Good petrol lawn mowers. Best Petrol Lawn Mower – UK Reviews of My 8 Top Picks

Best Petrol Lawn Mower – UK Reviews of My 8 Top Picks

Disclaimer: Gardenseeker.com supports our readers with industry knowledge research. You support us through our carefully chosen products with links that may earn us a commission.

In this article, we’ll take a look at my tops picks for the best petrol lawn mower.

The term ‘best petrol mower’ means different things to different people, depending on their wants, needs and budget.

With that said, I’ve compared price, size, features, ease to use, and performance to bring you 7 of my top recommendations. So hopefully, you can find the best one for you.

A quick comparison

Hyundai HYM460SPE

Cheaper Alternative to the Hayter Harrier

Hayter Harrier 48

��The Best Petrol Lawn Mower Review UK 2022�� Testing the Hyundai HYM510SP 4-Stroke Petrol Lawn Mower

Delivers a Beautiful Stripes

Einhell GC-PM 46S

Cheap, Self-Propelled Mower

Mountfield SP41

Excellent value for the money

Milwaukee M18 FUEL 21″ Self-Propelled Dual Battery Lawn Mower racing against Honda

Cobra M41C

One of the cheapest around

Lightweight easy to handle

Frisky Fox 20

Honda IZY HRG 466 SK

Allet Classic 14L 17L

British Made and Very High Quality

Leaves the Most Beautiful Striped Cut

The Best Petrol Lawn Mower with Reviews

Here’s a list of some of the best petrol lawn mowers I found:

Hyundai HYM460SPE Petrol Lawn Mower

  • Engine: 139cc, 4-stroke;
  • Cutting Width: 51cm;
  • Grass Box Capacity: 70 Litres;
  • Weight: 43kg;
  • Warranty: 2 Years;

Overview

If the Hayter Harrier is too big and expensive, an excellent alternative is the Hyundai HYM510SPE.

It’s similar in a lot of ways but it costs more than half that of the Hayter and has many of the same features.

As a medium size mower, it’s ideal for those who have lawns to cut up to around 2000sq. ft (185sq m).

It’s a self-drive, rotary mower powered by an ever so reliable Hyundai 139cc engine. It’s also very easy to start with a push-button unlike a lot of cheaper petrol models with a recoil only instead.

The 46cm cutting width is plenty wide enough. It has six cutting heights which range from 25mm to 75mm. Adjusting the height is easy using the big lever to the left of the grass collector.

Talking of the grass collector, it weighs in at large 70-litres, making it suitable for medium to larger lawns.

The Hyundai HYM460SPE has 43 ways of dealing with grass cuttings;

  • It can collect it via the collection box/li
  • You can remove it and discharge it out of the back
  • Discharge from the side or
  • You can use the mulching plug to mulch it and blow the tiny, nutrient-rich back into the turf.

The only downside to this model is that there is no roller, meaning you can not create a stripey finish to lawn… if that’s important to you.

Other than that, it’s one of the most popular petrol lawn mowers in the UK at the moment and that is reflected by large amount of happy users.

Hayter Harrier 48 Petrol Lawn Mower with Roller

  • Engine: 163cc, 4-stroke;
  • Cutting Width: 48cm;
  • Grass Box Capacity: 70 Litres;
  • Weight: 44kg;
  • Warranty: 5 Years;

Overview

If creating the most vivid lawn stripes is important to you, the Hayter Harrier 48 is one of the best petrol mowers you can buy.

It’s powered by a 163cc 675iS Briggs Stratton engine making it ideal for large lawns. The electric start features ReadyStart® technology so it’s very easy to get going. Just press the starter button and off you go.

It’s quiet too thanks to a ‘performance muffler’ designed for low noise operation.

good, petrol, lawn, mowers

A 48cm cutting deck and massive 70-litre grass collector makes it suitable for medium to large lawns.

You’ve got 7 height settings to which you can adjust via a single lever. The heights range from 60mm right down to 13mm.

This mower is fitted with Hayter’s ‘AutoDrive’ technology. The drive comes from the split differential, ribbed rear roller for better traction and turning. This is also what creates the striped finish that the Hayter Harrier is well known for.

Also, the cutting deck is wider than the wheelbase. This means you can mow right over the edges of your lawn without worrying about scalping it.

You can change the ground speed too between 1.8mph-3.3mph. This means you can set it to suit your preferred walking speed.

Plus, it has an easy wash port so you can attach your hose and spin the blades so it pretty much washes itself.

All this comes with the peace of mind of a 5-year warranty so you can be confident of excellent for many years.

For more detailed information, read my Hayter Harrier 48 Review.

