Most "best lawn mower" lists are paid placements. Ours isn't. Walk through these five questions in order and you'll have your answer in three minutes.
Lawn size is the single biggest factor. Under 100m² and you can get away with manual or cordless. 100–500m² is the sweet spot for electric and self-propelled petrol. Over 500m² and you should be considering ride-on — pushing a 53cm petrol mower across half a tennis court every weekend gets old fast.
Wheels need flat-ish ground. If your lawn has slopes over 15° or weird kerbs and beds, hover mowers (cushion of air, no wheels) are the answer. For mostly-flat lawns with one or two awkward bits, self-propelled petrol handles it.
Stripes come from a rear roller pressing the grass flat in alternate directions. Most petrol mowers under £400 don't have one. The Bosch Rotak 36 R is the cheapest mower in the UK with a real roller. Above that, look for 'rear-roller' in the spec sheet.
Petrol: most power, no range limit, but maintenance, noise, fuel storage. Electric (corded): cheap, reliable, but tethered. Cordless: quiet, clean, but battery life dictates everything. For most British gardens under 300m², cordless is now the right answer. Bigger or rougher: petrol still wins.
Used Honda mowers under 8 years old are a lifetime bargain — the engines genuinely outlast their owners. Used cordless is risky because battery health degrades invisibly. Used ride-on is risky because hydrostatic transmissions are expensive to fix. Used Mountfield, Bosch, and Hayter petrol mowers under 6 years old are usually safe bets.
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