Best Lawn Mower Deals: Save on Cordless, Corded, Gas Mowers

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By

Bruce Brown
and
John Alexander

June 15, 2023

It is summer, so that means your lawn is probably growing faster than you can keep up with it. Or, even worse, as you’re pulling out your mower from last year, you’re finding out that it isn’t starting with the same gusto that it once did. In either event, if your old mower isn’t doing the job anymore, you’re likely in for an update. We’ve found the best mower deals for you this year, which include a surprising amount of electric lawn mowers on the cheap, but you’ll find a gas lawn mower creep in as well. It’s all part of getting ready for summer! Now, quickly, go find a decent mower so you can quit cutting grass and starting getting back to your favorite summer movies.

Contents

• Today’s best lawn mower deals
• How to choose a cheap lawn mower

Today’s best lawn mower deals

American Lawn Mower Company 50514 — $113, was $160

The American Lawnmower Company has created a lawn mower that works well and isn’t enormously heavy — a mere 20 pounds. With its 14-inch cutting width and absurdly low weight, you can zip through small jobs quickly and get back to whatever else it is that you’d prefer to be doing in a hurry. The only odd point, at least if you’re coming from traditional lawn mowers, about the American Lawnmower Company 50514 is how it is a corded mower. This means you’ll have to slightly adjust your mowing to be more like vacuuming with a corded vacuum. It also means that, even with an extension cord, you won’t be able to stray too far from home with it. As a result of its weight and corded nature, the American Lawnmower Company 50514 is perfect for smaller homes (and people).

Greenworks 25112 — $188, was $260

Greenworks has a mower with a bit of heft to it to add to the lineup this year. As it has a 3-foot deck width, you can say it cuts a full yard in each pass over of your yard. Much like the previous model, it is corded (the cordless are coming next!), but this wider cutting width will make it more appropriate for larger yards. If you have an appropriately long extension cord, the 14 amp motor can take care of the rest, with typical customers marveling at its strength despite what they may have thought about average electric mowers. Just push the power button and off you go! The Greenworks 25112 is full of options, as well, with an optional bag and mulching modes as well as seven cutting heights to choose from. When you’re done mowing, you can fold the handle down to make the Greenworks 25112 more compact and save space in your garage.

PowerSmart Gas Powered Push Lawn Mower — $250, was $320

The PowerSmart gas-powered push lawn mower matches the style and functionality of the typical mower you’ve grown to love over the years with some bonuses and power that might feel a little new. It’s got a 21-inch cutting width and a 0.24-gallon fuel tank capacity. To save you the math, PowerSmart recommends using it with yards up to a quarter acre in size. It’s 75-pounds, so when you run into something a bit tough to cut you’ll have the mower’s heft to help you get it all down. Don’t worry about pushing all that with your own power, either, as it has rear-wheel drive. When you’re ready to put your PowerSmart gas powered push lawn mower away, one thing you might not expect is how compact it will be. Just take off the 15.9-gallon bag (if you were using it) and fold the handle completely over the engine spot. The resulting chassis-and-wheel end point is easily storable under your pool table or other similar area of the garage.

HART 40-Volt Cordless — $294, was $328

HART brings us a great sale on a cordless electric mower with staying power and unique storage options. It also happens to be the best mower if you’re in on the HART electric power tools train, because the included battery will work with your other HART products (and theirs with this). Here’s how it works: With just one charge the 20-inch mowing width of the HART can get approximately half an acre mowed, plenty for most people. If you do need more mowing time, and have another 40V battery from another HART product, you can just pull it out from the included battery storage area and swap right in the middle of the yard. Even if you don’t have another HART battery, you can still go back to the garage and use the included quick-charge base. Speaking of the garage, the HART has a very unique storage solution. Instead of laying flat and compacting the handle down to save horizontal space, the HART stands up on its handles to save floor space. If a half acre of wireless electric mowing and the rare upright storage options are right for you, try this mower this summer.

Greenworks 40V — $374, was $449

Another option for those that like Greenworks and have multiple Greenworks electric products is the Greenworks 40V 21-inch wireless lawn mower. In many ways it is similar to the mower above, as it is suitable for a half-acre lawn, has additional battery storage, an optional bagger and mulch modes, and a battery that works with many other products in the company’s electric lineup. In fact, it even has the rare vertical storage optionality. So, where do the two differ and how can you pick which is best for you? Well, aside from the obvious choice of going for the one that shares a battery with other products you already own, the Greenworks has a couple of advantages over the HART, above. Firstly, it is self-propelled, which can save you a bit of a workout and, secondly, it has an extra inch of cutting width (21-inches). For smaller lawns, this extra bit of reach might not be super noticeable, but as you approach that half-acre mark each little square inch along the way will truly add up.

