Consider a time in the near future when your yard is neat and tidy, but you don’t have to go outside or do any work because it was fully automated. That point has been reached with the advent of hover mowers – these self-driving lawnmowers are available on Amazon today! The following article will discuss some of the best options currently available so that you can find out what suits your needs.
The “bluebird hm200” is a hover mower that allows users to cut lawns without having to get on the ground. It can also be used for other tasks such as cutting grass or trimming hedges. The “bluebird hm200” is one of the best hover mowers in 2022.
The Vikings, Abba, IKEA, and oat milk are just a few of the many fantastic things that the Swedes have provided to the globe over the years. The hover mower, which was initially presented to the globe by Stockholm-based business Flymo in 1964, is another Swedish success story that deserves to be included in any list of Swedish achievements.
Hover lawn mower models number in the hundreds these days, and this once-exclusively European turf-trimming gadget is gradually gaining traction in North America as well. In this post, we’ll look at why you may want to purchase a hover mower and show you our picks for the finest hover mowers on the market.
Contents
4 Best Hover Mowers
Our Top Pick is the California Trimmer RC190 Hover Mower.
Highlights:
- Gas-powered engine
- Two engine models available: Honda GCV160 OHC Briggs & Stratton 550EX OHC
- Width of Cut: 19 inches
- ABS injection-molded plastic deck is durable and robust.
- Extra reach is provided by 52′′ adjustable handles.
- Steel blades are long-lasting.
- Residential usage comes with a 2-year guarantee.
Buyers looking for a petrol hover mower with the ideal balance of power and agility may choose California Trimmer’s RC190.
Granted, this petrol mower will never compete on a featherweight podium, but for those prepared to put up with a few additional pounds in exchange for loads of power and a machine that combines Ferrari-like speed with tank-like durability, the RC190 is certainly worth serious consideration.
What we enjoy most about the RC190 is that, despite its hefty weight, it is remarkably smooth and simple to handle once it begins running.
It was simple to operate with in confined places around grass features and a significant improvement over wheeled mowers on slopes. Furthermore, the RC190 left a pleasingly level, consistent cut on uneven stretches of grass where a conventional mower would leave alternately barren and barely clipped spots.
Other attributes that win this machine our vote are its cordless design, Width of Cut: 19 inches, and its ability to mulch as it cuts.
What’s the bottom line? This isn’t the cheapest or lightest hover mower on the market, but for those with bigger yards, sloping terrain, or who just value power and accuracy above price and weight, this machine deserves to be on the top of your list.
What We Enjoy:
- Despite its size, it is quite maneuverable.
- As it cuts, it mulches
- It’s great for slopes up to 45 degrees.
- ABS injection-molded plastic deck is durable.
- Cutting height is adjustable (0.75″ to 3″).
- Affordably priced
What We Don’t Care For:
- The weight – this machine is far heavier than most of its rivals, weighing in at a staggering 43 pounds with the Honda engine.
2. BlueBird HM200 20′′ Hover Mower
Highlights:
- Gas-powered engine
- Width of Cut: 20 inches
- Honda’s powerful GCV160 engine
- 3-year guarantee
- HPDE (High-Density Polyethylene) decking
- Cutting range: 5 to 3 inches
- Three blade options
This very well-made mower is an increasingly popular option among greenkeeping staff on golf courses around the country. It has every feature and design characteristic necessary for the ideal cut.
The HM 200 is powered by a 4.4 HP Honda GCV160 gas-powered engine that can cut through even the most overgrown lawns. It comes with three blade options and a 0.5″-3″ cutting range, allowing you to tailor the mower’s settings to your specific requirements.
The HM 200 maintains superb handling despite its weight (36.5 lbs), with the powerful Honda engine letting the decks and blades to move easily even in less-than-ideal cutting conditions (damp, on clumpy or long grass, in bumpy terrain).
With the exception of its heavyweight, the HM200 is a faultless machine, but the price is difficult to explain considering the identical performance provided by far less expensive machines from other companies (see above and below). However, this is a heavy-duty machine, and if you plan to use it often, it may be well worth the investment.
What’s the bottom line? This machine is among the best we’ve ever seen in terms of construction and final cut quality, but its astronomical price will keep it out of the hands of any but the most discerning yard owners.
Check out the following BlueBird video to see the HM 200 in action:
What We Enjoy:
- Width of Cut: 20 inches
- 3-year guarantee for residential use
- Three blade optionss: reversible stainless steel, reversible nylon, or triple-edged co-polymer string
- Cutting deck made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with a steel handle
- Cutting range is extensive.