Einhell GC-PM 46S Petrol Lawn Mower for Large Gardens

  • Engine: 139cc, 4-stroke;
  • Cutting Width: 46cm;
  • Grass Box Capacity: 50 Litres;
  • Weight: 34kg;
  • Warranty: 2 Years;

Overview

If you have a large lawn but still don’t want to break the bank, the Einhell GC-PM 46S is a good choice.

Firstly, it’s powered by a 4-stroke, 139cc Briggs Stratton engine which better in longer, wet grass than the previous models.

It’s a self-drive mower, driven by the rear wheels which can be disengaged if needed so you can use it like a push mower.

The cutting width is pretty wide at 46cm and 50-litre grass bag can tackle a large lawn without issue.

There are nine cutting heights ranging between 30mm to 80mm. The cutting height adjustment is made easy via the lever at the rear wheel.

It has a powder-coated steel deck too which makes it very robust and it’s reassuringly heavy at 34kg.

The drive feature works well in the open but is a little quick when working in tight spaces. This is why you can disengage the drive from the rear wheels but it does it feel a bit heavy.

Overall though, it works well and this mower offers excellent value for money.

Mountfield SP41 100cc Lawn Mower

  • Engine: 100cc, 4-stroke;
  • Cutting Width: 39cm;
  • Grass Box Capacity: 40 Litres;
  • Weight: 20kg;
  • Warranty: 2 Years;

Overview

If you consider the best petrol mower to be easy to use, does a job well and reliable, all without breaking the bank, then the Mountfield SP41 is an excellent choice.

It feels reassuringly well built and is powered by a very reliable (and quiet) 100cc OHC petrol engine which started first time, every time in my tests.

The cutting width is 39cm and it has five cutting heights, ranging from 25mm-70mm. It’s also a self-drive model which, to me at least, makes it perfect for lawns of up to 400sq meters.

How you deal with grass clippings is up to you. You can;

It’s not perfect though. The self-drive is set to a single speed so you’ll either have to keep up with it or slow down for it, depending on how quickly (or slowly) you walk. and it won’t leave a striped finish.

That said, it is very well priced, very easy to use and leaves an excellent finish

For Information, read my full Mountfield SP41 Review.

Cobra M41C Budget Petrol Lawn Mower

  • Engine: 98.5cc, 4-stroke;
  • Cutting Width: 41cm;
  • Grass Box Capacity: 50 Litres;
  • Weight: 19kg;
  • Warranty: 2 Years;

Overview

Whoever said petrol mowers had to be expensive?!

If you’re on a fairly tight budget, then the Cobra MC41C gets my recommendation.

Of course, cheap products are rarely the best products and you can definitely say the same here because it’s not perfect.

However, it’s 98.5cc Cobra DG350 OHV petrol engine is easy to start and plenty powerful enough to tackle a medium-sized garden of up to 400sq meters in size, provided they’re in semi-decent condition.

It has a 41cm cutting width and 7 cutting heights which range from 25mm-75mm. That, combined with the 50-litre fabric grass bag means you should be able to get through the job fairly quickly.

If your lawn resembles more of a paddock though, it’ll struggle. It’s just no powerful enough to cope with that kind of demand.

At 19kg it’s lightweight and easy to manoeuvre too. Which is a good job because it’s a hand push mower and lacks the driving features of other mowers in this list.

That being said, it’s reliable, easy to use and the cut is better than I expected.

Another big benefit is that it comes with a 2-year warranty which is pretty much unheard of for a mower of this price.

Frisky Fox PLUS 20″ Petrol Lawn Mower

  • Engine: 173cc, 4-stroke;
  • Cutting Width: 51cm;
  • Grass Box Capacity: 50 Litres;
  • Weight: 35kg;
  • Warranty: 2 Years;

Overview

Granted, Frisky Fox might not be a brand that jumps straight to mind when looking for a petrol mower. However, trust me when I say, this mower is absolutely packed with features while still being very affordable.

Powered by a heavy-duty 5.5hp, 173cc Wolf ‘Dynamic’ 4-stroke OHV petrol engine, the Frisky Fox also gives you full control over the ground speed. That means you can cut the grass at a speed that suits you.

It also provides enough power to blast through tough, long or wet grass and the steel cutting deck gives you the confidence that it’ll last.

With a 51cm cutting width and 50-litre grass bag, it’s better suited for medium to large lawns.

You don’t just have to collect the grass cuttings either. You can also discharge them from the side (good when mowing long grass) or mulch them back into the turf (to recycle the nutrients).

You can choose from 7 cutting heights which range from 25mm – 75mm and to top it all off, it comes with a lawn striper in form of a thick rubber strip at the rear of the machine.

