Self propelled mower speed. Honda HRN216VKA lawn mower review: cut your yard…

Honda HRN216VKA lawn mower review: cut your yard faster with this speedy self-propelling lawn mower

Honda understands that push mowers can be heavy, slow, and hard to maneuver which is why they designed the HRN216VKA. Like many walk-behind mowers, it has a self-propel system but combined with a Smart Drive handle, it can reach speeds up to 4 mph. Mowing on inclines and turning tight corners is irrevocably easier. If that wasn’t great enough, the HRN216VKA has mulching, bagging, and discharge functions and seven different cutting heights.

• Can be stored flat
• Mulch, bag, and discharge capabilities
• Self-propel speeds up to 4 mph
• No engine choke required
• Includes 1.9-bushel rear bag
• Seven different cutting heights

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Mowing any yard can be tiresome – especially with a heavy or cumbersome lawn mower. That’s why the Honda HRN216VKA lawn mower caught my eye.

I’ve used self-propel lawn mowers in the past, but most self-propel systems required a little bit of a push. When I discovered that the Honda HRN216VKA boasted a self-propeller that could reach speeds up to 4 mph, I was ecstatic to try it out. Would it make mowing my lawn easier? Faster? With a half-an-acre yard and some slopes to contend with, I discovered those answers soon enough.

Keep on reading below to learn all about my experience testing the Honda HRN216VKA and whether it makes the cut as one of the best lawn mowers.

Honda HRN216VKA lawn mower: key specifications

Honda HRN216VKA Self-Propelled lawn mower | MRSP 519 at Honda Featuring a Honda GCV1270 engine with autochoke system, 3-in-1 Clip Director for mulching, bagging and discharge and a Smart drive variable speed function.

What is the Honda HRN216VKA lawn mower like to use?

The Honda HRN216VKA arrived at my home already assembled, but from what I’ve read, assembly is simple and could take up to 10 minutes to complete.

As it is a gas mower, I filled the tank with the suggested amount of gas (the oil had already been added to the tank when it arrived at my house). Then, I adjusted the wheels with the dual levers to my preferred height. I’m not a fan of the Honda’s plastic wheels, but I can overlook that because it has seven different cutting adjustments that range from 1–4 inches. Plus, I liked how easy it was to adjust the cutting height with the levers on the wheels.

Clipping collection and mulching options Before I started the mower, I had to decide whether to mulch, bag, or discharge the yard clippings. The Honda HRN216VKA has a Clip Director on the side of the deck. All it takes is sliding it to the right or left to choose which function I desire the mower to do. The Honda comes with a 1.9-bushel bag – which is easy to get on and off – but I preferred to use the mulching feature most of the time. I tested the lawn mower in the fall/early winter so my yard was full of leaves and I wanted to recycle the leaves as mulch so as to provide my yard with some nutrients.

As far as the discharge option, it’s a rear discharge which means it is designed to spit the clippings on the backside of the mower – right on your legs. This seems like an unnecessary (and messy!) feature to me, but the option is built into the mower if that’s something you prefer.

Operation To start the mower, I pulled the flywheel brake safety system lever toward the handle and gripped it with my left hand while my right hand pulled the recoil starter rope. It usually takes one or two pulls for the engine to start. I like that it doesn’t require an engine choke.

Of course, the first thing I wanted to try was the Smart Drive Self Propel system. The folks at Honda made the lever an ergonomic paddle lever that can be pushed down with your thumbs or palm. I use my thumbs on both hands, but you can easily use just one hand if you’d like. The lever can be adjusted in five different positions which means I was able to find a comfortable position for my wrist.

I will warn you – the Smart Drive Self Propel has a kick. It can go from 0 to 4 mph immediately. Too much pressure and the lawn mower will buck and zip forward. If you’re not holding on tight, it could escape your grip. However, if you don’t apply enough pressure, you’ll basically be pushing the lawn mower (I did push the lawn mower without the self-propel to see how heavy it was and it’s not too bad). I can attest that it took me a few tries to intuitively get a feel for how to use the Smart Drive Self Propel.

Once I got the hang of it, I got to work mowing the lawn. When I pushed the Smart Drive Self Propel lever all the way down, thus achieving 4 mph, I found myself jogging to keep up with the lawn mower. This was good on evenings when the sun set early, and I wanted to finish the lawn before it got dark. Of course, I didn’t always use the 4 mph setting, but even 2 and 3 mph is a brisk walk.

