Greenworks Pro 60V 25-inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Review. Fold up lawn mower

Greenworks Pro 60V 25-inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Review

We’re really impressed with Greenworks’ translation of its commercial battery mower into a residential option and the Gen-2 upgrades are really helpful. With two solid self-propelled mowers to choose from, it’s really a matter of deciding which one is better for your lawn: the 21-inch or the 25-inch. Thanks to its dual battery ports and wider deck, this model is geared toward larger lawns. Grab the 21-inch if you’re maintaining 1/4-acre or less and go with the 25-inch above that.

Greenworks shook up the battery-powered OPE market with its 25-inch commercial mower a while back. We took the Greenworks Pro 60V 25-inch self-propelled lawn mower designed for homeowners out to see how it stacks up against the best electric mowers we’ve tested.

Pros

Excellent power with Turbo mode for tough patches
Very good cut quality
Dual active battery ports with automatic switching
23.75-inch cutting swath
Easy control system
Simple handle release for height adjustment and vertical storage

Cons

We’d like to have a little bit slower speed on the low end when cutting thick patches
You need to roll the mower forward a touch to disengage the drive wheels when backing up
No side/rear discharge option

Greenworks Pro 60V 25-Inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Design

If you’ve seen the Commercial 82V version of this mower, you’ll immediately see the resemblance. And if you’re familiar with the latest generation of their 21-inch 60V self-propelled mower, you’ll notice several things have come over from it as well.

Get a Grip

Starting at the top, this is the same control system and handle design that the 21-inch model uses, including the Turbo button. The handles dip away from the center at a comfortable angle and the foam grip adds to your hands’ comfort level.

There’s an LED level indicator for the two battery ports that light up when you hit the power button, self-propel bar, or blade bar.

Control Yourself

Kicking the mower into gear is pretty standard. Press the power button and pull the blade bar to get them up to speed. You can also opt to just use the self-propel drive when you need to get from point A to point B without pulling the blade bar first.

What’s interesting is that you can reverse the process, too. Pull the blade or self-propel bar first and hit the power button second and the mower still comes to life. I like that. There’s no trying to remember which order you have to go in—just hit what you need to and go.

The speed adjustment is front and center. Greenworks does a nice job of keeping the slider stiff enough that you don’t knock it to a different level if you accidentally touch it or go over a bump.

The self-propel drive has a pretty solid speed range. There’s plenty of top-end speed to keep up with my 6-foot, 2-inch frame. I’d actually like the low end to go a little lower. It’s fine most of the time. But when the grass is really tall and thick, I like to slow things down even more.

Energy Reserves

Lift up the hood and we find two battery ports. You only need one pack to run the mower. The mower automatically switches over when the first battery is used up.

Height Adjustments

Moving around to the deck, you adjust the height with a single-point adjustment. With the larger design and heavier weight that comes with it, it would have been understandable to move to a 2- or 4-point system. Instead, the design team kept it simpler for you.

On gas mowers, a single point adjustment can lead to a loss of rigidity through the frame and wear down the connection points of the system before the end of the mower’s service life. Weighing in around 86 pounds, this mower is right on the edge but we’re not seeing anything that concerns us about its ability to hold up over time so far.

Twin Blades

Under the 25-inch steel deck, the Greenworks Pro 60V 25-inch self-propelled lawn mower uses twin 12.5” blades to cover a true 23.75-inch cutting swath. Each blade is smaller and lower mass than any of the single blades other battery mowers use, so they’re able to power them on the popular 60V platform.

The blades counter-rotate and combine with the deck design to direct clipping toward the bag. It’s an effective system that does a solid job.

If you’re willing to give up a little runtime for better lift and cut quality, Greenworks includes a high-lift set of blades in the kit.

Greenworks Pro 60V 25-Inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Performance

One of the things I really wanted to see was how much power this mower has with Greenworks branding the update to have “Ultra Power”. The blades may have less mass but cutting nearly 24 inches at a time is still a tough task. After all, none of the other major players have this large of a deck size.