How to choose a cheap lawn mower

The advantages and limitations of different lawn mower types

• Gas-powered lawn mowers: Lawn mowers with gasoline motors are often the least expensive. Gas mowers are also more powerful than electric lawn mowers, which gives them an advantage if you need extra power for unusually thick and long grass or if you tend to use your lawn mower to trim weeds and other forms of plant life. You can also mow anywhere with a gas mower, as long as you have gas in the tank. The downsides of gas mowers include the necessity of keeping gasoline on hand. Gas mowers also require more maintenance than electric machines. Also, even with near-universal electric starting, gas mowers sometimes can be hard or impossible to start, which often means a trip to a repair shop. A frequent complaint about gas mowers is that they’re noisier than electric mowers.
• Corded electric lawn mowers: The least expensive electric lawn mowers require power cables long enough to reach all parts of your lawn. Handling the cables may mean it takes longer to mow your lawn as you move the cable out of the way to avoid running over it and stop to free up the cable when it gets kinked or snagged. Corded electric lawn mowers start easily and maintenance is low. Other than keeping the mower relatively clean of accumulated dried grass and mowing residue, not much is required. Because you need access to electricity to use a corded electric mower, you may lose a bit of portability as you can’t use it anywhere it cannot be plugged in.
• Cordless electric lawn mowers: Cordless electric lawn mowers cost more than electric mowers, but as long as you have charged batteries, you can mow grass anywhere you transport the mower. Cordless mowers generally have more than one power mode so you can conserve battery power on flat ground with thin or short grass and then switch to more powerful and energy-consuming modes on inclines or with thick or long grass and weeds. Most battery-powered cordless mowers today use 40-volt batteries to have enough cutting power for average lawns. Some cordless mowers use permanent batteries with built-in chargers. Models with replaceable batteries that you can charge separately from the mower let you extend your mowing time by replacing a spent battery with a fresh one. Another advantage of cordless mowers is that the manufacturers often have other tools such as edges, grass trimmers, and blowers that use the same size battery.
• Robot lawn mowers: Robot mowers are common in Europe, but still unusual in the U.S. Robotic lawn mowers run on battery power, like robot vacuum cleaners and, also like vacuums, have varying levels of self-management. For example, they need to navigate obstacles to reach all areas of the yard and monitor their power level to return to a charging station when their batteries near depletion. The greatest advantage of a robot mower is no human accompaniment or intervention is needed once the robot has been configured and scheduled. You can configure and monitor a robot mower remotely with a smartphone app and some models also respond to digital voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa. Robot lawn mowers are the most expensive type of residential mower, but their cost is expected to drop in the next few years.

The most important factors in choosing a lawn mower

It helps to have a handle on three general factors when shopping for a new lawn mower: Yourself, your lawn, and lawn mower features. If you like to get in some cardio while mowing a half-acre lawn, your mower choice will differ from someone who has a tiny plot and want the job done with as little effort or fuss possible.

• Your lawn: Small lawns of one-tenth of an acre or less typically don’t require large, powerful lawn mowers. A small corded electric mower or a walk-behind or robot cordless mower may be sufficient. If you have a large lawn with tough-to-mow grass, steep inclines, and overly moist soil, a more powerful mower is in order. The type of grass in your lawn can matter in your mower choice as well, especially if you have grass such as Bermuda Grass that looks best when cut very short.
• Power source: See the section above for the advantages and limitations of gas, corded electric, cordless electric, and robot mowers. If you have long, narrow areas to mow, for example, a cordless electric mower might not be a good choice because you could spend an inordinate amount of time handling extra long power cables.
• Deck or cutting path width: Mowers with narrow cutting decks are lighter and easier to navigate around obstacles in tight spaces that machines with wider decks. A thinner cutting path width means you’ll need to make additional passes, and cutting your lawn will take longer. For most lawns, 19-inch to 21-inch mower deck width is a good compromise.
• Push or self-propelled: Push mowers that depend on the operator to move are lighter, cheaper, and easier to operate than self-propelled mowers. If your lawn has hills or even modest inclines, however, a self-propelled mower can relieve you of much or all of the pushing effort.
• Clipping discharge: Most walk-behind mowers have two or three of the common discharge modes: Bagging, mulching, or side discharge. If you want the neatest possible lawn, bagging is the best option, even though dealing with the bagged clippings can be tiresome and messy. Side discharge mowers are typically used with separate lawn sweepers. Mulching, which returns the grass clippings to the lawn where they can add nutrients, is the least complicated and arguably the most environmentally sound way to deal with clippings.
• Cut-grass height settings: Few lawn mowers have just one cut-grass height. Most have three or more settings. The height you choose can depend on the type of grass in your lawn or your personal preference for a neat and trim lawn or longer and softer grass. Most mowers have manual height adjustments set with one or four levers that lift the cutting blade or the mower deck. A few more expensive mowers have powered height adjustment.

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11 Best Lawn Mowers of 2023

Written by TJ Donegan and Kevin Kavanaugh

Updated June 13, 2023

Until just a few short years ago, gas lawn mowers were king. As more consumers are seeking eco-friendly cars, homes, and, yes, power equipment, advanced battery technology answers the call.

Today, consumers can drive an electric car, thrive in a solar-powered home and maintain their property with battery-powered equipment. But are the new electric push lawn mowers as good as the old internal combustion mowers? We decided to find out.

We tested gasoline, electric-corded, and battery-powered lawn mowers from the leading brands. We were eager to see if the battery-powered mowers could handle a large yard as well as the tried-and-true gasoline models. We weren’t disappointed. The Honda HRX217VKA
(available at Amazon)

came out on top as Best Overall, edging out its predecessor and our previous winner, the Honda HRN216VKA.

For the non-gasoline mowers, the Ego Power+ LM2135SP (available at Walmart) is our choice for Best Electric Lawn Mower. This mower set-up was quick, and it handled our testing well. The Ego Power+ also includes features not found on similar electric models.

Credit:
Reviewed / Kevin Kavanaugh

The Honda HRX217VKA was a pleasure to use.

Best Overall

Honda HRX217VKA

• Power source: Gas
• Self-propelled: Yes
• Cutting options: Bag, Mulch, Rear discharge or shred leaves
• Drive: Rear-wheel
• Weight: 113 lbs

Quiet and powerful, the Honda HRX217VKA 21-inch NeXite lawn mower is the one to have for larger spaces. It is not designed for small yards, and you won’t be darting in and out of flower beds and shrubbery.

It is a pleasure to use. We had tested Honda mowers before and were familiar with their operation and overall product quality. The HRX217VKA did not disappoint. Easy to assemble and set up right out of the box, it started on the first pull of the cord.

Right away you can feel the heft of this mower with its innovative NeXite deck and powerful motor. It’s heavier than most mowers, but it feels planted on the lawn and tracks perfectly. It’s a mower for large lawns, and it makes the most difficult cuts a breeze.

