Flymo EasiGlide Plus 360V Hover Lawn Mower Review: A Legacy on Thin Ice?

There’s a unique kind of frustration that comes with owning a lawn that refuses to be simple. For years, I battled with a garden full of gentle slopes, awkward corners around flower beds, and an uneven patch that made every mow feel like a wrestling match with a heavy, cumbersome machine. Pushing a traditional wheeled mower up an incline is a workout nobody asks for, and trying to navigate tight spots often results in either scalped turf or missed patches of shaggy grass. The dream has always been a mower that feels weightless, dancing over the lawn’s imperfections rather than fighting them. This isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about reclaiming weekend time and energy, turning a dreaded chore into a satisfying task. The search for a lightweight, powerful, and supremely maneuverable mower is what leads many of us, myself included, to consider the unique technology of a hover mower, a category where Flymo has long been the reigning monarch.

What to Consider Before Buying a Rotary Mower

A rotary mower is more than just an item; it’s a key solution for maintaining a healthy, attractive lawn with minimal fuss. These mowers, which use a single high-speed blade spinning on a vertical axis, are versatile workhorses. Their primary benefit is the ability to handle a wide variety of grass conditions, from neat weekly trims to tackling slightly longer, tougher growth. The core problem they solve is the efficient and clean cutting of grass across a given area, with many models offering the convenience of collecting the clippings, saving you the laborious task of raking afterwards. This makes them a cornerstone of garden care for millions of homeowners.

The ideal customer for this type of product is someone with a small to medium-sized lawn facing typical challenges like uneven ground, slopes, or the need for a neat finish. They value convenience, efficiency, and a machine that is relatively easy to store and maintain. However, a powerful corded electric model like this might not be suitable for those with very large, expansive lawns where a power cord becomes a significant hindrance. In such cases, a cordless or petrol-powered alternative would be a more practical choice. Similarly, for those with perfectly flat, bowling-green-like lawns, a cylinder mower might provide a superior, scissor-like cut, although it would struggle with any of the imperfections a rotary mower handles with ease.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Space: Consider the cutting width of the mower in relation to your lawn size. A wider deck (like the 36cm on this Flymo) means fewer passes and a quicker job on open areas. Also, think about storage. Models with folding handles are a godsend for crowded sheds or garages, allowing for vertical storage that saves precious floor space.
• Capacity/Performance: Motor power, measured in Watts (W), is a direct indicator of its cutting ability. A higher wattage, like the 2000W motor in the Flymo EasiGlide Plus 360V Hover Lawn Mower, suggests it can handle thicker, denser grass without bogging down. Equally important is the grass box capacity; a larger box means fewer trips to the compost bin, streamlining your workflow significantly.
• Materials & Durability: This is a critical, and often overlooked, factor. Lawnmowers endure a lot of stress, from vibrations to accidental bumps. While modern plastics can be incredibly tough and lightweight, there is a vast difference between high-impact polymers and cheaper, more brittle materials. Pay close attention to the feel of the handles, the thickness of the mowing deck, and the quality of the components.
• Ease of Use & Maintenance: Features like adjustable cutting heights, a long power cable, and a lightweight design all contribute to a better user experience. For long-term care, consider how easy it is to clean the underside of the deck and whether the blade is simple to access for sharpening or replacement. A mower that is a pain to use or maintain will quickly end up gathering dust.

Choosing the right mower is about balancing power, features, and build quality to match your specific garden’s needs.

While the Flymo EasiGlide Plus 360V Hover Lawn Mower is an excellent choice for many, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:

First Impressions: A Familiar Orange with a Hint of Flimsiness

Unboxing the Flymo EasiGlide Plus 360V Hover Lawn Mower was a straightforward affair. The classic orange and grey livery is instantly recognizable, a nostalgic nod to the Flymos of years past. Assembly is minimal and should be a quick job, primarily involving attaching the multi-part handle and the grass box. At 8.85 kg, it feels incredibly light, confirming its promise of easy portability. However, as we handled the components, a sense of apprehension began to creep in. The plastic used for the handles felt noticeably less substantial than we’d hoped. While Flymo’s heritage is built on robust, reliable machines, our initial impression was that modern cost-saving measures might have taken a toll. One user noted it seemed “quite ‘flimsy'” with “no ‘solid’ feel like our previous Flymo’s had,” a sentiment that resonated with our own hands-on feel of the parts. While lightweight materials are necessary for a hover mower to function, there’s a fine line between lightweight and fragile, and our first impression was that this model was teetering on that edge. Nevertheless, with its powerful 2000W motor and 36cm cutting width, we were eager to see if its performance would overshadow our initial concerns about its construction. You can see its full feature set and user reviews to get a better picture.

