I’ll be honest, cutting the lawn is not one of my favourite tasks. We have an old petrol mower which is a bit of a beast. It has a pull-cord start, and my arms are just not long enough. After the first painful attempt, I usually wheel the machine back in the shed and wait for help. So frustrating! I hate having to wait for someone stronger to help me. I feel defeated. Then along comes Honda with an offer to try out one of their new battery power machines. I must admit, I cheered.
Honda’s delivery driver arrived promptly with two boxes containing a lawn mower and a hedge trimmer. There was also a brand new Honda racing motorbike in the back of the van. My heart skipped a beat. Sadly I couldn’t persuade him to leave it behind ….. I tried. It’s 30 years since we had a motorbike. We had a British Triumph Bonneville- which took us all over Europe, up through Scotland, and all around the Ring of Kerry in Ireland. Before children arrived. And after that, we decided we should be sensible and sell it. Couldn’t really fit two babies on the back. Anyway, I digress. Back to lawn mowers…. So we sold the motorbike and settled down in a family home with an acre garden. Since then, we’ve had a division of power here. Mr B cuts the lawns, and I plant, weed and prune, grow flowers, fruit and veg. The problem comes when Mr B goes sailing- which is very often. He and his whole family are sailing-mad. We have a nephew John Gimson who is currently World Champion and part of the British Olympic Sailing Team (NACRA) sailing a catamaran. Mr B in the past has supported John by driving the racing boats across Europe on a low loader. Something he loves doing. Meanwhile, at home, the grass get longer and longer and starts to look messy.
This autumn, I wanted to cut the grass in the orchard really short, and sow wild flower seeds in the bare patches where there’s been molehills. With the new lawn mower, I was able to do it without asking for help. Independence at last!
Here’s a run down of the things I like about the new cordless mower.
1.
To start it, all you have to do is press the yellow button on the side of the handle. No shoulder-wrenching pull cord.
2.
To make the mower go forward, you just press the bar towards the handle. As a safety feature, if you let go, the mower stops. There’s no way it can run off with you ( like my old petrol -driven monster mower.)
3.
Another safety feature is the little turn key, which isolates the battery if you need to turn the mower on its side to remove excess grass from around the blades. I would also quickly remove the battery too. Fast and simple operations.
4.
The battery slides easily into the front of the machine. There’s three types of batteries with different run times.
The cheapest, battery, number 4, cuts for about 35 minutes and takes 35 minutes to charge. To be honest, 35 minutes was enough for me. I had a cup of tea and a rest while the battery was charging, and then we were off again. The handbook says this battery covers 365m2 lawn area.
Number 6 battery covers 485m2.
Number 9 battery covers 730m2 on one charge.
The battery charger is note-worthy. It has its own cooling fan and various flashing lights to tell you how it’s doing. It looks rather impressive.
5.
There’s a simple handle to change the cutting height. Easy to operate.
6.
There’s a pressed steel powder-coated deck. This made the whole machine look robust and substantial. Yet the weight was push-able at 22.5kg for the machine and 1.3kg for the battery. I didn’t struggle at all, and didn’t feel totally worn out after ten minutes, like I do with our petrol mower. Plus, it’s clean, there’s no petrol fumes, and the mower is relatively quiet. The handbook says the noise range is 91bB(a). I’m comparing it with the petrol mower, which we wear safety ear protectors with, and battery powered is much quieter. A small thing, but important to me, the battery powered machine didn’t scare off all the birds. We have a small stand of trees, and all summer we’ve had a tawny owl fledgling here. It’s such an joy to have these birds in the garden. I would hate to scare them away.
Above: Some of the wild flowers I’ve planted in the orchard. I hope they will spread and form a golden carpet in spring.
I thoroughly enjoyed my two-month trial with Honda’s new mower. There’s two available in the range. This one, the HRG416XB, has a 16 inch cut and there’s a larger machine which has an additional mulching option. There’s also a hedge trimmer, brush cutter and leaf blower in the new cordless range- and all use the same battery.
I haven’t been paid to write anything about the mower. I’m free to give my honest opinion. But I can say, I’ve enjoyed having the freedom to cut my lawn when I want to, and the Honda mower was a dream to use. I’ve still got my heart set on test driving the Honda racing motorbike though…… watch this space!
Thanks for reading and have a lovely weekend.
