Honda lawn mower width. GKZ GR536M Honda Engine Lawnmower 163 cc

GKZ GR536M Honda Engine Lawnmower 163 cc

GKZ GR536M is a very solid lawn mower thanks to the sturdy aluminum body. with steel side guards, it also mounts a professional engine Honda OHV GXV160.

The GKZ GR536M lawn mower features a blade brake / clutch for safe and simplified use.

This lawnmower is equipped with a 75 L capacity grass collector and allows you to cut to a width of 53 cm.

The professional engine of this GR536M lawnmower has a displacement of 163 cc. the traction is mechanical with shaft drive for greater durability and reliability.

The forward controls of this GKZ GR536M lawnmower are practical and very reliable. the basket has a double dustproof canvas and the starter is recoil.

The tank of the GKZ GR536M lawn mower has a capacity of 1.8 L. the cutting height is adjustable from 16 mm to 76 mm.

GKZ GR536M mounts 4 very solid wheels. made of resistant aluminum. 180 mm front and 200 mm rear.

Honda OHV GXV 160 engine

The OHV configuration guarantees very efficient combustion and a high power/displacement ratio.

Starting is easy and light. also thanks to an efficient decompression system and an ergonomic starter handle.

Honda OHV GXV 160 engine made with high quality materials. designed for a long life.

Characteristics

• Honda OHV GXV 160 engine
• Aluminum shell
• Cutting height from16 to 76 mm
• Cutting width 53cm
• Cardan hydrostatic transmission
• Cutting deck equipped with BBC blade clutch/brake
• Practical and reliable feed controls
• Basket with double dustproof canvas
• Pull start
• Basket capacity 75 L

Technical data

Technical data

Lawn Mower Dimensions: How Big Are They?

Of all of the factors to consider when shopping for a lawn mower, size is probably the first one to take into consideration. This is because everybody has a different type of lawn and differing amounts of storage for the machine itself. When it comes to mowers, they really aren’t one size fits all. You might have already looked at a bunch of different lawn mower dimensions, but it’s hard to understand what their sizes mean without any context. Let’s start by taking a look at some of the standard lawn mower deck sizes and what they’re best suited for.

Standard Lawn Mower Dimensions (The Quick Overview)

When it comes to lawn mower dimensions, these are the two most common questions:

• How wide is a lawn mower/What size mower deck do I need for my yard?
• What is the right type of lawn mower for my lawn?

To answer these questions, it’s best to FOCUS on the size of the cutting deck. Below is a table with the standard deck sizes for each type of lawn mower and what size of yard they should be used with.

Dimensions for Different Types of Lawn Mowers

Now that you’ve got a pretty good idea of the standard lawn mower widths across the different types of machines, it’s a good idea to consider the rest of their dimensions. I’ll explain more about each type of lawn mower and throw some other standard lawn mower dimensions at you. Though each lawn mower deck size has a recommended yard size, these other details will help you narrow down exactly which lawn mower would be best for your yard.

Riding Lawn Mower Dimensions

When talking about riding lawn mower sizes, the first and most important measure is the deck width. Riding mower deck sizes typically range from 36 to 54 inches. However, the average riding lawn mower deck size is 42 inches. This is also true for lawn tractors. But, ride on mower width isn’t the only thing to consider.

You might be wondering, how long is a riding lawn mower? Well, they vary slightly but on average they are about 6 feet long. It’s important to know this if you are thinking about buying a riding mower because you’ll need to store it. While they aren’t quite as long as a car, they do take up a good amount of space. In addition, riding lawn mowers stand about 4 feet tall.

To determine what size riding mower is best for you, you’ll need to consider how large your yard is and reference it with the table above. Most people recommend riding mowers with a 36 to 54-inch cutting deck for yards that are 1 to 4 acres in size.

Zero-Turn Mower Dimensions

The dimensions of a zero-turn mower are actually pretty similar to most riding lawn mowers. On average, they will be about 4 feet in height, 6 feet in length, and 4 feet in width. The main difference is that some are built with larger cutting decks. This is seen with zero turn mower deck sizes within the 54 to 72-inch range. You won’t be able to find a non-commercial riding lawn mower or lawn tractor with this large of a deck. Since there is a big range of zero turn lawn mower deck sizes, they can accommodate many different yard types.

As seen in the table at the start of the article, 36 to 54 inch zero turn lawn mowers can be used in yards of the same area as riding mowers. However, when dealing with lawns over 4 acres, a zero turn mower width between 54 to 72 inches will give you a huge (and almost necessary) advantage.

Gas Push Mower Dimensions

Gas push mowers have a smaller range of sizes compared to riding and zero-turn mowers. Usually a push mower’s deck size is about 21 inches in diameter. But, there are mowers with slightly larger or smaller decks. Gas push mowers with larger decks tend to be self-propelled because of the added weight. Aside from the width, a standard push mower will be about 3 feet tall and 5 feet long (with the handle extended).

With gas-powered push mowers, you have a couple of options, smaller mowers in the 20-inch range, or wider 30-inch mowers. The best rule of thumb when choosing one or the other is to consider how large your yard is, and how many tight spaces you need to be able to fit into. The added width a 30-inch push mower provides can help a lot if you have a really big yard, but a smaller deck size can be really valuable if you have to do a ton of cornering or squeezing past obstacles.

Electric Push Mower Dimensions

The dimensions of most electric push mowers are almost identical to those of gas push mowers. A standard electric push mower will be about 18 inches wide, 3 feet tall, and 5 feet long. But, like other mower types, there are a bunch of options for mower width if you have the budget for it.

When it comes to the range of electric push mowers, the type of electric mower you get determines how much ground you can cover. Corded electric mowers, for example, are usually better for small to medium-sized yards. Extension cords tend to drop voltage as they increase in length, and can realistically only reach so far. Cordless electric mowers also tend to have a smaller range than most gas push mowers. This is because even the highest quality batteries won’t last as long as a tank full of gas. To combat this, a lot of manufacturers provide two fast-charging batteries to buyers. And because of this, high-end cordless mowers can be used for large yards as well.