Performance Deep Dive: Power, Problems, and Hovering Potential

A lawn mower’s worth is ultimately decided on the turf. We put the Flymo EasiGlide Plus 360V Hover Lawn Mower through a series of real-world tests on a varied lawn with slopes, thick patches, and tight edges to see if its performance could overcome our initial build quality reservations. The results were, to put it mildly, a mixed bag, revealing a machine with immense potential hampered by significant flaws.

Assembly and Setup: The First Cracks Appear

The assembly process, which should be a simple 15-minute task, became our first point of major concern. The instructions are clear enough, but the materials themselves present a problem. The handles are made of a thin, hollow plastic that is painted to look metallic. The issue arises when attaching the cable winding hooks. These small plastic components screw directly into the handle, and the act of tightening them puts immense pressure on the thin plastic tube. We proceeded with extreme caution, having seen numerous user reports of this exact failure point. As one user starkly warned, “As soon as they are screwed on, the handle splits…the movement of the mower around the lawn, splits the plastic further.” We found that even gentle tightening caused the plastic arm to deform and bulge, creating a visible stress crease. It feels like a catastrophic design flaw. It’s baffling that a primary stress point, where force is applied during every turn and manoeuvre, is so compromised from the moment of assembly. For many users, this was a deal-breaker, with one returning the mower after the “handle bar had split vertically” on the very first cut. This initial experience erodes confidence before the mower has even touched the grass, setting a poor precedent for its long-term durability.

The Hover and Glide Experience: A Glimpse of Brilliance

Once assembled (with our precariously attached handle), we powered on the 2000W motor. The mower roars to life and immediately begins to float on its promised cushion of air. Here, the lightweight design is a huge asset. The Flymo EasiGlide Plus 360V Hover Lawn Mower is exceptionally easy to push and pull. On the sloped sections of our test lawn, it was a world away from a heavy wheeled mower. We could glide it up, down, and sideways with minimal physical effort, which is the core selling point of any hover mower. This is where the product truly shines. We found ourselves agreeing with the user who said it’s the “best mower I’ve owned glides and even on up and down hill bit my grass has never been cut so good 👍 and didn’t hurt my back.” For those with mobility issues or gardens with challenging inclines, this effortless movement is a game-changer. The 36cm cutting width covers a decent amount of ground with each pass, making quick work of open areas. The 10m cable is adequate for a smaller front garden, but as another user noted, an extension lead is almost certainly a necessity for a medium-sized back garden. The maneuverability is, without a doubt, the mower’s strongest feature.

Cutting Performance and Collection: A Tale of Two Lawns

With the mower floating beautifully, we turned our attention to the quality of the cut. This is where the inconsistency that plagues this model became glaringly apparent. On shorter, well-maintained grass, the Flymo EasiGlide Plus 360V Hover Lawn Mower performed admirably. The long-life metal blade delivered a clean, tidy finish, and the collection system worked as intended. The powerful motor creates a strong vacuum effect, sucking clippings up into the 26-litre grass box, which compacts them effectively. The vision window is a genuinely useful feature, allowing a quick glance to see when it’s time to empty. However, when we moved to a patch of slightly longer, thicker, and damper grass, the performance fell off a cliff. Instead of collecting the clippings, the mower began to blow a significant amount of them out of the side of the deck, creating a messy mulch that defeated the purpose of a collecting mower. We had to go over the same area multiple times to achieve a clean look, confirming reports from users who found it “chucks grass out of the side” and leaves a mess. Another user shared a picture of a freshly cut lawn covered in clippings with a near-empty grass box, calling it a “Major disappointment and not usual Flymo standard.” This suggests a flaw in the deck or impeller design, where it struggles to channel clippings effectively under heavier loads. The power is there, but it’s not always translated into a clean cut and collection.

Durability and Long-Term Concerns: An Investment or a Liability?

After just a few hours of testing, our long-term prognosis for the Flymo EasiGlide Plus 360V Hover Lawn Mower is not positive. The split-prone handle is the most immediate issue, but the general feeling of fragility pervades the entire unit. The deck plastic, while functional, feels thin. The grass box lid on some units reportedly doesn’t fit properly straight from the box. One reviewer described the plastic as feeling like “extra strong cling film.” These are not the hallmarks of a machine built to last. While our blade held up, we noted reports of it scuffing badly after a single use. The most alarming feedback came from a user who experienced a catastrophic failure where the “impeller/blade took off across the garden,” which is an extreme safety hazard. While this may be an isolated incident, it points to potential quality control issues. When customers are saying “My last fly-mow lasted 18 years” and then describing this new model as “Rubbish packed up after 2 years,” it paints a grim picture of declining brand standards. It’s a mower that performs some tasks well but feels fundamentally disposable, which is a difficult proposition when you check the latest price and availability and see it’s a significant investment for many households.