OK, the striping effect isn’t as good as you’d get with a rear roller but still, it works pretty well.

As I said, Frisky Fox isn’t a name you’d think of when shopping for a petrol lawnmower but like I say, it’s packed with features and comes in at an affordable price.

Honda IZY HRG 466 SK Lawn Mower

  • Engine: 160cc, 4-stroke;
  • Cutting Width: 46cm;
  • Grass Box Capacity: 55 Litres;
  • Weight: 32kg;
  • Warranty: 5 Years;

Overview

If you’re in the market for a petrol mower that’ll really stand the test of time, the Honda IZY HRG 466 SK is a cracker.

It’s powered by Honda’s GCV160 OHV, 4-stroke petrol engine which, like all Honda engines, has a reputation for incredible reliability.

It starts first time, every and just keeps going and going.

The mower itself is incredibly well built while at the same time, being light enough to manoeuvre easily. Of course, it’s a self-drive mower that helps.

It features a powder-coated cutting pressed steel deck which is resistant to corrosion and UV abrasion.

Mowing features include a 46cm cutting blade in combination which will make light work of less than immaculate grass. This is combined with a large 55-litre grass collector and six cutting heights, ranging from 20mm – 74mm.

It is fairly expensive when compared to other mowers but in my opinion, it’s definitely an investment worth making. As I said, it’ll keep on keeping on for many years after other mowers break down.

For more information, read my full Honda IZY HRG 466 SK Review

Allett Classic 14L 17L Petrol Lawn Mower For Ornamental Lawns

  • Engine: 87cc, 4-stroke;
  • Cutting Width: 35cm / 43cm;
  • Grass Box Capacity: 32 Litres / 40 Litres;
  • Weight: 38kg / 41.5kg;
  • Warranty: 1 Year;

Overview

If you have ornamental lawns that look like bowling greens, then a cylinder mower is the best type of mower for you.

Enter the Allett Classic 14L and Classic 17L. To me, Allett is the Rolls Royce of domestic cylinder mowers.

It’s powered by a Loncin 87cc, four-stroke engine with recoil start. The engine is air-cooled to prevent overheating.

You have 5 cutting heights to choose from by turning the single dial on the side of the mower. You can cut as close as 6mm for a bowling green finish and as high as 32mm if you like a bold striped effect.

The 5 bladed cutting cylinder which delivers 66 per meter.

A nice feature of the Allett Classic is that the cutting cylinder is a ‘Quick Cartridge’.

This means you can remove it for cleaning but also to replace it with a scarifier cartridge (sold separately).

The smaller Allett comes with a 32-litre capacity grass box and the larger, model has a capacity of 40 litres.

As you’d expect for the cost, this is a self-propelled mower, powered by the rear roller.

Speaking of rollers, the Allett has two. A polyethene roller on the front and a steel roller at the rear. It’s these rollers that give your lawn the most beautiful striped finish

Like I said, I own an Allett Classic and I have to say, I love it.

Not only does it make my front lawn look incredible but it makes me look good doing it!

For more detailed information, read my Allett Classic Review.

Why Choose a Petrol Lawn Mower?

Like battery lawn mowers, petrol mowers have one big advantage over regular electric mowers and hover mowers. That’s the fact that they don’t have a cord that restricts them to a power source.

That said, cordless models rely on batteries that run out of charge.

As such, if you have a larger area to mow, a petrol lawn mower is your best option. It won’t be restricted by a power cord or a battery that needs recharging. As longs as you’ve got petrol, you’re good to go.

Also, if you need the power to get through long, thick or damp grass, petrol lawnmowers will give it to you. Cordless and electric models that have a tendency to cut out and give up when presented with that kind of challenge.

All that being said, petrol lawn mowers do come with their downsides too.

When You Might Not Want to Choose a Petrol Mower

Firstly, compared to mechanical mowers and even electric and cordless models, petrol machines are noisy.

They can be heavy too. Although, some are self-propelling which means you don’t need to push them. You just guide them in the direction they need to go in.

Still, a large petrol mower will cumbersome on small lawns where even a good push mower will do the job.

If you’re not able to push a lawn mower around for whatever reason, you might even consider a robot mower.

However, if you have a lot of land, even a large petrol model might not be enough. In which case, you’d be better off investing in one of the best ride-on mowers.

Also, maintaining a petrol lawn mower is much more involved than maintaining other types.

For most lawn mowers, maintaining them just involves keeping it clean and keeping the blade sharp.

However, there’s more to do with petrol machines.

For starters, with many petrol mowers, you need to change the oil after the first five hours of use. You’ll also need to do it again after each season.

Then there’s the spark plug and air filters which need changing from time to time.