What We Don’t Care For:
- The cost…
- The weight – at 36.5 pounds before gas, this one is likely to be too much for some people to manage.
HoverPro 550 Hover Mower by Toro
Highlights:
- Width of Cut is exceptional (21 inches)
- ABS injection-molded deck is very durable.
- Maximum lift and easier mowing with a 14″ (35.5 cm) impeller.
- 160cc Honda GCV E-spec four-stroke engine
- Despite its large weight, it has excellent handling.
Toro, a Minnesota-based company with a 90-year history of developing mowers that have become the go-to turf trimmers of championship golf courses all over the globe, knows a thing or two about producing very efficient and high-quality grass-cutting gizmos.
The HoverPro 550 maintains Toro’s long legacy of near-unparalleled workmanship and makes our shortlist for a variety of reasons, the most important of which is bang for our money. This model is about half the price of the HM200 (above), but it has very similar features and manufacturing quality, as well as comparable power and cutting capacity.
It is powered by the Honda GCV E-spec engine, which was designed specifically for prolonged operation on inclines and mountainous terrain. It has a 4-stroke motor and a cam belt oil delivery system that keeps the engine lubricated even on the steepest slopes.
The main drawbacks to this machine are its heavy weight and restricted cutting range, which are easily overlooked by anybody looking for a professional-looking trim without breaking the bank.
What’s the bottom line? A reasonably priced beast of a mower that’s a touch hefty but made to blast inclines, overgrown grass, and larger lawns.
Here’s a video of the HoverPro Series in action:
What We Enjoy:
- Very Affordably priced
- Excellent sloping turf performance
- Handling is simple.
- Outstanding power-to-weight ratio
- 2-year guarantee
- Steel blade is strong and long-lasting.
What We Don’t Care For:
- Cutting range is limited (0.7-1.2′′).
- Extremely heavy (42lbs)
4. Hover Mower Flymo TurboLite 400
Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Last update on 2022-02-17
Highlights:
- It only weighs 14.3 pounds.
- 30′ of cable
- Width of Cut: 13 inches
- Motor: 1150 watts
- 4 different cutting heights
This Flymo turbo light mower is based on the same design that Flymo has used for the last fifty years on its best-selling product, the hover. There are several reasons why this design has lasted the test of time…
First and foremost, the TurboLite 400 checks all four of the most important boxes for a residential lawnmower: it’s Lightweight, economical, simple to operate, and very efficient.
One of the greatest benefits of any hover mower is maneuverability, and the TurboLite offers this quality in spades. Weighing in at just 14.3 lbs and with a narrow, Width of Cut: 13 inches, this mower can negotiate tight spaces like almost no other and is an absolute cinch to use on slopes.
On the flipside, the Flymo hover mower TurboLite has a few flaws that may turn off some potential consumers, especially those with bigger lawns. The short (30ft) wire length, low cutting breadth, and absence of a grass gathering box are among them.
What’s the bottom line? Good for individuals with little lawns who want a simple, fuss-free cutter that’s inexpensive, light, and very easy to operate; not so ideal for those with bigger lawns who require a strong machine to get the job done fast.
What We Enjoy:
- Very simple to keep up with
- Excellent value for money.
- Handling is simple.
- Lightweight
- Smaller lawns will benefit from this.
What We Don’t Care For:
- Cutting power is limited.
- Width of Cut is rather small.
- Cable length is limited.
- There’s no collecting box.
Hover Mover Features to Look for
In the following sections, we’ll cover all you need to know about hover lawnmowers so you can make the best option for you.
Which is better: a hover mower, a rotary mower, or a wheeled mower?
The Benefits of Using a Hover Mower
The mobility of a hover mower over a wheeled mower is its key advantage. Hover mowers may be guided in any direction (backwards, forwards, and sideways) with ease, unlike wheeled mowers, which are limited to the direction in which the wheels are pointing and mowing in straight lines.
This is particularly crucial if your lawn is irregularly shaped and/or has obstacles (walls, ponds, rockeries, flowerbeds, etc.) that make turning difficult and need a bit more agility and handling.
Hover mowers are also a better choice for steep or undulating lawns, owing to the ‘air cushion’ formed by the mower, which makes it seem lighter while navigating ups and downs in your lawn and allows for a clean cut where wheeled counterparts could bite into the grass.
Finally, hover mowers are, for the most part, characterised by their simplicity. While most other kinds of mowers need assembly and preparation before use, a hover mower is ready to use as soon as you take it out of the box and plug it in (if it’s an electric hover) or fill it with gas.
