If you want to maintain and perfect your lawn with ease, Flymo Lawn mowers are an excellent solution for small to medium-sized gardens.
A leading choice in the UK, Flymo mowers are affordable, lightweight and easy to use. They require little maintenance and are a popular choice for many.
The Flymo Backstory
It was a wet and windy day, but that didn’t stop a crowd of spectators gathering on the banks of Southampton Water. They were there to witness a singularity; the only breakthrough in transportation since the jet engine, the newly-declassified AV-1, the world’s first hovercraft, piloted by its inventor, Christopher Cockerell.
Looking like the illegitimate love child of a Ports Authority pilot boat and a rubber dinghy, the AV-1 was towed out into the middle of the estuary. At first, it did nothing but cruise back and forth like any other water-borne vessel in its class. That was until the giant turboprop fans in its belly sprang to life, at which point the ugly duckling turned into a swan.
No sooner had the craft lifted clear of the water than it began performing tight manoeuvres at speed on the choppy surface of the waterway and outraced a motor launch. To cheers and applause, it went over the top of a platform anchored in place for that purpose.
Karl Dahlman
Among the curious onlookers that chilly Tuesday morning in October 1961 was 49-year-old Karl Dahlman, himself an inventor with dozens of patents to his name. Back in Sweden, he owned a small engineering firm that made lawn mowers.
Suitably impressed, Dahlman applauded the achievement along with the rest, then he went home. Three years later he launched the Flymo, the hover mower counterpart to the wheeled version, soon to be one of the world’s most popular brands of lawn mowers.
Christopher Cockerell received a knighthood and £5,000 from the British government.
About Flymo
In the face of fierce competition, Flymo has managed to distinguish itself over the course of nearly 60 years, not by clever marketing or sustained ad campaigns, but by focussing on 3 key issues:
Affordability
This means more than just the price tag. Affordability is inextricably tied to value for money and the notion that properly maintained and properly used, a mower should last indefinitely.
Ease-of-use
Each Flymo lawn mower is:
- Quick and easy to assemble – the instructions are simple and the assembly minimal.
- Easy to use – It’s manoeuvrable, with a broad enough cutting width to save time but narrow enough to get into awkward spaces. The guide bar is adjustable to accommodate the height of the user.
- Easy to store – It’s compact, collapsible and light enough to hang on the wall.
Versatility
Each model in the different ranges has variable cutting heights and accessories that extend its usefulness.
- Dethatchers remove thatch from your lawn, improving drainage and irrigation.
- Scarifiers remove debris, improving its overall health.
- A variety of drive belts, wheels and cutting blades let you customise the mower to suit your particular situation.
This brings us to …
Our TOP Flymo Picks
Best Flymo Lawn Mowers to Buy in 2023
- Flymo EasiMow 300R
- Flymo Speedi-Mo 360VC
- Flymo EasiGlide 300
- Flymo Turbo Lite 250
- Flymo EasiLife 350
- Flymo EasiGlide 330
Flymo EasiMow 300R
Key Features:
- Type: Wheeled Corded
- Power Source: Mains electricity
- Weight: 8.4kg
- Motor: 1300W
- Cutting Width: 30cm
- Cutting heights: 3 (20-60mm)
- Grass Box Capacity: 30 litres
This mower has a rear roller for the popular striped effect. Its light, 8.4kg weight and grip handle at its centre of mass make it easy to pick up and easy to carry. Dual-lever handles on the guide bar let the user control the motor with either hand.
The EasiMow is designed to cut right up to the edge of walls and pathways so the purchase of a strimmer and additional trimming is unnecessary. The 30-litre grass box makes it a good choice for mulching.
Pros:
- Under 10kg
- Double-ended metal blade
- Delivers a clean, even cut right up to the edge of the lawn
- Works well on slopes as well as rough, uneven ground
Cons:
- Although the cutting height is only changed occasionally, adjusting it can be awkward
- If you have a really big lawn, you’re going to need an extension cord reel to extend its range
Flymo Speedi-Mo 360VC
Key Features:
- Type: Wheeled Corded
- Power Source: Mains electricity
- Weight: 11.5kg
- Motor: 1500W
- Cutting Width: 36cm
- Cutting heights: 5 (20-60cm)
- Grass Box Capacity: 40 litres
Are you ready to do some serious mowing? The Speedi-Mo has power to spare with none of the noise and exhaust fumes of a petrol mower and you don’t have to stop to refuel.