On top of that, you’ll need to visit the petrol station with your fuel can whenever it needs fuel.

Despite all this, petrol lawn mowers are still the best choice for many lawn owners.

In Conclusion

I hope you have found my list of petrol lawn mower reviews and buyers guide useful.

I have tried to choose the best petrol lawnmowers for different circumstances, for all applications and in a range of price brackets. This is what helped me narrow my top picks down to just 7 models.

However, the fact is that there are lots of really good petrol lawnmowers on the market from brands that I haven’t even mentioned.

Like, AL-KO, Husqvarna, Cobra, John Deere etc.

So use this article as a guide and make your own decision. You might even choose a completely different model to the ones I have mentioned in this article.

About Tim Stephens

I’m a professional gardener with degrees in Horticulture Landscape Gardening. I want to help you create the garden of your dreams. I want your garden to look like it’s maintained by a professional. As if I was there doing it all for you!

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Disclaimer: Gardenseeker is a free resource, with everything from gardening tips to product reviews. We are reader-supported:

If you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission which helps maintain the site.

Best Petrol Lawnmowers UK 2023 ⛽

Hello and many thanks for taking the time to visit our list for the best Petrol lawn mowers in the UK which will comprise of a short list of 10 lawn mowers for you to choose from and many will be from brands that you should already be familiar with.

Affordability

We have avoided some of the really expensive lawn mowers which are too highly priced for the average home owner and stuck to a selection which we feel are more affordable for the average gardener across the UK. We reviewed and tested over 40 lawn mowers in this category and we have narrowed it down to just 10 which we felt performed the best in terms of starting, mow heights, power, mow widths and also their additional features that they have to offer such as self-propelled support.

Premium vs Value

Many of these lawn mowers are available for less than £600 and in some cases less than £400 so there should be something here that can meet your own budgetary requirements as you scroll down through our list. Before you begin, please note that guide can only be presented at the time of this best petrol lawnmower review list so please make sure to view the price checkers outlined below which will help ensure you get the most accurate up to date price information.

Best Petrol Lawn Mowers UK

1, Mountfield 167cc Self-propelled Rotary Petrol Lawnmower SP53H

Our first recommendation would have to be the reliable Mountfield 167cc Self-propelled Rotary Petrol Lawnmower code SP53H which is available from Mowers Online in Gloucester and they offer free deliveries as well as a 90 day money back guarantee for peace of mind. For the serious mowers out there, you have the option of getting some extras such as ear defenders, a face mesh, the 4 stroke engine starter kit and a fuel kit at an extra cost if you wish (optional).

This powerful self-propelled lawnmower from Mountfield offers a 51cm mowing width with a 20 inch steel chassis and it includes a powerful Honda engine (GCVX170) plus the auto-choke feature and anti-scalp plate

It’s a larger lawnmower to manage but you have the self-propelled function included to help you get around the garden a lot faster and with a lot less effort. The grass collection unit has a sturdy hardtop with a 60L storage grass capacity and the mowing heights range from 2.7cm up as far as 9cm. You can either collect the grass clippings as normal or use the mulch plug to return them back into the soil to act as a fertiliser and it starts with a normal recoil string lever. In addition, this impressive petrol lawnmower has a fuel tank of 1 litre and it comes backed with a 5 year warranty for further peace of mind.

Price Guide: £450 to £550 @ Mowers Online UK

2, Cobra 21 inch Hydrostatic Petrol Lawnmower M53HST-PRO

A brand that has certainly impressed us when it comes to Petrol lawnmowers is Cobra and our favourite petrol lawnmower from the brand of Cobra is definitely the Cobra Self Propelled 21 inch Hydrostatic Petrol Lawnmower code M53HST-PRO which would be considered too expensive for the average household but it is certainly worth a mention on our list.

Please note that multiple other models are available from Cobra at lower price points under £800 so you are not just limited to this premium M53HST-PRO model.

This Cobra Pro-Series is designed in the UK, it comes with variable speed options, it is powered with a Honda 163cc engine and it also includes a blade brake clutch. In addition, the deck is reinforced rust resistant, the wheels are made from Aluminium and you can either mow at a slow pace or mow at a much faster pace. Lastly, this self-propelled petrol lawnmower from Cobra comes backed with a 2 year warranty and a 90 day money back guarantee. There is also a free starter kit thrown in for good measure which includes engine oil, a fuel funnel and a fuel container.