As I mentioned, if you push too hard on the lever, the lawn mower will buck off the ground, which isn’t great for the plastic wheels when the mower comes crashing down. That said, the Honda’s self-propel lever provided a great burst of power when I needed to mow up an incline and around corners.

On the other hand, if I was mowing horizontally on an incline, I tried to use a lower speed. When I used a higher speed mowing horizontally on an incline, the lawn mower seemed to bump up and down more than I liked and missed blades of grass. The last thing I’ll note about speed has to do with the mulching feature. I found that the leaves were better mulched at a lower speed than a high one.

The 21-inch cutting deck is on the smaller end of standard push mowers, which typically range between 21–36 inches wide. This isn’t a major drawback because the Smart Drive Self Propel offers speeds that allow me to cut just as quickly as I might have with a larger cutting deck.

Self-Propel Smart Drive on the Honda HRN216VKA lawn mower

The most notable feature of the Honda HN216VKA lawn mower is the Self-Propel Smart Drive feature. Most self-propel features on lawn mowers are designed as levers that you pull, however, Honda engineers worked with an ergonomic specialist to develop a control and cone clutch transmission in the form of a paddle lever that you adjust with the simple push of your thumbs or palm. You can use one hand or both hands and even adjust the position of the lever up or down in five different settings for the comfort of your wrist.

Best yet – it provides instant speed up to 4 mph which is fairly fast. I believe the fastest self-propel systems reach 6 mph. With this function, you don’t have to really push the lawn mower, only guide it along the path you want it to take.

Mulch, bag and discharge feature on the Honda HRN216VKA lawn mower

Honda has made it easier to choose what to do with your grass and leaf clippings thanks to their 3-in-1 system with Clip Director. On the deck, you’ll see find a green clip that can be slid left or right and stops on three different functions: mulching, bagging, or discharging.

You don’t have to add attachments to mulch or discharge, but you will have to add the included 1.9-bushel bag if you choose the ‘bagging’ setting. This shouldn’t take but a minute or so.

How does the Honda HRN216VKA lawn mower rate online?

On the Honda website, the Honda HRN216VKA has a 4.2 rating out of 643 reviews, and on the Home Depot website, 82% of customers out of 4,640 reviews recommend the HRN216VKA.

With ratings like that, it’s fair to say that most customers are satisfied with their purchase. Some reviewers weren’t fans of the plastic wheels, and a few pointed out issues with the self-propel feature. Some reported that it required a learning curve, while others noted that it occasionally stopped working and needed maintenance under the three-year warranty plan.

How does the Honda HRN216VKA lawn mower compare to similar models?

The only other lawn mower that I’ve personally tested is the Troy-Bilt TB260 XP SpaceSavr Self-Propelled Lawn Mower. It’s more affordable than the HRN216VKA Lawn Mower and has a self-propelling system. Although Troy-Bilt doesn’t advertise the speed of the lawn mower’s self-propel system, I can confidently say that the Honda is much faster. Where the Troy-Bilt has front-wheel drive, the Honda has rear-wheel drive. The main area where the Troy-Bilt excels above the Honda is its SpaceSavr design which offers the option of vertical storage. It also does slightly better when mowing horizontally on an incline.

The one lawn mower that is most comparable to the Honda HRN216VKA is the Toro 21382. It’s equipped with a Honda GCV160 engine, mulching, bagging, and discharge system, and a similar self-propel system. The difference is that the Toro lever is not ergonomically designed (like the Honda is), however, the Toro can reach speeds up to 4.8 mph, where the Honda only reaches 4.0 mph. (I don’t think that extra 0.8 mph will make a difference) Other areas where the Toro stands out is the 2.1-bushel bag, a five-year-warranty, and higher-quality wheels. Perhaps this is why the Toro is 699, which is about 180 more than the Honda.

Should you buy the Honda HRN216VKA lawn mower?

The Honda HRN216VKA is a solid lawn mower. It may take you a few times to figure out how to use the self-propel lever properly, but once you have it down, you’ll be amazed by how easy mowing becomes. You essentially won’t have to push the lawn mower, just guide it to where it needs to go at speeds up to 4 mph. This is especially helpful for those with inclines in their yard.