With its 200cc motor and Select Drive Control, this mower easily cuts, bags and mulches the heaviest grass with ease. The Select Drive Control is almost intuitive as it lets you adjust the walking speed with a variety of settings.

The controls on the mower are large and easy to use. You can set the mower to bag or mulch or anywhere in between. Its user-friendly platform is clearly marked.
You will use this lawn mower for years and years to come.

Pros

• Powerful 200cc motor

• Intuitive Select Drive System

• Long lasting NeXite deck

Credit:
Ego Power+

The Ego Power+ LM2135SP is the best electric lawn mower we’ve tested.

Best Electric Lawn Mower

Ego Power+ LM2135SP

• Power source: Electric/battery
• Self-propelled: Yes
• Cutting options: Bag, Mulch, Side discharge
• Drive: Rear-wheel
• Weight: 88 lbs

Until a few years ago, those who preferred not to buy an internal combustion mower had little choice. But advanced battery technology has finally arrived and the benefits can readily be seen in the Ego Power+ LM2135SP, a 21-inch self-propelled electric mower. This cordless mower with a cutting width of 21 inches utilizes a 56-volt lithium ion battery to power through up to 60 minutes of lawn cutting.

The Ego Power+ is powerful, comfortable, and a joy to use. Even though the battery only lasted about an hour, the mower performed extremely well mulching and driving itself uphill. It has plenty of torque and is capable of doing anything a gasoline-powered mower can do. It is clean, easy to use, and efficient.

The set-up on this mower was the easiest of the bunch. The handle slides and folds across the mower with ease, making storage a snap. Adjusting it to a personal height takes seconds.

A quick 50-minute charge on the battery and you’re ready to go. The battery charger even has a cooling fan that improves charging times and keeps the battery cool.

Like some of our other mowers, the Ego Power+ has twin blades that improve mulching and keep the trips to empty the rear bag to a minimum. Cutting height is achieved with one easy-to-access lever.

Operation is straightforward, and the composite deck makes the mower light and easy to maneuver around yard obstacles. Simply depress the power button, pull the green handle and the blades begin to spin. Dual buttons on the handle make engaging the self-propel feature safe and comfortable.

The Ego Power+ comes with LED headlights for convenience, and it was the only mower we tested that could propel itself when the blades were not spinning. This was a nice feature that eliminated pushing the mower back to the garage.

Other Lawn Mowers We Tested

Honda HRN216VKA

• Power source: Gas
• Self-propelled: Yes
• Cutting options: Bag, Mulch, Rear discharge
• Drive: Rear-wheel
• Weight: 75 lbs

Previously our pick for best lawn mower, the Honda HRN216VKA is a 21-inch self-propelled gas mower that’s a great choice for any yard. Honda has produced superior power equipment for many years, and this mower, which operates with rear-wheel drive, is no exception. It can handle the toughest lawns with ease and won’t take up much room in the garage.

The set-up was easy and the mower started on the first pull. Its smooth engine is quieter than the other gasoline mowers, and it has more than enough power to cut and mulch the grass even while going uphill.

The Honda has a stacked and offset blade design that produces smaller clippings, which allows for better mulching and bagging. This means more efficient cutting and fewer stops to empty the grass bag. The bagging and mulching options can be easily and safely selected, once the mower is off, by using one lever on the mowing deck.

The innovative self-propel system is comfortable on the hands, provides adequate speed control, and can even be adjusted for those who are taller or shorter. Folding the handle for storage can be done quickly. This Honda lawn mower even has a gas shut-off valve for off-season storage.

Cons

• Pricey

Kobalt KM 5080-06

• Power source: Electric/battery
• Self-propelled: No
• Cutting options: Bag, Mulch, Side discharge
• Drive: Rear-wheel
• Weight: 66 lbs

The Kobalt 80V 21-inch electric mower is a great choice for anyone that wants an affordable, flexible, compact mower that is easy to maneuver and doesn’t require extension cords or gas cans. The mower is strong enough to chop through thick grass, and offers a highly adjustable cutting height.

At 66 pounds it is very easy to operate, with the ability to go bagged or bagless, and you can fold up the push handle for compact storage.

The main draw here is the 80V battery system, which gives you an hour of runtime in our testing, enough to cut about 7,500 square feet on a full charge. It also works in a variety of other Kobalt tools, and spares will run you right around $150. Charging the battery takes around 45 minutes when it’s dead, and it just pops into the battery slot and the mower can turn on with a press of a button if the safety key is inserted—much easier than having to use a traditional pull start.

Overall if you need a nice, basic mower to get the job done and want to go cordless, this is an excellent choice. It cuts clean lines, it’s easy to use, it can handle most lawns with ease, and the light weight makes it much easier to move up and around slopes and hills.

Especially if you’re planning to invest in a range of electric tools, this is a good system to buy into.

Pros

• Compact

• Easy to maneuver

• Strong

Hart HLPM061US

• Power source: Electric/battery
• Self-propelled: Yes
• Cutting options: Bag, Mulch, Side discharge
• Drive: All-wheel
• Weight: 89.5 lbs

This Hart lawnmower was a pleasant surprise.

After removing it from the box and charging the batteries, we fired it up and took it out to the thick, lush grass.

It performed beautifully; its powerful electric motor cut through the lawn with ease and even increased its revolutions when we cut thicker grass. This mower easily handles a larger lawn.

The Hart mower moved with power and confidence through the lawn, and the simple-to-use speed control was right there at your fingertips. While our winning Honda gas mower has a sophisticated Select Drive System, the Hart’s simple slide bar works as well or better.

This excellent lawnmower has the power and convenience of mowers costing much more.

