Gtech's Cordless Lawnmower CLM50 made cutting my grass a breeze – it's incredibly easy to use and set up

My Gtech Cordless Lawnmower CLM50 review puts the brand's cordless mower through its paces – and I'm impressed with the results.

The Gtech Cordless Lawnmower CLM50 boasts an adjustable cutting height mechanism, a foldable design for compact storage, and a generous 420mm cutting width. It's powered by a 48V lithium-ion battery and has a collapsible 50-litre bin for grass cuttings.

If you're looking for one of the best lawnmowers on the market, or you're wondering whether a cordless lawnmower is worth it, you'll want to read on – I've covered ease of assembly and use, mowing performance, and the battery life, so you can decide for yourself.

Specifications

• Suitable for: Small to medium lawns
• Power: Cordless (battery-operated)
• Propulsion type: Manual
• Cutting options: Cut, collect
• Deck material: Poly
• Weight: 13.5kg
• Dimensions: H106 x W47 x D122cm
• Cutting width: 42cm
• Cutting height: 30mm to 80mm
• Battery: 1 x rechargeable lithium-ion (48V)
• Battery life: up to 40 minutes on a single charge
• Grass collection: 50L
• Noise decibels: 78-96dB
• Folding: Yes

How I tested

Sophie

I'm Sophie, Ideal Home team's Gardens Editor. My job involves putting a range of garden products through their paces to find the best recommendations for our readers. I write about all things lawn care, so I thought I'd give this Gtech Cordless Lawnmower CLM50 a try in my small garden.

Getting started

My Gtech Cordless Lawnmower CLM50 arrived neatly packaged in a cardboard box with minimal packaging – just the essentials, like cardboard sleeves and protective plastic film here and there.

Setting up the mower was quite straightforward. To start with, I had to move the handle into place. There are two height settings for this, which was great news for me – I’m quite tall, and the higher setting meant I didn’t have to bend forward when using the mower.

Positioning the handles was fairly easy – I had to rotate the locking handles on the inside of each side and lock them into place. It was a bit fiddly trying to get the grip just right, but it was easy enough to loosen the lever and adjust it accordingly.

Then, it was time to attach the grass box to the back of the CLM50. I really liked the design of the box – it has a fabric base which is collapsible for easy storage. To set the box up, I simply slotted the metal pole into the soft holder beneath the fabric base, and it propped into shape. It’s easy to dismantle this part, too.

The grass box easily slots into the back of the mower. It was slightly fiddly trying to hold the plastic flap open on the rear of the CLM50 while I positioned it, though, and I struggled to hear the 'click' the manual described when the box was in place.

I also charged the battery up before I used the Gtech Cordless Lawnmower CLM50 for the first time. The charging base connects to the mains and the 48V lithium-ion battery itself easily fit into the holder. A flashing green light told me it was charging, and it didn’t take long for it to reach its full charge (it takes just one hour to reach a full single charge).

The battery fits into the front pocket of the CLM50 – I just had to lift the flap and slot it in. It takes a bit of force to make it ‘click’ into place, but a green light indicates that it’s positioned correctly.

Lawn mowing

With the battery fitted, I was ready to start mowing. But first, I had to choose my cutting height.

I really loved the adjustable cutting height feature – the handle was easy to move into the desired cutting height, with options ranging from 30mm to 80mm. I chose 60 for a happy medium – I didn’t want to cut the grass too short, but my lawn was in need of a good haircut!

Then, I had to turn the safety key to the unlocked position. The manual stressed the importance of keeping this key in the locked position while the mower isn’t in use (and removing it entirely before emptying the grass box or carrying out other maintenance tasks on the mower), so it's a really crucial safety feature.

Once I’d turned the key, starting the Gtech Cordless Lawnmower CLM50 was easy. I simply pushed the button on the side of the handle (a clear 'click' meant I’d pushed it in enough) while simultaneously pulling the thinner green lever on the top handle bar towards the thicker grey bar. It didn’t take much force at all, and the mower smoothly kicked into action.

I had to hold the two bars together while mowing, but that was effortless – even with my small hands! Whenever I wanted the mower to stop, I simply released the bars.

Mowing itself was really easy. I mowed up and down my lawn at a walking pace, and the machine did a swift job. I completed the entire thing in 10 minutes and didn’t have to retrace my steps for any missed patches.

The Gtech Cordless Lawnmower CLM50 includes Omniblade Cutting Technology, which Gtech describes as 'intelligent', because the blade rotates faster (to 3500RPM, ahead of the usual 2800RPM) whenever it senses that extra power is required.

The only niggle-point I could find was that the wheels on either side of the mower made it difficult to get a close cut next to border edging – but that's to be expected with a fair few other models on the market as well.

Ease of use

Cutting my grass with the Gtech Cordless Lawnmower CLM50 was a real treat. Pushing the mower felt light and easy, and it made quick work of the entire area.

The mower itself feels like a high-quality product. As it’s cordless, it already supports the corded vs cordless lawnmower debate in that it’s really faff-free without the lead. It was so easy to move around the garden with the CLM50, and I’d say it’s the smoothest mowing experience I’ve ever had.

Another feature I really loved was the light on the battery that indicated the charge level. By the end of my mowing session, three green lights were visible through the see-through plastic screen, so around 60% of charge remained after around 15 minutes of mowing. Gtech say that a one-hour charge provides up to 40 minutes of cutting time so that seemed to check out!

Before I stored the mower in my shed, I had to empty the grass box. This was really easy – I simply had to unslot the box, tip out the contents and give the mower a brush over.

Gtech advertises the Cordless Lawnmower CLM50 as a lightweight model at 13.5kg, and it certainly felt that way while mowing – but I did still find it a hefty unit to hand-carry to the shed once I’d finished. Still, I love the way the mower folds down for compact storage.

Verdict

Overall, the Gtech Cordless Lawnmower CLM50 is easy to setup, provides an effortless mowing experience, and offers faff-free features which make lawnmowing as straightforward as possible. Its adjustable cutting height mechanism, easy-to-read battery and ergonomic design mean it’s brilliant for novice gardeners as well as experienced lawn aficionados.

At £599.99, it is more expensive than other models on the market, but if you’re looking to invest in a quality cordless lawnmower, the CLM50 is a sturdy choice.

The only thing I'd say is that the mower itself can be a heavy unit to lift, and certain parts of the setup, like fitting the grass box beneath the rear flap, can be a bit fiddly.

Those niggle-points aside, it's a sleek, reliable mower. Other reviewers agree – the Gtech Cordless Lawnmower CLM50 gets 4.6 out of 5 stars on Currys, with customers commenting on its ease and manoeuvrability.

If you're looking for a sleek, easy-to-use cordless mower with great storage ability, the Gtech Cordless Lawnmower CLM50 is worth the investment. If you have a large garden, the 40 minutes of battery life might interrupt a full mowing session – but if you have a smaller garden and you're tight on storage room, the foldability makes the CLM50 a brilliant option.