AdvancedRotak 650 UK
-
Quiet mowing
The AdvancedRotak 650 from Bosch generates up to 75% less noise and eliminated high pitch frequencies for more comfortable acoustics thanks to the ProSilence Technology.
-
One-click height of cut adjustment
Easily switch among 7 height settings with a click of a button – adjusting the height from 25 to 80 mm.
-
Collecting and shredding leaves
The AdvancedRotak 650 enables a user to collect, shred and dispose leaves thanks to the LeafCollect Blade.
-
ErgoFlex: Convenient mowing from different angles
There are 4 buttons on the handles, each of which could be pressed to operate the mower: there is no need to change hands when turning or going around corners, simply press the nearest button.
-
Mowing close to the edge
Use the AdvancedRotak 650 to mow close to the edge with less manual rework thanks to grass combs.
-
Compact and easy to store
Simply fold the grass box and completely collapse the ErgoSlide handles to compactly store the AdvancedRotak 650.
Comparison Table
1700 W | Motor power | 1700 W |
650 m² | Max. lawn area | 750 m² |
50 l | Grass box capacity | 50 l |
40 cm | Cutting Width | 44 cm |
25 – 80 mm | Height of cut | 25 – 80 mm |
7 | Cutting Height | 7 |
ErgoSlide | Handles | ErgoSlide |
1700 W | Motor power | 1800 W |
650 m² | Max. lawn area | 770 m² |
50 l | Grass box capacity | 50 l |
40 cm | Cutting Width | 44 cm |
25 – 80 mm | Height of cut | 25 – 80 mm |
7 | Cutting Height | 7 |
ErgoSlide | Handles | ErgoSlide |
1700 W | Motor power | 1300 W |
650 m² | Max. lawn area | 550 m² |
50 l | Grass box capacity | 40 l |
40 cm | Cutting Width | 36 cm |
25 – 80 mm | Height of cut | 25 – 70 mm |
7 | Cutting Height | 6 |
ErgoSlide | Handles | ErgoFlex |
1700 W | Motor power | 1300 W |
650 m² | Max. lawn area | 470 m² |
50 l | Grass box capacity | 40 l |
40 cm | Cutting Width | 34 cm |
25 – 80 mm | Height of cut | 25 – 70 mm |
7 | Cutting Height | 6 |
ErgoSlide | Handles | ErgoFlex |
- AdvancedRotak 750
- AdvancedRotak 770
- UniversalRotak 550
- UniversalRotak 470
| Weight: | 16 kg |
| Size: | Cutting Width: 40 cm |
| Dimensions: | 76 x 49.5 x 45 cm; 16 Kilograms |
| Model: | 06008B9273 |
| Part: | 06008B9273 |
| Pack Quantity: | 1 |
| Batteries Required: | No |
| Manufacture: | Bosch |
| Quantity: | 1 |
| Size: | Cutting Width: 40 cm |
Persuaded hubby to go Friday m petrol to electric. Give or take the nuisance of a cable he’s really pleased and for me well I can manage this if necessary.
Out of the box, pull up the handle, connect the plug, and clip on the grass box, push button adjuster for height. Simples, cuts well, light to push. Needs and extension cable but other than that seems fine, easy to turn and the grass goes into the collector without clogging. Fine.
I used this to tame my overgrown garden and it coped no problem
Out of the box it was dead easy to get going, folds up great, is really quiet and cuts fantastic, would have been nice to have included the mulching adaptor at that price though!!
Grassbox not too easy to clip on.Lowest cutting height could do with being a little lower but otherwise quite a good machine
To anyone considering trying to save some money by going for the 32R/34R/37 etc. models (the newer releases of which I believe are now called EasyRotak?), don’t. If you’re in doubt, good; spend the extra 50-100 quid and get the UniversalRotak or AdvancedRotak, like this one. I had the same idea; reviews praised them highly (although there are a scary number of negative ones on other websites) and it seemed right for the job, but they are just so inferior in quality and design. They require assembly and are not collapsible without dismantlement, the grass box is flimsy and (unrelated) grass often gets stuck in the lawnmower itself instead of feeding into the container, resulting in cut grass being left on the lawn. While they are indeed very light, they feel cheap and I’d much prefer my far heavier, older machine. In my case, the 37-14 I purchased died during its first encounter with some long grass—something the ancient qualcast had no problem with. It didn’t cough or splutter, or shut off to protect itself from overheating. I stopped it to empty the container, and upon returning, found that it would no longer start. Now, admittedly, my garden isn’t at all flat; it’s on a bank and dips in sections, but (unlike before) I set this flimsy-feeling machine to cut on a higher setting, so that shouldn’t have been a factor in its sudden demise.
That done, I almost went for a different brand but kept coming back to the Rotak and wound up giving the AdvancedRotak 650 a go. This proved to be where the quality lays. The 50-100 extra (I wouldn’t bother with cordless) is well worth it, especially if you would find yourselves paying that later anyway after a bad experience. They come already assembled except for the power cord which is detachable and they are still light but also very sturdy (including the grass box despite the sides being fabric to save on a bit of storage space). Grass does not get stuck in the lawnmower itself—in fact, if the container is full, it will just work to pack the grass more tightly into it. I fail to see how anyone can fail to connect the box properly such that grass sprays everywhere, as a few reviews mention. It is extremely easy to use and well-built.