Toro SmartStow Personal Pace Auto-Drive 21465

• Power source: Gas
• Self-propelled: Yes
• Cutting options: Bag, Mulch, Rear discharge
• Drive: Rear-wheel
• Weight: 90 lbs

The Toro is a worthy competitor to the top-ranking mowers on this list.

This Toro lawn mower has the largest cutting area at 22 inches, and it is powerful and comfortable to use, thanks to its Personal Pace self-propel system.

To engage the self-propel, simply push the lever forward a bit and the mower begins to move forward, push it a little more and the mower moves faster. After a couple of rows of cutting, you will see how easy it is to regulate speed. This system is not as intuitive as some of the others, but it still works quite well.

Another great feature: The Toro has Briggs and Stratton’s check-don’t-change oil system that never requires an oil change.

Storage is also a snap as the handle folds down and the mower can be stored vertically.

Skil PM4910-10

• Power source: Electric/battery
• Self-propelled: No
• Cutting options: Bag, Mulch, Rear discharge
• Drive: Rear-wheel
• Weight: 58 lbs

At just 58 pounds, this mower makes cutting small lawns a lot of fun. The rear discharge chute allows you trim close to trees, beds, and shrubbery. I found myself zipping around obstacles using only one hand.

This is a simple machine with one battery in the center. Charging time is quick, and once the battery is in you’re on your way.

This is not a lawn mower for the back 40. With a 20-inch cut and a small electric motor, it is just not capable of handling larger lawns. But for most mid to small yards, this mower can clean up the area in no time.

Light and easy to store, this is the perfect mower to keep a lawn looking great.

Pros

• Lightweight

• Easy to maneuver

• Inexpensive

Ryobi RY401150

• Power source: Electric/battery
• Self-propelled: Yes
• Cutting options: Bag, Mulch, Side discharge
• Drive: Rear-wheel
• Weight: 78 lbs

The 21-inch Ryobi RY401150 40-volt brushless mower set up quickly and easily right out of the box. It includes double blades and cuts clean and clear.

This mower comes with two batteries that can be installed in the top of the machine. One notable drawback is that only one battery powers the mower at a time—cut your grass for approximately 30 minutes and when the first battery is depleted, you stop and move a switch to engage the second battery. Ryobi says that the batteries will last for 70 minutes, but stopping to change batteries seems counterproductive.

Otherwise, the mower performed well and completed all of the tests. It has a one-lever height adjustment and is light enough to maneuver around obstacles. It has plenty of power and handled the hill with little strain.

While both the Ego Power+ and Ryobi were solid performers on the electric front, the Ryobi was let down by its self-propel controls. The controls are located under the bar, but the lever is vague and unresponsive. Because the lever is designed for thumbs only, you need to push the lever in an awkward manner to get the mower up to speed.

Greenworks 25022

• Power source: Electric/corded
• Self-propelled: No
• Cutting options: Bag, Mulch, Side discharge
• Drive: Rear-wheel
• Weight: 65 lbs

For a corded mower, the Greenworks 25022 lawn mower performed quite well. The set-up was easy, and once it was plugged in, it started right up.

Of course, before you use the mower there is the time-consuming task of unearthing your extension cord, unraveling it, and finding a suitable outdoor plug. Once plugged in, the mower embraces its purpose with ease.

It has a powerful 12-amp electric motor that may not conquer larger lawns, but is perfect for smaller yards and trimming duties. Not to mention it offers clean and even mowing.

Not being self-propelled, it takes some effort to push the lawn mower and cord uphill and then navigate a path back so as to not cut your cord.

Its small size makes storage a breeze.

Cons

• Corded

• Not self-propelled

Sun Joe MJ401E

• Power source: Electric/corded
• Self-propelled: No
• Cutting options: Bag, Rear discharge
• Drive: Rear-wheel
• Weight: 29 lbs

The 14-inch Sun Joe MJ401E lawn mower is the easiest to store. Its diminutive size makes it the perfect lawn mower for small yards and trimming duties. It’s light enough to pick up and move, and it comes with an easy-to-use bagging system.

Still, this is not a lawn mower for cutting the typical suburban lawn, as its lightweight, short wheel base and small wheels make it a little unstable over roots and ruts.

Of all of the lawnmowers tested, the Sun Joe provided the most difficulty when it came time to adjust the height of the blades. The mower utilizes solid axles, front and rear, and the axles are located in a three-notch system under the mower. To change the height of the cut, you need to pull the spring-loaded axles from their positions and move them up or down. It’s a challenging exercise.

The Sun Joe is corded, so cutting area is limited. To its credit, it’s powerful enough when running, but the limited scope means you will have a hard time tackling an entire yard.

Craftsman M220

• Power source: Gas
• Self-propelled: Yes
• Cutting options: Bag, Mulch, Side discharge
• Drive: Front-wheel
• Weight: 73 lbs

The Craftsman M220 is one of the more cumbersome mowers we’ve tested. Set up was more involved—to adjust it to my height I had to first kneel on the floor and remove two fasteners from the bottom of the handle and then pull the handle out of the body. Another two fasteners at the base of the handle allowed me to set the handle angle. The better mowers have release buttons and adjusting levers that allow the operator to make these adjustments quickly and safely while standing.

The mower started on the first pull and seemed to have enough power to tackle any lawn. However, the two levers on top of the handle—one to start and one for speed of self-propulsion—are difficult to operate. Both are difficult to grab if your hands are small to medium, and the levers are too far from the handle for comfortable operation. They’re also not intuitively placed; you have to look each time you make a pass.

The biggest disadvantage of this mower is that it is equipped with front-wheel drive. When self-propelled mowers first came out many years ago, a front-drive system was easy for manufacturers to design and implement and the homeowner didn’t have to push dead weight. The design worked for many years because there was nothing else. But over the years rear-drive systems were developed and it produced a more balanced, more comfortable cutting experience.

