Choosing between an electric and a petrol lawnmower is one of the biggest decisions a UK gardener will make. Get it right and Saturday mornings become a pleasure; get it wrong and you’re left wrestling with a mower that’s either underpowered for your lawn or far too much machine for a neat suburban patch. The good news is the decision usually comes down to four things – the size of your lawn, how tough the grass gets, how much noise and maintenance you’re willing to live with, and your budget.
We’ve tested and reviewed mowers from brands like EGO, Makita, Bosch, Hayter, Honda, and Mountfield across every price bracket, and this is our plain-English comparison. By the end you’ll know exactly which type suits your garden – and which models are worth looking at on Amazon UK, Screwfix, B&Q, and Toolstation.
Quick Verdict
Choose an electric mower if you have a small-to-medium lawn (up to around 600 m²), want low maintenance, prefer quiet operation, and don’t fancy dealing with petrol, oil, or spark plugs. Cordless models from EGO, Bosch, and Makita now rival petrol for everyday cutting.
Choose a petrol mower if you have a large lawn (600 m²+), deal with long or damp grass, need serious cutting power, or value a self-propelled machine that won’t slow down mid-cut. Brands like Hayter, Honda, and Mountfield remain the benchmark.
Electric Lawnmowers at a Glance
Electric mowers come in two flavours: corded and cordless. Corded mowers plug into the mains and run indefinitely, but you’re limited by the reach of your extension lead – usually around 25–30 metres before power drop becomes a concern. Cordless mowers use lithium-ion batteries (typically 36 V to 80 V) and give you petrol-like freedom without the fumes.
The headline benefits are simplicity and convenience. Pull a lever or press a button and you’re mowing. There’s no choke, no pull cord, no fuel to decant, and no oil level to check. Electric mowers also start reliably on cold spring mornings, which is exactly when most of us fish the mower out of the shed for the first cut of the season.
Where they fall short is raw grunt. Even the best 80 V cordless mowers can bog down in very long or wet grass, and battery runtime on a single charge tends to top out at around 45–60 minutes. For most UK gardens that’s plenty; for rural plots it isn’t.
What we like
- Quiet – mow before work without waking the neighbours
- Zero emissions at the mower – better for small enclosed gardens
- Very low maintenance – no oil, fuel, or spark plugs
- Lighter, easier to push, and far simpler to store
Worth knowing
- Corded models are tethered to a socket and need an RCD
- Cordless batteries are expensive to replace (around £100–£200)
- Power can dip in thick, wet, or overgrown grass
Petrol Lawnmowers at a Glance
Petrol mowers are the traditional workhorse of UK gardens. A 140 cc to 200 cc four-stroke engine spinning a wide steel blade will chew through almost anything you point it at, including foot-long grass after a fortnight of rain. Self-propelled drive systems make mowing a large lawn genuinely easy – you simply guide the mower rather than push it.
Petrol still has the edge on outright cut quality, particularly on tougher lawns. A well-set-up rear-roller petrol mower from Hayter or Allett will leave the stripes we all secretly want. And with basic servicing – an oil change each spring, a fresh spark plug, and a clean air filter – a good petrol mower will last 10–15 years without drama.
The downsides are noise, weight, and maintenance. Expect 90–100 dB at the operator, fumes that drift across patios and washing lines, and an annual service that costs £40–£80 at a local dealer (or a weekend in the shed if you fancy doing it yourself).
What we like
- Huge reserves of power for long, damp, or neglected grass
- Self-propelled drive is a real back-saver on bigger lawns
- No range anxiety – just fill up and keep going
- Excellent long-term durability with basic servicing
Worth knowing
- Loud – ear defenders are a very good idea
- Heavier to push, lift, and manoeuvre around obstacles
- Needs fuel stabiliser over winter and an annual service
- Not welcome in some council allotments due to emissions rules
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
Here’s how the two mower types stack up on the things that actually matter once the mower is out of the box.
