Sit back, relax – and watch £1,000 robot mow the lawn

WHETHER you want somewhere to sunbathe or a surface for picnics, nothing beats a well-tended lawn. From a time-saving robotic mower to a clever weeding tool, here’s everything you need to keep your grass in great shape all summer long.

Honda Miimo HRM 40 Live

MAINTAIN your lawn from the comfort of your outdoor recliner with this state-of-the-art robotic mower that can be controlled from a smartphone app, or by talking to Amazon’s Alexa. Capable of cutting a 400 square metre patch within half a day, it is fairly simple to set up and will maintain an area defined by perimeter wire (it comes with a 125-metre reel) held in place by pegs. The machine cuts blades of grass into ultra fine pieces, eliminating the need to collect them up afterwards. £990 (honda.co.uk)

Mountfield Electress 30L 20V

IDEAL for trimming small to medium- sized lawns up to 150 square metres, this cordless mower is powered by a 20-volt rechargeable battery that will provide 20 minutes of cutting time. Weighing in at just 8.7kg, it features a 30cm cutting width and has three cutting heights, ranging from 30mm to 70mm. Clippings are blown into a 30-litre collection box and handles fold down for easy storage. The machine is part of the firm’s Freedom 100 range, which is new for 2021. £119 (mountfieldlawnmowers. co.uk)

Cobra AirMow 51B

THIS hover mower is the lawn-care equivalent of an all-terrain vehicle. Floating on a cushion of air, the cutting deck is easily pushed across flat and uneven lawns thanks to the addition of a wheel kit, while quick- release l evers raise the wheels, turning the machine into a traditional hover that can maintain slopes of up to 45 degrees. Weighing 20kg, it’s powered by a meaty 575EX Briggs & Stratton engine and has a 50cm cutting width. £373.99 (cobragarden.co.uk)

EGO Line Trimmer ST 1400E-ST

TACKLE those areas that most mowers can’t reach with this innovative line trimmer. Claimed to be the world’s first self-loading model, it eliminates the need for fiddly self- winding of the cutting line.

Ideal for cutting longer grass around furniture, under hedges or around trees, it has a 35cm cutting width and a telescopic shaft that can be adjusted to suit your height. Adjust the loop handle and you can use it to whip scraggy lawn edges into shape. £169, excluding battery and charger (egopowerplus.co.uk)

Fiskars Xact Weed Puller

LEAVE the weedkiller in the shed and remove pesky dandelions, plantains and other turf invaders the environmentally friendly way with this simple but effective tool. Push the three serrated, stainless steel ‘claws’ into the ground over a weed, put your foot on the lever, pull back and out pops the unwanted plant. It can be used to hoick out any weeds but is particularly good for removing those with taproots. Thanks to its long handle, you can weed comfortably from an upright position. £40 (diy.com)