When cutting a lawn, the operator naturally has some weight on the handle. Add to this the weight of the grass in the bag off the back of the mower and you have a very light front end. Because the weight of the mower is not over the wheels, the front wheels tend to spin and grasp through each pass. This results in uneven lines, a hard to control mower (especially on a bumpy terrain), premature wearing out of the plastic front wheels, and difficulty trying to trim around obstacles. This antiquated front drive system really lets this mower down.

Pros

• Easy starting

• Powerful

• Capable

Cons

• Controls are cumbersome

• Front Drive System limits control and comfort

• Not nimble around obstacles

How We Tested Lawn Mowers

The Testers

Credit:
Reviewed / Kevin Kavanaugh

We spent the summer mowing a half-acre New England lawn, over and over again.

Kevin Kavanaugh is a retired public school teacher and a product tester for Reviewed. Kevin has been cutting lawns for just about 50 years. He has always been intrigued by all things mechanical, be it watches, power equipment, vintage bicycles, or classic cars.

Ray Lane is a retired supermarket store manager, avid golfer, and product tester for Reviewed. His lawn is the envy of Cumberland, Rhode Island, and he has used several push mowers over the years. At 83 years of age, his input on the mowers was critical, specifically when evaluating ease of starting, maneuverability, and safety.

The Tests

Credit:
Reviewed / Kevin Kavanaugh

We tested lawn mowers on both flat land and hills to test maneuverability and power.

After ordering from retailers like Lowe’s and The Home Depot, we assembled each mower and took note of the ease of the set up and how quickly we could adjust the handle to our preference. We then added gasoline, a battery, or an electrical cord to get the mower ready. We evaluated at the ease of setting the cutting height, first testing a high cutting height and then a lower one.

We took each mower on a few passes of an uncut half-acre lawn, measuring approximately 22,000 square feet, noting how it cut at a high height and a lower height while we monitored both the bagging and mulching features. Then we took each mower up and down a grassy hill to see how they performed. Our final test was testing storage capability.

What You Should Know About Lawn Mowers

Credit:
Reviewed / Kevin Kavanaugh

Self-propelled lawn mowers can take some of the effort out of walk-behind mowing.

There are two basic types of walk-behind mowers: push and self-propelled.

The push type of mower is usually smaller, lighter, and easier to store. They are used primarily for smaller, level lawns. They are perfect for cleaning up areas that larger riding lawn mowers may miss. They can be run by gasoline, cords, or battery.

Self-propelled lawn mowers usually have a larger cutting diameter and can move on their own through operator controls. These mowers can also be powered by gasoline, cords, or battery. Since they take the brunt of the pushing away, self-propelled mowers are perfect for larger lawns up to a half-acre, and they can easily handle hills and sloped lawns. These self-propelled mowers aren’t fully robotic lawn mowers so you still have to do some work guiding them around your yard.

What Is A Self-propelled Lawn Mower?

The first self-propelled lawn mowers started to appear in the late-1960s. As suburbia grew and lawns got larger, pushing a heavy steel mower around on a summer afternoon wasn’t what most people wanted to be doing.

The first self-propelled mowers had primitive front-wheel drive systems that worked well enough, but the mowers often moved along too slowly. Sure, you weren’t pushing but you were caught in a slow-moving lawn-cutting procession. Early mowers either moved too slowly or too fast to match a natural walking speed.

Today’s mowers offer a much better propulsion system. The Honda NeXite Variable Speed 4-in-1 Gas Walk Behind Self-propelled Mower with Select Drive Control, for example, allows a variety of walking speed settings. Owners can literally dial in their preferred walking speed so that they become one with the mower, not being pulled and not having to push.

The Ego Power+ Select Cut 56-Volt Brushless 21-in Self-propelled Cordless Electric Lawn Mower even allows the operator to drive out to the lawn without the blades turning. That is a great feature.

Today’s self-propelled mowers reduce operator fatigue and make cutting the grass easier than years ago. Self-propelled mowers make cutting on hills safer and more efficient. And with modern speed options they make a summertime chore a little more enjoyable.

Gasoline, Corded Electric, or Battery—Which Lawn Mower is Right for You?

Credit:
Reviewed / Kevin Kavanaugh

Battery-powered lawn mowers can be powerful and efficient.

Gasoline

Gasoline-powered lawnmowers have kept lawns manicured for decades. They are powerful, reliable, and affordable, and come with features such as self-propelled movement, mulching features, and self-cleaning availability. They are powerful enough for large lawn care jobs and can tackle any lawn from a quarter- to half-acre acre. Any lawn bigger than that would necessitate a riding mower.

But gas-powered mowers emit dangerous carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons, require yearly maintenance, and require the storage of gasoline and oil. This may not be suitable for some consumers.

Corded Electric

Corded electric mowers have been around for years and were historically the choice of consumers who had smaller lawns and didn’t need the more powerful gasoline mower. While powerful enough to get most cutting or trimming jobs done, the one obvious drawback to a corded mower is the electrical cord.

For any yard worthy of mowing, a long electrical extension cord is required to power the mower. This can be a minor annoyance, such as having to keep the cord free from getting tangled in trees and bushes, to a major annoyance when you drive over it and cut it into small pieces.

However, corded electric mowers require no gas, oil, or maintenance and, other than a blade sharpening from time to time, can perform reliably for years.

Battery

Battery-powered cars, power equipment, and tools have been around for a long time. The electric motors were strong and reliable enough, but the battery was not. Just a few years ago, an electric car could expect to go only 100 miles on a charge, and power tools and equipment didn’t last long either. In the past few years, battery technology has improved by leaps and bounds.