Yes, the mower is on the pricier end, but this has to do with the high-quality and high-power GCV170 engine and outstanding features like the mulching, bagging, and discharge system, MicroCut twin blades, seven different cutting heights, eight-inch wheels, and rear wheel drive.

With this Honda lawn mower, mowing your yard will be a whole lot easier and less stressful on your body.

Honda HRN216VKA Self-Propelled lawn mower | MRSP 519 at Honda Featuring a Honda GCV1270 engine with autochoke system, 3-in-1 Clip Director for mulching, bagging and discharge and a Smart drive variable speed function.

About this review, and our reviewer

Alex Temblador is a Dallas-based award-winning author and freelance writer that has covered home, design, architecture, and art in publications like Real Homes, Gardeningetc, Home Gardens, Dwell, Architectural Digest, Artsy, Neighborhoods.com, Culture Trip, among many others. She recently bought her first home, a green Sears Roebuck house that’s over 100 years old, sits on half an acre of land and features a stunning wraparound porch, original hardwood floors, doors, and a butler pantry. Alex loves to test products for Gardeningetc, Real Homes, and Homes Gardens buying guides and reviews which has helped to expand the richness of her first-time homeowner life. The Mixed Latinx writer can usually be found working or relaxing in her outdoor spaces.

As with all our reviews, the Honda HRN216VKA was tested first-hand in Alex’s backyard, using it just as you would so you know exactly what you are buying. The products are given to us free of charge and we test them for as long as possible before sending them back to the brand unless we are able to keep it. This means that we can continue to use the product which gives us the opportunity to return to our reviews for updating, so you can keep up-to-date with how it’s fared over a period of time.

Honda Lawn Mower Self Propelled Slow.Solved!

There’s nothing more frustrating than a slow internet connection, but having to push a slow self-drive mower is a close second – it DRIVES ME CRAZY. So it ends today, we’re going to fix it, and it will pull as good as the day you bought it.

So what’s the problem with a Honda lawn mower that moves slowly? A slow-moving Honda mower is commonly caused by a slack drive cable. Adjusting the tension will fix it.

Other possible causes include:

Don’t concern yourself with these other possible causes just yet. They are less likely. We’ll get to the most likely cause, adjusting the drive cable tension.

Self Drive Types

The Honda self-propel system is good, but like all mechanical equipment, it needs maintenance. Diagnosing a drive system incorrectly is an expensive mistake. A new Honda transaxle will cost several hundred dollars, so we’ll avoid jumping the gun.

Tests are not difficult, but you’ll need to execute them correctly to avoid burning time or replacing parts needlessly.

Whichever type you have, the cable will be adjustable.

If you need video help, check out “Self drive common faults video.” It walks you through the diagnosing process step by step – Adjusting the drive system, replacing drive belts, wheels, drive pins, and axle drive gears.

Adjusting The Drive Cable

I love working on Honda mowers. The designers are a thoughtful bunch. It’s rare that an engineer ever thinks about the guy fixing them. Anyway, before adjusting the drive cable, we’ll first need to locate it. Honda uses a few different types of setups. The HRX uses a bail lever as stop/start control and a speed adjustment lever beside the throttle lever.

The Honda Smart Drive uses a single control on the handlebar; this type of self-drive is a little less difficult to adjust. I have included pictures of each type set up, together with the adjusting procedure.

Disable Mower – For safety, let’s remove the plug wire and turn off the gas. Turn the mower over with the carburetor side facing up; stops gas from leaking on the floor.

Adjusting The Honda Smart Drive

The problem is, as you know, likely to be a stretched cable. In other words, the cable is too long. The whole procedure is made simple by the nice people in Japan, and adjusting won’t take more than five minutes.

Drive cables are made up of an outer cable and an inner braided cable. The inner braided cable does all the work and stretches over time. The solution is simple, remove the access cable. Honda’s solution – fit an adjusting screw in the middle of the cable.

The adjuster works by splitting the cable into two, and by adjusting the screw anticlockwise, it pushes the two halves of the drive cable away from each other, taking up the slack on the inner braided cable.

Smart Drive – The Smart Drive self-propel system has an adjuster built into the cable, and it’s located halfway down the left-hand handlebar.

