Flymo Turbo 400 Review

Flymo Turbo 400 – Key Features

• Construction – In terms of materials you get a lot of this plastic on this one. It HAS to be primarily constructed of plastic really so it can remain lightweight and actually hover. There wouldn’t be much point in having a hover mower that couldn’t hover, would there?! However despite this, we found this one to be solidly made. But don’t get carried away – after all it’s still plastic – so take care with it and it’ll serve you well.
• Cutting Deck – In terms of cutting width you get a nice meaty 40cm. This is more than adequate for a medium sized lawn (in fact it’s a pretty big cutting width) and ensures you get a decent amount of grass cut with each pass. But we still haven’t got to the best part – it’s a METAL cutting blade – none of that plastic rubbish here! Metal blades are far superior to the plastic ones. They cut better and last longer.
• Cutting Heights – In total there are 5 different cut lengths ranging from 15mm up to 41mm. This isn’t a big a range as say the Bosch Rotak models offer, but its more than adequate for what you’ll need to maintain your lawn. It’s got the high setting for the last cut before winter and you can go down short during summer. The system is not as simple or fast as some other systems out there (like Bosch’s one touch lever) but is still pretty simple.You get a spanner and a set of spacers with the mower and in order to cut shorter, you turn the mower over (make sure it’s turned off first) and remove the blade using the spanner. You then insert the spacers underneath and re-attach the blade. The more spacers you insert the shorter the cut the mower will produce (there are 5 in total that range from 15mm up to 41mm).
• Motor– Now let’s talk about the thing that makes the Flymo Turbo 400 tick – the motor. So you’ve got a big cutting width here and a motor to match. You’ve got a 1500 watt motor which is nice and powerful. This power allows the mower to float around your lawn and also gives you the ability to cut any overgrown grass you may have.
• Handle – The handle is standard and it folds down in half which is pretty convenient for both storage (whether that’s in a shed or a garage) and also for those times when you need to get it in the boot of the car. With this handle you’ve also got the option of hanging the mower on the wall too.
• Starter Controls – The starter controls are found at the top of the handle and you’ve got a start button located in the middle of two “trigger” like mechanisms. These triggers are not the most comfortable things in the world if you have to hold them for a long time but wearing a pair of garden gloves definitely helps make it a bit comfier! To start her up, all you do is push and hold the button at the top of the handle and then pull one of the triggers towards the handle. You will hear it start up and then you just release the push button and keep your hand on that plastic trigger. You can either go one or two handed, just choose whatever is comfiest for you.
• Power Cable – So onto another vital part of the Flymo Turbo 400 – the cable. Do you get one supplied? Of course you do! But its only 12 metres which is a little disappointing. Better get the extension cable on order too if you’re doing anything more than a small garden. I think the fact that its detachable (on some of the other electric mowers these days you can’t detach the cable) is a definite plus point because after mowing you can detach the cable and it’s easier to store.

Flymo Turbo 400 – Assembly

There’s nothing to it really! It’s very straightforward to set up. The only thing you really need to do is attach the handle and plug it in. This is all explained clearly with decent diagrams in the instruction booklet that comes with the mower. It should only take 10 or 15 minutes of your time to get this done and then you’ll be ready to get out there and cut some grass.

Flymo Turbo 400 – Performance

• Cutting Ability – In terms of cutting, this model does everything you need it to. It’s not going to produce a pristine finish but if you were looking for that you really shouldn’t be looking in this price bracket or at a hover mower in general. Whatever the conditions it’ll do the job. Whether you have let your grass overgrow or whether it’s still a bit damp, this mower will get it done! The metal blade definitely plays its part here. That combined with the decent motor means it can handle most conditions you throw at it. We wouldn’t ever advise you let your grass grow real long in between mows though. Apart from the fact that your lawn will look pretty unattractive, the performance on this mower will not be as good in such conditions. To get optimum performance you should mow regularly (once a week if possible) and keep on top of everything.
• Grass Collection – You haven’t got a grass collection facility with this model. This model has a specially designed deck, so the clippings remain in the cutting cycle until they are sufficiently small and then they are simply deposited back onto your lawn. I’m not sure whether you’re aware of this, but this is actually much healthier for your lawn. You might just need to sweep a few clippings up after you’ve finished mowing, but that’s only going to take a couple of minutes, which is no hardship.
• Manoeuvrability – The nice thing with hover mowers is that you are not restricted to only forward and backward movements (as you are with wheeled mowers) – you can push it in any direction you please. This is particularly useful for cutting grass under bushes as you can do a “sweep”, so you don’t get attacked by the bush. One thing you notice pretty much instantly is how light it is to push. It feels so easy and this is definitely a plus point if you are not so physically strong. It’s also a good attribute if you have a sloping lawn as the low weight makes this so much easier to push up-hill. Turns at the end of passes are a doddle too – the light weight and freedom of the hover system make this easy!