Practical presents could be the order for this Christmas rather than jokey bits of frippery, presents which will last through the year and be genuinely useful.
And what could be more useful than a new mower. Yes maybe that’s a bit difficult to envisage when the easterly wind penetrates a coat and two sweaters but come the spring.
We all have friends and relations whose old mower is on its last legs or who regularly visit to borrow your machine so we have compiled a list of ten top lawnmowers which will make great and useful presents from small ones for tiny patches of grass to a ride-on which can take on a few acres.
It’s a fair bet that some of you have used one of these at some time, a cylinder mower which you push along, and it’s not that long ago when these mowers were the most common.
The Webb H12R Hand-Propelled Cylinder Lawn Mower will leave a really good striped finish to the lawn as it will cut down to 13mm.
As you push it along the motion of the rear roller is transferred by a chain to the cutting blades which rotate and trap the grass against a front cutting bar, acting like a pair of very large scissors.
There are five blades on the cylinder to leave a very neat, even cut, and the design of the mower means you can cut close to the lawn edges.
The grass box holds 18 litres and the cutting width is 30cm – 12in and the mower weighs 11.1kg so it is easy to move around.
“Simply Superior,” ‘Great Little Mower’ are two of our customers’ comments.
It costs £89.99, has a one-year warranty and is delivered free the next working day.
This next one we helped to develop and uses the latest battery technology.
Designed to deliver a great cut on British lawns, the Redback E137CQ-2Ah Cordless Lawnmower uses 40V batteries which can fully re-charge in 70 minutes and will hold the charge when not in use.
This mower has a cutting width of 37cm and is made with lawns around 400m2 in mind.
It has cutting heights from 25mm to 75mm and a grass box which holds 40 litres.
On the handlebar there is a dial to show how much charge is in the battery.
‘An Excellent, Well Engineered Machine’ was one customer’s comment. Others can be seen here.
The mower costs £259m £140 off the recommended price and comes with battery and charger. There is a three-year warranty.
And other machines in the Redback range can be bought more cheaply as there is no need to buy another battery or charger. For instance, a hedgetrimmer costs only £69.
From Germany comes the Al-Ko 42 BR-A Power-Driven Petrol Lawn Mower.
It has a 42cm cutting width making it suitable for a lawn around 800m2.
The cutting deck is designed to give you three ways of disposing of the cut grass – you can either collect it, or mulch when conditions allow or discharge at the back.
The engine is the company’s own 140cc model which drives both the cutting blade and the rear wheels. There are seven cutting heights from 25mm to 75mm. The grass box holds 65 litres.
And it is possible to stand the mower on end for cleaning and servicing.
Delivered free the next working day with a two-year warranty is costs £249, £80 less than the recommended price.
This mower is another new and exclusive to MowDirect from a major manufacturer.
The Lawnflite 19SPW 4-in-1 Self-Propelled Petrol Lawnmower has been designed to let you collect or mulch the cut grass or in areas where a neat finish is not so important, to discharge from the back or side.
The power is from a 135cc engine, comparatively quiet and clean running and with a throttle con troll so you can adjust the revs according to the task.
This one has eight cutting heights from25mm to 67mm and a 60-litre grass box with an indicator to show when it is full.
It is priced at £299, £100 less than the recommended price and is delivered free the next working day with a two-year warranty.
Here’s one from a British brand which has been making top quality mowers for years and is a firm favourite with its iconic green and yellow livery.
The Hayter Osprey 46 AD Autodrive 3-in-1 Lawnmower (Code: 611A) has a 46cm cutting width so it is suitable for areas around 1000m2.
A Briggs & Stratton 140cc engine is quiet and fuel efficient with low emission figures and well engineered to handle thicker grass and be easy to start.
Clippings are either mulched, discharged at the back or collected in the 55-litre grass box.
There are seven cutting heights from 25mm to 70mm and at the end of the day you can just attach a garden hose to a special wash port to clean it down and give the mower a longer life.
It has a variable transmission so it will move along at the pace you set which is useful when cutting lawns with lots of twists and turns.
Delivered free the next working day it has a two-year warranty and costs £319, £50 less than the recommended price.
This one has been a best seller for some time and is a tried and trusted workhorse of a mower.
The Oleo-Mac G53-TK AllRoad Plus-4 Self-Propelled Lawn Mower lets you discharge cut grass to the side and back and collect in the 70-litre grassbox as well as mulching when conditions allow.