Adjusting – First, open the lock nut. You’ll need two open-ended 10mm or 3/8s or adjustable wrenches. Screw the long adjusting nut anticlockwise – this takes the slack out of the cable and gives you more drive power.

If you over-adjust it, you’ll find pulling the mower backward difficult. So just back it off until you find the sweet spot. Tighten up the lock nut when you’re done with the adjusting. This keeps it dialed in.

Adjusting The Hrx

The HRX has a self-drive cable adjusting screw mounted on the speed control panel. As you have turned off the gas and pulled the plug wire, it’s safe to turn your mower to the side.

Before adjusting, set the speed to high. The adjusting screw has a lock nut that must be loosened and backed off to allow for the cable slack take-up. When adjusting, pull the cable until the cable slack is gone, run in the lock nut, and tighten.

As with all self-drive mowers, if you over-adjust the cable, it will make reversing the mower difficult. The wheels bind. To fix this, back off the adjuster a touch until the mower is free to reverse.

Adjust – Set speed to high, loosen the lock nut, and pull the cable.

Loosen – You’ll need two 10mm or 3/8 wrenches or adjustable wrenches.

Tighten lock nut – pull out the slack and tighten. Test reverse and readjusts if necessary.

Drive Belt May Be Loose

Lawnmower drive belts have a difficult job, and they work in a hostile location. But they’re pretty tough. It’s not unusual for a drive belt to last years and years. But they do eventually wear, they stretch, and the walls get thinner, which makes them even longer.

A belt that’s too long will slip, and a slipping belt won’t transfer the engine power to the wheels. This is especially noticeable going up hills or in heavy grass. If you have a blade engage control on your Honda, you’ll really notice it as you apply the blade.

A worn belt will often be noisy and can cause vibration. To check the belt, we’ll need to turn the mower over, but before we do, let’s make it safe to work on.

Remove the plug wire and turn the gas off.

Now turn the mower on its side with the air filter cover facing the sky. If you turn it up the other way, gas will leak from the carburetor, and you’ll need to replace the air filter.

Loose – The belt should deflect by no more than 1/2 inch. will cause the belt to slip and result in a slow drive.

The belt may be difficult to see, a cover will likely need to be removed, and old dry grass will cover the transmission and belt, so we’ll need to clear it first. I use shop air to blast it, but a small clean paintbrush works too.

Now that you can see the belt check it for wear. You’ll need an inspection light. Since you have removed the plug wire, it’s safe to turn the blade.

This also turns the belt which allows you to inspect all the way around it. If your model has a blade engage lever, put it on and have a helper hold it or use a clamp. This allows you to turn the belt by turning the blade.

If the belt is in good shape, check the deflection. About 1/2 inch is good. But you don’t need to get caught up in measurements. Just use old-fashioned common sense. If it looks really loose when you squeeze both sides of the belt together without much effort, then it’s loose.

Drive Axle May Be Worn

The drive axle on a mower is simple, really. It should be referred to as a trans-axle, though. By trans-axle, we mean axle and transmission combined. I wrote a more detailed explanation of trans-axles here for those that are interested (internal link).

The axle is connected to and driven by the transmission. These are all one unit, and parts aren’t available, so when they fail, which is pretty rare, you just swap out the whole unit. Check out the Amazon link below for drive system parts delivered to your door.

Trans-axle – Honda transmission and axle combo are known as trans-axle.

Drive Pins – Wear out on older mowers and cause the drive to slip. Drive pins are crucial to the whole trans-axle assembly.

An axle drive pin, as its name suggests, is a pin that transfers power from the axle to the wheel. It’s spring-loaded and, combined with the drive gear, allows the mower wheels to move backways with little resistance when reversing the mower.

The axle pin is under extreme stress as it carries all the torque from the transmission to the wheels. These little guys wear out all the time.

The rear wheels are made from plastic and employ metal gears on the inside. The gear is driven by the axle drive metal gear. They wear out as the mower ages. Check out replacing wheels video here.

And if you need new wheels, check out the Amazon link below.

Transmission May Be Worn

Honda transmissions are tough; yes in my workshop, I have replaced a few, but to be fair to Honda, the mowers were old and driven like a hire car. When you’re fixing mowers for as long as I am, you can spot an unloved mower from across the valley.

The transmission, as you know, are solid-state units; no parts are available. If it fails, the whole unit gets changed out.