After cutting an area of grass to the mower’s max, I dropped the deck all the way down to see if it would cut. The idea is to find where its minimum effective cutting height is, and we normally have to raise the deck a notch or two. Surprise, surprise—Greenworks is able to cut at its 1 3/8-inch minimum pretty easily.

When you get into those tougher cutting situations, you can hear the brushless motor calling on more power to drive those blade speeds. That kind of Smart response gives you more power when you need it and conserves runtime when you don’t. Of course, with this Gen-2 update, you can hit the Turbo button when the standard mode has trouble.

The caveat is that it can’t mulch very well when it has that much grass to chop and very little deck clearance to drop it. If you’re in that kind of cutting situation, plan on bagging it.

Greenworks Pro 60V 25-Inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Cut Quality

If you’re like us and prefer mulching, having double the blades and double the cutting edges helps chop grass into finer bits than we see on many other electric mowers.

Greenworks 60V UltraPower Self-Propelled Mowers. NEW TURBO BUTTON!

You don’t get a side discharge option with this model. That’s not a surprise to us. It gives the deck less interruption on its airflow where you’d normally place the chute.

The cut evenness is pretty solid on regular cuts. With two blades, there’s the possibility of leaving a mow-hawk behind in the center. However, Greenworks’ overlapping blades and their speed don’t leave anything behind.

It also looks like they have the lift dialed in well, pulling the grass up to cut it at the same height and directing it to the bag effectively. It gets even better with the high lift blades.

Greenworks Pro 60V 25-Inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Runtime and Cutting Area

So that leads us to the question of how much runtime we get. With battery tools, more power usually means less runtime. We charged up the batteries that came in the kit—a pair of 4Ah Ultra Power packs. That’s a bit better than the 2Ah/4Ah combination that came with the last model.

We cut the entire lawn at 5 inches using our Cub Cadet Pro Z 560 and then ran the Greenworks mower at 3-inch to see how long it would run on a maintenance cut. The majority of our cutting was in Bahia with a smaller section of St. Augustine requiring light to medium cutting efforts.

The last version got 26 and a half minutes, but by limiting the highest power to a separate mode, we beat that with just the first battery. One battery switched over at 33 minutes and the second battery finally gave in after 1 hour, 9 minutes. That’s a massive improvement!

We didn’t have to jump into Turbo mode at all during our cutting. If you need to, you’ll drop your runtime, so use it selectively to get the most out of your batteries.

With the batteries that come in the kit, we’d say the Greenworks Pro 60V 25-inch self-propelled lawn mower is a great option for mowing up to a 1/2-acre on a regular basis.

Additional Field Notes

Vertical Storage

Like many battery-powered mowers, you can fold the handle forward on this model and store it vertically. It’s a really easy system, too. Just pull the green tabs up to release and swing the handle forward. They’re the same releases you use to switch between the two handle heights. A handle on the front gives you a simple point to pull it up from.

Push and Pull

We noticed while we were cutting that you can’t instantly roll backward. You need to push the mower forward just a touch to disengage the drive before you can pull it back. It can be a little frustrating when you need to mow into a spot and back out of it.

LEDs Have Arrived

If you’re a low-light mowing kind of guy or gal, you probably noticed the last version of this mower didn’t have LEDs. That’s changed with a new light bar to light up your mowing path.

Greenworks Pro 60V 25-Inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Price

You can get this model direct from Greenworkls for 749 with a pair of 4.0Ah batteries and a dual-port charger. Both the mower and the batteries are backed by a 4-year warranty.

When you look at other battery-powered mowers in that price range, Greenworks is one of the most compelling models considering its performance and coverage.

The Bottom Line

Greenworks Pro 60V 25-Inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Specifications

Model: Greenworks 2531502 (MO60L427)
Power Source: Greenworks 60V battery
Deck Size: 25 inches
Deck Materials: Steel
Cutting Swath: 23.75 inches
Blade Diameter: 2 x 12.5 inches
Height Range: 1 3/8 – 4 inches
Cutting Positions: 7
Discharge: Mulch or bag
Warranty: 4 years mower and batteries
Price: 749

Learn more about this and other battery lawn care products at GreenworksTools.com!

Make the switch to a greener yard with a high-performance battery-powered lawn mower.