What Other Users Are Saying

The user feedback for this mower is deeply divided, painting a picture of a product that delights some and infuriates others. On the positive side, many users praise its core function. One happy customer stated, “So easy to set up, works like a dream. I’ve got 3 lawns and I do then all every week. Perfect for me.” Another echoed this sentiment, needing “something lightweight and quick to run over our lawn. This does the job with ease and finesse.” These reviews highlight that for the right user with a specific need—lightweight maneuverability on a relatively simple lawn—the mower can be a perfect fit.

However, the negative feedback is substantial and focuses almost entirely on a single, critical theme: poor build quality. The most common and damaging complaint revolves around the flimsy plastic handles. One detailed review, complete with photos, stated, “After the first cut, I noticed that the handle bar had split vertically, at the point where the bolt for the cord holder screws in…They’re not! The handle bars are plastic, painted convincingly to look metallic.” This sentiment is repeated over and over, with another long-time customer lamenting, “The handle is soft flimsy plastic, not like the old metal handles.” This feedback is crucial as it points not just to a defective unit, but a fundamental design and material choice flaw that seems destined to fail.

Competitors and Alternatives to the Flymo EasiGlide Plus 360V Hover Lawn Mower

While the hover technology is unique, if the build quality gives you pause, there are several excellent alternatives in the corded and cordless electric mower space worth considering.

1. Flymo SimpliMow 320 Electric Lawnmower

For those who want to stick with the Flymo brand but prefer a traditional wheeled design, the SimpliMow 320 is a compelling option. It’s a more conventional rotary mower with a less powerful 1000W motor and a smaller 32cm cutting width, making it best suited for smaller, flatter lawns. What you lose in hovering maneuverability on slopes, you gain in the straightforward, reliable performance of a wheeled machine. It features a larger 30-litre grass box and soft-grip handles, which may offer a more comfortable and robust user experience than the EasiGlide. This is the choice for someone with a small, simple garden who prioritizes collection capacity and a conventional feel over the unique benefits of a hover mower.

2. Flymo EasiStore 380R Electric Rotary Lawn Mower

The EasiStore 380R represents a step up in features and is arguably what many people expect from a modern electric mower. It boasts a wider 38cm cutting deck, a large 45-litre grass box, and a rear roller for creating those classic lawn stripes. Key features like close-edge cutting and central height adjustment add a level of convenience and precision the EasiGlide lacks. Its main selling point is its incredible space-saving storage design, which is even more advanced than the EasiGlide’s. This mower is for the gardener who wants a pristine, striped finish and values premium features and smart storage over the specific ability to glide over uneven terrain.

3. Greenworks 48V Self Propelled Cordless Lawnmower MO48L424-01

If the 10m cord of the Flymo feels restrictive, then stepping up to a cordless model like this Greenworks 48V mower is a complete game-changer. This is a premium option for larger lawns (up to 460m²). It offers a massive 46cm cutting width, a huge 55L collection bag, and the incredible convenience of being self-propelled—it drives itself forward, you just steer. The freedom from the cord cannot be overstated. Of course, this comes at a significantly higher price point and involves managing batteries. This alternative is for the user with a medium to large garden who is willing to invest more for the ultimate convenience, power, and freedom of a cordless, self-propelled experience, leaving corded mowers far behind.

Final Verdict: A Flawed Successor to a Storied Name

The Flymo EasiGlide Plus 360V Hover Lawn Mower is a frustrating product. In its element—gliding effortlessly over a sloped, uneven lawn—it is brilliant, delivering on the unique promise that made the Flymo name famous. The powerful motor and lightweight body make mowing less of a chore and more of a breeze. For some users, this singular benefit will be enough to outweigh its considerable faults.

However, we cannot ignore the glaring issues with build quality. The flimsy plastic handle that seems engineered to fail during assembly is a cardinal sin in product design. Combined with inconsistent cutting and collection performance on tougher grass, it becomes a risky purchase. It feels like a machine built to a price, not to a standard, tarnishing the legacy of durability its predecessors built. We would recommend this mower only to those who have a challenging, sloped garden, who will treat it with extreme care, and for whom lightweight maneuverability is the absolute highest priority. For everyone else, the market offers more reliable and robustly built alternatives. If you understand the compromises and still feel its unique gliding ability is right for you, you can find out more and purchase it here.