I hope, by sharing this experience, to save some others who are sitting on the fence, from making the mistake I did and costing themselves more money by trying to save going for a cheaper model. I appreciate the difficulties of trying to distinguish between genuine critical reviews and reviews which just contain silly complaints born of unacknowledged errors or a sense of entitlement to higher quality for less. Coming from old reliable, I can say with certainty that the cheaper models shake the faith Bosch’s customers have for their products. The AdvancedRotak does not. You’re not saving on the price of size when going for one of those cheaper models; the lesser price isn’t worth it; you’ll lose out quality and thus also likely lose out on a lawnmower with a longer life unless your lawn is tiny and the ground flat.
Really happy with this lawn mower – so easy to set up, use and fold away. Amazed how light this is too.
Great results on my lawn, various height cuts.
Just (obviously) be careful of the wire it comes with
Well recommend
Excellent mower that can be used straight from the box.
No assembly required other than popping the grass box on the back.
The only thing that lets this mower down is the cable length. If you have a postage stamp sized lawn next to an outdoor socket you might be ok. But for a mower rated for 650 sq metre lawns 10 metres of cable is ridiculously short.
Packs away very compactly, so takes up little space in the shed.
I needed a small mower to use whilst my regular gardener was indisposed. This mower does the job. It was quite easy to assemble out of the box although the handbook would have been more helpful with a few written instructions rather than just picture. However, it did go together quite easily. I had initial difficulty in getting the mower to power up, but soon realised that I had to push in the switch on the hand grip as well as the start button to get it going. Not being power driven it was a bit hard to push around the lawn but being a smallish lawn not really a problem. Good value for money.
Great mower cuts well heavier than I thought it would be but it’s got a big 1700 moter used it twice so far more than I need really no complaints
This is the 3rd Bosch lawnmower I have had & the best one yet. Well designed with very easy cutting height adjustment and a capacious grass basket. Light & comfortable to use & collapses down easily for storage.
Have only had this mower a couple of weeks. Have done a full cut round the front of property, the very large area at the back done a day later re weather. Even the damp grass cut very well and no snagging or build-up blockages from the blade box and cutting into the grass box. Few days later used it for collecting all the leaves, which it has a setting for. Took little long as the blade shreds the leaves and the box get full very quickly.
Has mad e very good job of all the grass, and the ladies like it and find it easy to use also, which now means the Grass ~Cutting is No Longer the Man of the House job, Oh Dear! Perhaps more time for a Beer or two. Thank You and certainly RECOMMEND this Mower.
Pretty decent lawnmower. It feels quite sturdy and cuts neatly. Changing height is a doddle and it has a large capacity collecter. It isn’t light but it isn’t too heavy. The turning circle is fairly large and manoeuvrability could be better. The electric cord is fairly short but is removable
Much better mower than my previous one, easy to assemble and use
Cheers G
Things I like:
1) The folding handle and folding grass box means it is quite compact, and fits in a small waist height shed very easily.
2) The height adjustment is so easy. You may not adjust the height often, but when you do, you’ll appreciate this. I always cut at the highest setting if the grass is long and then drop it one setting at a time for subsequent cuts as you should never take more than a third off. I also don’t cut too short and have not gone lower than ‘5’.
3) The lawn mower cuts right up to the edge.
4) The grass box is big.
5) It’s easy to lift when folded using the handle in the middle and the handle under the front lip.
Things I don’t like:
1) The folding handle is great, BUT there is a lot of play in the handle especially when trying to turn the lawn mower round at the end of a run.
2) The mower is quite long and the blade is set back quite far which means you can get right in to corners and have to break the strimmer out.
3) Grass gets stuck behind the folding arms of the grass box as they are quite deep.
4) The cable is a bit short, so you need to get the extension lead out if your lawn is long. It’s a standard EU socket on the endb so you could always make up a longer cable if you wanted.
Love this lawnmower! So much better than my old Flymo hover mower which just would rip up the turf and leave potholes in my lawn. This AdvancedRotak mower has an adjustable height for mowing, which is easy to change, and the blades are nice and sharp, so the grass isn’t shredded. Easy to use & manoeuvre- I was worried it would be to clunky, but not at all. It’s quiet and not too heavy. I recommend buying the mulcher accessory, as with that this mower will double-cut the grass clippings and spread them back into the lawn as you are cutting. Just what you need to nourish the lawn. And no more putting the grass clippings in the garden waste bin!
This mower does a really great job and is good value for money. My lawn is far from being as smooth and level as a bowling green and the Bosch copes well with all the undulations well. Because the electric motor is so powerful, the power cable is quite hefty. Being only 10 metres long, I need to use a heavy duty extension lead and carefully plan where to position the cable drum to make the mowing process most efficient. It is really quiet in use. I would certainly recommend it to anyone with a sizeable lawn.
I really like this mower as it’s so light and quiet and folds down nicely. The cable is frustratingly too short though and although I use an outdoor extension lead it’s still bothersome. It would be great if they could make a much longer lead for this product and offer it as an add on – I would certainly buy it:)
Works very well
As always could do with a longer power cable 50 meters would be good
Ordered this product for someone else but they are very pleased. Next day delivery was superb
The Bosch Rotak 650 is excellent with long grass! After winter,and Mole destruction, lawns turned into bumpy fields! This machine has a super large capacity grass box…50l….so very useful. Also has 7 cutting levels……very satisfied with prompt delivery.
