Bosch Rotak Universal 650 Corded Rotary Lawnmower

Like the new cut height button
Grass box is awful, massive gaps either side, cuttings flying out
Quieter than my old Bosch
Awkward to store as the handle doesn't fold completely
3 out of 5

I’ve had this about a month now and have used it several times. Bought to replace an old Rotak 40 over 10 years old. The new one is heavier and in my opinion not as manoeuvrable. The height adjuster works ok at present but have seen reviews where it failed. I’ve set it to the lowest which is just about ok. It cuts well is reasonable quiet and produces reasonable stripes in lawn. Bad points are the short cable , 10 metres , a joke compared to the old one. I’ve rescued the old cable and may swop it over. Otherwise far too short. No mulching facility. The old one you just left the box off and the grass came out the back. This one you need an attachment cost circa £30 , for a piece of plastic, otherwise clogs up. I have tried putting something in to hold the flap up but so far not successful. I also have an area where I dont collect grass and use a high setting. The grass box is very flimsy and folds. Going to be very easy to break. Also difficult to fold back down. A very backward step. Chose this as old Bosch proved very reliable. This one looks good on the surface but actually only just adequate. It’s difficult to find anything else decent At this price point. Good point is price at B&Q which is much less than other places. Also this is the new version of the Universal. Still have kept it and will see how it goes.

This is quite a bit bigger and heavier than my £90 Bosch mower it replaced. I like the extra power, width and collection box size but it is harder to walk around. The only other downside is some grass escapes out the side of the grass box as it’s not flush to the back of the mower.

Purchased this to replace an old Bosch lawnmower that had lasted 12 years. Huge difference in build quality, the collection box is flimsy and needs several attempts to reattach correctly once emptied. It’s easily knocked off by any low shrubs. The roller didn’t seem to lie flat and left an additional stripe down each row. The cable length is a measly 10m. We need an extension lead for our lawn anyway, but even with that it wasn’t long enough (our old Bosch was 16m). For a lawnmower that is designed for larger gardens why not give it a decent cable length? Needless to say it’s been returned.

I'm pinching myself at the price along with a small discount voucher. It is half of the price elsewhere which makes this best buy from B&Q by far. This is my third Bosch lawnmower and the new features make it the best so far.