Reel Mower Dimensions

Old-school reel mowers are simple but extremely effective. The standard width of a reel mower is 14 inches but there are some wider models. Like push mowers, they are roughly 3 feet tall but are usually only 2 feet in length.

Reel mowers are awesome for small yards but larger models can be used on any lawn up to a half-acre in area. Running solely on elbow grease, you won’t have to worry about running out of fuel.

Implications that Different Lawn Mower Dimensions Can Have

Deciding what size lawn mower you need can be a difficult choice. Let’s run through a few of the biggest implications that size can have when it comes to mowers:

Larger deck size/dimensions means fewer passes

As you can imagine, wider mowers cover ground more quickly. Shaving off an extra ten or twenty inches each pass makes a huge difference in the amount of time required to mow large yards. One of my neighbors made the switch from a lawn tractor with a 48-inch deck to a zero-turn with a 60-inch deck about two years ago and they were amazed how much faster they were able to get the job done. The ease of turning with a zero turn mower made a huge difference too.

But even a 6-inch difference between push mowers is noticeable. Still, if you have a small or medium-sized yard you probably don’t have to worry too much about going way up in size as you might only be able to cut your mowing time down a few minutes at best.

Smaller mowers are easier to store

Easy storage is a huge perk of using a smaller mower, especially if it’s a reel mower. I don’t know many people with a ton of extra space in their garage, so it’s worth considering how much room you want your lawn mower to take up. For instance, If you want a riding lawn mower you will almost need a full extra car stall’s worth of space to store it.

Size affects maneuverability

Taking corners and tackling hills are the biggest factors when it comes to maneuvering a lawn mower. Personally, I tend to prefer push mowers that are on the smaller side. This is because they are much easier to corner and are able to squeeze into tight places. The same is true when it comes to hills. Smaller cutting decks reduce the weight of the mower and are a little bit easier to push uphill.

Since I use my zero turn mower to cover the largest parts of the yard, and my push mower to get into the hard to reach places, I don’t need a push mower with a large deck. However, if you have a medium or large yard with hills and you don’t have a riding mower, a wider mower can be a huge advantage. Self-propulsion helps a lot with hills, and larger rear wheels can make a heavier mower easier to turn.

About Tom Greene

I’ve always had a keen interest in lawn care as long as I can remember. Friends used to call me the lawn mower guru (hence the site name), but I’m anything but. I just enjoy cutting my lawn and spending time outdoors. I also love the well-deserved doughnuts and coffee afterward!

Комментарии и мнения владельцев

TRADE WARNING…Width of mower between tree trunk and curb. We all know how landscapers prefer larger wider professional mowers. Inadvertently resulting in an exponential increase of severe trunk gouging, especially to new Young trees. Regardless if a wide patch of mulch is void of any grass preventing need for mower or weed wacker to get anywhere near several hundred dollar landscape tree. Ironically it’s the very bag attachment bracket permanently affixed to the widest side of mower dimension that creates worst type of trunk tissue wounding. And most landscapers only use attachment to bag clippings in fall. Preferring not to have to haul bags of grass away. On a personal note as a professional arborist I wish I would see more landscapers pulling out the smaller mower. First to prevent said Hardscape damage as mentioned. But especially when having no choice but to cut grass after a rain event. As heavier equipment used creates more permanent soil compaction compared to smaller mowers. I mean we all hate surface tripping tree roots which are a direct result of severely compacted soil. With wetland tree species that more sensitive to root oxygen deprivation. Imagine how bad soil underneath must be if a root forced to grow on top of ground. This is why we purchased our first bright yellow mulching mower in 1976 and change cutting pattern each week to prevent wheels going over same location. Plus it looks cool with our house being on a corner.

Hi Scott, I will agree that sometimes lawn crews don’t show enough care when it comes to trees, whether it be gouging with a lawn mower or weed whacking around trunks. But at the same time, I understand that time is money. It’s not a good excuse, but it seems to be the reality. I guess the old adage “you get what you pay for” is true in this case. The only real way to get exactly what you want is to take care of your own lawn and yard if you can. Thanks for the Комментарии и мнения владельцев. Tom.

Lawn Mower Dimensions: Understanding Mower Sizes In Detail

Lawn mower dimensions comprise the machine’s length, width, and height and the width of its deck, which encompasses the cutting blade. Before you go out and buy a mower for effective lawn care, you need to know how big it is and whether it will even fit in your toolshed.

This article will discuss the dimensions of different mowers in detail and see how much land they cover. You also get to find out how mowers with larger dimensions fare compared to those of smaller dimensions.

• What Are The Different Lawn Mower Dimensions?

• – Dimensions of Riding Type of Mowers
• – Dimensions of Zero-turn Mowers
• – Size of Push Type Mowers
• – Size of Electric Mowers
• – Dimensions of Reel-type Mowers

• – Elevate the Deck
• – Measure the Diameter
• – Check the Deck Shell

• – Larger Mowers
• – Smaller Mowers

What Are The Different Lawn Mower Dimensions?

The different lawn mower dimensions you should know are the riding type of mowers, the dimensions of the zero turn mowers, and the different sizes of the eclectic of push types. over, you should also know the dimension of the reel-type.

Lawn mower dimensions depend on the type of mower you own, which, in turn, depends on the overall size of the lawn. Riding mowers and lawn tractors have an average cutting width between 36 and 54 inches, whereas the standard push lawn mower width is around 16 to 30 inches.

– Dimensions of Riding Type of Mowers

Riding lawn mowers and lawn tractors are gigantic mowers that are well-suited for large-sized lawns, parks, gardens, farms, etc. This is because their cutting decks are wide enough to mow large sections of grass in a short amount of time. These mowers are around four feet tall and six feet long from front to back, making them ideal for cutting grass across land that is around one to four acres in size.

For a riding type of mower, the average range of dimensions of the mower deck is around 36 to 42 inches. Most companies sell this mower with a standard deck size of 42 inches. Tractor-type mowers are slightly bigger, and their dimensions range from 42 to 54 inches.

One of the most popular examples of these mowers is the John Deere S120. It is classified as a tractor by the company and is around 44.5 inches tall and 54 inches wide. With a cutting deck width of 42 inches, it boosts a powerful engine making it a beastly machine able to mow down grass within minutes.