Replacing the tranny isn’t very complex, but it will require a selection of wrenches, some C clip pliers, and some patience.

Tranny – Honda transmissions are pretty good, and they need to be.

Related Questions

How do you adjust the throttle on a Honda lawn mower? The throttle is controlled by a cable. The cable can be adjusted at the rear of the throttle housing on the handlebars, also on the engine where the cable meets the throttle linkage.

Honda lawn mower rear wheels locked up? If the drive cable is over-adjusted, the rear wheels will lock when pulled backward. Release some tension on the adjuster. It’s located halfway down the left handlebar.

How To Adjust Speed On Self Propelled Lawn Mower

I am sure if you would agree with me that a lawn can’t be mowed at a constant speed all the time and you need to adjust the speed once in a while. While this might seem like a straightforward exercise but in my experience, I have seen people do it incorrectly.

So in this article, I have listed all the steps about how to adjust speed on a self propelled lawn mower, using which you can slow down or fasten your lawn mower as you wish!

Steps To Adjust Speed On Self Propelled Lawn Mowers

Every lawn has spots which require special attention-you might want to go twice on a clump or be gentle around the fencing.For all these peculiarities, you must know to slow down a fast-moving lawn mower and vice-versa!

As mentioned above, for a step-by-step tutorial, I have picked up the Toro, Honda and Craftsman self-propelled lawn mowers since they’re the most reliable and popular choices!

To learn how to adjust speed on Craftsman self propelled lawn mower, a Toro or a Honda self propelled lawn mower, follow the same steps as mentioned below.

Step 1: Park the lawn mower on a flat, levelled surface

• Before you start to change its speed, bring the lawn mower on a leveled, flat surface on the lawn. This is important to let you control the lawn mower easily.

Step 2: Set the lawn mower’s throttle lever into Choke position

The next step is to bring the throttle lever into the ‘Choke’ position.

There is a throttle on every lawn mower which controls the engine’s power and the speed of the lawn mower. The throttle lever comes into picture when you have to change the mower blade’s speed or regulate the fuel consumption.

• Before you touch the throttle lever to bring it into choke position, let the engine cool down. Don’t touch the engine if the mower had been in use before this procedure. The engine will be too hot to touch!

Step 3: Turn The Ignition On By Pulling The Starter Cord

• Now once the throttle lever is in choke, turn the ignition on by pulling the starter cord. If your lawnmower has an ignition switch, press it to turn it on.

Step 4: Push the Throttle to Fast Position When The Engine Warms Up

• Now, let the engine run for a while to warm up.
• Then, push the throttle into the fast position.
• Now, your mower is in ready-to-work condition.

Since the throttle is in a fast position, the blade will spin fast. This is the maximum cutting efficiency with fast speed your mower can attain.

Now, let’s see how we can slow this fast speed on your self propelled lawn mower.

Step 5: Change the Speed of The Lawn Mower’s Blades

• Look at the yellow button at the handlebar. This button controls the speed of blades on your mower.
• When you press it in the forward direction, the blades start to spin.
• And when you press towards you, the blades stop spinning.

Step 6: Pull Up The Lever Of The Drive Clutch to Propel The Mower

The last moment of action lies with the drive clutch.

The drive clutch is a lever on the lawn mower, near the hand grip.( Look at the wing-shaped lever on the hand-bar in the image below.) It helps to start and run the mower. It’s also called the blade control handle or the brake bail arm. The moment you take hands off this, the engine shuts down and the blades stop to spin.

• Now, start by pressing the drive lever clutch slowly and the lawn mower will start moving or propelling forward.
• Move it onwards slowly or fast to decrease or increase the speed respectively. The speed of the lawn mower depends on your hold on the drive clutch.

At the end, to stop the lawn mower:

• release the drive clutch and the blades will stop spinning.
• Now move the throttle lever back into the ‘silent’ position.
• Lastly, shut the engine down to turn off the mower.

That’s all about how to adjust speed on Honda self propelled lawn mower, or Toro and Craftsman mower.

The basic mechanism to change speed on self-propelled lawn mowers remains the same as they have a similar auto-drive gearbox which is transmission powered.

To maintain your self-propelled lawn mower, keep the deck belt in good shape and keep the pulleys lubricated to avoid most of the common starter issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Can I push the self propelled lawn mower?