A 36cm cutting width and 40-litre grass box make it suitable for large lawns, although in that case, you will need an extension reel rated for large household appliances like stoves and washing machines.
Metal blades keep a sharp edge better than plastic polymer blades so you’re assured of a clean, even cut.
Pros:
- Double-ended metal blade
- Delivers a clean, even cut right up to the edge of the lawn
Cons:
- Not ideal for lawns with narrow, awkward areas
- You’re tethered to a mains outlet
Flymo EasiGlide 300
Key Features:
- Type: Corded Hover
- Power Source: Mains electricity
- Weight: 10.6kg
- Motor: 1700W
- Cutting Width: 30cm
- Cutting heights: 4 (10-30mm)
- Grass Box Capacity: 20 litres
Let’s be clear, hover mowers are fun. If I had my way, they’d be white and look like something out of Star Wars so I could pretend I was skimming across the surface of Hoth, the ice planet where the Rebel Alliance had their home base.
In reality, if you miss a spot with a hover mower, you don’t have to wheel it around for a second pass, you just push it in that direction, correct your mistake, and then pick up where you left off.
Pros:
- The grass box empties easily
- Folds flat for easy storage
Cons:
- The grass box doesn’t fit snugly
- Edging is not its strong suit
- Changing the cutting height is awkward
Flymo Turbo Lite 250
Key Features:
- Type: Corded Hover
- Power Source: Mains electricity
- Weight: 5.95kg
- Motor: 1400W
- Cutting Width: 25cm
- Cutting heights: 3 (11-31cm)
- Grass Box Capacity: 0 litres
At under 6kg, this is the lightest mower on the list. It steers effortlessly, even on slopes and uneven ground. It’s tied to the mains so there are no batteries to swap out or recharge and its 25cm cutting width is good for awkward spots and narrow strips.
The Flymo Turbo Lite is meant for small lawns. It can handle medium-sized lawns if you’re prepared to put in the time, otherwise the cutting width is a bit on the narrow side. Chances are you’re also going to need a properly-rated extension cord or extension cord reel.
The absence of a grass box is only relevant if you have another use for the cuttings or you’re cutting tall grass short in one go. Otherwise, when you’re mowing in stages, the cuttings are fine enough to be scattered, mulching the lawn without the need for a grass box.
Pros:
- Suitable for elderly users as well as anyone with a bad back, tricky knee or other mild physical impairment
- Nimble and compact
Cons:
- No grass box
Flymo EasiLife 350
Key Features:
- Type: Robot Automower
- Power Source: 18V lithium-ion battery
- Weight: 7.3kg
- Motor: 1700W
- Cutting Width: 16cm
- Cutting heights: 3 (20-50mm)
- Grass Box Capacity: not applicable
First in the ‘fire-and-forget’ category, the Flymo EasiLife follows a schedule you can set by default or customise to your particular circumstances. Once it’s out there, except for the occasional hose-down, you can pretty much forget about it. It’s meant to live in the garden rain or shine.
The Flymo EasiLife comes with a host of onboard sensors that do everything from detecting trouble spots to switching to standby mode when the weather’s too cold. The latter is called FrostSense while the former is PassageSense.
Setting the schedule via the smartphone app gives you access to all kinds of options not available via the control panel.
Pro tip: Bury the boundary wire an inch or two below ground. In theory, this isn’t necessary but in reality, the automower will find a weak spot and sever the wire.
Pros:
- Programmable via the control panel or a smartphone app
- Its start position is anywhere along the boundary wire
- A lever on the chassis makes changing the cutting height easy
- Tilt, lift and collision safety features make it safe to use around children and pets
Cons:
- Not as economical an option as other types of mower but still affordable
Flymo EasiGlide 330V
Key Features:
- Type: Corded Hover Mower
- Power Source: Mains electricity
- Weight: 10.8kg
- Motor: 1700W
- Cutting Width: 35cm
- Cutting heights: 4 (10-30mm)
- Grass Box Capacity: 20 litres
In general, the more powerful the motor, the faster the blade spins. The faster the blade spins, the better the cut.
The EasiGlide incorporates all the features available in other Flymo mowers in one machine. It’s light enough to hang on the wall, compact and durable and has enough power to tackle the toughest, densest grass. It also has dual levers on the guide bar so you can control it with either hand.
