"Andrew Gabriel" wrote in message
...
In article ,
(Steve Firth) writes:
Matt wrote:

I need a new mower and I am tempted by a Flymo Compact Hover.

Don't know why, all electric mowers are crap and IMO less safe than
petrol ones. Buy a cheap petrol mower, it will only cost a few tens of
quids more than the Flymo and you'll never, ever regret the decision.

This is true of the electric mowers sold by the sheds with universal
motors. I use two electric mowers with induction motors, and it's
not true of them. Their torque/speed profile is rather similar to
a petrol engine, and not at all like a universal motor, which is
badly suited to grass cutting. Also, don't worry that an indiction
motor may be rated less power than a universal motor for same width
cut -- the induction motors I have barely get warm, whereas a flymo
universal motor wastes much of the energy getting too hot to touch,
rather than putting the energy into cutting the grass.

I had a Qualcast rotary mower until last week when it was struggling once
again on fairly short but damp grass and the motor just died. The motor was
red hot when I took the cover off. This mower was around 8 years old but
was never happy with anything other than fine dry grass despite occasional
new blades as it clogged up.

I'll be looking at the newer breed rotary's and have noticed that petrols
are now affordable but was a bit wary that they were built to a price.
Anyone know anything about these brands such as Sovereign and Spring that
Homebase and B&Q are selling? I wondered if I was going to be able to get
spares in a year or two. One of them looks quite like a Mountfield mower.
Unless anyone can recommend a good electric mower that stripes with around a
35cm cut? We have a large garden but the lawns are split on tow levels and
with into seperate sections including some awkward bits.