– Dimensions of Zero-turn Mowers

A Z-turn mower is upgraded to the standard riding mower but has a much better-turning radius. It is no surprise, then, that its dimensions are similar to that of riding-type mowers. Regarding your average zero turn mower dimensions, its width and height are around 48 inches, and its length is around 72 inches. These are big machines and need a proper parking spot to keep them when not in use.

Z-turn mowers come with a variety of size options for their decks. What you must be keen about is how it depends on the size of the area you aim to mow with this mower, which means that you can opt for a customized deck of your choice.

over, a lawn that is one to two acres in size will do just fine with a standard 36 to 42 inches wide deck. The deck needs to be at least 42 to 54 inches wide for a lawn between three and four acres large.

You can install a deck that is as wide as 54 to 72 inches for lawns larger than four acres, and this would be according to your need and adjustment. You cannot get decks this large in a riding-style mower or a tractor-style one.

On the other hand, a good example would be a cub cadet Ultima ZT1 mower that is the same size as a tractor-type mower but comes with a much wider deck that cuts wider stripes of grass.

– Size of Push Type Mowers

Push mowers naturally tend to be smaller in size than ridden ones. Gas-fueled engines power these mowers because they come in all sizes and shapes. What you must know is that the average dimensions of the gas-powered push-type mowers manufactured in the US are 36 inches tall and 60 inches long, this is their basic given. On the other hand, the average mower deck size for these is around 21 inches, but you will find mowers with widths.

Usually, when a gas-powered mower is fitted with a large deck, it is engineered to be a self-propelled mower. The extra weight that a larger deck adds makes a mower difficult to push manually.

As a result of this, if you are out on the hunt for the right push-type mower with a deck of larger dimensions, it’s best to look for one that is self-propelled, so that you get the most out of it. Considering these dimensions, these mowers are better suited for lawns less than one acre in length.

– Size of Electric Mowers

Many electric-powered mowers are built on the same dimensions as that gas-powered ones. With a height of around 36 inches, a standard width of 18 inches, and a length of 60 inches, they are more energy efficient and often self-propelled.

Of course, you get to choose the dimensions of the deck yourself, and it comes with that option and specifications. Which means that you can get a decent-sized deck with an electric-powered mower if you are willing to pay a large sum.

Remember that the given and the average dimensions of these mowers are bound by the ground surface area they can cover. If you own a corded mower, then there is no point in using a very large deck because of the mower’s limited movement.

For these, a smaller deck naturally makes more sense, if you think about it. Even if these lawnmowers are cordless, they need to cover more ground than an equally-sized gas-powered mower.

A practical solution is to purchase two batteries and keep them charged whenever you mow your lawn. The dimensions and the mower features make these machines suitable for most small-sized yards in the US.

– Dimensions of Reel-type Mowers

Lastly, we have the reel-type lawnmowers that many of you might have inherited from your parents and still works perfectly. These small and manually pushed mowers are only suitable for some large areas because of the hard work involved by the person pushing them. Their small dimensions make sense as they are 36 inches tall but only 24 inches long.

The cutting width of the deck can only be about 14 inches wide in this case. You can find slightly wider decks but don’t expect them to be larger than 16 or 18 inches. These mowers do not work through any engine, so that you will be the sole power pushing them ahead. A reel mower with big dimensions will be challenging to cut grass with.

How To Measure Mower Deck Dimension?

To measure mower deck dimension, all you must do is to elevate the deck, and take out the mower check. Then, you must measure the diameter of the circle, afterward, you should check the deck shell, make sure you consider the anti-scalping rollers, regarding the dimension.

It helps to know the dimensions of a mower’s deck, and you need to learn how to measure it. These dimensions are always given in the manual specifications, but it still doesn’t hurt to check on your own.

– Elevate the Deck

In the case of a riding lawn mower, you will need to elevate the deck before it can be measured. There is a lever near the control panel that you can push to elevate the deck easily.

Take out your mower jack, a measuring tape, and wheel chocks. The wheel chocks will ensure that the rear wheels stay in place and do not start rotating. If you don’t own wheel chocks, wood blocks would also help. Once the mower is secure, push the jack under it right in the center and use it to lift it at least six inches.

– Measure the Diameter

Once you have clear access to the deck, it is time to measure it. The decks for smaller mowers can be easily accessed simply by turning them over. Measure the circle’s diameter for a circular-shaped deck to find its dimensions.

– Check the Deck Shell

You must know that the deck shell on either side, the chute, and the anti-scalp rollers tend to add extra width to the cutting edge. As you do so, you know has the measurement of the decking shell.

Unfortunately, most manufacturing companies do not allow you to change the dimensions of their mower decks per your preference. If you want to buy a particular mower model, you will have to make do with the dimensions you are being provided.

Some people try to put their DIY hats on and install larger or smaller-sized decks independently. We encourage you to do something other than this. Not only is there a risk of damaging delicate mower machinery by accident, but the process itself could be more manageable. The amount of time and energy this would require is not worth it.

What Are the Significance of Deck Dimensions?

The mower can be large or small, and this size is responsible for accommodating the dimension of the cutting deck. Usually, people prefer larger mowers and cutting blades because they mow faster and cover much larger ground quickly. In reality, mowers with smaller dimensions fare much better in several aspects.

– Larger Mowers

The larger the mower, the more chance of tire tracks developing in the grass. This is an inevitable consequence that people will smaller mowers do not have to deal with.

When the ground is uneven with slight dips and mounds, a smaller mower with a deck less than 20 inches wide will be able to follow these contours much better than a larger one. A larger-sized mower will ride over these spaces and leave behind patches of grass.

Another reason bigger mowers do not give an even cut is that they have multiple blades, and all of them indirectly connect to the engine, which tends to divide the engine horsepower. There is only one blade in single mowers, which is also connected directly to the mower. This property enables these mowers to give a very neat trim to the lawn grass.

– Smaller Mowers

Another major perk of smaller mower dimensions is that they are convenient to store when not in use. You cannot just park mowers outdoors like a car. Finding a large enough storage space for tractors and riding ones is always a hassle, especially during the long winter months.