Answer – Yes of course, the self propelled lawn mowers can be pushed without damaging the gearbox but remember they’re not designed to be pushed manually like the push mowers. They have an auto-drive transmission to propel them forward. Plus, they’re also heavier than the push mowers, so you may find it difficult to push them.

Q2. Why can’t I change the speed on my self-propelled lawn mower?

Answer – If even after the above guidance, you still can’t change the speed on your self-propelled lawn mower, the deck might be clogged or the fuel-blend is inappropriate or insufficient which is not letting the blades move. Change if the throttle lever, drive clutch or the Clutch cable are worn-out.

Q3. Why does my self propelled lawn mower revs up suddenly?

Answer – The most common reason for your lawn mower’s engine to rev up suddenly is a blocked fuel supply, or clogged spark plug and the carburetor. When the engine does not receive a constant fuel supply or power, it starts to seize but when it receives a sudden surge of fuel flow, it starts revving up.

Q4. How can I improve the efficiency of my self propelled lawn mower?

Answer – To give more thrust to your lawn mower’s engine, drain the old fuel and fill in a fresh fuel-blend. Also, you can change the air filter to increase the engine’s efficiency.

Conclusion

Self propelled lawn mowers are better than conventional push mowers for the extra features and comfort they bring. One big reason for their popularity is their expertise to handle rough terrains and lawns with irregular spots. And, it’s possible only when you know how to change the speed on the self propelled mower.

I hope now you know how to adjust speed on Toro self propelled lawn mower and other likes of it. This knowledge-at-hand will help you mow the lawn smarty and you can easily keep up with the mower’s speed.

For more information on maintenance of self-propelled lawn mowers, check out my popular editorials on –

Self-Propelled Vs Push Mower: Which is Better?

Are you in the market for a new lawn mower? Deciding on the best machine for manicuring your yard doesn’t come down to the price only; other factors such as your yard’s terrain and even your level of fitness play a role.

We wrote this article to help you decide between a self-propped vs push mower. We will explain how each work and tips to keep in mind when choosing a lawn mower that best suits your needs. So, let’s get started!

Push Mowers

Push mowers, like self-propelled mowers, are a type of walk-behind mowing machine. Some are corded while others are cordless. Some are gas-powered while others are manual and require your own effort to push and steer around. We recommend checking out this video if you would like to learn more about choosing the right mower for your yard.

For now, let’s take a look at the different types of push mowers.

Reel Mowers

Reel mowers are the most manual of all walk-behind push mowers. They come with a set of wheels and rotating blades in between the wheels and use friction to cut grass. Reel mowers are ideal for smaller yards measuring about 1/3 acres or less. However, the smaller cutting width and the fact that they struggle with tall grass means you might have to mow more often.

The best-selling points for reel mowers are that they are inexpensive, lightweight, and can easily maneuver tight corners in a yard. They are also low maintenance and low-emittance machines. If you are fairly fit and your lawn is well-manicured, a reel mower might be a good budget-friendly pick.

Gas Push Mowers

Gas-powered mowers are a popular option for medium-sized lawns of up to half an acre. A major advantage of gas mowers is that they do not require a battery charge. You do not have to stop and wait for the battery to charge in the middle of mowing.

As long as the machine has enough fuel, a gas mower can run for hours, allowing you to do your job with few interruptions. Compare this to a battery-operated electric mower whose average runtime is about 30 to 60 minutes depending on the voltages and type of battery.

On the downside, gas push mowers can be a bit noisy and their use of gasoline means that they contribute to air pollution.

Electric Push Mowers

If you are concerned about emissions and want to play your role in minimizing the carbon footprint, electric push mowers might be a good alternative. Your options include cordless vs corded electric mowers.

Let’s take a look at the two types of electric push mowers: cordless and corded.

Cordless electric mowers are fitted with a chargeable battery. Depending on the size, type, voltages of the battery, a full charge might require between 30 minutes and a couple of hours.

The advantage of buying this type of mower is that it is cleaner and quieter than a gas mower. Those with a high voltage battery and a dual battery system allow you to mow for longer as long as the battery is fully charged.

As the name suggests, corded push mowers need to be plugged into an electrical outlet as you work on your lawn. They do not have a battery to charge and might be convenient if you want to mow any time.