Folds down small for storage – good design – but is also sturdily made. Glad I chose this quieter-engine model. Good selection of blade heights. Happy with this and was also very happy at the 4-instalment payment option, made it worth buying good quality. Didn’t review before as ordered it in winter! but done several very neat cuts now!
This item was purchased to replace my deceased Flymo.
Easy to assemble and lightweight.
My only complaints are the power cable and the plug in point on the mower itself.
The power cable isn’t long enough and the plug in point on the lawn mower is a shocking design, it’s too easy to pull out accidentally and it needs a safety catch to prevent this happening ( flymo and others have a flap on the plug which you have to lift up to remove the cable form the mower, this prevents the plug working loose when mowing )
Also why is the plug so big ?
Aside from that is ok
I was sooo right in getting this for our garden.
Its heavy but super well made. It rolls nice and its powerful.
My only criticism is the way the clippings come a wee bit off the box… I wish the would have made the connection way sealed.
Best Ive ever owned
Clunkier than our demised little mower, but once we’ve got used to it, it certainly does our job
Heavier than I was expecting. Cuts really well. Fills up fast.
I think this is a great lawnmower.. cuts through wet grass with ease.. I have no complaints at all, yes the cable is a bit short I just attache my ext cable.. would I buy it again.. YES
I loathe and detest gardening of all types … but this enables me to enjoy cutting the lawn and makes the whole experience a non-event. It cuts uneven surfaces, damp grass, very long grass(!) and is super quiet. Yup, I’m waxing lyrical about a lawnmower. My life is over!
The only downside is the power lead – whilst it’s of good quality flex it’s simply too short for the average garden and comes across as penny-pinching by Bosch.
It is a great machine, light and quiet and does everything it is supposed to do
having used this a few times now
I have to say it great and well worth the Which award
very easy to set up and use straight out of the box
my garden is not that big but after looking at many lawnmowers I decided on this
I believe it’s a great make well built and should serve for many years
so worth the extra initial outlay
I bought this to replace my old hover mower. I find it much easier to manoeuvre than the hover and no longer feel exhausted after I’ve used it. I particularly like the fact that it cuts right up to the edges of the lawn. This means I rarely need to use the strimmer, a job I hate! I would definitely recommend this lawnmower.
This was so easy to assemble straight from the box, took barely 10 mins, then plugged in and away we went, does a beautiful job on lawns, highly recommended.
As a hover mower user of 20years standing, this Rotak 650 was a bit of a leap of faith.
My old orange hovermowers were quite delicate and brittle, I suppose they have to be made lighter in order to hover.
So it was a toss up whether I kept on repairing and adapting.
In the end I took the plunge and went for the Bosch rotak 650, I’m glad I did.
Downside? only one, the cable is too short, but I use an extension reel so no great hardship there.
The quality of manufacture is excellent.
It feels built to last, and so quiet.
Four trigger buttons left or right cable tidy options and an ergonomic adjustable reach handle make this very pleasant to use.
The quality of cut is first rate, a very uniform finish with the suggestion of a stripe due to the broad rubber tyres and the rear roller.
My first impressions were that with the grass collecting box at the back it was a very long machine, that mowing around raised beds the collecting box might be an issue.
I needn’t have worried, the flexible nylon back & sides to the box means it folds neatly out of the way.
I also went daft and spent the 30 on the mulching attachment. A bit of a swizz for the money seeing as its just a 30bob piece of plastic, but I’m kinda glad I have it now.
Twice I’ve cut the entire lawn with no cuttings going into the blue recycling bin, but without them being apparent on the lawn. The one wee bit it did show I raised the cut a notch and went over the area again and it tidied up no bother.
That 50L collector is a pleasant surprise too. Where my old orange hover had to be emptied when only half full to remain hovering meaning as many as 6 trips to empty it, the Rotak 650 did the lot in one go with no loss in quality of lawn finish.
One wee unexpected bonus is the front wheels being set inside the track of the side combs and back wheels, you can mow right up to the very edge of a drop, say a kerb or path edge.
Ease and speed of height adjustment I find very impressive too. The roller and body of the mower all move in synchronicity with the blade.
Long grass wet or dry handled with ease. The mower adjusts from a max of 80mm length cut down to 20mm.
Though as ever you will find a lot of wet grass stuck to everything under the mower when you’re done.
Yes even at twice the price of my old orange hover, more with the mulch plate that really ought to come as standard, I am well pleased with my purchase.
Bosch Advanced Rotak 650 Electric Rotary Lawnmower – Awesome Mower. So happy I elected to remain with corded solution rather than go down petrol or battery powered route. This product fits my needs. Able to power through cutting my lawn without running out of puff. Others have commented on the supplied red power cord being on the short side and I tend to agree so this should be considered. For me it made me think about my cutting style to avoid risk of striking cable whilst in use. An extra 5mtrs would have been perfect for me but I’ve figured out how to make this work for me. That’s the only negative point. With a couple of clicks this mower was assembled and ready to use with 10minutes out of the box. A breeze to setup and get mowing. Height adjusts with simple press of button. I didn’t even need to read the instructions it’s that intuitive and well thought out and a pleasure to use. Light, well built and handle bars folds down nice and neat to store away. Easy to clean and collector tray and bag integrates and connects to mower with ease. Highly recommend this mower. Makes me glad I decided to keep the lawn as opposed to astroturfing the lot which was on my mind once my old flymo gave up the ghost and I had to consider options to replace. So pleased I chose this product. Ranks amongst my best buys hands down.
