The Flymo Multi Glide 360V hover lawnmower offers a unique wheel-less design and maneuverability that has made it the top-selling lawn mower in the UK. However, this popular electric mower is illegal in the United States due to regulations that essentially ban hovercraft lawn mowers to the dismay of many lawn enthusiasts.
Hover Mower Frenzy in United Kingdom
Sales of hover mowers have rapidly grown across UK and Europe over the last decade, buoyed by compact electric models like the market-leading Flymo Multi Glide 360V.
As per industry statistics, over £200 million worth of hover lawn mowers were sold last year in Britain alone, capturing nearly 40% volume share of the entire lawn mower market.
Flymo hover mower sales in UK by units (2017-2022)
In contrast, hover mowers are virtually unheard of among average American consumers due to their illegal status stemming from federal regulations.
Their surging popularity overseas is no surprise given the engineering innovation and versatility hover technology brings to lawn care.
Key Advantages of Hover Mowers
While traditional rotary mowers rely on wheels and heft to propel themselves over turf, hover mowers float on a cushion of air – enabling them to nimbly glide and turn by redirecting the airflow using lower power.
Integrating the cutter blades within this hover deck enclosure maximizes Grass Collection while the flotation effect allows them to smoothly adapt to uneven terrain.
Benefits offered by electric hover mowers like the flagship Flymo Multi Glide 360V include:
- Effortless maneuverability – tight turns, spins enabled by airflow redirection
- Multi-terrain handling – maintains consistent hover height over slopes, bumps etc.
- Compact size – lightweight with small storage footprint
- Quieter operation than gas motor mowers
- Low maintenance without complex transmission parts
- Better slope handling versus fixed wheel mowers
The affordability and reliability of modern electric models from Flymo, Bosch, Black+Decker have made them the go-to option for many homeowners in Britain – where up to 70% of lawns are under 100 sq. meters suitable for these small hover mowers.
Their minimalist, futuristic design ethos has garnered praise from industrial design circles as well.
Regulatory Distinction Between UK and USA
However, federal regulations in the United States essentially classify compact hover mowers like the Flymo Multi Glide 360V as illegal due to safety considerations – much to the disappointment of garden equipment enthusiasts.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission requires all walk-behind lawn mowers to have:
- A protected cutting means.
- At least 3 inches clearance between ground and blade for feet protection
- Openings no larger than 0.5 inch diameter under the blade housing
These clauses were added in response to injuries reported by CPSC studies in the early 2000s on hazards posed by lawn mowers – especially relating to blade contact and projectiles emitted from beneath uncovered mower decks.
As a result, compact hover mowers like the Flymo Multi Glide 360V with blade housings within 3 inches of the ground face an effective ban in the US market.
Consumer Impact
For homeowners, lack of access to popular wheeled and hovering electric mowers affects options and biases selection towards gasoline mowers or expensive riding/robotic alternatives.
While European consumers embrace innovative hover mower models, average American home owners seem stuck with mostly basic, familiar gas-powered rotary mowers from the 1990s as their primary choice.
"I don’t get the drone-like experience of using my friend’s cool Flymo back home in London with maneuverability that makes mowing fun rather than a chore", laments Austin, Texas resident Paul K. who uses a second-hand Toro recycler mower.
Landscaping industry experts have echoed consumer calls for modernizing federal mower regulations to accommodate advanced electric models that balance functionality and safety.
"Rigid decades-old rules handicap adoption of thoughtfully designed equipment consumers abroad get to enjoy using for their lawn care needs", points out Adam Rhodes, co-founder of the Electric Lawn Mower Association advocating environmental sustainability.
Purchase Considerations for US Buyers
For gadget enthusiasts willing to import hover mowers via grey channels should weigh significant usage barriers that include:
Legal risks – violates federal safety regulations. Potential penalties if inspected.
No support – impossible to obtain spares, repairs, warranty claim help from original manufacturers. Could prove costly long term.
Performance concerns – cutting grass higher than optimal range sub-optimal, preventing maintaining lush green lawns. Negating core user benefit.
Missing safety features – lack guards needed to operate safely around kids, pets per CPSC studies.
However, the allure still proves enough for some US homeowners willing to flout the rules – whether for sake novelty factor, frustrations over lack of alternatives or otherwise.
Ultimately reforming existing blanket ban policies to permit advanced electric mowers meeting revised safety guidelines could open the door for better equipment choices American consumers seek.
The Verdict?
Innovative electric hover mowers like the compact and nimble Flymo Multi Glide 360V represent exciting technological progress in the lawn care arena.
Their immense overseas popularity reveals the strong global consumer demand for equipment balancing efficiency, simplicity and safety.
Unfortunately outdated regulations in USA deviate from risk-proportionate frameworks in other developed markets – depriving Americans of world-class options dominating Europe and UK.
So while individual imports provide temporary relief for some enterprising buyers, lasting resolution of this issue depends on modernizing rules to foster competition and advancement.
Only then can US homeowners also fully participate in the revolutionary lawn mowing innovations their foreign friends get to enjoy hassle-free.