| Feature | Electric (corded & cordless) | Petrol |
| Upfront cost | £80–£600 | £220–£900+ |
| Running costs | Low – just electricity | Petrol, oil, spark plugs, filters |
| Lawn size | Up to ~600 m² (cordless) / unlimited (corded) | Ideal for 600 m²+ and long grass |
| Power & cut quality | Good for regular mowing | Strongest for thick, wet, or overgrown grass |
| Noise | Quiet – around 75–85 dB | Loud – around 90–100 dB |
| Maintenance | Minimal – blade + basic clean | Oil changes, filters, spark plugs, fuel stabiliser |
| Emissions | Zero at the mower | Exhaust fumes – not ideal for small gardens |
| Weight | Lighter, easier to push & store | Heavier, bulkier storage |
| Typical lifespan | 6–10 years | 8–15 years with servicing |
Typical Specs Side by Side
Specs vary widely, but these are the numbers you’ll see on most mainstream electric and petrol mowers sold through Amazon UK, Screwfix, and B&Q.
| Spec | Typical electric mower | Typical petrol mower |
| Cutting width | 32–46 cm | 41–53 cm |
| Power / engine | 1,000–1,800 W or 36–80 V battery | 125–200 cc OHV engine |
| Drive | Mostly push, some self-propelled | Often self-propelled |
| Grass box | 35–60 L | 50–70 L |
| Runtime | Unlimited (corded) / 30–60 min (cordless) | Full tank (~45–60 min) |
| Noise level | 75–85 dB | 90–100 dB |
| Weight | 10–25 kg | 25–45 kg |
Who Should Buy Which?
Go electric if…
- Your lawn is under 600 m² (most UK suburban gardens)
- You mow weekly in the growing season and keep on top of it
- You value quiet, fume-free operation – especially with young children or close neighbours
- You’d rather not store petrol or service an engine
- You already own other 36 V / 56 V / 80 V tools and can share batteries
Go petrol if…
- Your lawn is 600 m² or larger, or you have multiple lawns
- Grass grows fast, gets long between cuts, or stays damp
- You want a professional-looking striped finish from a rear-roller mower
- You’re happy with a spring service and occasional tinkering
- You need a self-propelled drive because of slopes or long runs
Still undecided?
If you genuinely could go either way – say you’ve got a 400–600 m² lawn and don’t mind either option – we’d lean electric in 2026. Battery technology has come on enormously, and a top-end EGO or Makita 80 V mower will handle almost any regular UK lawn without breaking a sweat, with none of the petrol-mower hassle.
Final Verdict
There’s no single winner in the electric vs petrol lawnmower debate – only the right tool for your garden. For most UK gardeners with a typical suburban lawn, a good cordless electric mower is now the easier, quieter, and cheaper-to-run choice. For larger gardens, tougher grass, or anyone who wants the deepest stripes on the street, petrol still earns its place in the shed.
Whichever way you lean, buy the best quality you can afford, pick a brand with a strong UK dealer network (Hayter, Honda, Mountfield, EGO, Bosch, Makita), and your mower will comfortably last a decade of British summers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are electric lawnmowers powerful enough for a UK lawn?
For the vast majority of UK gardens, yes. A 1,800 W corded mower or a modern 36 V–80 V cordless mower will handle weekly cutting on most suburban lawns without issue. They only really struggle on large, wet, or overgrown grass.
Which is cheaper to run – electric or petrol?
Electric, comfortably. A typical electric mower uses around 10–25p of electricity per cut, while a petrol mower burns roughly £1–£2 of fuel per cut plus servicing and oil. Over five years, a busy petrol mower can cost £200–£400 more to run.
Do cordless mowers really last long enough?
A good 5 Ah battery on a 36–56 V mower will typically cut 200–400 m² on a charge, and 80 V platforms like EGO can stretch further. If your lawn is borderline, pick a mower that takes two batteries – you can hot-swap and effectively double your runtime.
Is petrol really that much louder?
Yes. Petrol mowers typically run at 90–100 dB at the operator – loud enough that prolonged use without hearing protection isn’t recommended. Electric mowers sit around 75–85 dB, which is roughly the volume of a vacuum cleaner.
Which lasts longer?
With decent servicing, a quality petrol mower will outlast a cordless electric one – often 10–15 years versus 6–10. However, the battery is usually the limiting factor on cordless mowers, and replacements are available for most mainstream brands.