As this is my first lawn mower review, I am starting with a budget lawn mower that will give a good clean cut, and leaves a nice striped finish. Best of all it is the most environmentally friendly type of lawn mower you can buy, only requiring some physical energy to push it.

With the price of fuel and electricity ever increasing, and an increasing awareness of environmental issues, this type of mower should be the first one to be considered when looking at a new purchase!

A cylinder hand pushed mower would be my preferred option for anyone looking for a good quality lawn at a budget price.

BOSCH AHM 38G MANUAL CYLINDER MOWER

OVERVIEW

This Bosch lawnmower (find it here)is very well made overall, only to be expected from a well respected manufacturer like Bosch. The cylinder has five blades, which gives a reasonably fine cut. It is thirty eight centimetre wide, which covers the ground fairly quickly, but is very easy to control around tight corners and obstacles. The rear roller gives a striped finish, and the rolling action helps to control moss and thatch.  The only downside being that the roller is narrower than the wheels, making it difficult to cut close to edges.

The grass box has a reasonable twenty five litre holding capacity, but is the only downside in the mowers quality as it is light weight plastic, and is easily dislodged from its mountings on any uneven ground. Take note Bosch, this could be improved.

The high geared side wheels make the mower very easy to push, so not to tiring even on slopes or decent sized lawns. The cutting height is variable from 15 mm to 43 mm, which I would consider to be a good range to cover most lawn owners requirements over the year.

ADVANTAGES

• It retails at around £55, which is very competitive
• This Bosch mower will give a good cut, even more so if used regularly, and it will also leave stripes
• The mower is very light, so is easy to handle and store
• There are big savings on fuel or electricity as it is manually operated, and there is no danger with storing petrol, or trailing cords
• The handles are very easily adjusted to suit any height, very important in avoiding injury when operating the machine
• A bid plus is that it provides an excellent work out to help with fitness
• A properly adjusted cylinder mower cuts cleaner than rotary mowers, so grass is healthier
• There are no fiddly safety handles, primers, or pull cords, all of which can cause problems on motorised mowers
• There being no engine, clutch, chains, or any other mechanised parts, it is very easy to maintain

DISADVANTAGES

• Being a hand mower, it is only really suitable for regular use on small to medium sized lawns
• It is not suitable for rough ground or long grass as the wheels need good ground contact
• The grass box is a bit fragile and awkward to set on the mower, it also falls off easily on bumpy ground
• It is a little awkward to cut right up to edges, as the wheels are wider than the cylinder

VERDICT

If you would like a good looking lawn at a budget price, and are willing to put in the effort, this well made mower is worth consideration. Find this and similar here.