Lowest setting not easy to engage, motor starting handle has to be gripped firmly.
Collecting box could be better designed. Grass spills out when unlatching box when full for emptying.
Purchased to replace our petrol mower which we found was starting to get temperamental/difficult to start – now that we are not as young as we used to be wanted to make it easier on ourselves. Although I would prefer not to have a lead to manage, it was easy enough to manoeuvre and hubby seems happy with it and of course it always starts first time. Gives a nice cut – just shame the lead isn’t longer. Our back garden is only medium size, but we have to use an extension lead.
This is a superb lawnmower – I was impressed with the build of it.
Has multiple height options which can be selected easily via a button & has a good grass collection basket.
I have given this a quick run on damp grass (I know should have waited for grass to dry but I really wanted to try it out like Christmas had come early thank you Amazon prime day) and it is quiet and easy to move around, I really appreciate how easy to adjust the height of the blade, grass looks like my head, only caveat is that as I become enfeebled by the relentless ageing process the 18 kg weight of the thing may seem more of an effort to pick up and move to a safe place.
Can’t fault it but it’s too soon to write a review. I’ve only used it a handful of times
Gives the grass a decent cut works great the main pug came out a couple of times but not a big issue just stick it back in and is really quiet compared to most lawn mowers happy so far with i
If s lawnmower could be described as perfect then this is it. It’s lightweight soo good on the slope. The wide cut makes it quicker, it cuts like a dream and packs away to nothing. Yes, definitely a good purchase. In fact, so good, I have bought the scarifier rake too
Easy to use, great cut. Easy cutting height adjustment.
Downside is cable length, would be better at 15m
Finally retired my 2yr old flymo easyglide after the many frustrating cuts. Hated it, kicking out grass cutting all over the place. The bosch however gives a clean cut, no spraying cuttings, easy to push and comfortable on arms and wrists. Just wish I bought 2yrs ago.
I liked the quietness of the mower and shortness of the cut . Not as light weight as I thought it would be as I have small garden , but is perfect for the job otherwise .
Cut won’t go down low enough, lead too short. Only just started using it so not sure if it will be reliable ye
This is a great mower, easy to use and leaves a fab lawn.
Used a few times with no issues. Can’t comment on durability, but seems strong.
Great mower, my first electric, very quiet and cuts well
Easy to use and I am quite happy with i
Width of cut is good and it copes with a large uneven area of grass
This is a great mower – we have quite a large garden and it cuts the grass with ease. I am impressed by the fact that it grassbox will nearly do the whole garden without the need to empty it!
Most of this is well covered in other reviews, which are all accurate.
+ Nice mower. Very very quiet. Easy to manoeuvre. Handle folding is neat and height setting is excellent.
– Impossible to remove grass box to empty without spilling a little bit out.
But, seriously, what were they thinking on the cable length? 10m. It’s ridiculous. The mower is described by Bosch as “particularly well suited to lawns measuring up to 650 m2.” If your lawn was perfectly circular, with a plug socket exactly in the centre, you could only mow half that (pi*10*10)! For everybody with a normal shaped lawn, with a socket at the edge, you’re lucky if you can get to 100m2 without an extension lead. If your socket is inside, you’ll not get much past your window! Buy a long extension lead, and not with a cable roll at the end (as it’ll need to drag it around).
Cuts the grass perfectly and does cut right up to the edges. It is relatively quiet but a bit difficult to manoeuver round tight corners. Overall I am very satisfied with this mower.
Brilliant lawn mower. Very impressed with it’s performance after using it on several occasions now. Love the fact that it handles uneven lawns like ours in our rented property. We also have a very damp lawn even in the summer with us being at the end of a bank. The mower handled the wet longer grass with ease too. Just make sure you set it higher at first as to not overload the motor. The blade adjustment is extremely easy to do and we have yet to use it to its lowest point but we are still avoiding shaving the lawn completely just yet! Also like that this has a 1 blade system and not the little plastic blade things we had in our old mower. The grass box is fantastic and holds most our lawn cuttings so we are not constantly running to the compost bin! The mower itself feels well built and east to use. Slightly heavy to push but then again it is quite a beasty compared to out old little Flymo we fell out with. Love the fact the mover handle folds up on itself for storage in our garage. I know they call it a pro silence but it’s not silent by any means. You can hear it and so will your neighbors but it’s not as loud as most lawn mowers you can buy. As others have mentioned the cable is a bit short given the amount of space this is meant to be able to cover but that’s easily sorted with an extension cable which we have always used anyways. Overall we are chuffed with it and it takes the stress out if cutting the grass now. More time for BBQs in the sun! Our old mower would take a good 40 minutes to cut the lawn Inbetween fights with blades flying off when we hit a stick or stray peg off the washing line! This one takes 10-15 max! Can’t comment on the stripe affect as we haven’t aimed for any yet. Overall if it broke I’d definitely want a replacement rather then a refund and have already recommended it to family and friends. Amazon monthly payments also helped us get what we wanted at a more cost effective way. (Just had a puppy and a baby!) Delivery was faultless too.