Links: New Honda range of cordless machines: https://www.honda.co.uk/lawn-and-garden/products/cordless/overview.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiAnb79BRDgARIsAOVbhRpdTbjHM8G3wFtmzG8qaxoynM9oOb6lgjVh7uT99NKRN4saKFpurlYaApo8EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
I’m @kgimson on twitter, and karengimson1 on Instagram.
A video I made for instagram :
Bramble Garden 
This mower looks ideal for you to use. I have a Bosh cordless which is light and easy to use, also there is no cord for me to cut through as I mow.
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Does it have a facility not to collect the grass cuttings? Leave it as a mulch for example? Or is this not such a good idea?
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Hello Denzil, yes, there’s another machine that has a mulching facility. HR466XB is the model. With the one I’ve tried out, you can just take the grass collector off and mow more frequently. The blades chop up the grass really finely. Thanks for reading the review. All the best. Karen
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I enjoyed reading this conversational post Karen – and learning some new things about you, including (by inference) that the Gimson family are yours and not Mr B’s…
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Thank you Cathy. Ah, the sailing side are his, although, through marriage, they are mine now too. Families all get a bit confusing, don’t they. Really pleased to have enough internet to upload some photos. We’ve had someone out to look, and he advises a satellite dish which many farmers are doing. Got to just see how much that would be. It’s been awful feeling so cut off from the world. Everything revolves around internet…..shopping, banking, zoom, work, social media. Even keeping in touch with the family is through zoom nowadays. Anyway, fingers crossed for IAVOM tomorrow…or I might post it today while the going is good… xx ps. Spoke too soon. No internet today.
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So Mr B IS a Gimson? Now I AM confused! It doesn’t seem right that you are having to consider investing in a satellite dish for what should be a basic right these days…but sadly it looks like the way to go…
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I struggled for years with a petrol mower that wouldn’t start for me, so I know exactly what you mean! Luckily we have now got a petrol mower that starts first pull and I feel relief every time I do not need to ask for help. 😃 It looks like you have found a friend in this mower Karen. 😉 My Dad has given up on his petrol one for ecüxactlynthe same reason and recently bought himself an electric one with two batteries so he can change over halfway through and he is really happy with it. Look forward to the post about the motorbike test drive!
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Thank you Cathy. That’s great to hear. Keep watching this post….. 😃 xx
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Very useful. The noise of a machine is not a small issue and you are so right to want something quiet. Too many garden machines make so much noise they scare wildlife. Quiet is good! If you needed ear defenders with the old one is was definitely time to ditch it!
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Thank you Cathy. I knew you would understand and appreciate what I was getting at. Life is noisy enough. We need to respect the creatures we share this space with. My nerves get frazzled with noisy equipment too. I’m all for quieter machines. Not surprised this one is so good all round and comes from well-respected Honda. Thanks for reading. Have a lovely weekend.
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I spent years being ‘a boat widow’ at the very time of year when it was good to explore, cycle, and generally enjoy outdoor activity. I really understand your perspective. I can’t operate petrol mowers either. A hover mower for a large-ish expanse took time, it was manageable and got the grass cut by me when absolutely necessary.
A lovely lightsome post, I enjoyed it very much.
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Oh thank you very much. You’d have laughed at my attempts to get artistic photos of the lawn mower. I gave up in the end and just went for the straight forward focal points. Yes, being a boat widow – you’ll understand exactly what that means then. I have really tried to be an enthusiastic spectator, but when I went to Rutland Water to watch, I stood on the shore, and within five minutes they had all sailed to the other side of the lake and I didn’t see them again all day. I hope that makes you laugh. I was stood there guarding the picnic. Have a great weekend. Keep your fingers crossed they send back the racing motorbike…even if I’m just a pillion passenger! 🤣
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I have experience of being a pillion passenger, it didn’t come naturally…..
