 charge unless the grass is very long. You can get a second battery quite cheaply if you need more power.

Battery.
We needed a new mower as ours was 15 years old, and I'd cut through the cable, making it very short post repair.
We've got 2 batteries, so never an issue cutting front and back (if it's fairly short and dry, you can do it on one battery. Any hint of moisture or a missed cut, and it needs the second battery for the final lawn - we have 3).

It's lighter and more maneuverable than the corded. Miles lighter than my parents petrol.

Wouldn't go back to corded (and i hate battery vacuum cleaners, and would get corded every time)

@DoublePeonies @NoBinturongsHereMate @olderbutwiser

Thanks for your posts and comments.
The more I think about it, the more I feel going forward it has to be cordless.
It just makes sense, I'm not getting any younger & it will be one less thing to worry about (managing the long lead)
Great posts.