Great lawnmower… quieter than previois flymo. Easy to use with quick height adjustme
Only reason it didn’t get 5 stars is the size of cutaway on top of grass collector bucket. The power cord isn’t long enough to cover whole garden, but not an issue as I knew this before I bought it. Cable storage is easy as disconnects completely and mower storage is so easy as handle folds over body of mower.
Lives up to its Which best-buy rating. Easy to push and not too heavy. Clean cut and easy to empty.
Easy to adjust and use, cuts the lawn well, noticeably quiet, folds down for comact storage.
The photo attached is from my garden today.
Cons
– Cord could be longer
– Bag fullness indicator could be more user-friendly, i.e. be larger and give more advance warning
Pros
– Good size for a 300 sq m garden
– No petrol fumes into face
– No unpleasant noise
– Cuts really well
– Picks up stuff really well
– Bag fullness indicator works
– Comfortable handles
It’s also better for the environment compared to the battery power ones. Also you will never get the same size for the same money with battery-powered. However, the cord was a nuissance at the beginning. Later I got used to it and worked out a strategy how to feed it properly, and it’s not much of a bother anymore.
It is easy to use and powerful enough.
I am really happy that I bought this one. Does the work well.
But do not expect it to be silent, it may be a few decibels more silent than the others, but there is still significant amount of noise.
One downside is that the grass box becomes full fast as it does not use the full volume of the box, and the collected grass starts falling down the the ground. There is an fullness indicator but it is useless as grass never reaches there to push it.
Also the cord could be longer.
However, I am still happy with his purchase and it deserves 5 stars.
Very well designed, quiet, makes easy work of lawn mowing.
Best lawnmore I’ve used. Previously has the Bosch Rotac 40cm version which was great, this one is even better. Lots of nice design features such as height adjustment and foldaway storage nechanism. Great price too, got it for 140.
I tried the leaf collection mode and quickly decided that it was really a lawn mower and not a leaf collector! The grass box is not large and when you use the suggested top height setting to avoid hitting gravel on the garden path it doesn’t pick up smaller leaves. My garden vac is definitely not threatened by the new arrival in the shed!
The power lead is not long but this isn’t much of a problem as many people will use an extension cable in any case. Make sure you use one with a good current rating!
I have no idea what the “pro silent” label on the mower means. It is quiet but in no way silent. I don’t think a professional gardener would use it because they would generally use a petrol model and this is aimed squarely at the home gardener.
Unboxing and assembling for the first cut was a challenge. The unboxing instruction drawings are not good and potentially impossible for many people to actually do. The idea is that you lift the mower out of the box with a single handed lift. I struggled as it is not a light weight and many people would struggle and potentially strain their backs doing the suggested manoeuvre! Better to tear the box down and roll the mower out.
The actual operation instructions are almost hidden at the back of the manual. There are no words in the illustrations and no elaboration or explanation. You just have to decipher the pictures. I figured it all out but was left scratching my head on a few points until I had worked it out.
Best mower I’ve ever had. Fantastic at cutting – slices through the grass like a hot knife through butter! Easy to set up, empty, manoeuvre etc. Good value. Great brand.
Light and easy to use. Lawns look better now as easy to adjust cutting height.
The cable connection to the mower needs careful handling, otherwise it pulls out during mowing. Having to get used to pushing rather than self propelled, it is easy except for turning at end of row. Back roller and grass combs make lawn edges a doddle
Excellent. Great manoeuvrability and easy of use. Great features and overall good design. Cut really well, height adjustment is so simple. Much quieter than a hover mower it’s replacing. If there has to be one downside, the only thing I can think of is that if it had an automatic retractable cable it would be thoroughly perfect.
I absolutely love this lawn mower.
Out of ge box it is easy to put together and to get going – it took about five minutes.
The first cut I did, the grass was exceptionally long and the mower dealt with this with ease. It has consistently given a really good, neat cut every time we have used it.
The grass box is easy to take on and off and holds a decent amount.
I never thought I would be a fan of a corded mower. But this has changed my mind.
Would definitely recommend.
This model is easy to use, with comfortable handles and I like that it’s fairly simple to change the height settings, although I tend to leave it at the same height for most of the grass-cutting season anyway. For a larger model of lawnmower it is still pretty easy to manoeuvre, with a bit of practice. It’s also worth noting that the height of the handle can be changed too, so that it suits differently-sized users. The handles can even be folded over when not in use so that it takes less storage space which is a feature that I never used to have but now think is invaluable.
It leaves a strip effect in the grass, although that tends to last for only a matter of days (like with other mowers). The effect is only apparent where it’s possible to do long runs along the lawn, and not where there are smaller areas which must be criss-crossed for example. There are ‘combs’ at the edge of the lawnmower too, with the idea that any blades of grass are drawn in from the edges for trimming as the mower passes over them. It’s not perfect but I do find it works well enough that I don’t need to use my strimmer each time I cut the grass.
