Bosch Rotak vs Flymo EasiMow — which corded electric should you buy?

The two mowers at a glance

Bosch Rotak 36 R: £199 new, 1400W induction motor, 36cm cut, 40L grass box, rear roller for stripes, 12kg. The flagship corded Rotak. Bosch UniversalRotak 550 is the roller-less version of the same chassis.

Flymo EasiMow 380R: £119 new, 1600W motor, 38cm cut, 45L grass box, rear roller, 13kg. The flagship EasiMow. The Hover Vac and Glider are different (hover-class) Flymos; this comparison is the wheeled rotary EasiMow.

Both target the same buyer: someone with a flat 200–500m² lawn near a power point who wants stripes from a corded electric for under £200. The price difference (£80) and the ownership trajectory (15-year Bosch, 8-year Flymo typical) are where they diverge.

Build quality — where the £80 price gap goes

The Bosch Rotak uses an induction motor with sealed bearings, a glass-filled polypropylene deck, and a steel-reinforced handle pivot. The Flymo uses a brushed motor (cheaper, shorter-lived), a softer-grade plastic deck, and a plastic handle pivot.

In practice this means: Bosch motors typically run for 15+ years before failing; Flymo motors fail at 7–10 years. Bosch decks tolerate hitting stones with surface marks; Flymo decks crack under the same impacts. The handle pivot is a known Flymo failure point — search Marketplace for 'Flymo broken handle' and you'll see hundreds of listings.

The £80 price gap is largely the motor and the deck plastic. Bosch is paying for the longer life span; Flymo is paying for the lower price. Both are honest products at their price points — neither is bad.

Cut quality and grass collection

Both produce a clean cut on healthy domestic grass under 8cm height. Both have rear rollers that produce decent (not exceptional) stripes. The Bosch's roller is steel-reinforced; the Flymo's is plastic — Bosch stripes are slightly sharper.

Grass collection: Flymo's 45L bag holds more than Bosch's 40L. In practice this is one less empty per mowing cycle on a 400m² lawn. Bosch's bag has a fuller-indicator (handy); Flymo doesn't. Trade-off favours Flymo on capacity, Bosch on UX.

Both struggle on grass over 12cm. Both refuse to work on wet grass — water gets into the motor housing and trips the safety cut-out. This is universal for corded electric mowers; not a Bosch-vs-Flymo issue.

Cable management — Flymo wins

The Flymo EasiMow has a slightly better-thought-out cable strain relief — the cable feeds out of the rear-top of the handle rather than the front-side, which keeps it out of the cutting path. Bosch's cable management is competent but less refined.

Both come with 10-metre cables; both require an outdoor extension lead (RCD-protected) for any lawn over about 50m². For lawns over 200m², cable management is a real friction in itself — both manufacturers have approached this as well as anyone can with a corded design.

Motor longevity — Bosch wins by a clear margin

This is the biggest practical difference. The Bosch Rotak's induction motor has no brushes to wear, no commutator to arc, and sealed bearings rated for 15,000 hours. Real-world UK use sees Rotak motors running 15+ years before failing.

The Flymo EasiMow uses a brushed motor with a plastic-bodied housing. The brushes wear at about 1,000 hours of cumulative use (8–10 years of weekly mowing). When the brushes finally fail, the motor either smokes, smells of burning, or simply stops. Replacement brushes are not stocked by Flymo and the typical fix is to replace the mower.

Over 15 years, you'll likely buy two Flymos to one Bosch. The Bosch's £80 premium amortises within 8 years.

Used market behaviour

Used Bosch Rotak 36 R: £80–£120 on Marketplace for a 5-year-old unit. Strong demand because Bosch motors are known to last; sellers ask reasonable prices.

Used Flymo EasiMow 380R: £30–£60 for a 5-year-old unit. Massive supply (Flymo is the volume seller in this category). Prices reflect the shorter expected remaining life.

The math at the used end: a 5-year-old Bosch at £100 has another 10 years in it = £10/year. A 5-year-old Flymo at £40 has another 4 years in it = £10/year. Used cost-per-year is similar; the gap closes when you buy used. The argument for Bosch is strongest at full retail price.

Flymo wins on supply. There are roughly 10 Flymos for every Bosch on UK Marketplace. Buying used is faster on Flymo; you'll wait longer for a clean Bosch.

The roller question — both have one

Both the Bosch Rotak 36 R and the Flymo EasiMow 380R have a rear roller. Stripes from both are decent — not Hayter Harrier territory, but recognisable alternating bands.

Bosch's roller is steel-reinforced and slightly heavier — produces sharper stripes. Flymo's is lighter plastic — softer stripes, and the roller develops play after 5 years (cheap fix at £15 if you can find the part).

If you specifically want stripes from a corded mower, Bosch is the better long-term choice. If stripes are nice-to-have rather than must-have, both work and Flymo is cheaper.

Price-per-year of ownership

New Bosch Rotak 36 R at £199, expected 15 years residential = £13.30/year.

New Flymo EasiMow 380R at £119, expected 8 years residential = £14.90/year.

Bosch is marginally cheaper per year of ownership at full retail. The gap widens if you consider replacement cost: when a Flymo fails at year 8, you pay another £119 (plus inflation). When a Bosch fails at year 15, you've used the mower for nearly twice as long.

Used market changes the math. Used Bosch at £100 over remaining 10 years = £10/year. Used Flymo at £40 over remaining 4 years = £10/year. Equivalent — pick by which you can find.

Verdict by lawn size and need

Lawn under 200m², stripes wanted: Bosch Rotak 36 R. The combination of stripes and Bosch motor longevity at £199 is the best corded electric value in the UK.

Lawn under 200m², stripes don't matter, budget tight: Flymo EasiMow 380R at £119, or used Bosch UniversalRotak 550 (no roller variant of the same chassis) at £60–£80.

Lawn 200–400m², frequent use: Bosch Rotak 36 R. The motor longevity matters when you mow 30 times a year.

Lawn 400m²+: at this size cable management becomes a real friction. Consider a cordless instead — Bosch CityMower 18 at £179 if budget is tight, EGO LM1700E at £400 if not.

Tight budget, accept disposability: Flymo EasiMow. Cheap to buy new, cheap to buy used, gets the job done for a few years.