Credit:
Reviewed / Kevin Kavanaugh
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Credit:
Reviewed / Kevin Kavanaugh
Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.
Learn more about our product testing
This mower is powerful, comfortable, and a joy to use. It performed extremely well mulching and driving itself uphill. Read More
The Toro has the largest cutting area at 22 inches, and is powerful and comfortable to use, thanks to its Personal Pace self-propel system. Read More
The electric Kobalt KM 5080-06 was flexible and easy to operate, and can run bagged or bagless. Read More
The Hart HLPM061US performed well across terrains and has a simple to use speed control. Read More
The Skil PM4910-10 is a suitable option for small lawns. At just 58 pounds, it's a simple machine that's easy to store. Read More
Until a few short years ago, the best lawn mowers were all gas. As more consumers seek eco-friendly cars, homes, and 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 tested gasoline, electric-corded, and battery-powered lawnmowers 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, and we were satisfied. The Ego Power+ LM2135SP (available at Amazon for $699.00) came out on top as the best lawn mower we’ve tested.
For the best gas-powered mower, the Toro SmartStow Personal Pace Auto-Drive 21465 (available at Ace Hardware) is our pick because it has a large cutting area with a self-propelling feature. However, there are many great lawn mowers in our guide to meet your needs.
The Ego Power+ LM2135SP is the best electric lawn mower we've tested.
The Toro SmartStow Personal Pace Auto-Drive 21465 is the best gas lawn mower among the pack.
Powerful motor
Easy-to-use propulsion system
Dual batteries
A challenge to use in tight areas
Lightweight
Easy to maneuver
Inexpensive
Only suited to smaller lawns
Environmentally friendly
Powerful
Battery design is inefficient
Vague propel response
Easy starting
Powerful
Capable
Controls are cumbersome
Front Drive System limits control and comfort
Not nimble around obstacles
Easy to assemble and store
Self-propelled
Adjustable
Inconsistent battery power
Difficult to clean
Wheels can lock
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. Gasoline, cords, or batteries can run them.
Self-propelled lawn mowers usually have a larger cutting diameter and can move independently through operator controls. Gasoline, cords, or batteries can also power these mowers.
Since they take the brunt of the pushing away, self-propelled mowers are perfect for larger lawns up to a half-acre and can easily handle hills and sloped lawns. These self-propelled mowers aren’t fully robotic lawnmowers, so you still have to do some work guiding them around your yard.
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. You weren’t pushing, but you were caught in a slow-moving lawn-cutting procession. Early mowers moved too slowly or fast to match a natural walking speed.
Today’s best lawn mowers offer a much better propulsion system. Owners can dial their preferred walking speed to 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 allows the operator to drive to the lawn without the blades turning. That is a great feature.
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.
Battery-powered lawn mowers can be powerful and efficient.
Gasoline-powered lawnmowers have kept lawns manicured for decades. They are robust, reliable, and affordable. They come with self-propelled movement, mulching features, and self-cleaning availability. They are powerful enough for large lawn care jobs to tackle a quarter to half-acre lawn. Any lawn bigger than that would necessitate a riding mower.
But gas-powered mowers emit dangerous carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons, require regular maintenance, and require storing gasoline and oil. This may not be suitable for some consumers.
Corded electric mowers have been around for years and were historically the choice of consumers with smaller lawns that 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 keeping the cord free from getting tangled in trees and bushes, or 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 occasional blade sharpening, can perform reliably for years.
Battery-powered cars, power equipment, and tools have been around for a long time. The electric motors were solid and reliable, but the battery needed fixing. A few years ago, an electric car could expect to go only 100 miles on a charge, and power tools and equipment lasted only a short time. Recently, 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 has found its way to lawnmowers, creating a viable option for consumers who don't want gas or cords. These battery-powered mowers are robust, 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.
A reel lawn mower, distinct from others in our guide, operates without an engine. This unique feature makes it an environmentally friendly choice, as it doesn't rely on gas or batteries, reducing noise pollution. The mower's mechanism is simple yet effective, with two wheels connected to a larger blade with handles. As you push the mower, the wheels set the blade in motion, efficiently cutting the grass.
Its delicate design means it can't handle sticks and doesn't work for mulching leaves. However, it's a great mower for small yards and one of the most affordable lawn mower options.
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 for grass to be between 3 inches and 3.5 inches in length. This allows the grass to be long enough to thrive in the heat.
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 on the lawn or in the mower bag, but it also removes too many nutrients and moisture from the grass.
After the late winter fertilizer treatments and the often heavy rains, lawns come to life and need trimming every four to five days to remove just enough length. As the summer wanes and the temperature rises, the grass will grow slower, and a once-week cutting is adequate.
It is also essential to keep the blades of your lawnmower excellent and sharp. Steel lawnmower blades tend to develop a dull edge after a season. A dull edge 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.
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.
We tested lawn mowers on both flat land and hills to test maneuverability and power.
We assemble each mower and note the ease of the setup and how quickly we can adjust the handle to our preference.We then add gasoline, a battery, or an electrical cord to prep the mower. We evaluate the ease of setting the cutting height, first testing a high cutting height and then a lower one.
We take each mower on a few passes of an uncut half-acre lawn measuring approximately 22,000 square feet, noting how it cuts at high and low heights. We also monitor the bagging and mulching features.
Then, we take each mower up and down a grassy hill to see how it performs. Our final test is testing storage capability.
TJ is the former 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
Contributor
Kevin Kavanaugh is a retired public school teacher and a product tester for Reviewed. Kevin has been cutting lawns for just about 50 years. He has always been intrigued by all things mechanical, be it watches, power equipment, vintage bicycles, or classic cars.
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