Gardenmachinerydirect.co.uk

This new addition to Honda’s fleet of mowers is the only push mower I tried - and it didn’t disappoint. Its good-looking pressed steel deck will resist corrosion and it cut through grass like butter, felt less cumbersome than its weighty competitors and is simple to use.

With a smaller 4Ah battery, its run time is around 35 minutes. For around £60 more you can get a bigger battery which will run for 55 minutes, depending on conditions.

What I liked

It’s a lovely looking machine - red and grey pressed steel, which required virtually no set-up apart from the handle and the grass box. Simple to use, lightweight and easy to turn in small spaces. You can tell your battery level from an indicator on the left-hand side of the handle.

This machine is great for flat lawns you can mow in around half an hour.

What I didn’t like

You’ll need to exert more energy to push it up hilly lawns.

MOUNTFIELD S42R PD LI LAWN MOWER, £599

(Inc battery and charger)

The big plus for this model is that it was the only one I tried out of the three to have a built-in roller, heavy enough to guarantee stripes for those who want their lawns to have a bowling green finish.

It has plenty of oomph to go up a hill, with an 80V battery providing all the power you need, easy to slot into its compartment on the mower deck.

What I liked

The finish. The blade is designed to maximise airflow for a better cut with the roller and also made light work of border edges. The roller gives impressive stripes.

An easy single lever changes cutting heights - there’s a choice of five heights, which can be set between 20-70mm. The powerful battery will give you around an hour’s running time. It takes 75 minutes to recharge.

The battery easily lasted to do my lawns and would suit larger gardens as its run-time is around an hour, depending on the conditions.

It is quite heavy to turn. The lever to drive it can run away with you a bit.

EGO LM1701E-SP 42CM MOWER, £529

In jazzy green and grey, this impressive self-propelled mower, new this year, is robust in build, its polymer deck won’t rust, it’s easy to clean, and it comes with some funky gizmos including LED headlights.

For those with limited space it will fold and stand upright in your shed.

What I liked

Easy to assemble - you only need to assemble the grassbox, which is straightforward. Solid, well-made piece of kit with a durable polymer deck. Mows the lawn with ease, taking hills and rough grass in its stride, with a 42cm cutting capacity. Its seven height positions, adjustable with one handle, can take you from a cut of 25mm-80mm.

It has a variable drive speed, so doesn’t run away with you. It can also be driven with the blade inactive, which can be useful if you’ve mowed the lawn and are just wanting to get the mower up the hill to put it away.

The battery can be used with other EGO Power+ tools. The handle arms slide down for easy storage and the mower can be stored vertically, taking up less floor space.

What I didn’t like

The relatively short run time of the battery which comes in the package - 15-20 minutes - although it will recharge in 50 minutes on the standard charger (also included).

With so many impressive features, this superior mower is suitable for lawns which would take much longer than 20 minutes to mow, but you’ll have to buy a more expensive EGO battery for that. And if you want a fast charger, that will cost you too.

If you want stripes, you’ll have to spend another £50 on a rear roller kit, which comprises a heavy metal roller. It’s a clunky addition to an otherwise sleek product and you’ll need to remove the roller after mowing if you want your machine to fold away vertically.