Bosch Rotak 43 li Cordless Lawn Mower

After reading through many of the Bosch Rotak 43 li cordless lawn mower reviews, it soon became clear how much the users liked this particular battery powered mower. This is not always the case let me assure you as I have seen some deservedly horrendous reviews left for what are simply bad products.

Cordless lawn mowers are somewhat different from a cordless drill as you might imagine. Powering a drill is toffee really compared with having to power up a lawn mower engine with a heavy steel cutting blade.

This is a point that many people don’t think about before buying a cordless mower and a reason for a good many of the bad reviews we keep seeing about the inferior models among them. Some mower batteries are designed to last as little as 10 minutes others 30 minutes which makes it essential for individuals to know how long it will take them to mow their particular lawns.

So to be fair, attempting to cut an overgrown lawn the size of 2 tennis courts with an inexpensive corded mower is near impossible and really doesn’t deserve the bad feedback often given. At the same time a mower that won’t do what the advertiser states that it is designed to do, within reason, will deserve all the bad reviews it receives.

If you go through the reviews for each of the cordless lawn mower products on Amazon for example you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about. You’ll find that the Bosch Rotak 43 review stands out head and shoulders above all those other battery mowers. Visit the page here

Features That Make the Bosch Rotak 43 li Ergoflex a Big Favourite

• Cordless can go anywhere
• 2 powerful 36 V lithium-ion batteries
• Excellent clippings collection using airflow technology
• Easy control and comfortable to use
• Labour saving Grass combs
• Quick battery recharging
• Simplified height control
• Lawn striped finish
• Lightweight
• Bosch 2 year warranty

Go Anywhere Bosch Cordless Lawn Mower

The battery powered mower has several benefits over the corded version. The main benefit naturally enough is not having that extension power cable trailing after you and the damage it can cause to flowers in borders etc. See the article about rotary lawn mowers for more information.

The Bosch cordless lawnmower can go anywhere which is great if your garden is long and sprawled out. And still great if only to be able to rid yourself of the problematic power cord, not to mention an accident waiting to happen when cutting through it.

Certainly a petrol mower would do the same job and even more so if the terrain were to be rough, the grass was very long or on a hill. But for normal grass cutting the Bosch Rotak 43 li mower will perform well while doing the job with less noise and no fumes.

Why Two 36 V Lithium-Ion Batteries are Better than One

I do like the idea of having 2 batteries, where one can be on charge while working with the other. Especially so when they are the large 36 volt versions. Really handy if you have anything other than a small garden to care for.

There is nothing more annoying than having to leave the lawn half-finished because the battery has run out. Ok you could probably finish it tomorrow when the battery has been recharged but as you are aware the UK weather is very unpredictable.

It could be more than just a few days before the weather improves and you’re able to continue cutting the lawn. In the meantime your garden may be getting some funny looks from passers-by gazing at a partly lawn trimmed lawn.

To get the most out of the battery life there a few rules that should be followed. Try and mow the grass when it is dry.

Mow it regularly. Think about it, when the grass is short and dry you will be able to fly over it. The chore will be done in a few minutes.

When the grass is longer more power will be required and battery life will be shorter. The fan blowing the cuttings into the grass bag will work less efficiently and clogging will occur. Why have the battle when it can be avoided with regular mowing.

Re-charge time is a bit confusing as on the sales page at Amazon it states “fully recharges in 1 hour”. Whereas when I read through the Bosch technical data it states the re-charge time is 140 mins. Of course this could be referring to the initial charge when batteries are new.

Cuttings Collection Using Bosch Rotak li Airflow Technology

Having the power of a 36 V lithium-ion battery is not only beneficial for cutting the grass, that same power is responsible for sucking the cuttings into the grass box.

The rotation speed of the hardened steel blade fitted to the Bosch Rotak 43 li creates a suction, thanks to Bosch’s innovative technology. This blows the grass clippings into the large 50 litre cuttings box.

Less powerful battery mowers on occasion can be less efficient in collecting grass, meaning you have to keep going back over the same area just to tidy things up. Definitely irritating as well as time consuming.