Changing the cutting height is a bit of a mission but not something you need to do very often. Once you’ve mowed the lawn to the desired height, as long as you cut it regularly, you never need to change it again.
Pros:
- Top-loading grass box
- Delivers a quality cut
- Metal blade
- 4 cutting heights
- Good for larger-than-average lawns
Cons:
- The grass box could be bigger
- It’s not cordless
- Uses spacers instead of a lever to change the cutting height
Hover Mower Myths You Can Safely Ignore
There are several unjustified complaints lodged against hover mowers, all of them based on misconceptions:
They don’t mulch properly
This is only true if you mow at the wrong cutting height. Grass should be cut in stages, roughly an inch at a time until you reach the desired height. Anything else produces long cuttings that spray out and collect on the surface of the lawn, depriving the grass of sunlight.
Short cuttings don’t block the light and they break down quickly. This mulch will decompose into fertiliser that will nourish the lawn.
The case is plastic and therefore fragile
This is another perennially favourite criticism. It may look like plastic but it’s actually a sophisticated polymer very similar to acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), the stuff Lego is made from.
ABS is a thermoplastic, resistant to wear and tear, specifically designed to be as strong as it is light. It won’t crack and doesn’t turn brittle when exposed to heat and cold.
They stop hovering after a while
Hover mowers suck in air in the middle and blow it out around the sides.
Cut grass is wet. It clumps easily and clings to the inside of the mower. It gets compressed and compacted. Over time it builds up until air can no longer circulate freely, leading to a pressure drop and a commensurate decline in performance.
Clean out the grass, the hover function will be restored and the mower will again lift off the ground.
How to Buy the Best Flymo Lawn Mower
Extent
Don’t buy a ride-on mower if you live in a cluster home or townhouse complex. Match the mower to the size of the lawn.
Small, regular patches of lawn are best served by a robot automower or a cordless hover mower. They’re clean and quiet, won’t annoy your neighbours and modern battery technology is more than up to the task.
Larger lawns can also be serviced by a robot or a cordless mower but you’re going to need a couple of the more powerful, high-capacity batteries, in which case you’d probably be better off opting for a corded mower.
Terrain
Take a long, hard look at the lawn itself. If it’s uneven or if there are rough patches, you might want to go with one of the more powerful Flymo mowers. If it’s uneven with challenging spots, and it has narrow, irregular strips, look for a mower with a more powerful motor and a narrower cutting width.
The general rule of thumb in this regard is as follows:
- Small lawns (up to 100m²) require a cutting width of about 30cm
- Medium lawns (100-250m²) require 35-40cm
- Big lawns (250m²+) require 40cm or more
Corded mowers are a good choice for medium-sized gardens if you don’t mind being tethered to a mains outlet.
The Quality of the Grass
Grass can be coarse or fine, dense or sparse. Coarse grass is harder to cut, fine grass is easier.
Ideally, you want to match your mower to the prevailing circumstances. You’ll get a better, cleaner cut of thick, coarse grass from a bigger motor, although this is not usually a problem with Flymo mowers as they’re powerful enough to contend with most situations.
FAQs
My hover mower is sluggish and can barely get off the ground. What can I do?
Grass clippings are wet and heavy. They stick to the interior of the mower in clumps that accumulate over time, weighing down the mower and blocking the influx of air. The longer they accumulate, the harder they are to remove. See the maintenance instructions in your user manual to get rid of them.
Is Flymo a Swedish company?
Flymo has been a British company since the 1970s. Its production plant is in Durham.
Conclusion
Flymo mowers are affordable, easy to use and versatile. They’re designed for domestic use in cluster homes, townhouses, and suburban gardens. They can work for farms, estates, or allotments if used judiciously but shouldn’t be your first choice as they weren’t designed for that purpose.
There are many good reasons the Flymo brand is so popular in the U.K.
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Charl is a full-time writer with a range of passions and expertise in lawn mowers and other garden power tools. After many years in the corporate rat race, he decided to follow these passions. When not writing, Charl can be found in his garden, tending to or propagating plants, keeping the lawn near perfect, and enjoying the outdoors with his dogs. He is also fascinated by emerging technology and tries to squeeze in a round of golf as often as possible.
