When it comes to choosing a lawn mower, you want a machine that combines ease of use, reliable performance and durability while delivering a neat, even cut. Testing the Bosch Rotak 36R electric lawn mower, I wanted to see if this budget-friendly, lightweight mower could handle regular maintenance of a small lawn without compromising on efficiency or comfort.
Bosch is a household name in both garden and DIY tools, with its lawn mowers praised for being compact and affordable. With different electric lawn mowers available for different cutting heights and widths, it's a worthy contender against competitors including Flymo and Ryobi - fellow big names in the cheap yet cheerful lawn mower market.
As the owner of a 40 sq m garden (and a flourishing lawn thanks to the climate), I put the Bosch Rotak 36R through its paces over the course of a month to see how it faired.
Bosch Rotak 36R lawn mower overview
Amazon/ BoschPros
- Lightweight
- Easy and comfortable to use
Cons
- Poor assembly instructions
| Cutting width | 36cm |
| Cutting height | 20-70mm |
| Power | 1350 W |
| Weight | 12kg |
| Grass catcher capacity | 40L |
| Fuel type | Electric |
| Cutting blade type | Steel |
Testing the Bosch Rotak 36R Electric Lawn Mower
The build
When it came to putting together the Bosch Rotak 36R, the instructions provided sadly weren't that clear for the claim of ‘easy assembly’ - I even resorted to watching videos on YouTube but all those I viewed had been assembled with the handles the wrong way! The picture on the box acts as the most useful guide. It’s also worth bearing in mind this is a two-person job. That being said, the overall build quality was good, if a little flimsy, but felt sturdy enough for a lightweight mower of just 12kg.
Usability
It’s a simple case of adjusting a lever at the front wheel to pick your cutting height and starting the mover is equally as easy. Just press a button on the central console on the handles with one hand, while holding in another button on the inside of the console with the other hand, and away you go.
It does live up to its description of being comfortable and easy to use, though I can’t comment on whether or not it’s easy to adjust to get the perfect mowing height of the user; after the epic effort it took to navigate putting it together, I left it be at how we initially set it up!
It did mow close to the lawn edge against our decking, but a garden strimmer was still needed to complete the look. And speaking of the cut, although we had it on its lowest setting of 20mm, which seems to be the industry standard low setting for many mowers in the general consumer market, it didn’t look as though it had trimmed the grass sufficiently short enough, which was probably my biggest disappointment with it.
The 40L grass-cutting box felt a little on the flimsy side but was simple to attach and stayed on. For our smallish lawn you can easily mow in one sitting without the need to empty and when done, the case easily detaches to dispose of the lawn clippings either in the compost bin, green bin or even to use as mulch.
One of its key features is that it’s designed for easy storage, with foldable handles that create a compact shape to suit small garden sheds or storage spaces. While this is true, it is a bit of a faff having to loosen the handles each time and could become a bit tiresome during peak season, when mowing is a more frequent job.
Price
The Bosch Rotak 36R has an RRP of £144.99 but is available online from various stockists, including Amazon for less. It's a budget-friendly option compared to competitors, though you don't mind a shorter cutting width, you can get the Bosch Rotak 34R for even less.
Overall verdict: Is the Bosch Rotak 36R lawn mower worth it?
The Bosch Rotak 36R is a budget-friendly electric lawn mower designed for small to medium gardens. While it’s easy to use and compact for storage, making it a solid option for those seeking a simple mower, it lacks the robustness and performance expected from higher-end models. Overall, it's a fair choice for smaller lawns, especially at its affordable price point.
Rating: 3/5
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How I tested the Bosch Rotak 36R lawn mower
I had the Bosch Rotak 36R on test for a month, and during September, which probably isn’t really either the ideal time of year or length of time to really put the mower through its paces. Nonetheless, thanks to our current climate of lots of rain and good bursts of sun, there was still a need to use the mower at least weekly, so it did get put to good use.
Our lawn is not large – about 40 sq m – and is near to an electric point, so the cable length of 10m was plenty long enough.
We just didn’t have the opportunity to really investigate all the features, such as whether the rear roller for a striped lawn effect was useful, or really have the chance to try it on different cutting heights.
Other items to consider:
Bosch/ AmazonAs mentioned, if you don't mind the slightly smaller cutting width (which you probably won't with a smaller garden), the Bosch Rotak 34R could save you a little money.
Bosch/ AmazonSlimmer again with a 32cm cutting width, this version of the Bosch Rotak is a bargain at under £100.
Flymo/ AmazonAlternatively, you may want to try this option from Flymo. It's about on par with Bosch with a 36cm cutting width, 40L grass box, folding handles and lightweight build. It's just a little bit more powerful with a 1500 W motor.
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Kathryn Lovelock is deputy group production lead for Bauer Media’s Gardening and Sport titles and production editor of Garden News. In her spare time, her passions include her pet labrador, travel, music and gardening, with a particular love for hydrangeas and hostas!