Self-propelled models are easier to push. It's good practice to empty the fuel tank as much as possible — and completely if not in use over winter. Petrol is better stored in a bespoke container rather than in the machine.
Cons of petrol lawn mowers:. See our petrol lawn mower reviews. Ride-on mowers allow you to attach accessories such as trailers, broadening their range of use. You'll also need to get your ride-on lawn mower serviced annually. Cons of ride-on lawn mowers:. See our guide on how to buy the best ride-on mower. A robot mower isn't cheap, but it makes mowing hassle free. Once installed, it will mow your lawn with little input from you, cutting regularly and mulching clippings back into the lawn so there are no clippings to deal with.
Use your robot mower during daylight to reduce the risk to wildlife. Some models are capable of cutting lawns that are 5,sq m and more, making them a great alternative to a ride-on or petrol lawn mower. Pricier robots will usually have more advanced features, like smartphone compatibility, weather monitoring and mapping.
Cons of robot lawn mowers:. Read our handy guide to robot mowers to find out if automated mowing is for you. Or see our robot lawn mower reviews. One thing to consider before buying any type of lawn mower is how easy it will be to get replacement parts if you encounter any issues. You can expect most mowers to last a decent amount of time at least seven years or more but that doesn't mean you'll never need spare blades, springs, or perhaps a replacement mower belt.
Most major mower retailers such as Bosch, Cobra, Flymo, Ryobi and Stihl offer spare parts for their lawn mowers, either directly from their website or through a third-party seller. It's always worth checking on the availability of spare parts before you commit to a purchase, as you don't want a minor fault to end up in you replacing your entire mower because you can't get hold of a certain part.
With cordless mowers specifically you should check to make sure it's possible to buy replacement batteries separately. We don't give Best Buys to models where the batteries can't be replaced, so will never recommend a mower that's destined to have an unusually short lifespan. A local-garden machinery specialist may be able to service and repair your mower, especially petrol models, so always check before you discard a mower that seems to be broken.
The price you pay for a new lawn mower will ultimately depend on what type of mower it is. Our expert tests prove you don't need to spend big to get your hands on a Best Buy lawn mower. Often, if you spend more on a lawn mower you're paying for certain features rather than guaranteed better performance.
These can include:. As is the case with most products, price is very rarely an indication of how 'good' your lawn mower actually is. There's no way of knowing for definite how well it will cut your grass until you put it to the test in your garden. If you're trying to stick to a budget, though, don't feel like you need to fork out money you don't have to land yourself a reliable model.
Most lawn mowers let you adjust the height of the cut between a set range of heights. Make sure that the mower can cut the heights you require and check how easy it is to change the height.
Some can be changed by simply moving a lever, while others require you to change the height of each individual wheel, or to add or remove spacers under the cutting blade. This is mainly an issue for petrol lawn mowers, as electric mowers are easy to start. Headlights like these are one of my favorite lawn-mower features, and they're especially useful if you have dog toys or sprinkler heads that you need to watch out for.
This self-propelling mower also offers a variable-speed Touch Drive controller, allowing you to travel from 0. Just because you don't have the budget for a higher-end option, that doesn't mean you won't be able to enjoy the benefits of a reliable lawn mower.
The first thing to mention about the Sun Joe is how small it is. At 14 inches, its blade is substantially smaller than the other options on our list. Larger, heavier mowers are impractical for a small yard or one that requires a lot of maneuvering around rocks or other landscaping elements.
This compact size also makes this mower a great choice for this short on storage space. The Sun Joe MJE only weighs 29 pounds, making it well-suited for anyone who doesn't feel like lugging around a heavy mower. This light weight is even more valuable because this is not a self-propelled mower, and you'll be pushing it under your own power. The corded power supply of the Sun Joe means you won't have to deal with any messy fuel mixes or battery packs, and it will essentially run as long as you need it to.
Of course, this unlimited run time limits you to the length of your extension cord. The Sun Joe MJE is made of more plastic than our other metal-deck options, which makes it less durable.
The low-maintenance Greenworks Amp Corded Lawn Mower is lightweight, easy to maneuver, and doesn't require charging. The Greenworks 12 Amp Corded Lawn Mower has many features that can make your mowing experience enjoyable. Since it is corded, you don't need to stop to recharge a battery or gas up.
It's a three-in-one mower that has mulching, side discharge, and rear bagging capabilities. You can adjust the cutting height with a single lever. Plus, the inch rear wheels, 7-inch front wheels, and pound size make it easy to push around the yard. For the past three years, I have used the Greenworks on my quarter-acre lawn.
I particularly like how easy it is to adjust the blade height, and it's surprisingly light. There are just a couple of negatives I've noticed. I live in the Pacific Northwest, where mowing wet grass is unavoidable. When the grass is wet, it does not feed into the bag of this mower easily. Also, I had to replace the cord after my teenager ran over it with the mower. Cord control is important and takes a little planning.
But if you don't have a large lawn and want to avoid the hassle of keeping batteries recharged, this Greenworks mower could be a perfect fit. Honda HRXVKA Inch Nexite : Our previous top pick, this gas-powered Honda mower features a powerful cc engine, and its rear-wheel drive allows you to effortlessly maneuver inclines and hills.
Its Versamow system also allows you to choose how much grass is mulched and how much is bagged, depending on your yard's conditions. This mower is currently out of stock, but we'll continue to monitor its status and will most likely add it back to our list once it's available again. The Craftsman M Inch Mower : Both of our experts recommended Craftsman brand mowers for typical homeowners, and Wilson specifically cited this model as a great option.