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Whether you’re switching from gas-powered to green or buying your first cordless electric mower, battery-powered lawn mowers offer many advantages. In addition to being kinder to the environment, they’re also quieter and easier to start than gas-powered mowers.

These innovative machines use powerful batteries that provide enough juice to mow lawns up to a half acre or larger. They also produce enough torque to cut through tall grass and many are self-propelled, making them easier to operate.

We tested the following battery-powered lawn mowers in different grass-growing environments to find out more about their capability, reliability, and overall user comfort. Read on to learn about the important features to consider, how to select the best battery-powered lawn mower for areas ranging from just a few square feet to a couple of acres, and how each mower performed in our hands-on tests.

BEST OVERALL:Snapper XD 82V MAX Cordless 21-Inch Self-Propelled Mower
BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK:Greenworks Pro 80V 21-Inch Cordless Lawn Mower
BEST SELF-PROPELLED:Toro Flex Force 60V 21-Inch Super Recycler Mower
BEST RIDING:Ego Power Z6 42-Inch Zero Turn Riding Mower
BEST FAST-CHARGING:Ego Power 21-Inch Select Cut Lawn Mower
BEST FOR LARGE YARDS:Greenworks 40V 21-Inch Smart Pace Lawn Mower
BEST FOR SMALL LAWNS:Worx Nitro 80V Power Share 21-Inch Self Propelled Mower

How We Tested the Best Battery-Powered Lawn Mowers

Battery-powered lawn mowers generally offer a quiet, exhaust-free mowing experience. They remove the hassle of buying and hauling gasoline, changing oil, and other maintenance aspects of gas engines. With the notable exceptions of sharpening/replacing blades and charging/replacing batteries, they are virtually maintenance-free. While shoppers are motivated to buy battery-powered lawn mowers for a multitude of reasons, the expectation remains that they will be able to mow their grass whenever they want, without hassle or frustration. To us, as testers, that meant we needed to closely scrutinize runtime, recharge time, and overall mowing capability.

We tested all mowers the same way and captured the results on a testing rubric for comparison. After fully charging the batteries, we used them to mow two different areas, one that had been consistently maintained at the normal mowing height, and one that had been neglected and allowed to grow about 10 inches high. Both areas included a mix of flat and moderately sloped ground. As we mowed, we assessed general operator comfort, self-propelled capabilities, mowing power, and finished mowing quality. We mowed until the batteries ran out, recorded the runtime, and measured the area mowed. Finally, we recorded the time required to recharge the depleted batteries.

Because riding mowers offer many more features and control options, we tested the Ego Power Z6 over several days with multiple battery configurations. Battery life plays such an outsized role in overall performance and customer satisfaction that we wanted to collect results on maintained and overgrown grass for groupings of two, four, and six batteries. The testing criteria and observation points for each test run were virtually the same as those for the other mowers. The great news is that all of these mowers delivered excellent mowing power, good-to-excellent cut quality, and plenty of runtime for real-world applications as shown in the individual reviews.

Our Top Picks

We tested the following mowers taking into account the above considerations for large and small yards. Read on to learn how each model performed in testing and why we consider them among the best battery-powered lawn mowers.

Snapper XD 82V MAX Cordless 21-Inch Self-Propelled Mo

The Snapper XD features a variable-speed transmission and design features that allow for adjustments to meet different grass-cutting demands. The StepSense feature automatically adjusts the speed to match the user’s walking pace. Load-sensing technology in this model automatically adjusts power output based on the thickness of the grass to provide a clean cut while maximizing energy efficiency.

The mower’s impressive 21-inch steel cutting deck is versatile. It boasts seven height adjustments that are easily changed from behind the mower with a single lever. The deck can mulch, side discharge, or bag with a capacity of up to 2.1 cubic feet of grass clippings.

When the yard work is done, this mower folds up conveniently for vertical storage in the garage. The kit includes two 2.0-Ah (amp hour) batteries, which together provide about 60 minutes of runtime and recharge in about 60 minutes.

In our tests, the Snapper XD traversed all types of terrain and left behind a smooth, even cut on a single pass. It easily powered through overgrown grass and weeds up to 10 inches tall, although extended use in tall weeds increased the needed power output and reduced runtime by about half.

