Are you in the market for a new lawn mower? Lawn mowers range in price massively and there are so many different options available when it comes to types and features, it can be hard to know when you’re getting the best for your money. If you have a budget of £100 and are unsure of which lawn mower is best for you, keep reading.
What you will find out in this article is:
- What to look for in a budget lawn mower
- What types of lawn mowers there are
- Features you should consider when buying a lawn mower
- What about if your terrain is uneven
- Our top picks for lawn mowers under £100
What to look for in a lawn mower
When you look at buying a lawn mower on a budget there are a few things that you need to watch out for that are common problems with cheaper lawn mowers.
- Blowing grass everywhere – It’s a common problem with cheaper lawn mowers, they don’t quite keep all the grass in the grass box. This can cause issues with grass growing in places you don’t want it growing due to it being spread about over time.
- Taking too long – Another common downside is that they simply take longer than more expensive versions. Make sure to read reviews on easy they are to use and handle.
- Doesn’t leave the stripe effect – You know that stripe effect cut in the grass that makes it look beautiful, even to the point it could be mistaken as artificial? Not all budget models will give you that effect.
These are obviously things that the companies who are advertising the lawn mowers will tell you, so the only true way to tell is to read through the reviews of each and see if any of these issues are common. On the products we’ve chosen later in the article, we’ve done that for you and made sure they are high quality and have great reviews.
Types of lawn mowers
There are several different types of lawn mowers that you can get on the £100 budget, but deciding which one is best is personal preference to some extent & the size of your garden. Here are your choices:
Lawn Mower Type | Description | Positives | Suitable For (Garden Size) |
---|---|---|---|
Cordless | All the benefits of a normal electric lawn mower, with no cable. As you would expect, these are battery powered so need charging. | Little maintenance required & of course no cable, meaning it's less restrictive. | Medium |
Cylinder | This lawn mower is a rotating blade powered by pushing across the grass. | No battery or lead, it's the eco friendly option. It also gives you one of the finest cuts. | Small |
Hover | This option moves on a cushion of air which makes it easy to manoeuvre. | Perfect for uneven lawns as it floats over bumps. Allows a wider range of movement than those with wheels. | Medium |
Petrol | The alternative option to electric. The petrol lawnmower allows you to move around without a lead. | It's more powerful than the electric model. You can also move freely without having a lead. | Large |
Robotic | Robotic lawnmowers move around the garden by themselves, you define the boundary area. It's 2020 after all! | Saves you a lot of effort, they even recharge themselves. It can mow your lawn as frequently as you like, you just need to set it. | Large |
Rotary | This type of lawn mower uses a spinning blade at the bottom and cuts the grass as you move it across. It's the most common type. | It is very easy to use and requires very little maintenance. It's also very good at uneven surfaces. | Medium |
Features to consider when buying a lawn mower
Whenever you’re buying a lawn mower, at whatever budget, there are a few features of the lawn mower that you need to consider. A lot of these features are based on personal preference again, and some only apply to certain types of lawn mowers and not others.
Here are the main features you should look at and a bit of an explanation as to why:
- Adjustable handles – This is more of a comfort setting. You can adjust the mower to your personal preference.
- Adjustable heights – As the name suggests, this allows you to cut the grass to a different height.
- Battery life – Is the battery going to last long enough to mow your garden? You need to ensure it’s suitable.
- Blade width – The larger the blades the more grass that gets cut, ultimately this results in you mowing the garden quicker.
- Cable length – How far away is your plug? Ideally you don’t want to be dragging an extension lead around with you.
- Grass box size – Some mowers have small grass boxes which means you might have to empty them several times over the course of mowing your lawn.
- Grass combs – Having these means you can cut right to the edge of the grass, something that can often be quite tricky.
- Rear roller – This flattens the grass down as you mow, which means it’s less likely for little cuttings of grass to spray around your garden in the wind.
What about a lawn mower for uneven terrain?
If you have a large amount of uneven terrain then there are a few more things that you need to consider. Hover lawn mowers are always a good choice for uneven grounds, as they can comfortably move over the ground. You can also mow uneven ground if your lawn mower is suited to it, with any type, if the back wheels are larger it allows you to glide over the rough ground, but the downside of this makes it a little harder to maneuver.
Our top picks for best lawn mowers under £100
Now you’ve read all about what lawn mower options you have, the types and features to look at, so without further ado here are our top picks for the best options available for under £100.
Flymo Turbo Lite 250
A popular lawn mowing budget brand, this Flymo is an ultra light weight option making it suitable for storing as it features foldable handles and is wall mountable. It’s designed for a smaller garden due to it’s grass store.
- Type: Electric Hover
- Corded or Cordless: Corded
- Suitable For: Small gardens
Selling Points:
- Great at tackling uneven terrain and bumpy gardens.
- Has a 10 metre cable, meaning you often won’t need an extension lead.
- Compact design and lightweight makes it great for storing in small spaces.
Webb WEER33 ER33
It’s a lesser known brand and lawn mower than Flymo, but it’s rated extremely highly and all the reviews are excellent. It’s got a large 35L capacity that makes it suitable for medium to large gardens.
- Type: Rotary
- Corded or Cordless: Corded
- Suitable For: Medium to large gardens
Selling Points:
- Large 35L Grass box
- 3 different cutting settings meaning you can have the grass to the length you want
- The handles fold allowing for easy storage
Flymo Easimo Wheeled Lawn Mower
Another Flymo pick, an excellent choice if you have a garden of a medium size. It’s the perfect option for a first lawn mower as it’s very easy to use and requires little maintenance. It’s highly rated in it’s reviews and there are very few negatives.
- Type: Electric
- Corded or Cordless: Corded
- Suitable For: Medium gardens
Selling Points:
- Different cutting width options, starting at 32cm.
- Collects and compacts as it cuts, a better use of its 29L capacity.
- Adjustable for different cutting heights
Challenge 31cm Cordless Lawn Mowers
At the time of looking this is ever so slightly over the £100 budget, so sorry about that! But it’s the cheapest cordless option. It’s a smaller brand, but has some great reviews and is suitable for smaller gardens with a runtime of 30 minutes on a full charge.
- Type: Rotary
- Corded or Cordless: Cordless
- Suitable For: Small gardens
Selling Points:
- Being cordless allows you to cut anywhere with no issues, it also means you don’t have to keep watching not to cut the cord!
- The steel rotary blade has 3 different cutting height adjustments ranging from 2.5cm to 6cm
- Large 30L capacity
Bosch AHM 38 G Manual Garden Mower
The only cylinder lawn mower to make the list. The Bosch AHM 38 G is a reliable mower which you’re going to be able to keep for years without little to no maintenance. This reliable brand offers a great cut & finish for your garden at a very cheap price.
- Type: Cylinder
- Corded or Cordless: Cordless
- Suitable For: Small gardens
Selling Points:
- Cheap & reliable mower that offers a precise cut and good finish.
- It’s really lightweight (7kg) making it easy to move around the garden.
- A 25L grass box is often more than enough for a small garden.