You will be surprised that a small-sized deck creates a better vacuum to lift the grass blades to cut it. The grass cut by small mowers will be neater and more uniform than a riding one can ever hope to achieve.

Conclusion

Before you go on a mower-buying spree, here is a brief recap to keep in mind.

• The average deck dimensions of lawn tractors and riding-style mowers are around 36 to 54 inches and are best suited for grass spread over several acres.
• Z-turn-type mowers are the same size as riding-type mowers but can work with specially designed fabricated decks of much larger sizes.
• Reel-type mowers are the smallest, with dimensions ranging from 14 to 20 inches.
• The only benefit of using a mower with big dimensions is that they mow grass faster, whereas smaller mowers cut grass much more finely.

The information in this article will be very beneficial whenever you decide to upgrade your old mower for a new one. The next time you are researching the dimension specs of various mowers, do not hesitate to come back to this article anytime.

The Best Lawn Mowers of 2023

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed’s editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission. were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

Honda HRX217VKA

The Honda HRX217VKA is powerful, heavy and ideal for larger lawns. Read

Ego Power LM2135SP

This mower is powerful, comfortable, and a joy to use. It performed extremely well mulching and driving itself uphill. Read

Honda HRN216VKA

Honda has produced superior power equipment for many years and this mower, which operates with rear-wheel drive, is no exception. Read

Kobalt KM 5080-06

The electric Kobalt KM 5080-06 was flexible and easy to operate, and can run bagged or bagless. Read

Hart HLPM061US

The Hart HLPM061US performed well across terrains and has a simple to use speed control. Read

Cons

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.

The Honda HRX217VKA was a pleasure to use.

• 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.

Cons

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

• 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

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

• 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.

Cons

• 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.

Cons

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.

Cons

• 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.

Cons

• 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.

Cons

• 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

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.

Cons

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.

Cons

• Controls are cumbersome
• Front Drive System limits control and comfort
• Not nimble around obstacles

How We Tested Lawn Mowers

The Testers

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

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

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?

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.

Meet the testers

Director, Content Development

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.

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.

Checking our work.

Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you’re confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we’ll compare notes.

The Best Lawn Mowers

A fter spending a whole season mowing a 4,300 square-foot lawn with self-propelled gas, electric and manual lawn mowers, we’ve selected the Honda – 21″ HRR216K9VKA as the best lawn mower. With a 160cc engine, the Honda’s cord-free, self-propelled operation gives you plenty of power to get through weeds and overgrowth. If you’ve got a smaller lawn and you don’t want to deal with gasoline and engine maintenance, the Greenworks – 22502 electric is a great option.

A fter spending a whole season mowing a 4,300 square-foot lawn with self-propelled gas, electric and manual lawn mowers, we’ve selected the Honda – 21″ HRR216K9VKA as the best lawn mower. With a 160cc engine, the Honda’s cord-free, self-propelled operation gives you plenty of power to get through weeds and overgrowth. If you’ve got a smaller lawn and you don’t want to deal with gasoline and engine maintenance, the Greenworks – 22502 electric is a great option.

The 6 lawn mowers we tested

Best self-propelled gas mower: Honda – 21″

Honda seems to have discontinued our winning pick but has released a new model that seems almost identical in features. The changes seem to be a different engine, adding 1 more height option, and a darker paint on the body. We have adjusted all the links to point towards the newer item.

Both models of self-propelled gas mower that we tested are well-built machines. This was a very close call, but Honda – 21″ has included design and ergonomic considerations that make it a better mower.

Honda has models in the 500 and 600 range which add features and functions you may be interested in: electric starting or the option to stop the blade and idle down the engine rather than shutting off and re-starting every time you need to stop, for example. We stuck to our 400 budget and feel confident that most will be happy with the performance of this machine on an average lawn like ours.

Top Pick: Honda. HRR216K9VKA 21

Honda’s small engines are rock-solid and reliable. Plenty of power and great design considerations — even the pull start was easy to use. If you need the power and speed of a self-propelled mower, this is your best bet for under 400.

Honda engines have a reputation for easy starting and this one is no exception. Even with just a pull-start (and needing to re-start every time we stopped to pick up a piece of debris), we never had any trouble getting this mower going.

Self-propelled mowers are heavy and can cause damage in wet soil when making a tight turn. Turning while in motion was very manageable on the Honda, but avoiding lawn damage with a heavy mower requires getting to know the wet spots on your lawn and developing a feel for the balance of the mower.

We tested the mowers in wet grass to see how they’d fare, and the Honda did stall on the wettest grass we tested — probably because the chute clogged up with the wet clippings we were bagging. Other reviewers claim their machine didn’t stall with wet grass, but very wet grass is definitely not something any mower is designed for.

After running electric mowers and manual mowers, the Honda was definitely louder, but it’s not like a straight-pipe Harley or a chainsaw.

Adjusting cutter height requires individual settings on each wheel — this is a bit annoying, but most people won’t have to adjust often.

Since the mower is pulling itself forward whenever the engine is going, variable speed control helps for working slowly around turns or near edges of a curb. Honda’s thumb-controlled walk-speed setting was easy to use and felt more natural than the “personal pace” adjuster on the Toro, which was another mower we tested.

Honda’s switch controlling the bagging/mulching flap is also nicer than the Toro’s lever, with a solid engagement that clicks reassuringly in place. Honda claims that their blade system cuts better with two blades, but with a yard the size of the one we tested it was difficult to tell the difference. Suffice it to say, the Honda and Toro both cut well.

The foldable handle has quick-release locks for folding and storing the handle, whereas the Toro uses spin-off fasteners that take more time. Honda also includes padding on the handles of their machine, where Toro leaves you with plastic.

We stored our mowers in a raised shed in the backyard. The shed isn’t super roomy, so storage size and maneuverability were something we noticed. At 84 pounds the Honda is still light enough to lift on its back wheels to roll in, but lifting it to move around in a tight space is noticeably more difficult than with the non-gas models.