We were more impressed by the blade motor’s load responsiveness than by the automated pace-adjustment system. The StepSense feature worked well on relatively flat ground, but on inclines it felt somewhat sticky or uneven. In overall performance for the price, this mower offers excellent power and runtime to mow about ⅓ of an acre, or 15,000 square feet, per charge.

Runtime/recharge time: 60 minutes/60 minutes
Deck size: 21 inches
Mobility: Self-propelled, automatic pace adjustment
Automatically adjusts to any individual user’s pace
Powerful motor doesn’t bog down in dense grass
Single lever cutting-height adjustment for user-friendliness
Folds into a compact unit for ease of storage

Get the Snapper battery-powered lawn mower at Appliances Connection, Amazon, Lowe’s, Mowers Direct.

Greenworks Pro 80V 21-Inch Cordless Lawn Mower

Greenworks is known for its advancements in battery technology, and this model has two 2.0-Ah batteries that allow for up to 70 minutes of runtime from a full charge, with a combined recharge time of just 60 minutes. This push mower features a 21-inch-wide mowing deck. Technology that adjusts the motor speed based on load helps to maximize battery life and maintain excellent cut quality.

Adding to this impressive mowing coverage is a steel deck with seven positions that are easy to adjust with a large handle near the right rear wheel. Its sturdy steel deck gives it the tough feel of gas-powered models.

A large start button and easy-to-maneuver speed control mean it can be manipulated with gloved hands. This push mower does not have motorized wheels, which keeps the price low and maximizes battery life for cutting grass. The 3-in-1 grass clipping capability allows for bagging, mulching, or side discharging, and a foldable handle design facilitates compact storage.

Although this Greenworks push mower required a bit more effort to move around the yard than the self-propelled mowers, its simplified design made it an extremely capable mower. The powerful motor offered the most “gas-like” performance of the group. It had no trouble cutting dense, weedy grass up to 10 inches tall and left possibly the best finish of all the mowers we tested. In all three modes, bagging, mulching, and side discharging, it left the grass perfectly smooth, with no uneven spots or stringy weeds left behind. It had plenty of power to mulch thick grass into virtually invisible clippings.

The only downside of this mower was that hilly ground reduced the amount of area mowed per charge, not because of demand on the mower, but because the operator’s pace slowed. Everything else considered, we felt that this push mower delivered the strongest mowing capability, even though we had to push it. And the price was significantly less than the others.

Dual 2-Ah batteries offer up to 70 minutes of runtime; ideal for both small and large yards
Strong motor delivers powerful cutting performance; ideal for thin and thick grass varieties
Easy to use controls integrated into the handle

Get the Greenworks 80V battery-powered lawn mower at Amazon or Lowe’s.

Toro Flex Force 60V 21-Inch Super Recycler Mower

The Toro Flex Force Super Recycler lawn mower is built for powerful mowing performance with superior operator comfort. The three-phase motor automatically increases power output when it detects tougher mowing conditions, then eases off to conserve battery life when the mowing gets easier again.

The 21-inch military-grade cast aluminum deck features a powerful vortex air-intake system that stands the grass blades up straight for a smoother, cleaner cut. The shock-absorbing Personal Pace self-adjusting, self-propelled system operates smoothly regardless of the terrain. Bright LED headlights make it easier to mow later into the evening. It comes with a powerful 60V 7.5-Ah battery that delivers up to 50 minutes of runtime per charge and recharges in 3 hours.

The Toro Super Recycler was the most comfortable battery-powered mower we tested, primarily because of its robust self-propulsion system. Although it was not the only mower with a pressure-sensitive handle, this one functioned the best. It paired the slightly more resistant, but buttery smooth, handle movement with a higher top-end speed for self movement that felt almost effortless on most terrain. Only slight pressure was required to climb the uphill areas, and it didn’t try to run away on the downhills.

Toro’s excellent cut quality was second only to the Greenworks 80V (mainly because the Greenworks mower performed exceptionally well in overgrown areas and Toro needed a second pass for best results there). However, we were underwhelmed by its battery performance at only 45 to 50 minutes of runtime in average conditions and 3 hours to recharge. Still, anyone with less than a half acre who is shopping for smooth operation and a top-quality cut may want to consider the Super Recycler.