The Rotak 43 li Controls

Easy control and comfort of use have both been included into this Bosch battery mower thanks to the Ergoflex design. Believe it or not console handsets used in computers is what Bosch have been trying to emulate with the simple to use control handles.

Operating the mower can be done using either hand or with two hands, in the vertical plane or in the horizontal. Pick which position you feel is the most comfortable when using the controls from the eight positions provided.

To accommodate people of each and every height the push handle has multi-height adjustments. Apart from making the mower easier to push by having the handle set at the correct height, strained muscles can also be avoided due to the improvements in posture position.

Indeed Bosch deserve a big pat on the back for providing us with these Ergoflex Lawnmowers. It comes as no surprise that Bosch Rotak mowers has been the first company to be awarded Ergonomic Certification in gardening products.

Decide which height you want the grass to be cut at by selecting 1 of the 10 blade height adjustments. Choose the low setting of 20mm or the higher setting of 70mm which is ideal for taking the first cut if the grass was long.

No need to lower and heighten multiple levers to obtain your chosen height as the adjustment is completed using one single lever.

Grass Combs Feature

In order for the grass combs to work the front wheels have been moved closer together giving a full 43 cm cutter width. The idea is to allow the mower to trim grass right up to the edges of walls etc.

Although the Bosch 43 li will cut in closer to a wall than a conventional mower, sometimes it will still leave a small amount of grass that will need to be strimmed. A quick trim with long handled edging shears or a strimmer will be required if you seek total perfection. Staying with the cordless theme and if you want to learn more about cordless strimmers, find more info at this link.

What I have done to get round this problem is to lay a row of paving blocks next to the wall. Works great for me.

Lightweight Yet Provides a Striped Finish

In general we associate lawnmowers with a heavy rear roller to provide a striped finish to a lawn. Yet here we have the Bosch Rotak 43 Ergoflex which weighs in at only 13.8kg providing us with this same desired finish.

Basically it provides the best of both worlds for those looking for a lightweight lawn mower and still be able to have a lawn with an attractive finish.

The rear roller also assists when mowing the edges of the lawns. You can cut right over the edge without the mower finishing up in the flower beds as it would with a mower fitted with rear wheels. I have personally found this feature especially useful.

Being light in weight makes it simple to store in the garden shed or garage as well as carry up and down steps or over rough ground if need be using the carry handle.

Bosch Rotak 43 li Pros and Cons

All products have their pros and cons and the Bosch Rotak 43 li Ergoflex is no exception. The plus points of course far outway any negative points of this lawn mower as you will see below.

Pros

• Light compared to petrol mower
• Stripes improves finish
• Transfers clippings into grass box well without leaving cuttings on the lawn
• Good battery life and appreciate having 2 batteries

• Easy to clean after use
• Very quiet
• Mows fairly close to walls
• Simple battery removal and recharging

• Good customer service from Bosch

 

Cons

• Grassbox a bit awkward to assemble
• Handle assembly felt flimsy
• Mows fairly close to walls, still need to strim
• Some users thought the 20mm setting wasn’t low enough

Summing Up

The Bosch Rotak 43 li mower would be a great fit for those people with a garden with lawns that stretch some way from the electric power sockets. Especially if they don’t get on well with petrol powered lawn mowers and dislike pulling on starter cords or having smelly fuel and oils around.

Others who would appreciate these cordless lawn mowers would be those who strive to be rid of the electric power cable. Or they lead a busy life and just want to give the lawn a quick once over without hooking up cables and extension leads.

All this is fine if the lawns haven’t been left for too long and became overgrown and you don’t intend to run it over rough weeded patches. You might get away with both of these situations with a sturdy petrol mower but not with a battery model. They were never intended for such situations and under no circumstances should they be put under such strains.

Some reviews mention about the handle being flimsy when operating the mower, although they as yet haven’t experiences any problems with it. Indeed they go on to state how happy they are with the mower and the way that it performs.

If the cordless lawn mower is the type of mower that would best suit you, then the Bosch Rotak 43 li should certainly be on your short list.