How to mow a lawn UK
Updated: October 2026
The first pass is the one that scalps the lawn. How to mow a lawn UK here means dry grass, about one third off at most, and the highest setting the listing prints. Prices stay off this page. The ten electric decks, and which height each one actually prints, are on the [Wolf Garden lawn mower comparison](/hub/lawn-and-garden-equipment/wolf-garden-lawn-mower). Product names below are examples of a control the listing has, not a second price table. Listings were read for 16 October 2026. A purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The first pass is the one that scalps the lawn. How to mow a lawn UK here means dry grass, about one third off at most, and the highest setting the listing prints. Prices stay off this page.
The first pass is the one that scalps the lawn. How to mow a lawn UK here means dry grass, about one third off at most, and the highest setting the listing prints. Prices stay off this page. The ten electric decks, and which height each one actually prints, are on the Wolf Garden lawn mower comparison. Product names below are examples of a control the listing has, not a second price table. Listings were read for 16 October 2026. A purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Cutting height | Cutting width | Lead or battery | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Einhell Einhell GC-EM 1600/37 | 20–60 mm, 5 positions | 37 cm | 10 m cord | 8.7 | about £114.99 | View offer |
 Flymo Flymo EasiStore 380R | 20–60 mm, 5 positions | 38 cm | 10 m cable | 9.1 | about £135.00 | View offer | |
| Alternative |  Flymo Flymo Hover Vac 250 | 11–31 mm, 4 positions | 25 cm | 10 m cable | 8.3 | about £75.00 | View offer |
On this page
When the lawn is ready
Wait until the grass is dry, with no frost. The RHS how-to page treats March to October as the window, with pauses in drought, and says not to mow wet or frosted grass. Electrical Safety First says the same for an electric mower: do not cut wet grass. A damp morning is still the wrong start if the sward holds water. You clog the deck.
A new lawn waits until the grass is at least about 5 cm, then gets a high, light cut. That is the RHS mowing guide, and it is not the first cut of an established lawn. Drought is the other pause.
How much to take off
Both RHS pages use the same two rules. Put the first cut of the year on the highest setting, and do not remove more than about one third of the grass. If the lawn is longer than that, the RHS says strim it or take it down in more than one pass, then tidy.
The two pages then print different targets. Keep them apart. The how-to page aims at about 4 cm in spring, autumn, and winter, about 2.5 cm in summer, and 6–13 mm for a fine lawn. The mowing guide puts an ordinary lawn at 13–25 mm in summer and up to 40 mm in spring and autumn. Do not average those into one RHS standard. If your listing cannot reach the figure you picked, the listing's own maximum is the limit.
A high first cut on these mowers
Most wheeled rotaries print about 20–60 mm, including the Einhell, the Hyundai 33 cm model, and the Flymo EasiStore. A 60 mm top can start near the mowing guide's spring figure of up to 40 mm. The WORX prints 20–70 mm. The swift prints 30–50 mm, so it cannot start at 60 mm.
The Flymo Hover Vac 250 prints 11–31 mm. Do not set it to 40 mm. The BLACK+DECKER prints 20–40 mm. The Hyundai HYM3800E says five heights and does not print millimetres. LIGO's lines conflict: bullets at 30–60 cm, a table at 0.98–2.17 inches, and both three and five positions. The Speedi-Mo bullets say 20–60 mm and the table prints a minimum of 20 cm. Do not pick one of those disagreeing figures as the setting.
The lead, the wet, and when to stop
Corded leads here are 10 m, or 11 m on the Hyundai 33 cm model. The Speedi-Mo does not print a length. The RHS says to keep the cable behind you and to mow away from it. Start on the socket side so the cut grass is between you and the cable. If you need an outdoor extension, Electrical Safety First wants it fully unwound, with a thermal cut-out, and rated for the tool. Do not add a second reel in a chain.
Use a UK 3-pin fused plug and an RCD. Unplug before you clear a blockage. Call an electrician for a damaged lead or a new outdoor socket. If the grass is wet, wait. Ordinary daytime mowing is not a national Sunday ban in these sources. What councils can treat as a nuisance is on lawn mower noise rules UK.
Common questions
When should I do the first cut of the year?
Do it when the grass is dry, with no frost, inside the RHS window of about March to October, and pause in drought. Use the highest setting that your listing actually prints. A new lawn waits until the grass is at least about 5 cm, then gets a high, light cut. That wait is the RHS mowing guide. Wet grass stays uncut, which Electrical Safety First states for electric mowers.
How short can I go in one pass?
Take off no more than about one third of the leaf. Both RHS pages say that. If the grass is longer, strim or use more than one pass, then tidy. The how-to page's summer target is about 2.5 cm. The mowing guide's ordinary summer band is 13–25 mm. They differ. Follow one page, and do not blend them into a single figure.
Can I mow wet grass with an electric mower?
No. Electrical Safety First says not to mow in the wet, and the RHS says not to mow wet or frosted grass. That applies to every corded and battery mower in this set. Waiting until the lawn is dry is the control you have. A mulch plug does not change the wet-grass rule.
Do I need an RCD, and when do I call an electrician?
Use an RCD in the consumer unit or a plug-in RCD, which both the RHS and Electrical Safety First describe for outdoor equipment. Check the cord, and use a UK 3-pin fused plug. Call an electrician if the lead is damaged or if you need a new outdoor socket. Stop and use the warranty route if the deck cracks or the blade bolt will not move.
Which of these mowers can start on a high cut?
Einhell, the Hyundai 33 cm model, and the EasiStore print about 20–60 mm. The WORX prints 20–70 mm. The swift stops at 50 mm. The Hover Vac 250 stops at 31 mm. The HYM3800E does not print millimetres. LIGO's lines conflict, and the Speedi-Mo's millimetres and centimetres disagree.
Related pages
Sources
Sources checked for this comparison; last retrieved on 16 October 2026.
- Outdoor noise, Schedule 3 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, outdoor noise (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, statutory nuisance (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- RHS, how to mow a lawn (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- RHS, mowing guide (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Electrical Safety First, lawnmowers (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- WOLF-Garten Ambition A 370 E (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- diyinternational, WOLF-Garten leaves power tools, 6 September 2024 (retrieved 16 October 2026)