The Emak 196cc engine gives loads of power which comes in handy when cutting thicker areas and it has six cutting heights from 28mm to 75mm.
This really sturdy mower from a leading European manufacturer is suitable for areas up to 2000m2 with its 51cm cutting width.
Delivered free the next working day with a five-year warranty its costs £319.95, an amazing £180 off the recommended price.
‘Good For Large Gardens’ said one recent customer. Other reviews are here.
Back to Hayter for another mower which has been popular for years, the Hayter Spirit 41 Petrol Autodrive Rear-Roller Lawnmower (Code: 619J).
This one has a 41cm width of cut and is suitable for lawns around 500m2.
It is really well built with rubber rear roller which is ribbed to give excellent traction and leave a defined stripe,.
This mower will give a very close cut, right down to 13mm and has front fins on the cutting deck to smooth the grass before it is trimmed.
The machine is driven by a Briggs & Stratton 125cc engine, easy to start and mean on fuel and emissions.
The cutting deck is lined to keep noise down and resist corrosion and it has a 55-litre grass box.
Another feature you won’t see on many mowers is a friction disc which stops the crankshaft being damaged if you hit a really solid object.
It costs £419, £80 off the recommended price and has a three-year warranty. We deliver it for free the next working day.
‘Delivery service excellent. Very pleased with the mower,’ said one customer. Other reviews are here.
Now a British made mower from a company whose machines can be found at many of the country’s major sporting venues as well as at the great country houses throughout the land.
The Allett Classic 17L Petrol Cylinder Lawn Mower will deliver a perfect, bowling green type finish, cutting as low a 6mm without scalping the surface.
Suitable for lawns around 250m2 and powered by an 87cc Loncin engine it is a versatile machine as it has been designed to take scarifying cassette so you can keep your lawn healthy but teasing out moss and debris from the surface.
The cutting width is 43cm, 17in.
This iconic mower costs £779, £50 off the recommended price and is delivered free of charge the next working day.
This is a giant of a mower with a massive 56cm cutting width, really solid and made for extensive grounds and ideal for professional use.
The Weibang Legacy 56 V Petrol Rear-Roller Lawnmower has a reliable 190cc Briggs & Stratton engine made for a long, challenging life and it has been designed to start with the first pull of the starter cord.
And it is comfortable to use for longer periods thanks to its extensive vibration damping system.
A rear roller will leave a striped finish and an aluminium cutting deck will resist corrosion.
It has a fan to assist the collection of wet grass making it an ideal mower for autumn and winter use – remember the grass will grow throughout most of the year.
And it has a 72-litre grass box.
It will cut right down to 13mm for a close, neat finish and up to 67mm.
It costs £1129 and has a five year warranty. Delivery is free within two to three working days.
And finally a present to delight anyone with a large garden, the Al-Ko T16-92HD Twin-Cylinder Lawn Tractor.
From a leading German manufacturer of garden machinery it is powered by a twin-cylinder 656cc Briggs & Stratton engine and is ideal for British conditions with a Hi-Lift blade to create strong air currents in the cutting deck and force the grass into the collector at the back which holds 220 litres.
Thanks to a special lever, this can be emptied from the driver’s seat.
It has hydrostatic drive – so similar to a car with automatic transmission – and it has six cutting heights and a high-backed seat so you can mow in comfort.
The cutting deck is 92cm wide making it suitable for areas around 6000m2 or an acre and a half and this deck has small wheels at the front so it will follow the contours of the ground without scalping it.
This great tractor costs £1999, £700 off the recommended price and it has a five year warranty.
Delivery is free the next working day for England and Wales if ordered by 3pm, for Scotland it takes a couple of days longer.
And you also receive a tow hitch worth £49 so you can use you tractor all year round with other attachments – think how useful a lawn sweeper could be or a trailer for collecting firewood.
These are just ten great mowers which would make a terrific gift for any gardener.
For other suggestions see these pages and if you’re still stumped call our team on 020 3026 8712.
We’re here to help you make the right choice.
“All members of staff are extremely helpful and knowledgeable. There was no pressure to make a purchase, just good honest advice. I would definitely use them again and cannot fault their kindness and service. They were not pushy. They advised me on the best mower appropriate for my circumstances and not the most expensive. I cannot fault them in any way. REVIEW CENTRE