It seems that this model is being promoted as a ‘quiet’ model, but although it is a little quieter than a regular mower it’s certainly not silent, or even that quiet. If I try using this early in the morning, then I should think my neighbours would have an objection, but to be fair to Bosch the slightly lower noise level is an improvement. The only thing that I would really change with this mower is the length of the power cord – I have to use an extension lead with it, and even then it’s still shorter than I would like, and actually a bit shorter than the older models. On the whole this is definitely a lawnmower than I can recommend, and based on my own previous experience I’m expecting it to last for a long time too.
– the cut is much finer that it ever was wit the hover mower and easy to change (no shims to remove under the blade),
– it won’t block the grass bin like the Flymo did with wet grass as the opening to the bin is huge,
– it doesn’t gather bits of stray grass around the seams and joins like the Flymo did,
– although heavier than the Flymo I actually fine it easier to use as you can spin it around on the rear wheels to turn,
– it has places to hook the cable so you won’t pull the cable out of the socket when mowing,
– the grass bin is easy to remove and empty,
– the handle hinges are really sturdy and easy to fold up/down unlike the Flymo which are really weak,
– the whole thing folds up neatly to take up the same space as my old Flymo.
As I say, I have only used it twice so will report back after more usage but so far I’m really impressed. The only downside is that the cable could be a lot longer (say, 10-15 metres) but that’s not much of a fault and doesn’t stop me recommending it.
UPDATE – had this over a year now and all I can add is that is the best mower I’ve used. Unlike a hover, it starts while flat, it is easy to clear blocked grass when the grass collector shows it’s full, it cuts wet and dry grass with ease and you can cut right off the edge of your grass by holding that side of it up more to stop the wheel falling off the edge. Can’t do that with a hover as it loses the “hover” too much to allow this.
Delivery was amazinglying prompt – arriving two days before expected slot. And so far so good. Also bought an extension lead and a safety cutout plug.
Requiring minimal assembly, the 650 immediately impresses with its manouverabily and the ease with which you can change the height setting. The latter is now achieved with the use of a single press button and the minimum of physical effort, a significant improvement on earlier generations.
The power proved more than adequate for even long wet grass and, despite being one of the larger models, I had no issues steering it around obstacles and beds in the lawn.
The blades are advertised as being specifically designed to cope with autumn leaf fall. No reason to doubt this as experience with earlier Bosch models showed them to be excellent leaf shredder/collectors.
The grass box is a folding design that minimises storage requirements. All very clever but it does also bring the one slight negative as the folding box occasionally needed a couple of attempts to lock it securely in position.
That is a however a minor point and it is very easy to recommend this mower.
The adjustment on height of cutting the grass, is very easy. Overall really good lawn mower and gives an overall good cut of the law
Only comes with 10M of cable! my older and cheaper Bosch mower had twice the length of cable.
Who would buy this?
Someone that values the pedigree of Bosch in the world of electric mowers.
Someone who values some design thoughtfulness as there are good ergonomics in play.
Someone who doesn’t mind using an extension lead.
Someone that likes the look of their electric mowers to exude a degree of quality.
I’ve been a long-standing user of Bosch Rotak electric lawnmowers, having bought two of differing generations in the past, and being generally pleased with all aspects of them – but being ever-so-slightly critical of some of the functional ergonomics. On first inspection of this new AdvancedRotak 650 it is immediately apparent that a lot of the things that I picked fault with the old model have been addressed – so we’re off to a good start – but it’s not all good.
Firstly, the height adjustment is now done by a single hand by holding onto a central handle and pressing an adjacent thumb button, then you simply pull the mower up or down to adjust the height. This is much easier than the two-handed lever control of before, where you sort of had to push down on the lever but not too hard as you were trying to simultaneously raise the mower height. Good.
Next, the overall bulk of the mower for storage, which is now manageable via easy-to-operate telescopic handles which fold neatly over the main unit to take up less space when not in use. This is good. If I were to be niggly though, I would say that in adding that telescopic foldable set of handles, they have slightly compromised the rigidity of the mower, as it is a little wobbly in how it connects, but saying that it’s all pretty chunky and feels well-made so I’m sure I’ll get used to it.
Next is the grass collection box, which for the older models was a bit of a faff to assemble – although once it’s done it’s done. For this new model it’s a part-fabric, part-plastic design, which is lighter and collapsable, and is sort-of ready-assembled anyway. It fits on the mower easily and feels fit-for-purpose. I still find it occasionally gets a bit clogged up through the chute but that seems to be such a common thing and is probably dependant on length, density and dryness of grass. I do like the little indicator that shows whether the box is full or not, although with a fabric section to the box this might be a little superfluous – I’d also be wary if it were to get gummed up with age, but time will tell.
Then there’s the power hook-up and controls. This model has a detachable power hook-up (which you don’t always get on electric mowers) and the plug/socket for the hook-up is nice and chunky. That being said, its trajectory from the top of the handles points it back towards the main unit, so in some ways it can get in the way a bit. The other slight gripe is the length of cord which is 10 metres. I personally don’t find that to be long enough for where I’m using the mower (and it’s even stated as intended for larger lawns etc.) so have to use an extension lead. It would be nice to not have to do that but I’ve been using extensions for such a long time it’s not unexpected. I think 15 metres of cord would have been more practical given the marketing angle and intentions of this device.
