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Mowing the lawn – we all have to do it. But with an awesome lawn mower, this menial task can be turned into a much more pleasant experience.
Technology has come a long way, and now there are mowers that offer speed, power, and even energy saving. But there are also an overwhelming amount of choices out there, and the last thing you want to do is waste your money.
So we did the research, tested a wide variety of models, and aggregated tens of thousands of reviews. After extensive testing, we were able to find the best lawn mower. Here are our top picks.
Our Top Pick
GreenWorks 20-Inch Lawn Mower
Our top pick for the best lawn mower, this is a stellar choice. The 4,000+ positive reviews agree with our assessment – it’s a flawless machine. Our top pick, for good reason.
Other Great Picks
American Lawn Mower Company 1204-14
With over 2,400 positive online reviews, the unanimous opinion is that this is a great machine. We found it easy to use, with a great blade, and loved that there was no oil to change. Highly recommended.
Sun Joe MJ401C-PRO
For anyone looking for a battery-powered mower, this is one of the best picks. With over 750 stellar online reviews, and a near-perfect score – it doesn’t get much better. Definitely recommended.
Great States 815-18
Our staff loved the how quiet this mower was , and that it didn’t require gas. A great pick, with over 2,000 glowing online reviews.
Troy-Bilt 382cc
If you are looking for a riding mower, this may be the model for you. The near-perfect online scores, from over 250 customers – definitely agree with us.
Husqvarna MZ61
This is the Rolls Royce of riding mowers. While definitely not a budget pick, it is a beast on the lawn. Definitely recommended.
Honda HRX
115 glowing online reviews can’t be wrong. This 4-in-1 mower is a great pick for anyone looking for versatility and reliability. Recommended.
Snapper HD 48V MAX
This electric mower is perfect for anyone looking to avoid gas-powered machines. Each battery charge lasts about an hour, and we loved the 7 different height adjustments. Definitely recommended.
Craftsman M115
Craftsman is known for their great home and outdoor products. This mower is no different. Offering great performance, a solid price point, and years of reliability – it’s one of our favorite picks.
Greenworks 25142
With over 2,700 glowing online reviews, this mower is great for anyone. An amazing price point, a best-seller in the category, and with great performance. Definitely recommended for anyone looking to save money, without sacrificing a great lawn.
What Is A Lawn Mower?
Lawn mowers have finally entered the 21st century. No longer do you need to spend all summer pushing a mower all over your yard.
You can simply get a robotic lawn mower, or an electric lawn mower, to do the work for you. With riding mowers, you can literally listen to music while you coast along.
Just like the phone, lawn mowers have finally moved forward by leaps and bounds. While we personally spent many hours pushing an old school lawn mower through our yards – you don’t have to.
And if you’re questioning why a lawn mower is necessary at all – we dare you to go two months without cutting the grass. You won’t like the results – trust us.
So if you’re stuck mowing your lawn, at least get the best model available. This means choosing the best lawn mower – not just a mediocre one.
Riding Lawn Mower
Riding lawn mowers are still one of our favorite types of mowers, because they are just so easy. They do still require oil and gas, but once that is taken care of, all you do is hop on and start it up.
It couldn’t be easier. Riding mowers can be more expensive, but a great model that lasts a long time – will be well worth it.
Riding mowers are also great if you have a large property, as they will quickly and easily be able to cut large amounts of grass. As a bonus – you won’t have to do any walking.
Much like sitting in a recliner, riding mowers are fairly comfortable. Just make sure you don’t fall asleep at the wheel.
If you blast your favorite music, you can have a huge lawn cut in no time – without even noticing. With some of the best riding lawn mowers offering hydrostatic transmission, you won’t even need to shift gears.
Durability and a great shelf life are two of the most important factor to consider, when choosing a lawn mower. So we recommend spending slightly more now, to reap the rewards later.
Push Lawn Mower
Push mowers are the classic lawn mowers you saw in nearly every 1980s teen movie. They were slow, sometimes poorly made, and notoriously difficult to start.
Luckily, push lawn mowers have advanced greatly since then. If you have less than an acre of space, you may even want to get a push mower.
Electric lawn mowers are especially good for this area, as long as your yard is not too hilly. And another advantage of electric mowers? You won’t have to worry about gas.
Of course, not everyone wants an electric push mower, so the traditional gas powered push mowers are still popular. Luckily, they have also improved quite a bit since the 1980s.
Cordless Lawn Mower
Cordless lawn mowers are essentially just battery powered lawn mowers – and boy do we love them. Besides charging the battery, there is very little work to do with these guys.
With a good mower, you can be mowing for 60 straight minutes, before needing to re-charge the battery. Greenworks is one of our favorite manufacturers, when it comes to choosing a cordless lawn mower.
