If you have a small or unusually shaped lawn with lots of obstacles and tight spots, you might be considering buying a hover mower instead of a conventional wheeled mower. But are hover mowers any good, and, importantly, are they worth the money?
We’ve reviewed a few different LawnMaster, Mountfield, and Flymo hover mowers, and we’ve compiled our honest thoughts and feelings about this mower type in this guide.
✅Key Takeaways:
Hover mowers are good for mowing uneven, unusually shaped, or sloped lawns.
A hover mower works well to cut grass, but it’s not ideal for all people or situations.
Factors affecting a hover mower’s performance include the mower power and quality, the terrain and grass height, and your lawn shape and type.
Table of Contents
🤷♂️ Do Hover Mowers Cut Grass Well?
Yes, hover mowers can cut grass well, as long as the grass isn’t overgrown or very thick/rough.
Hover mowers use a rotary blade, which spins horizontally, cutting grass with a shredding, smashing action. This works to effectively cut grass of varying heights and thicknesses.
However, hover mowers tend to be smaller than wheeled rotary mowers, and a lot of their motor power goes towards producing the cushion of air that suspends the mower above the ground. This reduces the power that’s delivered to the blades, which, in turn, slightly reduces the mower’s cutting abilities. A hover lawn mower may struggle to cut thicker, longer grass compared to a traditional wheeled rotary lawnmower.
📑 Factors Affecting A Hover Lawn Mower’s Cutting Ability
There are a few factors that affect a hover mower’s ability to do a good job of cutting grass. Understanding these factors will help you to determine whether or not a hover lawn mower is worth it for you.
📏 Terrain And Grass Height
Hover mowers are powerful enough to cut mid-length grass without problems such as engine stalling and blade clogging. But most hover mowers aren’t designed to cut very thick or long grass.
So, a hover mower is a good choice if you can commit to a regular lawn mowing schedule, but it’s not the best solution if you often allow your lawn to get overgrown.
💪 Motor Power
A hover mower’s motor power also affects its ability to cut grass. The more powerful the motor, the more power that’s delivered to the blades, and the more effectively the mower can operate.
The hover lawn mowers we tested had motors ranging from 1,400 to 1,800 watts. Remember, the motor also powers the airflow system that creates the air cushion beneath the mower. So, larger hover mowers usually have a larger motor to account for the extra weight that needs to be lifted.
🟩 Your Lawn Shape And Type
A hover mower is the most efficient solution to cut an unusually shaped lawn with lots of obstacles or tight spots. The mower can be moved left to right in a sweeping motion, enabling it to navigate and manoeuvre around obstacles, tight corners, and irregularly shaped areas more easily.
While your lawn size won’t affect a hover mower’s cutting ability per se, it will affect the speed and efficiency with which you can mow your lawn. If you value your time, don’t buy a hover mower to use on a square or rectangular lawn – mowing in laps with traditional mowers with wheels and wider cutting widths will always be more efficient!
💰 Are Hover Mowers Better Value Than Conventional Mowers?
Hover lawn mowers are, on average, slightly cheaper than comparable wheeled rotary lawnmowers. However, affordability and value aren’t the same thing.
In our opinion, despite their lower upfront cost, hover mowers aren’t usually a better-value investment compared to wheeled rotary mowers.
The amount of value you get from a lawn mower depends on your intended use. Generally, you’ll get more value out of a hover mower compared to a wheeled mower if:
You have small, irregular shaped lawn or a sloped lawn with hills or uneven terrain.
Your lawn has a lot of obstacles and tight spots.
You prefer the manoeuvrability of a mower that you can move in all directions, rather than just back and forth.
On the other hand, if you want a lawn mower that can effortlessly cut thick or long grass, you want to achieve a striped lawn, or you have a larger, square or rectangular space, a conventional rotary mower is better-value than a hover mower.
🤨 Are Hover Mowers Easier To Use?
Yes, hover mowers are easier to use than conventional mowers in certain circumstances, such as cutting bumpy, uneven, or unusually shaped lawns.