The ergonomic handles of the old Rotak Ergoflex have made it through to this model, with some slight revisions in size and position of the controls. It’s comfortable to hold and operate. The functional parts are no longer bright red, and in fact the whole colour palette of the mower has been made a bit more subdued. Perhaps the old brighter colourway was a bit too brash for some people?
Operating noise. This is a bit of a strange one because the packaging and marketing blurb all state that it has some kind of breakthrough noise-deadening technologies that were ‘up to 75% quieter’, so I was expecting something pretty dramatically different to my old Rotak 40. To be fair, it was a little quieter, but really not by all that much.
Overall, there are some nice design improvements to this mower, but it would have been nicer to have had a longer length supplied cable, and the claims about low noise are a bit far-fetched. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that noisy, but just putting out a load of brash claims about how much quieter it is on the marketing is setting up the customer for a disappointment. It’s a really good mower though, and cuts well whilst not looking tatty, and their are some thoughtful aspects to how it is all put together.
This is a heavy lawnmower. There is a handy handle on the top, but some may find lifting it, if needed, to be tricky. due to the weight.
But it is so good at cutting. I love this.
Thought I’d better point out the above as there are a lot of reviews on this page for completely different mowers for some reason.
First of all, the box it comes in is large but not heavy. I was pleasantly surprised upon opening the box to find there was no parts that I needed to assemble prior to use. The box consists of the mower itself, a power cable, the grass box and an instruction book.
Setting it up was simple. I just lifted it out of the box, folded out the handles, extended the reach of the handles (which is a nice feature that is helpful to adjust to suit the height of the user and avoid straining your back.
I then attached the grass collection box, which is really easy. Just lift the flap at the rear of the mower and hook the box onto the back of the mower before lowering the spring loaded flap back into position. The grass box is large enough to collect all cuttings from my large lawn in one cut. Also, grass collection is second to none. It leaves nothing behind. Really impressed with this aspect.
Another nice feature is the height adjustment method. Simply press a button on the top of the mower and lift with the mower by it’s central handle to give a higher cut, or, press the button and then press down on the mower handle to lower the cutting height. The current setting is displayed numerically in a small window by the press button.
All good so far, but I do have a couple of issues.
1) The length of the detachable power cable isn’t long enough for my liking. At 10 meters, I would have like to see a 20 meter lead included. This would avoid the necessity (and dangers) of having to use a separate extension lead to reach the far end of the lawn.
2) Advertised as “ProSilence: Never be caught out by loud lawnmowers again”. It is by no means whatsoever a silent lawnmower when in use. Far from it. It is louder than my battery powered Bosch Rotak mower so not sure what the aim is here of calling it ProSilence. I have included a short video clip with this review that illustrates the volume of the mower in use.
Overall, I’m quite impressed with the mower which is let down only by it’s claim to be so quiet, and a short power lead.
What a brilliant mower! It is so easy to use. The handle height is adjustable and the grass cutting height is touch control. The mower gets right to the edges making strimming almost unnecessary it cuts the lawn evenly quietly and very quickly. The ease of use is amazing because it feels light to push gliding over grass evenly. The only setback with this machine is that you have to squeeze the handles very firmly with pressure or it cuts out, this could be a problem if you have arthritis in the hands. Everything else about this Mower is great and a fairly decent price.
Generally pleased with this mower. Only downside seems to be that the height adjustment can be difficul
This is a big lawn mower and right away there were advantages over my other one. For a start, there is no assembly required at all. The other one had a grass box that was very awkward to assemble. This one has a collapsed grass box that opens up to the full size but means in storage it is just 2″ high and can be put on the body of the mower.
This is a substantial build of a device. Unlike my other one, the handles did not need assembling either and has a great design that is simple to use. Grass height is adjusted by clicking on a red button that lifts the mower or you press down on the mower to get a shorter cut.
It has a commando socket and heavy duty cable and if there is one minor criticism, another 3 metres on the cable would have been great but I’ve always had to use extensions so it is no big concern.
It is also very quiet much more so than any other mower I have had and it cuts the grass really well. Very easy to empty the grass box too which is not always the case and it has an indicator to show how full it is. You can get a lot of grass in it too. Can’t really fault this.
Bosch make a big deal about this being relatively quiet, but I wouldn’t say the difference is too noticeable. It’s certainly nowhere near silent, but probably less annoying than normal.
As for ease of use, it’s quite big, so needs more effort to move around, not being self-propelled. The cutting height adjustment is quite easy to use, just pressing a button and clicking it into place. Also, the bag is quite big, and we were able to cut our small back garden without needing to empty the bag more than once, which was a first. The bag also has a neat little indicator to say when it’s full, which is handy.
The handle is quite good in that you can push it with hands vertical or horizontal, each having power buttons. The weight of the mower makes it that bit less maneuverable, but not enough to worry about.
All in all, it seems a very decent mower, but we’ll see if it remains that way over the course of the summer when it gets relatively heavy use.
Virtually no assembly is required, and I prefer this folding grass box over the the one I grazed my knuckles and temper over whilst spending the best part of an hour trying to get the disparate pieces together.
I really like the telescopic handle that can be adjusted very easily for height. (about 4 clicks) the grass length button also works well. The power lead at 10m (never long enough) is very high quality and also detaches completely from the mower.