Key takeaways:

• The Honda – 21″ HRR216K9VKA gave us trouble-free performance the first time and every time. No trouble with the pull-starter, the bagging system, or the blade adjustment.
• This mower is powerful enough to take on wet grass and mulches whatever twigs and leaves are on your lawn.
• While it’s hefty compared to electric or manual-powered mowers, Honda designed a handle-folding system that makes it relatively easy to store.

Best electric mower: Greenworks – 22502

Compared to the heavy gas mowers the Greenworks – 22502 electric powered mower feels incredibly light: at 56 lb, it’s about 30 lb lighter than the Honda. This makes it far easier to turn without skidding, not to mention easier to handle when you’re putting it away. There’s a lot of plastic involved in keeping that weight down, of course, but the Greenworks still feels more like a serious lawn mower than the other electric model we tested. It’s a simple machine and doesn’t need unnecessary bulk.

Best Electric Mower: Greenworks. 22502

With a wide cutting path and easy-to use features, the Greenworks makes quick work of a lawn without the extra noise and smell of gasoline power.

The Greenworks mower has a 20-inch mowing width and height can be adjusted from 1.5 inches to 3.75 inches with seven height settings total. In the price range we tested, most electric mowers cut a much narrower track (the Sun Joe is a 14-inch and a comparable Black and Decker model is 15 inches) which means you’ll finish 20-30 percent more quickly with the Greenworks.

The Greenworks came ready to go for bagging, side discharge, and mulching, where the Sun Joe only lets you bag unless you buy extra accessories. Setup was a piece of cake, though we should note that the box it came in was not taped shut — the outer shipping box was secure and nothing was missing, but it was a possible sign of lax shipping quality control.

Greenworks made height adjustment very easy: adjusting one lever controls cutting height on the entire mower. On the other hand, the Sun Joe required individual wheel adjustments, as did the gas-powered models we tested.)

This mower has a side discharge chute, but it requires an attachment to keep open. You have to insert a plug in the back of the mower and add the chute on the side to spread clippings to the side.

One of the disappointing things we noted was that clipping shreds occasionally spray out from the catch basket around the perimeter of the deck. This isn’t a big deal, but it’s not something that happened with other mowers.

Dumping the clippings can be slightly awkward since there’s a crossbar that supports the handles. This is an issue on both electric models we tested, but not on the gas models (which have larger, more robust handlebars that don’t use a cross-brace.) This doesn’t stop you from removing the bag, but you have to be aware of where your hands are and bend in awkward ways.

Mowing with an attached power cord is not fun. You’re chained to the plug, dancing a tango with the mower to avoid the cable getting clipped. It’s manageable if you start near the plug and work going away from the cord, but annoying to say the least. Water in pools or puddles is also an electricity-related hazard you’ll have to pay attention to with a long cord.

Note that the Greenworks mower doesn’t come with an extension cord; you’ll need to buy a fairly heavy cord, at least 14 gauge if you’re going longer than 50 feet. 16GA is okay at 50 feet, but you’ll want something longer than that unless you have electrical outlets on every corner of your lawn. You’ll also have to coil the cable carefully after you use it, either a careful straight coil or over-under, unless you want to spend time every week untying a bunch of knots and dealing with a spiral-shaped cord after a year of twisting and untwisting it from sloppy coils.

We felt this mower was ideally sized for our lawn and having no exhaust fumes was great, but it still made a lot of noise relative to manual mowers. Plus, we really missed being cord-free after our time with the gas mowers.

Key takeaways:

• Like any electric mower, the Greenworks – 22502 20″ mower is lighter and easier to maneuver, but you’re tied to an electrical cord.
• Greenworks gives you a lot of mower for your money; it’s much more efficient and better built than the other electric mower we tested.
• It’s not as quiet as the manual mowers, but not having to deal with the noise and smell of a gasoline engine is a huge plus.

Best manual mower: Fiskars – Staysharp Max

The Fiskars – Staysharp Max is wonderfully simple. It’s solid and precise. Plus, with an 18-inch wide reel it covers ground more quickly than even the Sun Joe electric mower we tested (the Fiskars also costs more though.) Manual mowers use a scissor-like blade system that usually makes a grinding or swishing noise, but Fiskars takes pride in their carefully aligned blades and resulting lack of noise.

Before starting we knew we were going to be in love with manual mowers for the eco-friendly aspect, quiet operation, and lack of gas exhaust. The Fiskars mower was indeed very enjoyable to cut with.

Best Manual Mower: Fiskars. Staysharp Max

Quiet and smooth, this is a machine made to clip a smaller lawn that’s already in top condition.

A quiet mower means you don’t feel guilty bugging your neighbors if mowing early in the day or late in the evening. A great perk is that you can talk on the phone or listen to music with non-sealing earbuds while mowing with this machine.

We wore gloves while mowing (since you need to be even more diligent about clearing debris with a manual mower) but were surprised at how comfortable the padded handles are on the Fiskars.

Fiskars went for a very wide cutting area, two inches wider than the Great States mower. This lessens cutting time, but all that width makes it more cumbersome to maneuver in the shed. We feel that it’s well worth the tradeoff and had no issues maneuvering on the turf.

Out of the box, setup was pretty simple, requiring a few screws to connect the handles to the body. The handles fold up (without locking), which saves space, making storage easy compared to non-folding handles.

Adjusting height on this mower is even easier than on the gas-powered models — it’s just one lever in the front instead of adjusting four wheels individually. It’s also marked at 1 inch (shortest) to 4 inches cutting height. On other models you kind of just have to know the height range and wing it, so this was a nice touch on the Fiskars.

To give this manual mower a workout, we used the 1.5-inch setting on overgrowth at first. It was easy in some parts, but extremely difficult towards the end, in patches that weren’t even super tall. On subsequent mowings, it was a breeze. Unlike with gas or electric mowers, you definitely have to spend more time clearing the lawn of twigs and debris before mowing so you don’t jam up the mower.

The adjustable chute can let you direct clippings forward or backward as needed. There’s no included bagging option and even with the optional clipping-catcher this mower can’t suck up and pulverize leaves and small twigs like the powered mowers can.