The Drawbacks of Using a Hover Mower
On the flipside, most hover mowers are electric and powered by the mains, which means your cutting will be restricted by the length of your power cord, or you’ll have to pay extra for an extension. While this may not be an issue on a small lawn, if your lawn is more than 50 square yards, it means a lot of wires and additional handling while setting up and taking down the mower – not to mention the possibly catastrophic hazard of severing the cord!
‘Domestic’ hover mowers are generally normally intended to mow grass that is well-kept and no more than 10-12cm long, with more powerful versions reaching up to 15cm. If you’re a slacker when it comes to mowing and let your grass grow long between cuts, a gas-powered mower could be a better fit, since they have greater power and are better suited to dealing with untidy, overgrown lawns.
Finally, a key distinction between hover mowers and other kinds of push mowers is the latter’s lack of features.
Many wheeled mowers allow you to stripe your lawn (a biggie for the aesthetically inclined), collect grass in a box as you cut, self-propel (ideal for the lazy gardener), mulch grass for on-the-go composting, and adjust the cutting height with the flick of a switch (with hover mowers, the task typically entails a lot of fiddling around that will see many a quarter go to the cuss-jar).
Budget
Another significant advantage of a hover mower over a gas-powered or rotary/wheeled mower is the cost. Hover mowers are often a few hundred dollars less expensive than other sorts of mowers, allowing you with plenty of cash for the aforementioned cuss-jar.
There are huge pricing differences within the hover mower category, and here is where it pays to be a more cautious consumer. If you come across anything that looks to be a good deal, study the specifications carefully. Lower voltage/power, restricted mowing width, non-adjustable blades, or plain sloppy construction are all red flags of a bad mower, which you may see by reading user reviews, ideally from purchasers who have had a few months of experience with the mower.
Again, the amount you’ll need to pay will be determined on your yard and trimming habits. If you have a big yard or mow once a month, a more powerful (and more costly) gas-powered equipment with a broad mowing width is recommended (in the 18-inch range). If you have a smaller lawn that you treat to a weekly trim, a cheaper mower with less power and a mowing width of less than 15 inches would suffice.
Blade Construction
Hover mower blades are made of either plastic or metal.
Plastic blades cut less effectively and require more frequent replacement, but plenty of spares are usually included with the mower; metallic blades cut effectively and do not require replacement (unless you’re clumsy when slabbing or don’t de-stone your lawn prior to cutting), but they may require occasional sharpening, depending on how often you cut your lawn.
Collection of Grass
To have or not to have, that is the question? Many a buyer is apt to think that the extra outlay of $ for a Collection of Grass box on a mower isn’t worth it, usually when sat on their couch surveying the options. Fast forward a few days to when they’ve just finished their first cut and are staring down a slough of unsightly cuttings spread across the lawn and the first pangs of regret usually kick in quite quickly.
While hover mowers with collectors do tend to leave a little amount of debris behind, this is usually insignificant and will only be worth a second consideration for perfectionists.
What’s the bottom line? Raking up grass clippings after a cut can be time-consuming and a pain in the rear, so whether you choose a mower with or without a collector will depend on how much patience you have, how much time you have on your hands, and how averse you are to doing a job that another model of mower could have done for you for a few dollars more.
Lawn Size
The optimum sort of hover mower for your requirements is almost entirely determined by the size of your lawn.
If your lawn is half a tennis court or less, a cable-powered model is the way to go—these machines are lighter, simpler to operate, and typically less expensive than gas-powered ones, and an extension cord to extend your cutting reach shouldn’t cost more than a six-pack of beer.
However, if your lawn is the size of a complete tennis court, we suggest opting with a gas-powered mower. This will enable you to mow without worrying about severing any wires and, in most circumstances, save you a lot of time.
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Width of Cut
The Width of Cut on hover mowers ranges from around 12” to 21” and models at both ends of the size scale have their pros and cons.
Smaller (or smaller) variants can only cut tiny quantities of material at a time, but they are lighter and simpler to handle and maneuver than bigger ones. In reality, this means you’ll have to mow your grass for longer, but you’ll have a nicer time doing it(!).
Electricity
A direct correlation exists between the Electricity your hover mower is packing and its cutting ability. As you might have guessed, the higher the wattage (in electric models) and horsepower (in gas models), the more juice the machine will be able to put into cutting through longer and thicker grass.
A higher-powered hover mower will allow you to trim your lawn in just one pass, which is especially important for infrequent cutters or those whose lawns have problems with stubborn gatecrashers like rats’ tails or horsetail, which are tougher to cut and may survive a once-over with a low-power machine.