Electric Lawn Mower
Electric lawn mowers are one of the biggest breakthroughs in the last decade, when it comes to lawn care. By foregoing gas, you will be doing your part to improve our carbon footprint.
Electric mowers also help you save money, as you won’t need to buy costly gasoline. The best electric lawn mowers will also perform as well as gas powered mowers, and can be fully charged in as little as 60 minutes.
Robotic Lawn Mower
Robotic lawn mowers are some of the coolest outdoor tools we’ve ever seen. Like a scene straight out of a science fiction movie, they will completely comb and trim your yard, while you work on something entirely different.
Much like the Roomba, these bad boys aren’t cheap – but they sure are convenient. If you have the budget, we highly recommend a robotic lawn mower – it’s the way of the future.
Self Propelled Lawn Mower
Self propelled lawn mowers are very powerful, and usually are powered by gas. The best models will last quite a long time, and the only downside is that they are quite noisy.
If you don’t want to spend as much and get an electric or robot lawn mower – a self propelled gas lawn mower may be for you. A word of caution though – go with a riding mower if you have more than an acre of grass to cut.
Battery Operated Lawn Mower
Battery operated lawn mowers will likely be the only option in the near future – and for good reason. They are more efficient than gas powered mowers, as well as better for the environment.
Whether you go for a simple electric mower, or a more advanced robot lawn mower, you will definitely love the quiet performance of a battery operated model. While they may be slightly more costly upfront – the superior performance and money saved by not having to buy gas – make purchasing a battery operated mower worth it, in the long run.
Mowing The Lawn – What’s The Right Way?
Believe it or not, there are right and wrong ways to mow your lawn. According to lawn care experts, mowing in rows is both the most efficient and fastest way to get the job done.
Since we spent many hours mowing our own lawns as kids, we have to agree. While professionals might be able to mow in fancy shapes and designs, they are also working with mowers that costs many thousands of dollars.
We don’t recommend spending that much for your own lawn. Keep it simple, and mow in clean, efficient rows – you’ll be done in no time.
How To Start A Lawn Mower
Traditional lawn mowers are harder to start than other mowers. If using one of these models, make sure there is oil and gas in the mower, push the primer button, and then move the lever to the starting position.
After these steps, pull the starting cord several times towards you, until the mower starts. By comparison, electric and robotic lawn mowers are much easier to start.
These models almost always have start and stop buttons. To start (or stop) them – you simply press the corresponding button.
Consult your lawn mower model’s instruction manual, if you have any further issues starting your mower. If you have a gas powered lawn mower, always make sure that the gas and oil are both at appropriate levels before you start to mow.
How To Sharpen Lawn Mower Blades
You may need to occasionally sharper your lawn mower blades, which can be accomplished with a variety of different tools. For example, you can use a chisel, a file, or even a bench grinder.
If you are starting to notice discolored and frayed edges on your grass, it’s time to sharper your blades. You’ll want to start by disconnecting the power to your mower, as well as the spark plug.
Next, clean the blade using a dry rag. After the blade is cleaned, sharpen it.
If doing this manually, keep the blade at a 45 degree angle, and use a grindstone or file to move back and forth over the edge.
If using a bench grinder, you can simply move the edge of the blade against the wheel of the grinder. Be sure to wear eye protection when using a bench grinder, since sparks may be shot up into the air (and near your eyes).
Lawn Mower Battery Life
While the battery life will vary between different lawn mower models, generally, lawn mower batteries last between 3 and 5 years. Another metric to go by, is the number of total charges you can get out of it.
Some batteries may stop working after just 1 year, depending on a variety of factors. Other batteries can last longer than 5 years as well, but it is a bit unusual.
It will be easy to tell when your battery is starting to die, because it won’t be able to hold a charge for nearly as long. If you have a robotic lawn mower or electric mower, your battery lifespan may vary even more.
How Do I Choose The Best Lawn Mower For Me?
There are many factors to consider when choosing a lawn mower. You should consider your lawn size, how often you plan on mowing, how much you want to spend on a mower, and which type of mower you prefer.
What may be a perfect choice for one person with a huge lawn – may make no sense if you just have a small front yard.
The Best Lawn Mower
There you have it – our picks for the best lawn mower. No longer do you need to push an old, rusty mower through your weeds – you can grab a nifty robotic lawn mower instead.
If that’s not your speed, try getting an electric lawn mower. Or go with a riding mower (our personal favorite).
No matter which model you choose, you’ll be amazed how far the humble lawn mower has come. Kids these days – they’ll never truly know the pains of what it was like to grow up in a different time.
While we’ve already told you what the best lawn mower is – you may still need help around the house. There are a ton of great outdoor and home products besides lawn mowers, so be sure to check out some of our other product reviews, in the home and garden categories.