Runtime/recharge time: 50 minutes/180 minutes
Deck size: 21 inches
Mobility: Self-propelled, automatic pace adjustment
Mows up to 0.4 acre (17,424 square feet) per charge
Self-propelled rear wheels
Motor automatically adjusts output to match mowing conditions
Lightweight, rust- and corrosion-resistant aluminum deck
LED headlights allow for ample visibility or nighttime mowing

Get the Toro battery-powered lawn mower at The Home Depot.

Ego Power Z6 42-Inch Zero Turn Riding Mower

Those with larger acreage can now have a battery-powered mower that can actually cut all of their grass on a single charge. The Ego Power riding mower is capable of mowing up to 2 acres per charge, with easy upgrades that can increase runtime to cut more than 3 acres per charge. Plus, it offers many of the same features found on gas-powered zero-turn mowers, such as adjustable lap bars to independently control the rear drive wheels; heavy-duty front swivel casters; a comfortable high back seat with adjustable suspension; a 42-inch deck with 10 height settings from 1.5 to 4.5 inches; and side discharging, mulching, and bagging capabilities.

The electric motor delivers power equivalent to a 22-horsepower (HP) gasoline engine. The Z6 also boasts high-power LED headlights, a battery level indicator, and independently adjustable modes and blade speeds. This mower comes with four 56V 10-Ah lithium batteries, with six available battery slots onboard, and is compatible with any of Ego Power’s other 56V batteries. It also comes with the fastest battery charger in the industry.

With so many features to test, we spent more time with the Z6 than with any of the other battery-powered mowers in this roundup. For our first run, we charged the four 56V 10-Ah batteries that came with the mower and cut as much grass as possible until the batteries ran out. Then we repeated the process with only two batteries, and again with a full “tank” of six batteries.

The mower requires a minimum of 15-Ah to operate, and the charger plugs into the mower to recharge all six batteries at once. Runtime and charge time were as follows: two batteries charged in 1¼ hours and mowed 3/4 acre, four batteries charged in 2 hours and mowed 1¾ acres, and six batteries charged in 3 hours and mowed almost 3 acres (we mowed the entire available area with about 12 percent charge left in the batteries).

We should also mention that the acreage we were mowing included a 1-acre rectangular field and two 1-acre home lots that, in addition to the homes, are approximately 50 percent and 75 percent lawn. The total grass acreage is more like 2¼, with some significant slopes and obstacles to navigate. Since Ego offers an even bigger battery size at 56V and 12-Ah, we estimate that runtime could possibly be stretched to mow up to 4 acres, depending on the condition of the grass and the lay of the land.

The Ego Power Z6’s operation was mostly excellent. Startup was easy, and maneuvering was intuitive. The apparent noise level was extremely quiet and limited to operating the mower deck. The machine travels almost silently when the blades are not running. The lap bars and drive wheels felt somewhat imprecise compared to other zero-turn mowers we’ve used. The machine pulled slightly to the left at full speed on flat ground under an average mowing load. The suspension seat was comfortable, but the relatively small rear tires and light weight of the machine made for a bouncy ride at times. It climbed and maneuvered fairly well on slopes, which is not a strength for most zero-turn mowers.

For most mowing, we kept the machine in “standard” mode and the blades on half power with excellent results. We tested the top blade speed on an area of about 2,000 square feet of overgrown crabgrass that was about 12 inches high, and we had to slow the travel pace significantly to get an acceptable cut in that situation. The Ego Power battery-powered zero-turn mower would make a great choice for any large-acreage owner with lots of grass to maintain.

Runtime/recharge time: 30 minutes/120 minutes (4 batteries)
Deck size: 42 inches
Mobility: Zero-turn riding mower
Four 56V 10-Ah batteries included, with room for 2 additional batteries
Onboard Rapid battery-charging system
10-position, 42-inch deck allows for ample cutting per pass
Mows at speeds up to 7 mph/2.6 acres per hour
Bright LED headlights for low-light mowing

Get the Ego Power Z6 riding lawn mower at Amazon, Ace Hardware, or Lowe’s.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

greenworks, 25-inch, self-propelled, lawn, mower, review

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.