Electric cars can expect hundreds of miles on a charge and power tools and equipment can last a full day. This lithium battery technology found its way to lawnmowers and it has created a viable option for those consumers who don’t want gas and don’t want a cord. These battery-powered mowers are powerful, efficient, lightweight, and green. Many now use brushless electric motors, which are more efficient, produce more torque, and are longer lasting than the older electric motors with brushes.

How often should I mow my lawn?

Cutting the lawn too often and only cutting it when it gets overgrown are both unhealthy for a lush, beautiful lawn. The rule of thumb in the lawn-care industry is to keep the grass between 3 inches and 3.5 inches in length. This allows the grass to be long enough to thrive in hot, summer weather.

When cutting grass, never take more than a third of the blade at once. In other words, never cut more than an inch or so. Not only does this cause clumping of grass on the lawn or in the mower bag, but it takes too many nutrients and moisture from the grass itself.

After the late winter fertilizer treatments and the often heavy rains, lawns start to come to life. You’ll find that the grass will need cutting every 4 to 5 days in order to remove just enough length. As the summer wanes on and the temperature rises, the grass will grow a bit slower and a once week cutting is adequate.

It is also important to keep the blades of your lawnmower good and sharp. Since the lawnmower blades are often made of steel, they will develop a dull edge after a season of cutting. A dull edge on a blade will tear the grass and not cut it. This may result in browning of the tips of the grass and put more stress on the mower as well.

While you are under the deck checking those blades—and always disconnect the spark plug wire before going under the mower—be sure there is no old clumped up grass clinging to the mower deck.

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Meet the testers

TJ Donegan

Director, Content Development

@TJDonegan

TJ is the Director of Content Development at Reviewed. He is a Massachusetts native and has covered electronics, cameras, TVs, smartphones, parenting, and more for Reviewed. He is from the self-styled “Cranberry Capitol of the World,” which is, in fact, a real thing.

See all of TJ Donegan’s reviews

Kevin Kavanaugh

Contributor

Kevin Kavanaugh is a retired public school teacher and a product tester for Reviewed. Kevin has been cutting lawns for just about 50 years. He has always been intrigued by all things mechanical, be it watches, power equipment, vintage bicycles, or classic cars.

See all of Kevin Kavanaugh’s reviews

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How to choose the right lawn mower. Lawn Mower Selection Tips

Mowing Conditions

Ornamental lawn mowing in unobstructed areas is best done with Self Propelled Gasoline Lawn Mowers with grass catcher. And the larger the cutting width and the grass catcher, the better.

Mowing an ornamental lawn in areas with a lot of obstacles in the form of flower beds, trees, shrubs, etc. is best done with a non-self-propelled petrol lawn mower or with a lawn mower with piano wheels

Conclusion : Mowing with the lawn mower is only possible on level ground without stones, stumps or bumps. Otherwise, you can damage the knife at best, at worst the engine.

Mowing on rough terrain, in areas with uneven terrain, where there is no need for high-quality mowing and in hard-to-reach places, is carried out with a manual gasoline or wheeled trimmer.

Electric and cordless trimmers should only be used properly for mowing grass in hard-to-reach areas or where precision is required, such as at curbs, watering points, or near flowers.

The trimmer can also be used for making hay or mowing garden shoots and weeds. But we will talk about this in another article.

Conclusion : When it comes to mowing ornamental lawn, the trimmer is second only to the lawn mower for cutting the grass in areas where a conventional lawn mower cannot handle. For this, the smallest petrol trimmer MTD Smart BC26 (knife and line included) or electric trimmer MTD EB1000B with a straight shaft (knife and line included) will do.

Mowing frequency

Mowing frequency is also an important parameter, about which there is little information in the media space. Proper mowing of the grass is done when the grass has grown no more than 10-12 cm from the maximum mowing height. For example, for the Cub Cadet CC 53 SPO V lawn mower, the maximum cutting height is 9 cm, add 10 cm, we get 19 cm. In this case, you need to raise the mower to the maximum height and when mowing, the cut grass will not clog the grass collection channel into the grass collector. In central Russia, in order to keep the lawn up to 20 cm, you have to mow at least once a week, and more often during the rainy season. And if you have the opportunity to mow with such frequency, then you do not need such a function as side discharge.

Side discharge

But what if we missed the time and the grass has grown, as they say “knee-deep”? In this case, such a useful function as side release will help us. Not all lawn mowers, even the premium ones, are equipped with this feature. Therefore, if you do not go to the country regularly, the side ejection function will be your salvation.

If this is your first purchase of a lawn mower and you don’t know if you need one, then my advice to you is to get a side discharge mower, a very useful feature.

We have two identical self-propelled lawn mowers MTD Optima 46 SPB HW (3 in 1) and MTD Optima 46 SPB HW (4 in 1) in our arsenal. If you can not pay enough attention to the lawn and this is your first purchase, then I would choose a 4 in 1 – this is a unit with a full range of necessary functions: grass catcher, side and rear discharge, mulching, large rear wheels on bearings. In my understanding, this is the best price-quality offer for a lawn up to 10-12 acres. Large rear wheels make it easy to move over obstacles and put less pressure on the lawn. The most popular American gasoline engine Briggs & Stratton 500 E with a nominal power of 3 hp. By the way, Briggs & Stratton is the most common engine in the world of garden equipment and this company has the largest network of service centers. In general, everything is the best!

Continuing on side ejection. For example, you arrived at your country house after a rain and you cannot wait for the grass to dry, but you need to mow! Do not even try to mow the grass into the grass collector – not a single lawn mower in the world can mow wet grass – the ejection channel is instantly clogged with wet, stuck together grass, the mower deck also sticks with a mixture of grass and grass dust – mulch. And all this falls on the lawn in ugly sticky bunches. And again we are rescued by a side discharge! Remove the grass catcher, install the side discharge cover and voila! Mowing with pleasure. It remains only to collect the grass with a rake.

