Best cordless lawn mowers for large gardens 2023

Man in mow-tion, Stuart Pritchard goes cord-free into the great green yonder…

hus far, as I write these words under the cool, brooding grey skies, the Great British Summer has been anything but.

Indeed, while the rest of Europe literally burns, the UK has endured a wetwave never before experienced in the records of this soggy, sceptred isle. Regardless, gardens and the grass therein will not wait, so in the few pockets of dry time that we do receive, it’s vital to be ready to roll with the mower.

Now, having already covered petrol mowers, ride-on mowers, mowers for small gardens and even compiled a review round-up of the best cordless mowers covering all corners, I am now charged with the task of rounding up the crème of the cordless grass croppers when it comes to gardens of a more monumental size.

Large gardens can be a blessing and a curse; a blessing in that you have oodles of lush, verdant space in which to lounge, eat al fresco and, should you so wish, crack out the croquet. But unless you have your own grounds person on the payroll, you’re going to have to see to all the upkeep yourself – very much the lazy person’s curse.

Obviously, when it comes to trimming a more substantial amount of turf, you’re going to want a mower with a bigger blade for more cutting coverage, a greater catcher capacity and, of course, a battery life that gives more longevity so you’re not having to stop to recharge more than you mow.

So, for those cursed with a private green space the dimensions of which make it more fitting for the Palace of Versailles than a two-bed property in Vauxhall, I’ve lost the leads and brought you eight great options for grazing your grass down to a lawn bowls playing level with all the speed and efficiency of a whole herd of electric goats.

Let’s cut to the chase…

Best for: Large coverage, low price

While it may sound like some kind of interminable BBC daytime TV garden renovation/policing programme featuring Alan Titchmarsh, Yard Force is a brand internationally renowned for its innovative, ultra-reliable and affordable outdoor-sorting gear, so dismiss the Gardeners’ World presenter from your mind and, instead, focus on the LM G46E.

Sub-£500, the Yard Force falls firmly into the ‘bargain’ bracket for machines designed to deal with expansive spaces, but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking in grass-cutting grunt. Indeed, with 40 volts of power pushing it, this self-propelling garden-goer comes with a big 46cm blade featuring a special Boost X function that increases power to the motor when the grass becomes thicker to let you power through without a problem.

There are seven cutting heights ranging from 25 to 75mm, a sizable 55-litre grass catcher and, most importantly, electric energy to plough through some 750m2 of grassland between charges.

This is all pretty impressive for a cordless mower costing less than 500 quid. Plus, with the option to side discharge clippings or mulch instead of collecting in the catcher bag, you can simply blast your way through the job and have ample time for Pimms in the sun afterwards, reaping the freshly cut rewards of your al fresco endeavours.

Power: 40V

Cutting width: 46cm

Cutting height: 25-75mm

Lawn area: 750m2

Mulching: Yes

Grass catcher capacity: 55L

Weight: 33.5kg

Best for: Cost-efficient cutting

I’ve had the pleasure of mucking around with a few of Ryobi’s fine power products of late, such as its cordless garden loppers and, most recently, its cordless angle grinder, so given how impressed I was left by those battery-sharing beasts, taking to the great green outdoors with Ryobi’s 36V Max Power grass-punisher seemed like a no-brainer.

With a cutting deck of 40cm, this is not the largest option you’ll find, but then this Ryobi has been designed to create the perfect balance of size and manoeuvrability, so the slight size loss you suffer is compensated for by greater control, so if your garden has demanding sweeps, curves, complicated bed shapes and other such features, look no further.

With seven-position single-point adjustments between 25 and 75mm, you can cut to the exacting lengths you desire, while the cutting can either be mulched back into your lawn or chucked into the capacious 50-litre grass catcher, meaning either no emptying out or considerably less than most other models.

That powerful 36V battery will help you motor through the tallest and toughest areas, while also giving enough juice to cover areas up to 550m2 between charges, so no need to worry about ending up with a drained battery and a job only half-done.

Finally, with Eco, Smart and Power modes available, you can choose between enhanced runtime and performance to suit cutting conditions, and a handy interface panel lets you switch between them with ease and also keep a keen eye on battery status and any alerts that pop up concerning blade condition.

A powerful performer that’s packed with features, the Ryobi 36V MAX POWER 40cm is a bargain-priced end to vast areas of overgrown grass.

Power: 36V

Cutting width: 40cm

Cutting height: 25-75mm

Lawn area: 550m2

Mulching: Yes

Grass catcher capacity: 50L

Weight: 20kg (with battery)

Best for: Truly effortless turf

This is an option I’d like to throw into the mix for the title of best robot lawn mower due mainly to it solidly ticking my brief boxes here of being both cordless and also capable of cutting down an ant’s equivalent of an absolute rainforest free from human interference.

Unlike most other robot mowers, the Navimow doesn’t require any tedious tracking wire installs before use as it comes packing GPS technology to help it map out and mow, accurately up to 2cm, your whole garden. “Whole garden” I say? Yep, because this hands-off miracle mower can cover a staggering 3000m2 of ground, cutting utterly evenly to leave your lawn with a level finish like no mere person could manage.

Featuring a cutting height that runs 30-60mm and full control allowed in an instant over 5G to the mower’s inbuilt 4G module, yes, the Segway Naviman H3000E is expensive, there’s no hiding that, but for gardens of an epic expanse that need to be kept in perfect nick, without any effort on your part, I’d say it’s worth every penny.