Price Guide: £1500 to £1700 @ Mowers Online UK

3, Mountfield SP41 Self-Propelled Petrol Lawnmower

Another mower from Mountfield that offers great value is the Mountfield Self-Propelled SP41 Petrol Lawnmower that is suitable for small and medium sized lawns up to 250-300m2 and it offers a 39cm mowing width and the auto-choke petrol Stiga ST120 engine. The engine power is just 123cc and the grass collection unit has a capacity of 40 litres storage. There are multiple other lawnmowers from Mountfield that we liked also but this smaller self-propelled lawnmower offered superb value in our opinion for what you get.

You get 5 mowing heights here that range from 2.5cm to 7cm, the fuel tank can hold 0.75L and the oil tank can hold 0.5L. While it is not the best Mountfield lawnmower we have ever seen, it still is up there when it comes to value, cost, quality, reliability and of course the self-propelled support. If you need a cheaper lawnmower then you can choose the Mountfield Hand push lawnmowers instead. For small to medium lawns, this lawnmower can do the trick for you and it also comes backed with a 2 year warranty.

Price Guide: £200 to £250 @ Amazon

4, Honda 4-Wheeled Self-Propelled Lawnmower 18 Inch HRG466SKEH

Our list would not be complete without including Honda and the model in question that we recommend is the HRG466SKEH Honda 4-Wheeled 18 inch Self-Propelled Lawnmower which is an absolute beast of a machine in our opinion and can cut through thick dense grasses and even wet grasses without troubling it one bit.

It’s not until you try out the Honda SP lawnmower for 10 to 15 minutes and then you will know what I am talking about – the power under your arms as you cut is certainly impressive and it succeeds where many other lawnmowers can fail.

Many Honda lawnmowers can be very expensive so we selected this smaller version as it offers good value, great mowing, super power under your arms and of course the self-propelled support. There are 6 mowing heights available, it has a Honda GCVx145 OHC Engine, the deck is made from pressed steel and the grass collection unit has a storage capacity of 50L.

The new design has easier maintenance when it comes to spark plugs, oil drainage and a large filler cap for fuel and it is well capable of handling lawns up to 1000-1200m2. Like I said before, the difference in the power offered under your arms is superb and that is why we liked it so much – power, power and more power to make your mowing time that bit easier to do…

Price Guide: £500 to £600 @ Amazon

5, Murray EQ300 41cm Self-propelled Petrol Lawn Mower

5th on our list of the best petrol lawn mowers is the Murray 41cm wide self-propelled Petrol Lawn Mower model number EQ300 which comes with a 16 inch or 41cm wide mow path and the reliability of this engine for starting over and over again was a lot easier than expected. There are several other lawnmower types from Murray such as the EQ200, the EQ400 or even the EQ500 which can work better for you but we found that this model EQ300 tends to suit the average home owner or gardener the best based on its capabilities and the features it has to offer. It is a solid machine with a weight of 32kg, it has a robust and sturdy Briggs Stratton 300E Series engine and the height of the handle can be adjusted to 3 different levels to suits different heights for people.

Again, the handles here can be folded down when not in use and there are 6 mow heights to choose from that operate from approx. 2.8cm up as far as 9cm. The higher height level here is ideal where the grass heights in your garden have grown out of control and you need to get it down to a more manageable level. Before you start, it will need unleaded petrol and a half Litre of SAE30 4-stroke oil and then it is ready to go – the oil is not included and needs to be bought separately.

This lawn mower is also self-propelled and operates on a single speed level of 3.6 km per hour, the grass box is made from a soft mesh and has a grass collection capacity of 60 litres which is one of the largest that you can get. Overall, this is a simple but very effective lawn mower with a reliable engine that starts easily and it is backed with a 2 year warranty to protect your investment.

Price Guide: £250 to £300 @ Amazon

6, Hyundai 173cc 51cm Petrol Self Propelled Lawnmower

At number 6, we have the Hyundai 51cm wide Petrol Self-propelled Lawnmower supported with a 173cc engine and a wider mow path than the 2 previous options provide above. If your lawn is that bit larger than normal, then this lawn mower would be a more suitable option for you as it gives you a much wider mow path of 51cm (10cm more than number 1 and 2 above) and you also get a much larger grass box with an increased holding capacity of 70 litres which means more time is spend mowing and less time is spent emptying. The self-propelled support works great with the lever provided and it can be used without it if necessary around tight corners or flowers beds – all you have to do is disengage the self-propelled lever so you can work the lawnmower as best as you see fit.

