Flymo

Overview

Flymo is a UK‑based garden equipment brand best known for inventing the electric hover mower in the 1960s. It focuses on lawn mowers, robotic mowers, grass trimmers, hedge trimmers, and garden vacuums aimed at home gardeners. As part of the Husqvarna Group, Flymo positions itself around lightweight, easy‑to‑use designs that simplify lawn care, particularly for smaller to medium‑sized gardens.

History

Flymo was founded by Karl Dahlman in 1964 after he was inspired by hovercraft technology, and the first Flymo hover mower was launched in 1965. The brand grew rapidly in the 1970s, establishing a UK production plant in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, where it manufactured lawnmowers and later expanded into other garden tools. In the 1990s Flymo broadened its range to include blowers, strimmers, and garden vacuums, and in 2013 it introduced its EasiLife line of robotic lawnmowers. Flymo has operated as a brand within the Husqvarna Group for over 25 years, with research and development later consolidated in Germany and Sweden while some manufacturing remains in the UK.

Product Lines

Manufacturing

Flymo products are manufactured under the Husqvarna Group, with some robotic lawn mowers still produced at the Newton Aycliffe facility in the UK. Additional manufacturing and assembly are carried out at other Husqvarna sites and partner factories, particularly in Europe and Asia. Research and development for the brand is now based in Germany and Sweden, following the closure of the dedicated UK R&D operation in 2012.

Notable Products

• Original Hover Mower (1965) - The first electric hover mower, which floats on a cushion of air and became Flymo’s defining product.
• EasiLife 200/350/500 Robotic Mowers - Flymo’s first robotic mower line, introduced in 2013, designed for different lawn sizes and automated mowing.
• Gardenvac Leaf Blower and Vacuum - A combined blower and vacuum unit that lets users clear and collect garden debris in one tool.
• Cordless Hover Mowers - Battery‑powered hover mowers that retain the hover concept while removing the need for a power cord.
• Electric Wheeled Lawn Mowers - Traditional‑style electric mowers that offer quieter operation and lower maintenance than petrol models.

Reputation

Flymo is generally regarded as an innovative, user‑friendly brand, particularly for homeowners who value lightweight, easy‑to‑maneuver mowers and simple maintenance. Enthusiasts often praise the hover concept for its agility on uneven or small lawns, though some professionals note that hover mowers can struggle with very tall or wet grass and may lack the cutting precision of heavier wheeled machines. The brand’s integration into Husqvarna has bolstered reliability and support, but some long‑time users feel that design and engineering decisions are now driven more by the parent group than by Flymo‑specific priorities.