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.

Slope Mower. GreenWorks 25″ 60V Pro Best Self-Propelled Mower for Hills. Power Tool Review

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.

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

What is a Self-Propelled Mower and How Does it Work?

What is a self-propelled lawn mower, exactly? Is it a Roomba of the lawn mowing world? Can you just sit back and have a cold drink while it runs around your yard?

If you’ve been shopping for lawn mowers and had these questions, we’re here to help. A self-propelled lawn mower might not mow the lawn for you, but it can save you time and energy, making your weekly lawn care efforts more enjoyable and less physically taxing.

What is a self-propelled lawn mower?

Self-propelled lawn mowers make your mowing experience more like an afternoon drive through the country and less like Sisyphus straining to push a mower up a hill. (Note to Sisyphus: Pushing a mower up a hill is not recommended. Mowing across the face of the hill is the safe, successful way to go.)

In short, these mowers have a drive system (like a car) that, once engaged, pushes the mower forward. All you have to do is steer.

Note: Both battery-powered and gas mowers offer self-propelled models.

How does a self-propelled lawn mower work?

It works in much the same way any gas or battery-powered mower works. The difference is that the mower pushes itself forward instead of the operator (you) pushing from behind.

As with most gas-powered lawn mowers, hold down the handlebar and pull the cord. Then pull up on the drive lever to engage the drive system. For a battery-powered motor, push the start button and pull on the handle to start moving forward.

The drive system is similar to the one in your car: Once you engage the drive lever, the drive system engages the wheels, and the mower propels itself forward.

Safety Tip: If you ever need to stop the mower immediately, let go of both handles, and the mower and drive system will stop.

Like a car, self-propelled mowers come in all-wheel drive, front-wheel drive, and rear-wheel drive. Here’s a breakdown of each.

Type 1: All-Wheel Drive (AWD)

An all-wheel-drive mower doesn’t take a lot of guidance to get it going in the right direction. All-wheel drive mowers (AKA four-wheel-drive mowers) have excellent traction and balance across all four wheels.

As you need different drive systems, use the convenient handlebars to switch among the three drive types for optimal traction on hills and most any terrain. AWD can be more costly than the other drive types and is the rarest type among the three.

Type 2: Front-Wheel Drive (FWD)

FWD is generally less expensive than the other two types of drive systems and is ideal for flat lawns. Here’s why: Lawns that are uneven cause the front wheels to bounce. When this happens, you lose propulsion.

This is not necessarily a bad thing. It just means you’ll have to do a bit more physical work. When the front wheels come off the lawn (tall grass, an incline, or as you’re making a turn), you’ll have to supply the forward motion yourself.

Type 3: Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD)

RWD is the most popular of the three drive types. Do you have lots of trees to mow around? RWD helps you power through turns since the front wheels typically come off the ground as you start a new row or curve around trees. This drive type is ideal for large lawns or lawns that are uneven or sloping. RWD provides good traction and takes very little force to move across almost any terrain.

Mower speeds

Finally, as you’re shopping, notice whether the mower is a single speed or a variable speed. Single-speed machines work well for a standard walking pace. If you want more flexibility to vary your walking speed, or if you need to mow around curves, through dense grass, uneven terrain, or hills, variable speed may be a better choice.

Pros and cons of self-propelled mowers

If you are older or want to make your mow a little less exhausting, self-propelled mowers offer many benefits. You can choose from single- or variable-speed models and enjoy the benefits of side discharge, mulching, or bagging on most models.

So, is there a downside? Well, kind of. These mowers aren’t right for every yard. Consider three things as you’re doing your mower research: size of your yard, cost vs. time, and terrain.

Size of your yard: If your lawn is so small you could mow it with a weed eater, a self-propelled mower isn’t for you. Consumer Reports recommends a self-propelled mower for anyone with half an acre to an acre of lawn space. Other experts, however, recommend self-propelled mowers for lawns even as small as a quarter of an acre.

