Want the best-cut finish? Here are our top 2 petrol cylinder lawnmowers for a professional-looking, striped, bowling-green lawn. Our witty, no-nonsense guide explains who they suit, who they don't, and why cylinder mowers are in a league of their own.
Welcome to the Big Leagues of Lawn Care
Think of rotary mowers as the dependable family hatchbacks; think of petrol cylinder mowers as the sleek sports cars that demand admiration, a flat lawn, and, if possible, a pair of sunglasses while you are pushing them. For the precision enthusiast, these machines will give an ultra-clean cut that leaves your lawn smooth enough to host Wimbledon qualifiers.
Why Cylinder Mowers Are a Whole Different Species
Instead of hacking grass from above, like a helicopter parent with scissors, a cylinder mower slices grass cleanly between a set of fast-spinning blades and a fixed bottom blade. The result is a healthier lawn, a neater finish, and stripes so sharp your neighbours may accuse you of hiring a professional groundskeeper.
Who They're For
- Lawn obsessives who could tell you precisely how tall their grass is.
- Owners of flat, well-maintained lawns
- Anyone who wants that classic British striped finish
- Gardeners who like engineering more than most people like their pets
Who They're Not For
- Your lawn is lumpier than a badly made mattress
- You want to have a "quick once-over" rather than perfection
- You're allergic to maintenance
- You let the grass grow to knee height between cuts
The Budget Reality Check
Cylinder mowers are precision machines, typically more expensive than their rotary counterparts. But if you want a lawn that resembles those found outside a stately home, these two-cylinder kings deliver a finish that no rotary mower can match.
Best Cylinder Mowers
#1, Cobra Fortis 25B Self-Propelled 25″ Interchangeable Petrol Cylinder Lawnmower
The one that makes your lawn so good you'll start inviting people over just to stare at it. If petrol cylinder mowers had a "king of the pride", the Cobra Fortis 25B would be sitting on a velvet throne eating grapes. This machine is an unapologetic beast, purpose-built for perfectionists and lawn lovers who think grass height should be measured with the precision of a jeweller's loupe.
Powered by a 163cc 5hp Briggs & Stratton XR750 engine, the Fortis 25B is the kind of mower that laughs at large lawns. It runs happily on modern E10 fuel, starts easily with a recoil pull, and delivers silky power to glide across grass like it's on an invisible track. At 63 cm / 25 inches wide, it devours lawn stripes with the enthusiasm of a groundskeeper preparing Centre Court.
Cutting height ranges from 6 mm to 30 mm, which is lawn-nerd paradise. Whether you're after a bowling-green shave or something slightly more forgiving, this mower has the finesse. The three-way drive system is a real standout, allowing you to disengage the blades without shutting off the engine, ideal for when your 90-litre front grass box inevitably fills with enough clippings to start your own hay business.
Speaking of finish, the Fortis 25B doesn't just cut grass-it polishes it. With a steel front roller and a steel, rubber-coated split rear roller, this mower creates the kind of stripes British homeowners dream about. Given the UK is the only nation proudly striping its lawns, the Cobra leans into this tradition with full ceremony and national pride.
But what really places the Fortis 25B into "serious enthusiast" territory is the interchangeable cassette system. You can slot in a verticut cartridge, a dethatcher, a scarifier, lawn brush, aerator, 10-blade reel, turf rake, or whatever your lawn-care obsession demands. At this point, the mower is less a tool and more a fully customisable lawn-beautifying arsenal.
Despite its brute mowing talent, storage is surprisingly civilised, courtesy of foam-cushioned, fold-over handles. And with a 2-year domestic warranty, it comes complete with the confidence you'd expect from a machine engineered especially for British lawns.
In short, if you demand professional results and like the ritual of proper lawn care, the Cobra Fortis 25B is a lawnmower you buy once, brag about forever, and defend fiercely whenever anyone says, “Why don’t you just get a rotary?”
#2, Masport Olympic 500 Cylinder Lawn Mower
For those who want their lawn so perfect, the neighbours start whispering, "They must have a gardener." If the Cobra Fortis is the big, confident show-off of the cylinder mower world, the Masport Olympic 500 is the smooth-talking gentleman who turns up in polished shoes and quietly outclasses everyone. Built for those who take lawn precision as seriously as some take wine tasting, the Olympic 500 is a master of fine, close cuts and the type of immaculate stripes that trigger envy across an entire cul-de-sac.
Powered by a reliable 127cc Briggs & Stratton IC 550 engine, this self-propelled beauty glides over lawns with professional-level consistency. It starts reassuringly with a standard recoil pull and, once running, offers a smooth and almost meditative experience while mowing. With its 20-inch/50 cm cutting width, it lies in the Goldilocks zone: not too big, yet not too small; perfect for medium to large domestic lawns that truly deserve so much more than a generic rotary chop.
The real hero here, though, is the 6-blade cutting cylinder: 112 cuts per metre for the Olympic 500 don't cut the grass; they groom it. It's more like giving your lawn a luxury wet shave rather than buzzing it with supermarket clippers. Pair that with micro-adjustable cutting heights from 7 mm to 30 mm, and you get pristine results whether you favour a manicured bowling-green finish or a lightly longer, more forgiving cut.
Both the multi-section front roller and the full-width split rear roller with differential deliver textbook stripes with far less wrestling on corners. If you have ever tried turning a non-differential cylinder mower, you will know that it can feel like manoeuvring a stubborn shopping trolley through a supermarket aisle. The Olympic 500, by contrast, glides through turns like it's been raised in a ballroom.
The 70-litre front-mounted grass catcher has excellent capacity, giving you fewer emptying trips and keeping the mowing rhythm blissfully uninterrupted. At 68 kg, the mower has serious presence, but the weight contributes to its stability, traction, and stripe accuracy, so it’s very much “good weight”, not the “dragging a stubborn cow uphill” kind.
With a very generous 5-year domestic warranty, Masport shows real confidence in what is undeniably a premium piece of engineering. If your garden is flat, your standards are high, and your definition of "fun" is adjusting grass heights in millimetres, then the Masport Olympic 500 is the lawn-care companion you've been waiting for.
Conclusion
Cylinder mowers are not for everybody, and that is what makes them so special in the first place. They are for those who like ritual, who take pleasure in craftsmanship, and who know that perfection doesn't come from a box but is cultivated. Whether you choose the raw power and modular versatility of the Cobra Fortis 25B or the beautifully balanced, traditional precision of the Masport Olympic 500, you're stepping into the upper tier of lawn care.
Classic Finish
Both machines produce that unmistakable "properly cut" look, replete with bold, crisp stripes and a finish that has passers-by slowing down just to admire your handiwork. They're not rotary mowers pretending to be something more; they're purpose-built instruments made for one thing: lawn perfection.
Final Word
If you want fast, easy, and low-maintenance, cylinder mowers probably aren't your thing. But if you crave the best, enjoy the craft, and take pride in a lawn that looks like it belongs on a trophy-winning estate, either of these machines will reward you every single time you pull the starter cord.
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