However, the cord limits your mowing coverage so this might not be your best bet if you have a larger yard or one with obstacles to maneuver. You will need either several outdoor outlets or extensions to comfortably use a corded electric mower.

Although you should avoid mowing your lawn when it is wet, you should completely refrain from mowing a wet lawn using an electric push mower due to the high risk of electrocution.

Self-Propelled Lawn Mowers

A self-propelled lawn mower features a transmission that propels the machine’s front or rear wheels. Like a car, the mower will push itself forward and all you have to do is steer it in the direction you want.

The mower has a bar that when squeezed spins the blades to cut the grass. There is also an acceleration bar, which engages the wheels and moves the mower forward.

A common misconception is that a self-propelled lawn can overpower you and drive off on its own. In reality, modern self-propelled mowers have a variable speed mechanism. This means you can set a speed that works for you and that will remain consistent unless you change the speed again.

Talking of speed, most self-propelled lawn mowers move at a speed of between 1 and 4 miles per hour. The option to set and adjust speeds makes all the difference because you can work much faster using significantly less effort.

Self-propelled options can be front-wheel. rear-wheel drive, or all-wheel-drive. The one you choose will largely depend on your yard’s terrain.

Let’s take a look at front-wheel vs rear-wheel-drive mowers. You can also check out Consumer Report’s neat comparison of these two types of mowers.

Front-Wheel Lawn Mowers

As the name suggests, front-wheel drive mowers move using the set of wheels at the front. These are the most common types of self-propelled lawn mowers as they are comparably easier to maneuver on most types of yards but more so if your yard has trees, shrubs, and other such obstacles. They also have a lower price point than the rear-wheel-drive types.

That said, front-wheel drive might not be ideal for hilly landscapes. Hardy as they may be, these mowers are not built to climb up inclines or go down steep slopes. A front-drive will serve you better if your lawn is flatter than it is hilly.

Rear-wheel Lawn Mowers

Rear-wheel drive mowers are designed to create a more powerful driving force and as such can navigate steep slopes and inclines with greater ease. If your terrain is hilly, this mower is an excellent option, allowing you to do more while expending the least amount of effort, especially when working uphill.

Rear-wheel drives do have their downsides. For starters, they tend to be slightly pricier due to their complex working mechanism and maintenance can be comparably costlier.

They also tend to require more stamina to push around. If you don’t consider yourself fit or if you are smaller, you might have difficulties navigating this type of mower. Navigating obstacles can be challenging, as you have to lift the back of the mower to jump over or get around these obstacles.

For both the front-wheel and rear-wheel drive, it is often difficult to pull the mower backward, say for example, when you have missed a spot and want to re-mow it. If this happens, you would have to stop the mower altogether or slightly lift it off the ground and then pull it backward.

A rear-wheel-drive is priced slightly higher but if your yard terrain is sloppy or you often mow hilly yards, you stand to get value for your money with this variety of mowers. If you have a fairly flat-laying yard and are not looking to shell out a lot but still want the perks of a self-propelled mower, a front-wheel-drive might be an excellent choice.

Which One is Better? Self-propelled vs Push Mower

A mower can be a significant expense and you want to invest in one that will faithfully serve you for longer. Ideally, a good mower will require as little maintenance as possible and will match well with your lawn size.

When comparing between a self-propelled vs push mower, none is necessarily better than the other; the best choice depends on your needs. If you have a ¼ to ½ acre lawn, consider buying a gas or cordless push mower.

For smaller lawns, a gas or corded push mower should get the job done depending on the location of electrical outlets. If your budget allows and you have a larger lawn of ½ to 1 acre, a self-propelled corded or gas mower will come in handy.

Last but not least, you might appreciate a reel mower if all you are looking for is something basic, lightweight, and low maintenance for a small, already well-kept lawn. They are inexpensive and there is no harm in buying a reel mower alongside the larger types of push mowers for quick mowing jobs.

Summary

Walk-behind lawn mowers are great options for someone who is new to mowing or if you are not looking to shell a lot of money on a riding lawn mower. As we’ve seen, the self-propelled type makes mowing a medium-sized lawn a complete breeze.

Conventional push mowers do get the job done but at a slightly slower speed and may be unsuitable for uneven terrain. We hope this guide will help you choose the best type of walk-behind mower for your needs.

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