As a ballpark guide to required Electricity, we’d recommend anything in the 1100-1300-watt range for frequent cutters and anything in the 1400-1800 watt range, or any gas-powered model, for those with less time on their hands or rogue strains of weed in their lawn.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Hover Mower
- Before mowing your grass, remove any stones or pebbles that may harm your machine’s blade.
- Tilt your mower slightly backward or to the side while starting it up. This permits the blade to pick up any leftover debris from the previous cut while also allowing the machine to hover.
- If your mower has a collector, make an effort to walk in a straight path. The grass clippings will be put in the collecting box rather than on the side, as they may be on certain models if the steering is not precisely straight.
- If you’re nearing slabs, a walkway, or a patio, save your blades and complete the job with a strimmer or weed eater.
- Keep an eye on the cable!
Best Hover Mower Manufacturers
Flymo: For decades, this Swedish brand has maintained a virtual stranglehold on the market. And for good reason: their products are reasonably priced, well-made, simple to use and maintain, and very efficient.
Black & Decker: This Maryland-based company has a long history of providing high-quality home improvement items, including a modest variety of practical but average hover mowers.
BlueBird: The slogan of this US-based firm is “Tough. Rugged. Dependable,” and their goods live up to that promise. The HM160 and HM 200 gas-powered versions are expensive, but they’re built to endure, using HDPE materials and stainless steel throughout.
California Trimmer: This Washington-based brand was founded in 1935 and offers two very heavy-duty hover mower models, one of which is powered by a Honda gas motor and the other by a Briggs & Stratton gas motor.
Toro: This Minnesota-based brand has been on the go for over a century and its HoverPro Series includes a trio of incredibly powerful, gas-powered hover mowers with 16-21″ Width of Cuts, making them a good choice for anyone with a lawn that’s on the large side.
FAQs about Hover Mowers
Q: Can a hover mower’s blade be sharpened?
A: If your machine’s blades are plastic, you’ll very certainly be given numerous new blades at the time of purchase. If your blades are metallic, however, you have two options for regaining their edge if necessary:
By hand
Place the blade in a clamp and hone the edge with a file or grindstone, maintaining the blade as near to a 45-degree angle as possible, as shown in the video:
When using a bench grinder,
Put on your safety glasses and sharpen the blade by exerting pressure to the cutting edge’s angle against the grinder.
The goal of sharpening in both circumstances is to return your blade to factor-degree sharpness, which is not razor-sharp but closer to bread-knife sharpness.
Check out this website from Family Handyman for additional information on honing your mower’s blade.
Q: How can I change the blades’ height?
A: This varies per mower, but most models allow you to modify the cutting height by adding or removing spacers between the blade and the deck, or by using a height adjustment lever on more complicated models.
Q: My hover mower isn’t hovering.
Hover mowers use air pressure from a fan mounted above the blades to lift the mower’s deck above the ground. If anything gets in the way of the air flow, the mower will hover poorly or not at all. Grass accumulation, rainy circumstances, too long grass on your lawn, and clumps of moss or thatch are all typical factors.
What’s the answer? If the grass is wet, wait for it to dry before mowing, clean the area around the blades after cuts, scarify or rake your lawn to de-thatch it, and/or mow it more regularly to keep it from growing too tall (if this isn’t an option, give it a quick once-over with a strimmer before mowing).
Q: What is the best way to keep my hover mower?
Hover mowers have the benefit of being able to be folded or placed on walls, taking up very little room. They should be kept in a cold, dry place if possible. Check out our tool and appliance storage guide for additional ideas.
Conclusion: Which Hover Mower is the Best in 2019?
The California Trimmer RC190 Hover Mower came out on top in our evaluation as the finest hover mower for giving your lawn a professional-looking trim. Whether you’re looking for a highly efficient mower to get the work done as soon as possible in the garden or grooming your grass for a backyard wedding, this mower will get the job done with the least amount of bother and to an extraordinarily high quality.
Not only does it pack all the attributes we’d look for in a hover mower for larger lawns — powerful engine, robust design, adjustable cutting heights, and wide Width of Cut — but also comes in at a reasonable price compared to similar products from competitor brands.
If this one is too expensive for your preferences or budget, or if you have a smaller yard, any of the Flymo electric-powered mowers is a great option.
The “hover mower for slopes” is a new type of lawnmower that uses hover technology to allow it to cut grass on slopes. The 4 best models are currently available in 2022 and they can be used for either residential or commercial purposes.
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