There is the option here also to get a wider package with the lawn mower which means you can get the service kit, a spare blade and 600ml oil included so if you are experienced at DIY at home, then these additions will work well for you as long as you have the ability to complete it yourself. One thing that you will really like here is the easy push button start which means a lot less strain is needed for the start-up – no starter coils to pull which worked perfectly every time it needed to be started. There is also a side discharge chute and it is supplied as a 4-stroke engine with a lower level of fuel consumption

The mow heights can be adjusted using just one single lever so the mow heights can be changed very easily and it is backed with a 3-year warranty which they stand over hassle free as long as the lawn mower is serviced and maintained as well as it should be. There are no tools required for assembly so that is one less thing to worry about, there is a mulching plug included to help out nutrients back into the soil and there are 2 handy drink holders included which are a nice addition to have especially when mowing and working on hot summer days.

Price Guide: £350 to £400 @ Hyundai UK

Comparisons

A short summary comparison table is outlined below for some of the options outlined so far to help you make whatever comparisons you need to make yourself be it weights, power, warranties or engine information.

Feature:Spear JacksonMurrayHyundai

Another short summary comparison table is outlined below to compare the Mountfield vs other brands to help you make whatever comparisons you need to make yourself…

Feature:MountfieldFrisky Fox PlusEinhell

Best Petrol Lawnmowers continued. Last 4 in Brief

7, Yard Force 41cm 125cc Push Petrol Lawnmower

Key Points to Note:

Briggs Stratton 300E Series engine Prime pull starting system / 125cc Mow cutting width 41cm / Lawns up to 400m² 5 mowing heights from 2.5cm to 7.5cm Grass catcher capacity is 45L / Weight 23.5kg

Price Guide: £170 to £250

8, Webb ‘Supreme’ Self-Propelled Petrol Lawnmower

Key Points to Note:

Model number WER18HW / Hi-Wheels included Briggs Stratton 500 engine / Grass box 60L Mow cutting width 46cm or 18 inches Side discharge / collect / rear discharge options 7 mowing heights from 2.5cm to 7.5cm

Price Guide: £250 to £350

9, ParkerBrand 53cm Self Propelled Petrol Lawnmower

Key Points to Note:

Four Stroke Petrol Engine173cc Mow width 53cm / Grass box capacity 70L Side discharge options available Mow height ranges from 2.5cm to 7.5cm Hard top grass collection unit / Foldable handles Drink holders / Mulching options available

Price Guide: £250 to £300

good, petrol, lawn, mowers

10, Einhell GC-PM 40cm Self Propelled Petrol Lawnmower

Brief Summary

Einhell OHV engine 4 stroke One cylinder – self propelled For lawns up to 1000m² 5 mow heights 2.5 to 6cm Larger wheels for uneven ground Grass box capacity is 50L Weight 22.5kg / 1200W Warranty 12 months

Price Guide: £180 to £230

Part 4: Conclusion and Optional Feedback

After completing this difficult review and compiling this list of the best petrol lawn mowers, we sincerely hope that it has been beneficial to you in some small way. It wasn’t an easy task to complete but we hope our results from our own top 10 has helped you in terms of making your own final decision.

Optional Feedback

Have you mowed with any of these Petrol Lawn mowers yourself in the recent past? Did you come across any problems that we should know about or is there any models that you believe should be excluded or included on our list?

If at all possible, please share your own feedback or thoughts by leaving a short comment in the comment box section provided below – so that others across the UK can learn also!

The 6 Best Self-Propelled Lawn Mowers of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

Michelle Ullman is a home decor expert and product reviewer for home and garden products. She has been writing about home decor for over 10 years for publications like BobVila.com and Better Homes Gardens, among others.

Barbara Gillette is a Master Gardener, herbalist, beekeeper, and journalist. She has 30 years of experience propagating and growing fruits, vegetables, herbs, and ornamentals.

Emily Estep is a plant biologist and journalist who has worked for a variety of online news and media outlets, writing about and editing topics including environmental science and houseplants.

If you dream of a lush, green lawn, but dread the maintenance involved in keeping it that way, then a self-propelled lawn mower can make your life easier. These mowers not only power the blades but also power the wheels to make your pushing requirements little more than guiding the machine across the grass.

Brock Ingham, gardener, landscaper, and founder of the website Bigger Garden, says, The main advantage of a self-propelled mower is that it requires less effort to operate than a push mower. This can be beneficial for people with large lawns or those who have difficulty pushing a mower due to physical limitations. Self-propelled mowers can also provide a more consistent cut, since the speed is controlled by the mower rather than the operator. Overall, a self-propelled lawn mower can make mowing easier and more efficient.

Henry Bravo, founder and editor-in-chief of SmartGardenHome.com, adds, Self-propelled lawnmowers are much easier to maneuver around obstacles, and they can handle uneven terrain without a problem. Plus, I can adjust the speed so I can mow quickly or at a slower, more leisurely pace. And I love that I can easily switch between mulching, side discharge, and bagging capabilities.

