Spring is coming to an end, and summer is rapidly approaching. With these seasonal changes come the relaxing walks and festive outdoor barbecues, but also the dreaded chore of mowing the lawn. While you can’t take the chore out of mowing you can make it easier by buying the best lawn mower for your lawn. Whether you want a gas/electric, self-propelled/reel, corded/cordless mower our reviews and recommendations will answer all your questions.
⇓⇓ No time to read? Here’s a chart of some of our favorite mowers! ⇓⇓
Best Lawn Mower Buying Guide
Here is the section everyone has been waiting for-our top selections for the best lawn mower to buy this year. As usual, we have broken down the list into categories for each type of push mower. These rankings reflect both our own opinions and the opinions of thousands of Amazon reviewers. Without further ado, here are the best mowers of the year!
Where to Buy a Lawn Mower?
Lawn mowers are readily available in most brick-and-mortar hardware stores such as Home Depot, Lowes, Menards, and Sears. Although purchasing from a retail store allows you to get your mower immediately, we encourage you to highly consider purchasing from an online retailer such as Amazon.
Advantages of Purchasing Online
- Greater selection: Physical stores have a limited stock of lawn mowers, and if you are searching for a specific model you may have to make trips to multiple stores-sapping both your time and energy. Online marketplaces offer a wider selection than any appliance store and you can browse from the comfort of your home.
- Cheaper Prices: If you are looking for the best value lawn mower for your money then chances are you’ll find it online. Prices can be markedly lower online due to multiple vendors selling the same product. It is also common for sites like Amazon to offer deals that further reduce the price. Finally, the ability to compare prices/features of hundreds of different mowers side-by-side is invaluable.
- Customer Reviews: Unlike the employees at big name retailers who may emphasize a mower’s strengths and overlook its flaws, Amazon provides thousands of reviews from everyday people. These reviews provide you with a comprehensive, truthful look at how the product holds up in day-to-day usage.
Best Lawn Mower Reviews – Watch Out!
Whether it is your first time buying a mower, or you just want to ensure your next mower is better (or just as reliable) as your first, consider the following criteria to find the best lawn mower that fits your specific needs. Follow these guidelines, and you will decrease the likelihood of getting scammed by a bad mower/one unsuitable for you.
- Power: A lawn mower’s power lies in the size of the engine for gas powered mowers or the voltage of the battery pack in electric mowers. For gas mowers an engine size of 140cc or less is on the weaker end while 180/190cc is on the powerful side. For electric mowers 20 volts is the lower end of the spectrum and 36+ volts is the general cap for high power. If you have to cut tall or wet grass on a frequent basis then you will need a higher powered mower (180+cc/30+V). For standard lawns without many weeds or hard to cut grasses a low power motor (140cc+/20+V) will suffice. If you have a lawn you can mow in 30-45 minutes or less (small lawn) then an electric mower will be quieter and more energy efficient. If you have a larger lawn (takes 60+ minutes to mow) a gas powered mower is a better option, because it will not run out of gas during the job. Click here if you need more information regarding lawn mower engines.
- Manual vs. Drive: Lawn mowers can either be moved exclusively by the user, or they can have a drivetrain that propels them along. Manual mowers work if your property is relatively flat, but for sloping lawns, a wheeled drive is a must. Finally, there are three configurations of wheeled drive: front, rear, and all wheel drive. Front is generally the better option, because you can use the rear wheels to pivot the mower for tighter turns. Rear wheel drive is only worthwhile if you live on a hill (they give more uphill power than front wheel). All wheel drive is more of a premium feature, but it does help for the most extreme of slopes.
- Ignition Method: Everyone is familiar with the traditional “prime and pull mowers” In order to start them you press a “priming button” multiple times, and then pull the “pull-cord” until the engine starts. There is also electronic ignition; you twist a key and the mower starts. Pull and prime ignition can require repeated pulls of the pull-cord, and is more fidgety. Electronic ignition is reliable and effortless, but the feature will increase the cost of the mower slightly.
- Auto Choke: Lawnmower engines have a part called the “choke.” The choke regulates airflow into the carburetor (place in the engine where air is mixed with fuel). In cold weather the ratio of fuel to air must be higher, so the choke would be slightly closed to allow less air to enter. Once the lawnmower has started, the choke must be reopened to increase the amount of air. Adjusting the choke is a tedious task, so look for mowers with “auto choke.” As the name implies the mower will self-regulate the airflow to the carburetor.
- Mower width: The width of the riding deck indicates how large a swathe of grass will be cut in a single pass of the mower. Push mowers range from 14 to 22 inches, and riding mowers far exceed that. If you have a large lawn you will want to buy a wide area mower at the higher end of this spectrum (21-24), whereas a small yard requires less. Generally speaking, the maximum yard size for a push mower is 3/4 of an acre, and anything over this amount should probably be cut with a riding mower. Although it is entirely possible to cut over an acre with a pushing mower, we recommend riding mowers to save a sizable amount of time mowing. On our site we normally classify “small” as taking 30 minutes or less to cut, and “large” taking 45-60 minutes.
- Lawn Clipping Disposal: There are three different ways lawn mowers can dispose of grass clippings. 1) Mulching, a system whereby the clippings are finely ground and redeposited to the soil acting as a natural fertilizer. 2) Side discharge: clippings are propelled out of the mower onto the grass. The side discharge feature makes it slightly easier to cut taller grass. 3) Collection: clippings are collected in a bag attached to the rear of the mower. Bagging is helpful if you are concerned about the lawn debris getting on people/pets, or if you like keeping your driveway free of grass.
- Ease of Maintenance: No lawn mower is completely immune to damage, and all mowers will undoubtedly require maintenance (oil/gas refill, battery charge). The best mowers have easily replaceable parts, and have easily accessible refill points for oil/gas.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it, our top mower recommendations for 2024. We hope you were able to find the best lawn mower from our in depth reviews. If there is anything else we can do to help don’t hesitate to contact us.
Happy Mowing,
The BLMR Team
Want to learn more? Check out our other articles: Best Self Propelled Mower | Best Push Mower | Best Electric Mower | Best Corded Electric Mower | Best Reel Mower | Best Robot Lawn Mower | Best Riding Lawn Mower | Best Zero Turn Lawn Mower | Accessories and Tips