Mulching

There is hardly a country dweller who has not heard about this curious form of lawn treatment. But the general picture, why and why I have not seen anywhere.

There is a legend that an old English gardener told me. It talks about poor English people who have an annual ban on watering their lawns in the summer, and the English love their lawns very much, even very, very much, but they cannot go against the law – it’s expensive. And so the savvy Anglo-Saxons decided that it was necessary to take moisture from the cut grass and give it to living plants. They made a special knife on the lawn mower that swirls the already swirling space and plugged all the holes and our favorite side discharge, and plugged the rear discharge with a special plug (later called the mulching plug).

And they began to mow slowly. The grass turned to dust and lay down in an even layer, giving all the moisture to the soil. In the sun, after an hour, it simply turned into dust and dust, partly blown away by the wind, and partly remaining like fertilizer. So, the glorious English outwitted their officials. But they took the rest of the secret with them to foggy Albion. And such is the secret! You can’t use mulching on wet grass and you can’t mulch tall grass above the notorious 10 cm from the maximum cutting height, because instead of dispersed grass evenly lying on the lawn, you will get green lumps that fall ugly on your juicy lawn, which then decompose and the air is not ozonized. And then you have to wash the mower for a long time. Of course, there are exceptions – but they apply only to professional lawn growers, and we just want it to be inexpensive and beautiful.

<< Part 1 Cutting Width Part 2 Cutting Conditions Part 3 Petrol or Electric >>

? The 5 Best Lawn Mowers of 2023 – Buying Guide & Reviews

Have you seeded your lawn yet? Then you should know that from now on you will have to take care of it from time to time. Caring for it is not difficult, because in reality with more or less frequent watering, regular fertilization and passing from time to time with a mower, you can get a very healthy and beautiful green carpet.

The problem arises when you have to buy a lawn mower. There are several types, and each of them is designed to work on the lawn with certain characteristics. In order not to waste money on a model that does not suit you, take a look at our selection of while you read the tips we have for you.

Index

• 1 What are the best lawn mowers?
  • 1.1 Our choice
    • 1.1.1 Einhell GC-HM 30 – Hand mower
    • 1.1.2 Bosch ARM 32 – Electric Lawn Mower
    • 1.1.3 MTD Smart 395 PO – Petrol Lawn Mower
    • 1.1.4 Gardena R70Li – Robot Lawn Mower
    • 1.1.5 Cub C adet LT2NR92 – Lawn Tractor
• 2 What are the advantages and disadvantages of different types of lawn mowers?
  • 2. 1 Manual lawn mower
    • 2.1.1 Advantage
    • 2.1.2 Disadvantage
  • 2.2 Electric lawn mower
    • 2.2.1 Advantage
    • 2.2.2 Disadvantage
  • 2.3 Petrol lawn mower
    • 2.3.1 Advantage
    • 2.3.2 Disadvantage
  • 2.4 Robotic lawnmower
    • 2.4.1 advantage
    • 2.4.2 disadvantages
  • 2.5 Tractor mower
    • 2.5.1 advantage
    • 2.5.2 disadvantage
• 3 Where to buy a lawn mower?
  • 3.1 Amazon
  • 3.2 Brico Depot
  • 3.3 Leroy Merlin
  • 3.4 Wallapop

What are the best lawn mowers?

799 Reviews

Bosch for home and garden …

• ARM 3200 lawnmower: powerful all-rounder
• It offers three cutting height settings (20-40-60mm) and the innovative grass comb allows you to cut close to the edges along walls and fences.
• The large 31 liter grass basket requires less emptying, while the powerful 1200 W motor makes it easy to cut even tall grass.

1.393 Reviews

Einhell lawnmower …

• 3-level cutting height adjustment with one wheel
• Foldable rail for space-saving storage
• 30 l grass catcher

Implementation

1.458 Reviews

Einhell lawn mower …

• The einhell gc-hm 300 hand lawn mower is a robust and functional mower without a motor drive, with which lawns up to 150 m² can be mowed cleanly, silently and in an environmentally friendly way.
• Ball-bearing cutting spindle equipped with five stainless steel blades and a cutting width of 30 cm. 4 levels of cutting height adjustment can be individually adjusted from 13 mm to 37 mm.
• The plastic roller has a diameter of 45 mm. The hand mower is equipped with large surface wheels that glide gently over the grass. The 16 liter grass catcher is removable and easy to empty.

884 Reviews

BLACK+DECKER BEMW351GL2…

• For small lawns: The 1000 W mower with 32 cm cutting width and 250 W trimmer are ideal for smaller gardens.
• Adjustable cutting height: 3 levels of axial cutting height adjustment (20/40/60 mm).
• Optimized 35 l herb tank with full indicator: less time to empty.

Implementation

1.614 Reviews

Lawn mower Bosch ARM 34 …

• ARM 34 mower: powerful all-round mower.
• Powerful 1300 W motor for a neatly cut lawn. Fewer emptying interruptions with the 40 liter grass basket Fewer emptying interruptions with the 40 liter grass basket.
• Easy adjustment of the cutting height thanks to the central cutting height adjustment.

Our choice

Einhell GC-HM 30 – Hand lawn mower

If you have a relatively small lawn, up to 150 square meters, with this manual lawn mower you can get it as always, since you can adjust the cutting height from 15 to 42 mm.

With a 30 cm cutting width and a 16 liter tank, you can prepare it faster than you think. It weighs 6.46 kg.

Einhell GC-HM 30 -…

Bosch ARM 32 – Electric lawn mower

When you have a lawn of about 600 square meters, you should consider buying a lawn mower that will make the maintenance work easier and more convenient. And that’s exactly what you’re going to achieve with this model from Bosch.

