Lawnmowers
EUR487,89
Bosch Home & Garden Advanced-Rotak 36V-44-750 4.0Ah cordless lawn mower
Rechargeable battery operated
Bosch Rotak Advanced cordless lawn mower: Is a petrol family switching to electric?
27.5.2026
Translation: machine translated
Pictures: Ann-Kathrin Schäfer
The petrol lawnmower hardly ever starts and a battery would be more modern. I am sceptical and put the Bosch Rotak Advanced to the test. Can it also impress on uneven lawns and with longer grass?
A wise person once said to me that this garden needs a petrol engine. The area is large, the ground is uneven in places, there is not only grass but also undergrowth. Petrol engines are considered powerful and long-lasting. The lawnmower has a few age-related weaknesses that are very reminiscent of old cars. You know, when the car wouldn't even start or broke down in the middle of the junction - simply because it was winter.
I think about that when the lawnmower is running at temperatures below 25 degrees: Just don't take a break from mowing now or I won't be able to get it started! Unfortunately, it rarely starts at all without me dislocating my shoulder. And of course it's loud, it stinks and it needs petrol.
The time has come to test a cordless lawn mower. The choice falls on the powerful variant «Bosch Home & Garden Advanced Rotak 36V-44-750». With a rotary mower and cutting width of 44 cm, it is said to be suitable for areas up to 750 m2, according to the manufacturer.
First approximations
The Bosch Rotak lies folded up small in its packaging, along with a heavy 36-volt battery with 4.0 ampere hours and an AL 36V-20 charger. The lawn mower is easy to remove and unfold. It seems to me to have a high-quality finish, nothing wobbles or looks cheap. What I don't like is that it's mainly made of plastic. On the other hand, it is comparatively light. I'm still undecided as to how I like the design - somehow unusual, a bit clunky, but not bad either.
The instructions warn of various things. For example, that the lawn mower - as it is an electric appliance - must never be left in the sun or come into contact with water. Of course, this happens from time to time in the garden. How smart is a cordless lawn mower anyway?
I read that the battery should be fully charged first, but I would like to get started right away. On the last few pages (from page 249), I find what I was looking for: How to switch on the lawn mower. It's not self-explanatory. I push the battery into a kind of radiator cap at the front and press the on button. Two out of three lines light up, that should be enough for now, right?
The cutting height can be adjusted from 24 to 80 millimetres in seven stages. I press the button under the lever and pull the mower up to my desired level four. That works well. I can adjust the handle to my desired height in four stages. To switch the appliance on, I press down a small red plastic lever. Then I press the large red button in the centre of the handle with one hand and a button behind the ergonomic handle with the other. Three buttons for more safety. The motor starts. My child covers his ears. A sound power level of 92 decibels and a sound pressure level of 76 decibels are specified. Significantly quieter than the petrol engine, but not as quiet as I thought.
Our first tracks through the grass
I push the lawnmower over the fairly tall grass, which I'm cutting for the first time since the winter. I don't have the usual wheel drive of my petrol mower. Mowing the lawn is more strenuous without assistance. This is not the fault of the cordless mower, as it doesn't claim to have a wheel drive. It makes up for it a little because it is light and manoeuvrable - I like that. The blade cuts the grass just as it should. Overall, the cut lawn looks even and nicer than with the old petrol mower, whose blade is probably no longer the sharpest.
The 50-litre grass catcher is quickly full, which the fill level indicator shows me with a red line. When I remove the basket, some of the grass clippings fall out of the bottom. In my opinion, there is no kind of catch guard here. Once you have been warned, carefully remove the basket upwards and push the grass back into the basket by hand.
On the plus side, I find it easy to put the textile basket on and off. On the downside, the fill level indicator no longer works as it should after a short time: It often lights up red even when the basket is empty.
Sport done for today!
After my first few lanes through the grass, the lawnmower keeps stalling as soon as the tufts of grass get taller and thicker. If I try to switch it on again, it takes a few attempts before it works. Mentally, I'm already giving it a bad mark. Until I get an idea and open the battery door. Sure enough, the light is flashing. I had missed this because the mower has no battery indicator outside the flap. I take the battery out and charge it. By the time it is fully charged after two hours, my time window for mowing has expired and I have to postpone further mowing. In such a case, a second battery would be worth its weight in gold. It costs around 140 francs, not a bargain. The good thing is that it belongs to the «Power for All» alliance. So if you have a suitable battery from Husqvarna or Gardena to hand, for example, you can also use it.
When I start the next mowing attempt a day later with a fully charged battery, I notice a difference. Mowing is much easier, the lawnmower no longer stalls. I suspect that in addition to the battery problem, the grass was also slightly damp on the first attempt. This time the grass is dry thanks to the sun.
Farewell, petrol!
The more I use the lawnmower, the more I realise: electric is our future. If only because we no longer inhale unfiltered exhaust fumes when mowing and there's no need to go to the petrol station. I put the battery on the charging station after every mowing session and I quickly get used to it. For a large lawn, you need at least two batteries to be able to continue mowing while the empty battery is charging. Otherwise, I can't finish mowing the area in one go.
I would also like to have a larger grass collector so that I don't have to keep emptying it. And after several attempts at mowing, the cordless Bosch sometimes reaches its limits with long grass. The lawn mower is certainly a good choice for smaller, even lawns. I think the manufacturer's claim of 750 m2 is bold. My lawn is not even half that size and the battery and collection basket are reaching their limits.
My child is also allowed to do a test round and gives it clear praise. He brushes away my criticisms with the words: «You're wrong, Mum. The lawnmower is perfect.»
In a nutshell
Good for manageable, level gardens, less suitable for large, uneven areas
Overall, the Bosch Rotak Advanced impresses me, but with some compromises. I like the fact that the lawn mower is light and manoeuvrable, cuts grass that is not too long reliably - and there are no exhaust fumes. What I don't like so much is that the battery runs out too quickly for the lawn I have to mow and the grass collector fills up too quickly.
Pro
- manoeuvrable
- light
- quieter than petrol engines
- you do not inhale petrol when mowing
- High-quality workmanship
Contra
- The mower sometimes reaches its limits with tall grass
- mainly made of plastic, made in China
- Cut grass falls out when emptied
- Specification of 750 m2 illusory
Header image: Ann-Kathrin Schäfer
Ann-Kathrin Schäfer
Editor freelance
simon.balissat@digitecgalaxus.chI'm really a journalist, but in recent years I've also been working more and more as a pound cake baker, family dog trainer and expert on diggers. My heart melts when I see my children laugh with tears of joy as they fall asleep blissfully next to each other in the evening. They give me inspiration to write every day - they've also shown me the difference between a wheel loader, an asphalt paver and a bulldozer.
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