With extra lawn-clearing time and smaller cutting width, a manual mower can be more work and will take longer than powered lawn mowers. However, if you’re trying to reduce your carbon footprint and don’t ever let your grass get overgrown, this may be the mower for you.

Key takeaways:

• Heavier than most manual mowers, the Fiskars Staysharp Max‘s 18-inch cutting width makes quick work of small lawns.
• Most manual mowers are somewhat quiet, but Fiskars has made a reel that’s almost noiseless.
• Great build quality, fit and finish; this mower is more expensive than a cheap plug-in mower and it shows.

Other products we tested

Toro – 22″ Recycler 20334

Immediately, we noticed the Toro 22″ Recycler’s excellent packaging: high-quality plastic wrap on all the parts and the engine keeps everything tidy during shipping.

While we appreciated the padding and a few control details on the Honda just a bit more, Toro really knows their stuff too. The handle and connectors on this mower are excellent.

One setup detail that lost Toro some points is how hard it is to add oil to the BS engine and check the level. Waiting for the oil to drip down into the crankcase so you can read the dipstick accurately is a tedious process and the min/max markings on the dipstick are not present as depicted in the manual. Instead, there are only dots. There’s very little room for error, so setting up the mower for the first time involved a lot of waiting/re-dipping to make sure we got the right amount of oil.

We had trouble with the electric starting system, too. We charged the starter battery as directed, but it didn’t work. The instructions for initial startup weren’t especially clear, either. The starter button didn’t work in an intuitive way and the manual talks about a key-start that our mower doesn’t have. So for our review, the tester started the mower manually, just like the Honda. The Toro we tested does include the electric starter at the same price as the Honda with pull-start only.

Wheel height adjustment on the Toro isn’t as easy as other mowers. You have to adjust each wheel individually. Plus, the front wheel height adjustment tab was bent on the machine we received.

Eventually, the first Toro we got had to be exchanged, since the metal tab on a wire that looks up to the blade control lever was broken. This rendered the machine unable to start. Home Depot swapped this out for us without a problem.

Toro’s “personal pace” drive speed feature works just fine, but we preferred the thumb control of the Honda. On the Toro, you have to hold the fixed handle in one hand and control speed with another handle that slides up and down. It’s not difficult to use, but it’s not as easy as Honda’s system.

Great States – 16″ 415-16

Unpacking the Great States – 16″ 415-16 mower was definitely a low point. Terrible setup instructions meant we had to undo the assembly we’d already done to fit the handles into the lower mower part. The plastic twist knobs that hold the handle fasteners together are poor quality, to say the least. In fact, you could cut yourself while tightening them. That being said, it’s a tool-free setup process.

At 16 inches of cutting width, (two inches less than the Fiskars, but much lighter overall), this machine is definitely more maneuverable. The quality of build feels lower than Fiskars, but not too bad considering it’s less than half the cost.

The cutting height on the Great States ranges from 0.5 inch to 2.5 inches compared to the Fiskars’ 1-4 inches. You really don’t need the 4-inch range unless you are cutting down overgrowth, but this might matter in a few cases.

The lack of motor noise and exhaust is still a great reason for choosing this manual model, but the cutting blade makes a grinding sound that’s louder than the Fiskars precisely adjusted cutter. The Great States is also slightly harder to push than the Fiskars.

This is a tool that gets the job done for less than 100 and will likely last for many years (with a design that’s been around longer than you probably have.) There are even folks with yards larger than ½ acre who happily use this machine to mow. When it comes down to details, though, the Fiskars is a much nicer mower.

Sun Joe – 14″ MJ401E

Setting up the Sun Joe 14″ MJ401E was drama-free, with a good (non-folding) attachment design for the surprisingly comfortable padded handles, but the budget price shows through: This mower looks and feels like a toy. While it is more agile than most of the other mowers, it is very plastic, very light, and very basic. At about 40 less than our winning electric model, this should be treated as a basic mower.

Sun Joe doesn’t even include the parts needed for mulching at this price point; If you only ever bag and need to stay within a low budget, this will get the job done. The relatively smaller clippings compartment fills up fast, though. We had to dump out 5-6 times on a small lawn, though that’s partly on account of some overgrowth we were chopping through.

Another disappointment was the very flimsy-feeling height adjuster, which uses a spring-loaded adjuster on each wheel axle and makes you turn the mower on its side to adjust. With three settings, it’s adequate for basic lawn care.

How we selected

For our lineup, we selected an assortment of manual, electric, and gas-powered mowers. As always, we tried to avoid products with consistently negative reviews that mention the same problems. We narrowed our selection to mowers from top brands with good reputations for warranty, reliability, and quality.

Lawn sizes have been shrinking. Recent census data shows that 95-percent of new houses sold have a lot smaller than ¼ acre (and the houses on those lots are getting bigger, leaving even less space for turf). So, we excluded riding mowers from our review and focused on the benefits of powered mowers relative to calorie-powered manual push mowers on a moderately-sized lawn.

We capped the price of the gas models at 400 since there were lots of good options. There are many other features to be had beyond that price range, but unless your lawn is bigger than 1/2 acre, it probably won’t make sense for you to spend much more.

How we tested

Our test lawns (front and back) total to around 4,300 square feet. We cut at the recommended height of 2.5 inches multiple times with each mower. Some mowers got a bit of an extra workout at the beginning of the season due to overgrowth, but we made sure to mow with them again once they reached normal heights to be fair.

Setup

Initial setup was one of the big differentiators for the mowers. Some had great instructions, while others were misleading and confusing. Each of these machines required some setup time since they come disassembled. The Great States mower stood out as most frustrating to set up.

Bagging

We tested the bagging feature on all the mowers that included it. We also compared all of the features used for normal lawn mowing including setup of the cutter height and ease of storage.

Overall usability

Weight and size were some of the most important factors that we noticed. A bulky mower is more difficult to store and transport and extra weight also requires some practice to get clean turns and avoid damaging lawns.

Important features to consider

Mower type – This is typically recommended by lawn size, but there are plenty of options; even within the broader gas/electric/manual categories there’s much to consider.