Power: 10.4 Ah

Cutting width: 21cm

Cutting height: 30-60mm

Lawn area: 3000m2

Mulching: Yes

Grass catcher capacity: N/A

Weight: 16.3kg

Best for: Power and performance

I have rapidly become a big fan of Gtech as a company in general and the products it produces. In the first instance, it’s because Gtech is a British success story and, in the second instance, because said products both look great and perform like absolute pros.

Take this, the CLM50, for example. Not only does it look like no other cordless mower on the market, but it also comes with a generously sized 42cm cutting width, 10mm height adjustment increments from 30mm to 80mm, a large 50-litre clipping catcher for less emptying faff, plus a powerful 48V motor to hack on through whatever lies before it.

Also – a neat feature – the Gtech features an intelligent blade that normally runs at 2800rpm, but when it senses extra oomph is required to get to grips with thick clumps of seriously stubborn grass, it rotates faster to 3500rpm, so a bit like hitting the ‘Sport’ button in the car.

Capable of running for around 40 minutes on a single charge, depending on how tough the terrain, that should equate to about 400m2, while a one-hour charge will have you back on cutting track before the summer storm clouds have had a chance to regroup.

Safe too, the CLM50 also includes an operational safety key, which has to be in the ‘on’ position before you can initiate the two-step start process, so there’s no chance of it accidentally roaring into life or being fired up by little hands that should be steering well clear.

An excellent option for getting grass sorted with no fuss that also folds down to next to nothing for easy storage, the CLM50 is yet more greatness from Gtech.

Power: 48V

Cutting width: 42cm

Cutting height: 30-80mm

Lawn area: Up to 400m2

Mulching: No

Grass catcher capacity: 50L

Weight: 13.5kg

Best for: Quick cutting

You want size? You want power? You want capacity? Then you’ve come to the right place, because here’s a cordless mower with real bite, the Cobra MX51S80V.

Boasting a mighty 51cm blade that can cleave down the green stuff in next to no time, the Cobra comes powered by twin 40V batteries and, as such, can take your turf from 75cm down to 24mm, depending on requirements, covering over 500m2 on a single charge, while catching clippings in it colossal 60-litre bag or, if you prefer, mulch it all back down into the ground to help feed the grass to come.

As I said, the Cobra can cover 500m2, so long as the going isn’t too arduous as the battery is generally good for around 55-minutes, so you may get more and you may get less, but either way, the self-propelled drive system makes it incredibly easy to operate.

Folding down to a nicely compact form when not in use too, if you’re looking for a trimming tool with the power and ability to let you get the job done with maximum efficiency, the Cobra is ready to strike.

Power: 80V (twin 40V)

Cutting width: 51cm

Cutting height: 25-75mm

Lawn area: Over 500m2

Mulching: Yes

Grass catcher capacity: 60L

Weight: 29kg

Best for: Hitting the garden BIG time

Another model skirting in under the £500 mark, the Kress KG760E.9 is the cordless lawn mower option for those who truly have no time to mess around when it comes to chopping their overgrowth back to golf green-aping perfection.

With a whopping 51cm blade, you can cover more ground more swiftly, trimming your turf to seven different heights ranging from 80mm down to 20mm, catching the clippings in a whopping 70-litre catcher sack, while covering a vast 2000m2 using 2x 4Ah batteries.

Self-propelled for ease of use, the Kress’s cunningly chip-controlled motor power maintains cutting performance even in dense grass, so no matter how deep things run in your urban/suburban/rural jungle, you’ll be able to slice through it as though it was never there at all.

With a Kress-built brushless motor to boot, you’ll enjoy more power for longer, plus a greatly extended lifespan over brushed motor mowers, making this a mean lawn-cutting machine that will see you getting to grips with your grass way into the future.

Power: 60V

Cutting width: 51cm

Cutting height: 20-80mm

Lawn area: Up to 2000m2

Mulching: Yes

Grass catcher capacity: 70L

Weight: 32kg

Best for: Blitzing the back garden

Coming with just as much pure petrol-like power performance as the Cobra MX51S80V, but offering twice the coverage, the WG761E is, first and foremost, a fearsome-looking lawn mower that would appear perfectly at home cutting what remains of scorched grass come post-apocalyptic Britain, being self-propelled along in the hands of a leather-clad Mad Monty Don. Which is quite the image. And, secondly, it’s an absolute animal, with an 80V battery driving a 51cm blade to scythe down a colossal 1000m2 per full charge.

It has a cutting range of 20 to 80mm, a Worx-built brushless motor and Worx’s IntelliCut power-as-needed technology that automatically increases torque when you hit patches of wet and deep grass to stop the mower from getting bogged down and jamming. There’s also a capacious 70-litre catcher and the option to mulch and go, so you can keep on cutting free from the fear of having to stop for any time-consuming obstacle, getting all tedious trimming tasks down in two a shakes of a lamb’s tail.

At 35kg, it’s a heftier model than the others featured here, but remarkably manoeuvrable all the same and still manages to fold down to a compact, space-saving form to safely stash away in the shed when done.

A real Worx-horse (apologies), the price may seem steep, but for no-nonsense turf-tending on a sweeping scale, the Nitro is all you need.

Power: 80V

Cutting width: 51cm

Cutting height: 20-80mm

Lawn area: 1000m2

Mulching: Yes

Grass catcher capacity: 70L

Weight: 35kg

Verdict

Each cordless mower I’ve collated here will make the terrible task of mowing large gardens infinitely easier, but when it comes to the ultimate in making your grass effortlessly orderly, it has to be the ludicrously priced Segway Navimow H3000E all the way.

However, that said, I hereby anoint the Yard Force with its considerable coverage and thoroughly affordable price as my cordless mower of grass-chomping choice; even if does still invoke images of Titchmarsh.