You’ll have to write a letter to Santa about the Honda Motorbike. Do you think it will go safely down the chimney? 😉
X
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No, I was no good as a pillion passenger. I used to fall asleep. Luckily I was wedged in with a top box behind me! 😂
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Karen, Mr B and you were great bikers 30 years ago on your Triumph Bonneville, touring Europe, I love it. When the children came, you were the best parents and settled down and settled in your home, a wonderful place to raise children. Karen your nephew John Grimson is World Champion and part of the British Olympic Sailing Team, you have to be very proud of him, I love him. Mr B has a great passion for sailing and in the past he was very supportive of John by driving racing boats around Europe – wonderful, I love it. The downside of Mr B’s passion for sailing is that sometimes he lets the grass grow too long that it is his job to cut it and it’s up to you to do it with the gasoline mower that you have to start by pulling a rope that never starts at the first (mine starts the same), and you need the help of someone to start it for you. But now with the Honda electric lawnmower that starts at the push of a button you are self-sufficient, and it works very well, it has proven it by cutting the very short lawn of the garden so that you can plant wild flower seeds, I love it. I love all the features of the mower: the low noise level, the easy start-up, the large assortment of batteries and its fast charging with the same charger with fan and charge indicator. And also Honda has electric hedge trimmers, brush cutters and leaf blowers with the same battery, it’s great !! Karen, what you liked the most about the Honda truck was the Honda racing motorcycle !! You would like to have her in the Shed and take walks with her, hahahahaha !!!!! Karen the video is magnificent, divine, I love it !!!! Too bad I don’t understand English, especially because of the explanations of your divine garden: its roses, its bush with white flowers and everything else I love. Karen, thank you very much for your video: I was with you in the garden learning how to handle it and seeing your wonderful garden listening to your explanations plant by plant. Thanks to you Karen for writing this blog and I wish you a great weekend. Health, strength, encouragement, positive thinking, a lot of hope and a lot of love for your whole family, Mr B and for you. Take good care of you all and keep yourself safe. Hugs for all. Lots of love. Very affectionate greetings from Margarita xxx 🥰😘🙏🌼🌼💛🌻🍀
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Thank you very much Margarita. Thanks very much for laughing along with me. It was so funny trying to take artistic photos of the mower. In the bed, I decided to just do a video snd go straight to the main points. I love your analysis of my review. It’s made me smile. The flowers I show you at the end, the first plant is a peony Lutea with lovely yellow spring flowers, snd gorgeous yellow leaves in autumn. The red stems stay all winter. The roses are Ballerina and I’m saying that I am using them for door wreaths to cheer up the front door, and how lovely it is to have roses still in November. The next plant is a golden mock orange or philadelphus and I’m pointing out the yellow leaves. Next is an osmanthus with tiny white flowers which are highly scented in winter, although they are insignificant. Next is dogwood Midwinter Fire, which has golden leaves and orange stems. The leaves are really pretty at the moment and I hover over them in the last photo in the video. Hope this helps. Thanks again for reading/ watching. Have a wonderful, happy weekend. Affectionate greetings from us all. Love from karen xxx 😘😄🌼🙏💛✨✨✨✨
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Karen thank you very much, you are a great friend. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for translating what you say in the video about the divine plants in your wonderful garden: I was very excited and I just watched the video again, having previously signed up for your translation and I really enjoyed it !!!! Thank you. Karen I’m glad you liked the motorcycle joke !!!!! You have explained the Honda electric lawn mower very well. You have to get one when you can. Much love and hugs to everyone, including the Three Musketeers. Happy Sunday. Take care. Lots of love. Very affectionate greetings from Margarita xxx 😘😘🥰💛🙏💛🌼🌼🌻✨✨🎇😊
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Thank you very much Margarita. I’ve been outdoors all day. It’s very mild here. I’ve been sweeping up leaves, and the Three Musketeers have been un-sweeping them for me!!!! Eventually we got them all collected up and piled in hibernation zones for the hedgehogs. I’ve made log piles with triangular teepees so that the leaves more or less stay where we’ve put them all winter. Have a great week. Affectionate greetings from us all 🍁🙏✨😘😀✨✨✨🤩
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Karen thank you very much. How good you have spent all day with good weather in the garden, the Three Musketeers of “helpers” and you !! Karen I love the houses you have made for the hedgehogs with leaves and logs in the shape of an Indian hut. Here we have fog. A big hug and a lot of love for everyone. Very affectionate greetings from Margarita xxx 😘😘🙏💛🌼🌼🌻✨✨🤩🍁🍂
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Thanks for review Karen. Will probably need new mower next year and that Honda sounds excellent
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Thank you. I am happy to recommend them. Honda have a long history in the market, 40 years I think. We have found them to be very reliable and well made. I was pleased with the steel deck. The general build is substantial and robust. I think it will be very durable. Forgot to mention the good quality grass bag, but i didn’t want to get boring! Anyway, I thought it looked as if it would stand the test of time. All the best, and thanks for reading the blog. Karen
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