In use it is noticeably quieter and although weighing in at about 18kg is easy enough to manoeuvre and lug around.
At 1700W it is 100W down on power compared with the 43, and the cut is a little narrower at 41cms.
I can’t give any opinion on long wet cut ability as my lawn is pretty well trimmed, but it did a really good job of topping the daisies and as it has the same blade design as my 43, it should work fine.
I have though found 1 minor downside. In the Summer I tend to collect the cuttings 1 mow and mulch the next … however, the 650 does not like being used without the grassbox. I think that is down to the design of the flap, and/or the spring, so the cuttings get trapped, and when you notice and pull the flap, a big clump of cuttings drop out … not an issue with my 43, so will see if I can make some Heath Robinson adjustments to the flap without invalidating the warranty. I did speak to Customer Services at Bosch about this … It would seem that many customers have also fed back about the same issue.
Other than that, a quiet and effective mower.”
I thought cutting the lawn was getting harder but with this its bish-bosch done in no time and its very quiet i recommend i
This is very good. Used it twice and has given very good results both times. Nice long power lead which is useful.
Does seem quite heavy, but good for exercise.
Not too loud.
A very good lawnmower. Only trouble I had was adjusting the cut height, so scalped my lawn on the first cut! Had to phone Bosch to get them to tell me how to adjust the cutting blade. Once informed (the manual did not say how to do this – only pictures which did not show lifting the machine!) it was very, very easy. Very pleased with it.
Was surprised at just how good this mower is, really impressed with how well it cuts right up to the edges, hardly any set up involved, I had read a lot of reviews about how trick it was to set up the grass box on previous model but absolutely no problems with this one, the folding handles are great, despite it being larger than previous model it stores away much better and the detachable power lead make it even easier.
I have used it 3 or 4 times now and it is a pleasure to use
Bosch AdvancedRotak 650 Electric Rotary Lawnmower, Cutting Width 41 cm
Took delivery a few days ago, so have only used once. Seems well made and fairly robust, but light enough to carry via the built in handle. Cuts grass well and seems powerful but quiet. Comes with a good quality 10 metre lead and has collapsible handles which allow for easy storage.
The same problem exists in that i had to keep unclogging the grass that collected between the blades and the grassbox, which became a bit annoying after a while.
To register the warranty you need the product number and serial number, both of which can be found on a metal plate on the mower. The warranty application also asks to upload proof of purchase but you can bypass this as long as you can produce proof of purchase if you make a claim on the warranty.
There are seven height settings so i used a number three for my first and so far only cut. Be warned that this is a very low cut so you may want to use a higher setting. Also this must be quietest mower i have ever used. Good value but i only paid 180 on Amazon and not sure that you can get it at that price any more
After deliberating between corded, battery and petrol mowers, I decided to get the AdvancedRotak 650 mower, taking into account the price, weight and cutting ability. This is my first lawnmower so I thought it’d be a good middle of the range solution just to get me used to mowing a lawn (recent first home owner).
Out of the box, there is literally only 3 steps required to assemble the mower. The handle bars are already attached so you just fold them out and lock into place, then attach the grass box (folds out from flat to a box via locking clips) and finally connect the cord to the centre of the handlebars.
Start it up by pressing in the centre red button and simultaneously hold one of the buttons on the side and away you go!
Its relatively light so glides along the lawn well – this is my first go with it and our front lawn was slightly overgrown (roughly 8inch grass) so it was a little difficult at places to push through. I don’t think this is an issue with the mower because the height of the grass was a bit too long! The grass box filled up pretty quickly as a result – I think I emptied it about 8-10 times for my ~25m2 front lawn. Our gardening bin is almost full. This is just an indication of how much grass we had and the AR650 did the job very well. I didn’t manage to really get the edges of the lawn with the mower (where grass meets hedge) but that’s what a strimmer is for! The cord is only 10m and could really have done with it being double the length. Thankfully we already have an outdoor extension cable so this wasn’t a problem reaching to further distances.
Overall I’m very happy with this mower and recommend it. I will follow up with some updates as I use it through the summer.
Update, July 2018: I’ve used the mower around a dozen times now and its still holding up well. Again, only snag is the cable length but nothing else noticeable to report. It’s done very well so far and has been very easy to use.
Nice mower but why the short power cable going to need and extension lead or extend cable !!
However, I can say that I am please with this mower. The cutting height is easily adjustable and it cuts well, right up to the edge. The grass box is collapsible making storage easier. The handle folds away nicely and the height is easily adjusted. The cable, although still only 10 meters in length, is now detachable making stowage easier. There is an indicator on the grass box which is supposed to tell you that it is full however, it does not seem to work in practice and I find I have to manually push the grass cutting to the back of the box if I want to fill it up as the cuttings tend to collect at the front.
Overall though, this is a very good mower, and it is quite quiet compared to the others.
This replaced my Rotak 40 which lasted about 10-years.
Some improvements over the original Rotak 40 include grassbox full indicator, cutting height easier to adjust,
foldable/collapsable handle. The new AdvancedRotak 650 is also slightly lighter and quieter.
Bosch make claims that this machine is very quiet. It is not quiet but it is slightly quieter than the Rotak 40.
The mains cable is detachable which makes it easier to replace if it gets damaged.
Overall the small improvements over the Rotak 40 make this machine easier to use.