Kärcher LMO 18-33 vs Flymo EasiStore 300R Li: two top cordless cutting contenders head-to-head

Both of these diminutive mowers are perfect for small urban lawns, and both of them are members of T3's best wireless lawn mowers buying guide, but which one will be right for you? That's what this feature is designed to discover.

We’ve already run a comparison between the larger Kärcher LMO 18-36 and the Gtech Cordless Lawnmower 2.0, but right here we're seeing how Kärcher’s smaller stablemate, the T3 Award-winning Kärcher LMO 18-33 fares against the even smaller Flymo EasiStore 300R Li.

In 2022 both of these small lawn mowers are also attractive as they retail for arguably very affordable price points. Far from half-a-grand monsters, these machines can be bagged for under 200 notes, so providing you don't need large large cutting capacity, they could be ideal for you. Let's take a closer look.

Kärcher LMO 18-33 vs Flymo EasiStore 300R Li: design

The bright yellow Kärcher has a cutting deck of 33cm which makes it perfect for a typical inner city lawn of around 75 square metres. However, if your lawn is even smaller or you have a patio-sized garden, the new Flymo EasiStore 300R Li’s smaller 30cm cutting deck will do the trick.

Rather like the motor industry, for some unfathomable reason most lawn mower manufacturers seem to equate smallness with cheapness. Hence, most small urban lawnmowers aren’t as well designed or as well built as their larger brethren. The most common area for cost cutting can usually be found in the handlebar assembly and the cutting height mechanism. 

Well, to some degree Kärcher bucks this trends by giving the LMO 18-33 a decent single-fold handlebar with a comfy foam covering and two plastic power grips for added comfort. It can even be lowered a very small amount for users of shorter stature. Yes, the cutting height lever is a flimsy plastic affair but it works just fine with a bit of coaxing. The Kärcher provides a cutting height range of 35mm to 65mm in four increments. Let’s just say that it’s fine for most urban lawnsmiths but not great for anyone wanting a putting green lawn.

The Flymo EasiStore 300R L has a similar handlebar system with the same plastic power triggers. However, this one can fold in two places making it even easier to store (a bit more on that later). The Flymo has just three cutting heights but the lowest is a very low 20mm which is good for fine bowling-green grass. However, in order to change the cutting height you need to turn the mower over and manhandle both sprung axles into a different position. This is simply very poor form. In fact, I’d much rather pay extra money for a simple cutting height lever like every other decent mower on the market.

Both models are equipped with grass collectors but the Kärcher goes a stage further by including a mulching plug in the package. This means you can close off the rear chute so that all those lovely nitrogen-rich grass cuttings are fed back into the lawn. Nevertheless, if you’d rather have the grass collected then you’ll be pleased to know that the Kärcher wades in with an ample 35 litres of capacity against the Flymo’s 30 litres.

If you’re looking for a lightweight mower you can easily carry, the Flymo will suit you down to the ground. Where the Kärcher clocks in at 11.3kgs, the titchy Flymo weighs in at a floaty 8.8 kilos.

Kärcher LMO 18-33 vs Flymo EasiStore 300R Li: key features

Both models have at least one ace each up their sleeves and with the Kärcher it’s the amazing 18-volt battery. Brightly coloured and part coated in a robust rubbery material, the Kärcher’s Lithium Ion battery features an LCD screen that displays the remaining battery juice as a percentage and as a countdown in minutes when charging. This is so much better than having to rely on a set of LED lights to let you know how much charge is left. Just be sure to shove the battery in firmly until you hear a click or the motor simply won’t run. A few users were initially caught out the first time they used this mower. Worse, some owners even returned their machine thinking that they had bought a lemon. You should reasonably expect about 40 minutes of cutting time with the Kärcher and about 90 minutes to charge it.

The Flymo comes with two 20v batteries and they both run in tandem. No, I’m not sure why Flymo didn’t install just one 40v battery, but what I do know is that you’ll get about 35 minutes of cutting time out of a two-hour charge.

While we’re discussing the Flymo, let’s take a look at its main party trick: the ability to be stored in an upright position with the grass collector attached to the top. This is such a brilliant idea I’m surprised no one thought of it before. It’s basically a simple plastic hook on the grass catcher that attaches to the handlebar. Not only can the mower be stored this way, but the whole shebang can be wheeled around like a shopping cart. Sometimes simple is best and Flymo’s bods certainly nailed this one.

Kärcher LMO 18-33 vs Flymo EasiStore 300R Li: performance

The Kärcher LMO 18-33 is an exemplary cutter and it makes a fair fist of reaching the edges of borders, too. I’ve tried it on a number of cutting heights and never had any issues of clumping or straggly lines. It’s very easy to manoeuvre, too.

Naturally the smaller Flymo EasiStore 300R Li takes a few more passes on the same sized lawn but it too cut our test sward very well, even though it wasn’t especially brilliant in long grass. In its favour, it’s one of the lightest mowers I’ve ever tested and definitely one of the easiest to steer. If you have a small lawn with obstacles like arbours and trees then this model will have no issues negotiating the terrain. Rare for a lawnmower of this size, the Flymo is also equipped with a rear roller so this is the model to choose if you want garden stripes.

Both of these mowers do a great job but the Kärcher swings it for me – it simply cuts better and with few passes. It also has a much easier cutting height mechanism and it comes with a mulching plug which isn’t normally a feature on small, budget-priced mowers.

Kärcher LMO 18-33 vs Flymo EasiStore 300R Li: verdict

The Flymo EasiStore 300R Li’s storage concept is a winner, especially for users with very limited storage space. It’s also light as a feather and very easy to manoeuvre. However, the cheap cutting height adjustment system spoils the party because it’s simply too much effort to engage.

The Kärcher LMO 18-33, on the other hand, ticks all the right boxes, including performance, weight and foldability. But it’s the amazing battery system and mulching plug that really clinches it. For these reasons I’d recommend it over the smaller and lighter Flymo, even if your lawn is the size of a postage stamp.

• Got a country garden? You need a petrol mower mate