Bagging and mulching options – Some people will want to bag their clippings. We found that while all of these mowers are capable of bagging, you’d have to buy a separate attachment for the manual mowers. Overall, the design of the bigger self-propelled mowers made removing and emptying the clipping bag easier than the electric models.

Self-propel or push-assist – This makes the work much easier, but it comes with noise, smell, maintenance concerns, and a CO2 footprint. On the flip side, people-powered mowers are quiet and pollution-free, but they’re only efficient if you’re mowing on a rigid schedule to minimize the amount you’re cutting with each pass.

Electric-powered mowers – Electric motors offer great performance, but until battery technology can improve, these models require power cords which introduces a set of compromises compared to other style mowers.

Cutting-height adjustment – This is something most people won’t be adjusting frequently, but it’s still something you’ll have to deal with at least once on all mowers.

Cleaning and storage – This is another big usability consideration. Each mower has its own set of folding-handle quirks, plus nooks and crannies that need to be brushed out or washed off.

How to properly mow a lawn

Mowing a lawn often includes other maintenance aspects like perimeter cleaning with a string trimmer and clearing clippings or debris with a leaf blower which we cover on those respective articles Below we’ll stick to strictly mowing tips.

Direction

The “stripe” pattern clearly visible on most sporting fields comes from the fact that mowers push the grass over slightly while they trim and alternating directions when mowing will create contrast in the way those ‘rows’ of clipped grass reflect sunlight.

Generally, the back-and-forth stripe pattern is also the most efficient way for you to mow at home. If you start by mowing around the perimeter a few times, you’ll have some “headland” room to turn around at the end of each long row without fussing about grass you might miss when you turn.

Cutting in a concentric spiral pattern from the outside perimeter is also viable if you’re looking to minimize the stripe effect; Some also find the right-angle corners easier than 180° turns.

(If you really want to get fancy, reel mowers or powered mowers with a roller attachment push the grass flat enough to create the contrast needed for the intricate patterns you sometimes see on ball diamond outfields. David Mellor, groundskeeper for Fenway Park, even wrote a book on the subject.)

The best practice is to rotate your mowing pattern 90 degrees (start at a right angle to your previous pattern) every few mowings to keep grass from being pushed down too much in one direction.

Types of grass

There are basically two “regions” of grass-growing in the United States: “warm-season” grasses in the South, “cool-season” grasses in the North, and a narrow “transitional zone” where it’s common to cross-seed types from both regions.

Seed producers like Pennington and Scotts have lots of great info about the different varieties you might have in your yard. It’s a good idea to get to talk with a lawn-care professional in your area who can help you understand the quirks of growing locally (especially weeds and disease).

The biggest difference between these regions and the varieties you’ll find there is in the timing of peak growth: warm-season grasses grow the most during the summer, then go dormant and turn brown during the cooler winter months; cool-season grasses grow the most in spring, slow down when it gets hot, then have another growth spurt in the fall before winter dormancy.

Grass height and mowing frequency

When you’re deciding how tall you want your grass, the most important thing to remember is that if your grass is too short, it can’t absorb sunlight. Photosynthesis doesn’t happen without leaf area, and all of the other qualities of good turf are dependent on that energy. Basically, longer is better for the health of the grass.

This is especially important in non-growing seasons: the grass will be stressed and needs plenty of leaf and root area (with stored energy from the growing season) to continue thriving. Mow when the air is cool and avoid mowing right before hot weather is in the forecast.

Some warm-climate species, like Bermudagrass, are cut as low as a half-inch on sporting fields. This requires daily mowing in quick-growth seasons, though. (And plenty of water to keep it healthy.) See our in-depth review we did on garden hoses too.

There’s another benefit to keeping lawn grass on the longer side. While the grass is soaking up all the sunlight with lush, long leaves, it’s keeping that sunlight away from any weeds that might be trying to start underneath.

As a rule of thumb, never remove more than a third of the leaf area in one mowing. So if you’re mowing down to two inches, mow again before the grass hits three inches. Pennington provides a handy chart of mowing height for common grass types.

Mulching grass vs. bagging

In very sandy soil mulching can cause some problems since there aren’t as many organisms to consume clippings, but in most cases mulching regular clippings back into the turf is highly recommended by grass experts and municipalities alike.

Earthworms, fungi, and other primary consumers in your lawn’s ecosystem thrive on the clippings and turn the mulch back into available nitrogen for your lawn. (So it’s not just easier than disposing of bags: it means less fertilizer!)

So long as you aren’t trimming off more than an inch of grass, and you aren’t mowing when it’s wet, the clippings should easily scatter down to soil level and form a helpful layer of worm-food. You can even mulch the leaves that fall off your trees!

All of the mowers we tested are mulch-ready except for the Sun Joe 401E, which requires an optional attachment to safely funnel the clippings (and any debris you may accidentally find in your grass) to the side. The other powered mowers will require a quick conversion from bag-mode with an included plug or a moveable flap.

Because bagging is occasionally beneficial (if you have to wait for your lawn to dry in the spring and the grass gets really long, for example) we also tested the bagging features of all the powered mowers. (Manual-power reel mowers aren’t very good at cutting tall grass, but you can get leaf-catcher attachments if you really don’t want to mulch.)

Mowing wet grass

While it’s good to mow when the air is cool, avoid mowing grass that is wet from watering or rainfall. When fibers in the leaves get wet they get tougher, so the cut takes more work and can leave a ragged edge on the leaf. It requires you to sharpen your blades more frequently, too.

Plus, if you’re mulching your clippings, wet mulch all over your lawn is just as bad as it sounds — clumpy and prone to get musty. If you don’t have a way to dispose of them within a few days, having bags of wet mulch sitting in your garage is even worse.

Mowing wet grass is just a bad idea. A little dew in the morning generally won’t slow you down much, but if the grass is soaked it’s best to wait for the sun to come out.

Mower maintenance

Mowers are tools and tools need to be taken care of if you want them to keep doing a job well. Storage in a clean, dry place should be a given, but there are a few specific tasks that you’ll have to get used to if you want a mower that will keep your lawn looking its best:

Sharpening

All cutting edges require routine sharpening, even mower blades. Plan on sharpening at least once a season if you don’t want to bruise or tear your grass. Checking the blades for uneven wear and other problems is Smart, but checking the grass to see how well you’re cutting is the surest way to determine the condition of your mower blades.