With a cutting width of 32 cm and height adjustment from 20 to 60 mm, mowing the lawn is almost like a walk. It has a 31 liter tank, which is more than enough so you don’t have to think about it, and it weighs 6.8 kg.

Implementation

Bosch for home and garden…

MTD Smart 395 PO – Petrol Lawn Mower

If your lawn is very large, up to 800 square meters, you will need a lawn mower that you can work more or less freely, like this MTD model that works on petrol. Once the tank is filled with both fuel and oil, you can use it for a long time.

The cutting width is 39.5 cm and the height is adjustable from 36 to 72 mm. With a bag of 40 liters, you will surely want to mow the lawn more often 😉.

MTD 11CBB1JD600 Smart 395 …

Gardena R70Li – Lawn Mower Robot

Would you like someone or something to mow your lawn while you are doing other things? Well, you can stop dreaming 🙂. With a robotic lawn mower like the Gardena, you will have a stunning garden, and more interestingly, effortlessly as it works best on lawns up to 400 square meters.

Height adjustable from 25mm to 46mm, it works with a lithium-ion battery that takes just over an hour to fully charge and a 200m perimeter cable (both included). It weighs 7.5 kg.

Gardena 04072-20 Robot …

Cub Cadet LT2NR92 – Lawn tractor

The Cub Cadet mower is the ideal tool for gardens of around 2500 square meters. This allows you to work in the most comfortable way: sitting on a one-piece seat that can be adjusted in length in 4 positions.

The cutting width is 92 cm and the height is adjustable from 30 to 95 mm. Electric starter, traction – hydrostatic, double pedal. It has a 3.8 liter fuel tank and a 240 liter grass bag. Its total weight is 195 kg.

Lawn mower baby …

What are the advantages and disadvantages of different types of lawn mowers?

As we have seen, there are several types and many different models. Since they don’t all work the same way, here is a table with the main characteristics of each, which we hope will be helpful in choosing one or the other:0009

	Manual	electric	Gasoline	Robotic Lawnmower	Tractor mower
engine	–	electric	Gaza	Battery operated	Hydrostatic or explosive
Cutting width	30 to 35 cm	30 to 35 cm	35 to 45 mm	20 to 30 cm	70 to 100 cm
Cutting height	10 to 40 mm	20 to 60 mm	20 to 80 mm	20 to 50 mm	20 to 95 mm
power	–	1000-1500W	About 3000-4000 W	20 to 50 W	2200cc
No cables?	yes	Model dependent	yes	No	yes
Power	15 to 50L	20 to 40L	30 to 60L	–	100 to 300L
Recommended surface	Up to 200 square meters	From 150 to 500 square meters	From 300 to 800 square meters	From 200 to 2000 square meters	1000-4000 square meters

Hand mower

Advantage

Hand Lawn Mower This is the ideal tool when you have a small lawn no larger than 200 square meters. . With a tank of around 15-50 liters, depending on the model, and a cutting width of around 35 cm, you can carry out maintenance work effortlessly and with complete freedom.

flaws

The problem with these types of tools is that the energy they need to work comes from your own body; namely, you are the engine of the manual lawnmower . This means that if you don’t have strong enough arms and/or if you have a big lawn, you can get tired relatively quickly.

Electric Lawn Mower

Advantage

The Electric Lawn Mower is very useful when you have a lawn from 150 to 500 square meters, because with the you can have perfectly cut edges. The tank in this type of model is usually between 20 and 40 liters, so there is no need to empty it often. In addition, the engine is powerful enough to mow even tall grass.

disadvantages

Although you can almost say that this type of mower has only good qualities, in fact the capacity of your bag may be small if the lawn is large.

Gasoline lawn mower

Advantage

Gasoline lawn mower This gives you more freedom. This allows you to have a lawn of up to 800 square meters at the right height without the need for a cable. You simply fill up the gas and oil tanks and get to work. The grass collection bag is between 30L and 60L, depending on the model, so you will definitely enjoy keeping your green carpet in good condition.

faults

The problem with these models is related to the engine and its maintenance. . It is necessary to change the oil from time to time, which should be specific to lawnmower engines, and always try to use new, clean fuel, otherwise tool life will be shortened.

Robotic Lawnmower

advantage

Robotic Lawnmower is very, very interesting when there is no time to mow the lawn . It works with a battery that charges in a short time (usually an hour), and while it works, you can use your free time for other things. So, if you have a flat garden of about 200-2000 square meters and you are very busy, without a doubt, this type of lawn mower is the perfect option for you.

shortcomings

Power is generally low Therefore, its use on steep slopes or on a lawn with very tall grass is not recommended, as damage may result.

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Tractor Mower

Advantage

Working with the Riding Mower is the perfect excuse to set up your garden the way you want it, right from the seat of your car. . It is designed for best use in very large areas from 1000 to 4000 square meters, so it can even be used on golf courses. The grass collection container is about 200 liters, so you will probably only have to empty it when you are done.

faults

Maintenance is tricky business. Whenever you buy a tool or machine you should read the manual, but in the case of a lawn tractor this reading is more important if possible. You have to change the oil from time to time, check that the blades, and the brake, and the engine itself are in perfect condition; Store it in a cool, dry place out of the sun and clean it from time to time.

Where to buy a lawn mower?

Amazon

Everyone sells on Amazon. If we talk about lawn mowers, then their catalog is very, very wide, in it you can find all types at different prices. For example, a hand tractor can be obtained for 60 euros and a lawn tractor for over 2000 euros. Picking one is easy, as you just need to read the product file and reviews received from other buyers to buy and wait to receive it at home.

Brico Depot

Bricodepot has a small but interesting catalog of electric and petrol lawn mowers. They sell well-known brands such as McCulloch at prices from 69up to 500 euros. To purchase it, you need to go to a general store.

Leroy Merlin

Leroy Merlin has a very wide range of lawn mowers that they update regularly.