A hover mower floats on a cushion of air, and the lack of wheels allows you to freely move the mower without it catching on uneven surfaces or debris. In this sense, the mower is easier to use and requires less pushing effort than a wheeled rotary mower.
If you’ve never used a hover lawnmower before and you’re accustomed to using traditional rotary mowers, there might be a learning curve as you adjust to using your new lawn mower.
Hover lawn mowers aren’t easier to use in all situations. These mowers are harder to operate on steep slopes and tall grass. Plus, some aspects of using a hover mower, like adjusting the cutting height, are more difficult and time-consuming.
📦 How Well Does A Hover Mower Collect Grass Clippings?
Hover mowers collect grass clippings as effectively as conventional rotary mowers.
These mowers collect grass whilst mowing. They have an airflow system that sends the grass clippings into the grass collector at the back of the mower. In our experience, hover mowers collect around 80% of grass, while the other 20% ends up on your lawn.
However, while most rotary mowers come with a grass box as standard, many hover mowers don’t come with a grass box to help reduce the weight of the mower. So, if you want to collect grass as you mow, rather than raking up all the grass afterwards, make sure to invest in a mower with a grass box.
🗓 How Long Does A Hover Mower Last?
The average lifespan of a hover lawn mower is 5-12 years. The mower’s lifespan depends on a number of factors:
The build quality. Most hover mowers are made from flimsy plastics, which limits their lifespans somewhat. The more expensive hover lawnmower models are made from thicker plastic or metal, helping to extend their lifespans and reduce the risk of cracked or damaged components.
The use frequency – Every time you run a hover mower, you’ll subject it to a certain level of wear and tear. The more often you use your mower, the faster it’ll degrade, and the shorter its expected lifespan.
Your maintenance and care – If you properly maintain and care for your hover mower, it should last as long as estimated by the manufacturer.
Terrain quality – Regularly using a hover lawn mower to mow thick grass or terrain with lots of twigs, rocks, and other debris will cause more wear and tear, possibly shortening the mower’s lifespan.
🤨 So, Are Hover Lawn Mowers Worth It?
Ultimately, hover lawn mowers are worth it if you have a small to medium lawn that’s uneven or unusually shaped, or has a lot of obstacles and tight spots.
A hover mower’s performance quality is somewhat limited compared to the power of a conventional rotary mower. However, hover lawn mowers are capable of cutting mid-length grass – they may just struggle with very thick or tall grass.
A great advantage of hover mowers is that they’re super affordable, costing as little as £50-£70. However, we advise spending around £75-£140 on a higher quality hover lawn mower that has a powerful motor and has all the features to make mowing your lawn as convenient as possible, including a grass box.
Keen to learn which hover mowers are worth your money today? Check out our hover mower reviews in this guide to the best hover lawnmowers.
FAQs
⛰ Are hover mowers good for uneven ground?
Yes, hover mowers are good for uneven ground because they’re more adaptable to uneven surfaces compared to traditional wheeled mowers. A hover mower floats on a cushion of air, which allows it to navigate over bumps and hills without requiring extra pushing effort or getting stuck in ruts and dips. However, hover lawn mowers will still struggle to cut very steep slopes.
👎 What are the disadvantages of hover mowers?
The main disadvantages of hover mowers are that they’re not efficient for mowing larger lawns, they’re often lacking in power to cut long or thick grass, and they don’t leave stripes on your lawn. Check out the full list of advantages and disadvantages of hover mowers in our guide to a hover mower’s pros and cons.
💦 Can you cut wet grass with a hover mower?
No, you can’t cut wet grass with a hover mower. Like similarly-sized conventional wheeled mowers, hover mowers are generally powered by electricity. We all know that electricity and water don’t mix, so for the sake of safety, you should never mow a wet lawn with a hover mower. Safety aside, wet grass will clump together in the mower blades, making your job more difficult.
🌱 Do hover mowers pick up grass?
Some hover mowers pick up grass, while some of the cheaper models don’t. If you want to collect grass while you mow rather than raking it off your lawn after, make sure to buy a hover mower with a grass collection box.