Sharpening more than once a season should only be necessary if you’re cutting heavier material like a lot of twigs (or the bane of every mower, hidden gravel/sand leftover from winter snow piles.)

Fiskars claims that the steel and tight-tolerance design used in their reel mower will cut cleanly for the life of the mower, but they still sell a sharpening kit and it works like all the other reel-mower sharpening kits. An abrasive compound wears away high spots and leaves a keen edge when you spread it on the blades and run the reel backward against the stationary cutting bar. (If dismounting drive chains or spinning mower reels with a hand drill aren’t your idea of fun, you can usually find a local handyman or landscaper who will do the job for you.)

Powered mower blades have edges more like axes and you can sharpen them in nearly the same way. A vise or other clamp to hold the blade steady and a carbide scraper or good steel file are all you really need to bring the edge back to a chisel-shaped apex that will be able to slice paper and keep your lawn looking crisp and green.

Winterizing gas mowers and oil changes

If your lawn is covered in snow (or simply not growing) for more than a month every year, there are storage tasks you’ll need to remember for gas engines. Old gasoline can go stale or dry out and create a layer of varnish inside your engine. You need to either add a stabilizer to your mower’s gas tank and fill it before storage (pretty easy, but the mower will be heavy) or get all of the gas out of the system.

Like your car, a mower’s four-cycle gasoline engine uses oil for lubrication, but unlike your car, it doesn’t run the oil through a filter to clean out debris. Nearly everyone will recommend annual oil changes before storage as part of a winter routine.

Spark plugs in a mower should last for a long time, but you should check them annually or as directed in your owner’s manual. People fool themselves into replacing electrical components arbitrarily if mowers won’t start, but it’s well worth learning how to spot signs of failure as a part of annual maintenance.

Gas vs. electric vs. manual mowers

All the mowers we tested will cut well enough once the blades hit the grass. The biggest differences come down to how much effort is required from a homeowner to get there and cover ground efficiently.

Manual reel mowers

These are the greenest of mowers, powered by whatever you’ve had for breakfast. They’re relatively simple tools that do one job: they cut grass quietly and efficiently for as long as you can push them. Beyond the sustainability and simplicity, they’re lighter and easier to store: no cord, no gas, no worries. If you like the idea of augmenting your lawn-mowing cardio with a bit more resistance, you should consider a reel mower.

The biggest weakness to the reel mower is that it’s not effective with thick or tall grass. This is a tool that will make you regret every time you forget to mow by making you work much harder. Have a lot of overgrown weeds? You’ll want to look elsewhere.

Electric mowers

If your lawn is big enough that just thinking about pushing a reel mower is exhausting, an electric-powered mower is one way to ease your burden without the weight, noise, smell, and maintenance concerns of a gasoline engine.

Even compared to the Fiskars Max, the electric mowers we tested were light and easy to maneuver. They’re still louder than the manual mowers, since there’s a 14-inch or 20-inch steel blade swinging around under the deck. However, your neighbors and family will still have less reason to complain about your Saturday-morning routine.

There’s not nearly as much to maintain on an electric mower as on a gasoline-powered mower, but keeping the deck clean and inspecting the cord for wear are still important tasks you’ll need to perform.

Managing the cord on an electric mower is similar to the annoyances of working with a household vacuum cleaner but on a larger scale. Running over the cord with the mower is, obviously, something you must never do. You also don’t want to trip on it, drop it in a pool, accidentally unplug it or plug it into a socket that can’t provide the 12 Amps of AC power needed by these engines.

Gas-powered self-propelled mowers

The bigger your lawn, the more you’ll appreciate the self-propelled mower: these machines are designed to help you cover a lot of ground quickly by pulling themselves along at up to four MPH. So, all you really need to do is steer.

The gas mowers we tested have engines that provide around five horsepower to get through thick or long grass. (These are very similar to the engines you’ll find on a small Go-Kart.) Naturally, having all of that internal combustion power at your fingertips also brings noise and smells that other kinds of mowers won’t have.

While your time mowing will be much easier, the biggest drawback to gas-powered mowers is in maintenance. Like a gas-powered car, these mowers need fuel, oil changes, and air filter and spark-plug checkups. Maintaining a small engine is very simple: you can do a mower oil change in minutes and even teach your kids how to do it. However, it’s not for everyone. Naturally, there are mechanics who will do all of these services for you, for a fee.

The bottom line

Mowing your own lawn is one of those rites of passage for do-it-yourself home ownership. Like other jobs you do around your house, it will save you money compared to professional care, but it may take you more time and involve more cursing than you expected. We hope one of these mowers will help make your weekly lawn chores more enjoyable and less frustrating.

If you’ve got a smaller lawn and you’re excited about the idea of a brisk walk back and forth across it every Saturday morning, the Fiskars is probably an ideal machine for you. Smooth, quiet and precise, like the scissors the company is famous for, the Staysharp Max reel mower can help you keep your lawn looking its best without the noise and complications powered mowers bring.

If you’ve got a few weeds that are invading your lawn or if you anticipate dealing with overgrowth after a wet spring, a powered mower will mean less straining — not to mention the time it’ll save. The Greenworks 22502 has a 20-inch cutting blade that lessen the number of rows you’ll need to walk. Plus, it’ll make quick work of just about any foliage found in an urban lawn-care setting. It’s ready to go for bagging out of the box, too.

And if you’ve got a lawn bigger than ¼ acre or if you think you’ll appreciate the one-switch conversion between mulching and bagging, the Honda HRR216K9VKA cuts a wide swath quickly and efficiently through leaves, twigs and tall weeds. A self-propelled machine takes a bit more maintenance than an electric, but annual oil changes might seem a small price to pay compared to the headache of dancing around a cord on a larger lawn.

Top Pick: Honda. HRR216K9VKA 21

Whether bagging or mulching, the Honda keeps up with your needs. It’s solid and simple to make the most of your mowing time.