A little self-knowledge (and mowing experience) comes into play here. Are you exhausted after push mowing your quarter-acre lawn in the summer heat? If so, you might want to upgrade to a self-propelled mower.

On the other hand, if mowing your half-acre lawn is your only opportunity to get out and sweat all week, you may be perfectly happy sticking with a good old-fashioned push mower.

Finally, think of your lawn. A more pleasant mowing experience means you’ll mow more often, so you and your lawn will be healthier and happier throughout the mowing season.

Cost vs. time: Time is money, right? Self-propelled mowers cost more than their push mower counterparts, but they get the job done faster than a push mower. You also have a more even cut if you let the mower maintain a consistent speed as you mow. If your time is more valuable than a few extra dollars, it’s worth the investment.

Terrain: If you have a very small, flat lawn, a self-propelled lawn mower may not be worth the investment. If your lawn is on an incline or has uneven terrain, a self-propelled mower can get the job done with less effort from your human-powered drive system.

Another thing to consider is the density of your lawn. If you have dense grass that is a challenge to get through with a push mower, a self-propelled lawn mower will make the job much easier. Its drive system will supply all of the forward push to power through the lawn.

Curves also present a challenge. Do you have a lot of trees on your property? As you go around curves, the back wheels of a lawn mower stay on the ground, but the front wheels have to come off the ground. A rear-wheel-drive mower makes mowing on curves a whole lot easier.

FAQ about self-propelled lawn mowers

Who should buy a self-propelled lawn mower?

If any of the following applies to you, consider the benefits of a self-propelled mower:

—Large lawn : If you have a lawn that’s over a quarter of an acre, you may find that self-propelled lawn mowers are a labor- and time-saving tool.

—Uneven terrain/lots of curves: Large and small yards that have bumps, hills, and uneven terrain also may benefit from a drive system. Likewise, if you have borders around trees and beds, a rear-wheel-drive will help you power through those turns without as much muscle.

—Short on time: Self-propelled battery and gas mowers are fearless lawn explorers. They’ll keep a consistent speed throughout thick grass and hilly terrain. This helps you power through your lawn without slowing down due to fatigue.

—Low on energy: If you hate pushing your lawn mower and would rather let it do most of the work, self-propelled mowers will help you get the job done with less effort than a push lawn mower or reel mower (neither of which have a self-propelled option).

Do self-propelled mowers come with special features?

Self-propelled mowers are powerful and speedy, but those aren’t their only special talents. They have many other bells and whistles to choose from:

—Fold-and-store: Some of these mowers will fold up for easy storage. —Electric start: You’ll find electric or push-start options on some gas mowers and all battery-powered mowers. —Quiet operation: Self-propelled battery-powered mowers are quieter than gas models. —Three grass disposal options: Many self-propelled lawn mowers will offer all three options, so you can choose to bag, side discharge, or mulch your grass clippings. —Blade brake clutch: Allows you to shut off the blade but keep the mower running. This is a handy feature if you need to cross a gravel path, empty the bag, or pick up obstacles in the lawn. —Single-lever height adjustment: Adjust the height on all four wheels with a single lever.

Pro Tip: If you often load the lawnmower onto a trailer, the blade brake clutch is a handy feature to have. Leave the drive system engaged (without the blade running) to help you get the mower onto the trailer with less effort from you.

Which brands can I choose from?

A good many. Here are some popular brands that sell self-propelled mowers: — Craftsman — Cub Cadet — DeWALT — Ego — Greenworks — Honda — Kobalt — Makita — PowerSmart — Pulsar — Ryobi — Toro — Troy-Bilt

If this article hasn’t propelled you off the couch to mow your own lawn, contact one of our local lawn care experts. They’ve got the motivation and the commercial-grade, self-propelled gas lawn mowers that will take care of your lawn in a jiffy.

Sources:

https://www.protoolreviews.com/greenworks-60v-pro-25-inch-self-propelled-lawn-mower/
https://www.bobvila.com/articles/best-battery-powered-lawn-mower/
https://www.yourbestdigs.com/reviews/the-best-lawn-mower/
https://lawnlove.com/blog/what-is-self-propelled-mower/

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