If you’ve been looking at buying mowers online, you will have seen Flymo as one of the cheapest options available, especially in the UK. But when price often reflects quality, is Flymo actually any good? Should you spend your money on a Flymo mower or increase your budget and buy a more expensive alternative?
Here, we’re answering the question, “Are Flymo mowers good?” based on our own experience testing and using a number of Flymo products.
✅ Key Takeaways:
Flymo mowers are affordable and work best on small, flat lawns that you plan to mow regularly.
Their lightweight plastic build makes them easy to move but less durable over time, especially if you need to use them heavily.
Flymo’s corded models can be limiting due to their short cables, and their battery life may not suit larger lawns unless you buy a backup battery.
Flymo is a solid option if you want a low-cost mower for basic jobs, but a Flymo mower may not stand up to frequent or tougher mowing conditions.
The Basics of Flymo Mowers
Flymo is best known for its hover mowers*, which were designed to glide over the grass using a cushion of air. These mowers are lightweight and easy to move, usually featuring a plastic blade system instead of metal. Flymo also sells rotary electric mowers, cordless battery models, and a small number of robotic options.
Most Flymo products are designed for small to medium gardens. They tend to be compact, low-cost, and focused on giving you a quick, simple mowing solution rather than blowing you away with their high performance.
*Want to know if hover mowers are any good? We’ve shared our honest opinion of hover mowers in this guide.
Build Quality and Materials
Flymo mowers are made primarily from plastic, which helps keep them light and affordable.
Using a mower with a plastic construction works fine if you only cut your lawn now and again and don’t hit too many stones or tough patches (like weeds and long grass). But the plastic wheels, handles, and cutting decks do feel flimsy compared to more expensive brands that use steel or higher-grade components.
In our experience, Flymo mowers work well for a while if you treat them gently. Their cutting performance holds up, but the parts can start to wear out after a couple of seasons, especially the handles and clips that hold the grass box in place. If you use your mower regularly or need it to stand up to rough ground, the plastic build may eventually let you down.
We should add that this is the case with most low-budget electric, cordless, or hover mowers designed for small lawns. These generally do have a plastic construction, so this isn’t something that’s only limited to Flymo models.
Check out our guide to the best lawn mowers for small budgets here.
Performance on Different Lawns
Flymo hover mowers work best on small, flat lawns with short grass. If you let your grass get too long between cuts or if your garden is uneven, the hover effect weakens and the mower becomes harder to move. Some people struggle to control the hover mowers on slopes or thicker patches. The lack of wheels gives you more freedom to move side to side, but it can also make the mower feel floaty and unstable.
Flymo’s rotary mowers offer more traditional control and tend to cope better with slightly tougher grass. But something to keep in mind is that they don’t have the power of heavier petrol models or premium cordless mowers, and their smaller blades mean you may need to mow the same spot several times to finish the job.
If your lawn is bigger than 100 square metres or has weeds and thicker growth, a Flymo might start to struggle. But if you have a small lawn and can commit to cutting it often, the performance should be good enough.
Grass Collection and Cleanup
Most Flymo mowers come with a small grass box or a simple rear chute. The boxes are easy to clip on and off, but they do tend to fill quickly. You’ll probably need to stop a few times and empty the box into your garden waste bin if you have anything larger than a small patch.
Some models don’t collect the clippings at all and instead rely on you raking them up afterwards. That’s fine if you cut the lawn regularly, but it can get annoying pretty quickly, especially if the grass is long or damp. The lightweight design of Flymo mowers also means that grass cuttings end up blowing around unless the mower is well-sealed, which isn’t always the case.
Corded or Cordless?
Flymo’s corded mowers are the cheapest choice, but their cables are often short (most people will need to use an extension lead) and can get in the way when you’re mowing.
The Flymo cordless models are easier to use, but their battery life is pretty limited. In our tests, most batteries lasted around 20–25 minutes per charge. That’s enough for a small lawn, but you’ll need a spare if you plan to cover more ground in one go.
Reliability and Repairs
Reliability is where Flymo can fall short. Spare parts for Flymo lawn mowers aren’t always easy to find in shops, and many of the plastic components simply aren’t designed for repair. If the handle breaks or the blade mount wears down, you’ll probably find it cheaper and easier to replace the whole mower than fix it. Wasteful, we know.
Plus, some models feel outdated in their design, and the customer support varies depending on the issue. You’ll usually get a standard one- or two-year warranty (depending on where you buy the mower—always check this before you spend your money), but don’t expect the same level of aftercare as you would from higher-end brands.
Price and Value for Money
You can pick up a basic Flymo mower for under £80, which is one of the lowest price points on the market. That’s the biggest selling point for most people. If you only need something to mow a small patch once a week through summer, and you don’t want to spend a lot, a Flymo makes sense.
But if you want a mower that will last five years or more, or one that can handle harder work, you’ll actually save money long-term by spending a bit more up front on a better-quality machine.
Final Verdict
So, are Flymo mowers good? We think so, as long as they’re used correctly. In fact, we stand by Flymo enough to have featured three Flymo mowers in our best overall lawn mower guide for UK gardens.
We’ve found that Flymo’s models are decent for light jobs and small lawns, and they’re great if you have a tight budget. As long as you’re happy with what you’re getting—basic features, lightweight build, and occasional compromises—you should be pleased with your purchase.
But Flymo mowers aren’t built for heavy-duty use, so our general advice is to avoid Flymo if your garden is larger or uneven. In this case, you’ll probably get better long-term value by moving up a tier and choosing something with a sturdier design.
If you’re buying your first mower or just want something quick and cheap to get the job done, Flymo is worth a look. Just don’t expect professional-grade performance or the longest-lasting parts.