We bought and tested several self-propelled mowers, both gas and electric, and evaluated many others based on their power, the size of lawn they can handle, their options for handling grass clippings, their range of cutting heights, the easiness of using the mower, and their overall value.

Best Overall

EGO Power Select Cut 56-Volt 21-Inch Self-Propelled Cordless Lawn Mower

  • Variable-speed self-propel
  • Generous battery runtime
  • Fast recharging
  • Folds for compact storage

Earning the top spot in our tests is a battery lawn mower that rivals the power of a gas mower but without the smelly fumes, the oil changes, or the frustrating pull cord. Instead, this self-propelled mower from EGO has a 56-volt, 7.5-Ah battery that provides up to 60 minutes of runtime on a single charge; that’s enough to mow most lawns up to a 0.5 acre and more than enough for our small yard. We put the mower to the test in early spring, mowing a lawn just out of winter dormancy that was patchy, wet, and ferny.

Other than attaching the bag, assembling the mower was easy. And a mere press of the button brought it roaring to life. This mower has a 21-inch cutting deck and a one-hand lever that adjusts the cutting heights through six different settings for grass heights of 1.5 to 4 inches. We found it very easy to adjust.

The lawn mower easily handles all common types of lawn grass, including tougher warm-season varieties like Bermudagrass, zoysia, and St. Augustine. A few buyers have complained that it struggles to lift overly tall grass high enough for an even cut. However, we found that it struggled a bit in the wet grass as well, becoming stuck at one point in a ferny patch. Aside from that, it delivers a precise and crisp cut that is sure to impress.

The speed of the mower is variable, so you can set it to match your stride from a leisurely 0.9 mph up to a brisk 3.1 mph. As this was our first time using a self-propelled mower, there was a bit of a learning curve. At first, it felt like the mower was pulling us along. However, we soon got the hang of it and appreciated the ease of adjusting the mower’s speed. We also liked the adjustable handle, which made it more comfortable to mow.

We found that the mower was easy to maneuver, even around obstacles or sharp turns. As the self-propelled function does most of the heavy work, this is also a great mower for yards with slopes. At nine inches in diameter, the mower’s wheels are fairly large, and it is rear-wheel drive, which also helps when mowing over rough terrain or hilly areas. You can dispose of the grass clippings in the included 2-bushel bag, discharge them to the side, or mulch them into fine clippings to quickly decompose them into healthful lawn nutrients. This mower even has a LED headlight, so you can mow early in the morning or at dusk to take advantage of mild temperatures.

Most of the mower’s construction is heavy-duty plastic for weather and rust resistance, but that might not be as durable as steel, although we felt it seemed quite sturdy. Once you finish mowing, the handle folds all the way down for easy storage. We really appreciated this feature, as the mower doesn’t take up as much room in the garage. This mower comes with a 56-volt battery and a fast charger that has the battery ready to go in just an hour.

How It Performed Long-Term

We are extremely satisfied with the performance of the lawn mower, particularly with how long the battery lasts. It can easily handle mowing the lawn three times without requiring a recharge. Even when it does need to be recharged, it only takes around 20 minutes. The mower is also highly effective when dealing with thick, tall grass and can even tackle 10 days of uncut grass without issue. Additionally, it can handle damp grass and leaves with ease. Initially, it took some time to become familiar with turning it on and utilizing the self-propel feature, but once we did, mowing the lawn became a breeze.

Price at time of publish: 549

Cutting Width: 21 inches | Power Source: Battery | Weight: 62.6 pounds | Grass Discard Options: Bag, mulch, side-discharge

The Best Petrol Lawn Mower 2022

If you know what you’re looking for in a petrol mower, it would be well worth your while checking out some of our petrol mower reviews. On this site we aim to review the best petrol lawn mowers available on the market today, giving you the key facts that ultimately help you make an educated decision about which mower to buy.

Below you’ll find a table that gives you a direct comparison between many of the top-selling mowers on the market in 2022, and their key features. Below that you’ll find information on what to look for in a petrol lawnmower and excerpts from detailed reviews. Remember, if you see anything that catches your eye then please have a read of the full review

good, petrol, lawn, mowers
  • The mower model name and picture
  • The power of the engine in Watts
  • The cutting width in centimetres
  • The grass collection box capacity in litres
  • Other unique or notable features
  • Price guide – Based on the approximate current selling price from Amazon. The change frequently depending on availability and special offers. Generally speaking £ = Under £200, ££ = £200 – £250, £££ = £250 – £400, ££££ = £400
  • Rating – The average user rating from Amazon UK reviews. This gives a good indication of how satisfied people are with their purchase.