It's self-propelled, has a nice cutting width of 21 inches, and could be a good lower-cost alternative to the Honda model above. Although its cc engine and inch cutting width are great, they were ultimately not able to stack up against our current top pick, the Toro Recycler SmartStow. If the Toro is unavailable, this mower costs about the same and could be a great alternative. Although we did not personally test all the mowers we included on our list, we did extensive research considering all the available options.
After compiling a list of the most popular and well-known models out there, I contacted Mike Wilson , a full-time landscaping contractor in Madison, Wisconsin, and Trevor Lively, a lawn-mower expert and the president of Blue Jay Irrigation. These two experts and their hands-on expertise provided the insight and experience to recommend the final options on our list.
According to our expert, the typical lawn mower that's used once a week can last anywhere from eight to 10 years. To ensure that your lawn mower lasts as long as it should, make sure you follow the recommended maintenance and cleaning procedures in the user manual.
If you're not sure where to start, Wilson explained that it's more important to think about your yard first. A good lawn-mower width for a small yard is anything 20 inches and above.
Wilson added that electric mowers tend to be smaller than gas mowers, so a gas mower might be a better idea if you have a large yard. In addition to your yard size, Wilson also added that you should consider the terrain. While some mowers will function best on large, flat yards, others will be better suited for hills or lots of obstacles. You should also think about how much effort you're willing to put into cutting your grass.
If you want to ensure that the mower does as much of the work as possible, make sure you choose a self-propelled model. This will allow you to set the speed and simply walk behind the mower, steering as you go. If you have steep hills that require a lot of effort to traverse, it's an especially nice feature.
Consider a self-propelled model if your yard is over a quarter acre. Lastly, pay close attention to model numbers. Many brands have dozens of models with only slight differences. If you've done your research and have your heart set on XYZ Company's , be sure you don't pick up the If you follow our links, you can ensure you are getting the right model. When choosing between gas or electric mowers, the decision ultimately depends on what features are most beneficial to you.
Unlike last year's mower which was rear wheel drive, this year's version is a push mower and this explains the large cut area. No battery charge is diverted to the drive system, enabling the little white mower to cut, and cut, and cut some more.
The lack of a drive system is not a big deal on level ground because the mower with bag and battery only weighs For your money, you also get the convenience of single-lever deck adjustment with a conveniently located cutting height scale next to it for adjustment from 1. Toro pioneered the wide-cut residential mower, and that experience is evident here. Push forward on the handle to make the mower go faster; its top speed is 4. Other well-designed features: two-lever height control, a forward-fold handle for more compact storage, and a large grass bag.
Its speed and ease of use make it well suited to broad suburban lawns, less so for push-pull and pivoting cuts in tight spots. The Toro is a capable and powerful hill climber, we found, but did not do particularly well in side hill mowing. Those are small asides, though. This is an outstanding product suited to the suburbs and a variety of users.
Battery mowers are best for small to medium yards that are well maintained with a mowed surface no greater than 5, to 10, square feet. For a larger area, especially one that may have leaves on it during the fall, buy a gas-engine mower. Another reason to buy a gas mower: You expect to encounter rugged cutting conditions, such as mowing along an unruly edge, to keep tall grass and weeds at bay.
It takes a lot of torque to do that, and gas engines excel at that. Walk and self propelled 10, square feet of grass or less : Typical engine sizes up to cc with a few larger , cutting deck width from 21 to 33 inches.
Choose rear drive if you mow uphill, especially if you bag the clippings. Use front drive on level ground for maneuverability. Buy all-wheel drive or power reverse for steep hills, side hills, rutted ground, and non-lawn areas. Rear-engine riding 10, square feet of grass up to two acres; heavy-duty variations up to four acres : Typical engine sizes are in the range of Deck sizes are typically 30 to 33 inches, with heavy-duty models possessing decks up to 54 inches.
Wide decks permit faster mowing but are more expensive. There aren't as many electric riding mowers as there are gas-engine types. Traditional lawn tractor 20, square feet of grass up to four acres : Typical engine sizes range from Deck sizes range from 42 inches up to 54 inches.
When you increase power and deck size on lawn tractors you find heavy-duty models with features like a differential lock: both rear wheels turn simultaneously for help going uphill or pulling attachments like a grader.
Zero-turn riding 20, square feet of grass up to four acres : Typical engine sizes range from 12 to 25 hp. Deck sizes start at about 32 inches and go up to 60 inches. These machines steer with a pair of lap bars that control transmissions, one at each rear wheel.
Moving a bar forward increases fluid flow to the transmission; moving it back decreases flow. This causes the mower to move straight, turn in a curve, or pivot. Battery-powered zero-turn mowers is one of the fastest growing mower categories. And by high-capacity, we mean these machines are rated to cut more than an acre. Almost all walk-behind mowers today mulch and bag.
Some also side discharge. The average homeowner is best served by a mower with strong mulching performance. Mulching is a process where clippings are recut repeatedly and discharged under the deck. As the clippings decay, they return nitrogen to the soil, which improves grass health. A side benefit is that mulching does not require you to dump clippings somewhere and compost them. On the other hand, bagging clippings leaves about as clean a lawn surface as you can have—thus reducing clippings that may get dragged into the house on shoes.
Mowers in side-discharge mode shoot clippings out the side of the deck. Use this in tall grass or when mowing non-lawn areas—the rows formed by the clippings are ugly and can kill stripes of lawn if left in place. Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories.
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