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We bought one a few months ago and have been using it on our small lawns this season, especially the ones where there are steps. It's fine for what it is, reasonable collection and doesn't leave bad tramlines as it's so light.
I use almost exclusively battery powered mowers, on lawns from postage stamp sized to several hundred square metres and would advise you have a look at that Stihl in the flesh first if you can, as you might find the RMA235 too tiny for going out doing jobs, meaning it takes more passes and therefore time, to cut even a small lawn. The cutting width is around 13 inches on those which doesn't sound too bad on paper but because it is a circle the actual area covered by the blade is considerably less than a 17 inch mower, for example. Also the AK battery these take is not quite the same as the AP Pro battery range. I had a Viking MA339 which was a real pocket rocket but ended up selling as rarely used it preferring the larger MA443. Got a Stihl RMA448TC now which are not the lightest but has its uses particularly if the grass is wet or long. For smallish lawns I use a Bosch battery mower as they are a perfect weight and cutting width for me
+1 for cordless mowers on tiny lawns , I always found petrol mowers never got up to speed on those very small lawns and resulted in scalping .
Saw one in local dealer lately which is what triggered the initial thought. I also like idea of the RMA 443 as well but think the smaller one would be handier. What kind of battery life do these mowers give? (String = how long?)
Can't speak for the little un's but if pushed hard the AP battery versions can cane an AP300 pack within 20 minutes! But for an electric machine they are powerful and you don't get something for nothing. There is an "Eco" setting switch but I rarely use it as I prefer full blade speed at all times. A slot is provided to store a second battery in the mower which is a tacit admission that 1 pack might be considered insufficient. I also have the Stihl RMA2 RT mulching battery mower which is a nice unit and the same batteries seem to run for a bit longer in this. Battery mowing can be a very enjoyable activity but you might end up needing a few spare battery packs if doing a number of lawns. I ran cordless alongside my petrol ones for a while until I had built up enough packs to knock the petrol on the head. The fact that the cordless mowers need virtually no maintenance (except for the blade itself) is a massive factor and I have found them extremely reliable, which in itself saves a fair bit of frustration and expense
We have had one for the past 3 years. It runs on the AK batteries, for those small lawns .... and sloped banks it is great - well worth the money
Don't know about the Stihl battery life on the mower, One assumes that Stihl is the head of the food chain where battery life is concerned , certainly other Stihl cordless i use battery life exceeds my expectations .
Little cordless mower i use Swift runs on a single 40 volt battery and cuts an area of 250 sq metres on one charge ( size of a tennis court ) The little lawns i cut dont exceed 250 sq metres so battery life is adequate but when the mower stops i find there is enough charge left in the battery to power the little blower . tis rocket science to me battery life i dont tend to analyse it , I just appreciate the versatility and convenience of cordless kit which is fit for a particular job on the day .
I dont do much maintenance as a rule or cut many lawns but i have one job where i cut a front lawn fortnightly it only takes 12 minutes to cut and edge , sometimes 8 minutes , the convenience of a small cordless machine makes this possible , If i had to wheel a heavy petrol machine out of the van , lift it onto the lawn and fight with it on the turns to cut a small lawn i wouldn't bother .
I charge £22 which the customer feels is a fair price and i am happy to do the job and the finish is lovely , well worth the investment .
Thanks for the insights. Seems like they Stihl battery mowers would be spot on for what I need.