Titan Pro 22″ Zero Turn Lawnmower-5680Self Propelled, Zero turn functionality££££4.5 Efco LR53-TK Petrol Lawn Mower-5160Self Propelled£££4.0 Hyundai HYM51SPE Petrol Lawn Mower44005170Self propelled, multi functional. mulching, bagging, side discharge. Electric start££££4.0 Webb 21in High Wheel Petrol Lawn Mower-5370Self propelled, large wheels for use on uneven terrain££££4.0 Webb 17″ Petrol Cylinder Lawn Mower-43-Cylinder mower, optional scarifier cassette can be fitted££££3.0 Frisky Fox PLUS 20″ Self Propelled Petrol Lawn Mower5.5 horsepower5550Self propelled££4.5 Mountfield S421R PD Self Propelled Petrol Rear Roller Lawnmower-4155Self propelled, rear roller£££4.5 Ryobi RLM4617SME 175cc Subaru Powered Petrol Lawnmower440046554 in 1. bagging, mulching, side discharge, rear discharge££3.0

What to Look For in a Petrol Lawn Mower

Petrol lawn mowers have become the go to choice for many novice gardeners over the course of the last century, they’re powerful, versatile, and known for their ability to get the job done effortlessly and quickly, which is great especially if you have a large garden of 400 square metres. There are several things you should know before setting out to buy the best petrol lawn mower available to you, not least whether or not you even need one, so if you’re coming at this with little to no knowledge of lawn mowers at all then it would be worth reading our article ‘Electric or Petrol? making the right choice’ before going any further. If you know that petrol is definitely for you then read on, as we’ll look in more detail at the various features and considerations involved when buying and owning a petrol mower.

First things first you should understand that petrol mowers are more expensive than their electric or manually driven counterparts, so you should expect to pay an absolute minimum of £100 for a very basic model, and upwards of £1000 for a top end example. Which you choose will depend largely on how many bells and whistles you like to have, but also the quality of key features such as the engine and grass collection mechanism, which if ineffective or unreliable will cause nothing but frustration and wasted time. Other features such as ergonomic controls and a wide range in cutting height adjustment are not necessarily ‘essential’ but certainly nice to have, and it’s features like these that will come down to personal preference.

Non-essential, But Still Very Useful Features:

Top Recommended Petrol Lawn Mower Reviews

Honda Izy HRG416SK Petrol Lawn Mower

Think of the words ‘Power’, ‘Precision’, and ‘Innovation’ and it’s likely that Honda will be one of the names that come to mind.

Known for their super reliable and efficient cars, as well as motorcycles, and boat outboard engines, you can be sure that if they’ve designed a petrol driven lawn mower it will be more than up to the job of cutting your lawn.

So with such high expectations in mind let’s take a look at the ‘Izy HRG416SK’ lawnmower and see exactly what it can offer.

The first thing to note is that this mower is self-propelled, meaning a much less strenuous job for you, and it has the essential safety feature of halting both the mower as it drives forward and the action of the cutting blade should you let go of the handlebar.

good, petrol, lawn, mowers

Other features that almost go without saying are a decent sized grass box (50 litre) which is essential for optimising cutting time and reducing time spent emptying grass, and a range of 6 incremental cutting heights.

McCulloch M46-125 Lawn Mower

Here’s a beast of mower that will be sure to get the job done thanks to it’s powerful Briggs and Stratton engine and deep cutting deck to tackle different grass heights.

Looks wise this mower is the business, and it’s features only serve to reinforce that impression. With a massive 46cm cutting width this mower is an excellent choice for cutting the lawn done quickly in a medium to large size garden, and the 50l grass box means that you won’t be emptying the grass every 5 minutes, meaning less time mowing and more time to spend enjoying your garden. Result.

At increments between 20 – 75 cm, the cutting height of this mower can be set to cope with everything from a regularly and well-groomed lawn, to a veritable backyard jungle (almost!).

One of the real stand out features of this mower has to be the ease with which it can be cleaned, thanks to the ‘Gardena’ water hose connector you can clean the underside of the cutting deck simply by attaching a hose to the specially designed inlet.

Einhell Petrol Self Propelled Mower

A powerful and robust petrol driven lawnmower, this is the ideal choice for large gardens and the most challenging of conditions.

On a single tank of fuel this mower can cut an area of up to 14oo square metres, the first sign that this beast is cut out for some serious work. Delve a little bit deeper and you begin to see why, featuring a powerful 125cc, 4 stroke single cylinder Briggs and Stratton engine, this mower will just about tackle anything you care to throw at it. The engine also makes the task easier for you too with it’s disengaging rear wheel drive mechanism giving you the flexibility to let the mower propel itself across the lawn, and for you to take control in more intricate and harder to navigate areas.