Written by TJ Donegan and Kevin Kavanaugh
Updated June 7, 2024
Until a few short years ago, the best lawn mowers were all gas. As more consumers seek eco-friendly cars, homes, and power equipment, advanced battery technology answers the call.Today, consumers can drive an electric car, thrive in a solar-powered home, and maintain their property with battery-powered equipment. But are the new electric push lawn mowers as good as the old internal combustion mowers?
We tested gasoline, electric-corded, and battery-powered lawnmowers from the leading brands. We were eager to see if the battery-powered mowers could handle a large yard as well as the tried-and-true gasoline models, and we were satisfied. The Ego Power+ LM2135SP (available at Amazon) came out on top as the best lawn mower we’ve tested.
For the best gas-powered mower, the Toro SmartStow Personal Pace Auto-Drive 21465 (available at The Home Depot) is our pick because it has a large cutting area with a self-propelling feature. However, there are many great lawn mowers in our guide to meet your needs.
Best Lawn Mower
Ego Power+ LM2135SP
- Power source: Electric/battery
- Self-propelled: Yes
- Cutting options: Bag, Mulch, Side discharge
- Drive: Rear-wheel
- Weight: 88 lbs
Until a few years ago, those who preferred not to buy an internal combustion mower had little choice. However, advanced battery technology has finally arrived, and the benefits are easy to see in the Ego Power+ LM2135SP, a 21-inch self-propelled electric mower. This cordless mower with a cutting width of 21 inches utilizes a 56-volt lithium-ion battery to power through up to 60 minutes of lawn cutting, providing you with the convenience of uninterrupted mowing.
As one of the best lawn mowers, the Ego Power+ is robust, comfortable, and a joy to use. Even though the battery only lasted about an hour, the mower performed extremely healthy mulching and driving itself uphill. It has plenty of torque and can keep up with anything a gasoline-powered mower can do. It is clean, easy to use, and efficient.
Among all the lawnmowers we've tested, the Ego Power+ stands out for its user-friendly features. It's a breeze to start and operate, with a handle that slides and folds for effortless storage. Adjusting it to your height is a matter of seconds. The battery charges in a quick 50 minutes, and the charger itself is equipped with a cooling fan that improves charging times and keeps the battery cool. These features are designed to make your mowing experience as convenient as possible.
Like some of our other mowers, the Ego Power+ has twin blades that improve mulching and keep the trips to empty the rear bag to a minimum. Cutting height is achieved with one easy-to-access lever.
Operating the Ego Power+ is a breeze, thanks to its straightforward design and lightweight composite deck. Simply depress the power button, pull the green handle, and the blades spring to life. The dual buttons on the handle ensure safe and comfortable engagement of the self-propel feature.
The Ego Power+ comes with LED headlights for convenience, and it was the only mower we tested that could propel itself when the blades were not spinning. The latter is a nice feature that eliminates pushing the mower back to the garage.
Pros
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Environmentally friendly
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Powerful
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Comfortable handling
Cons
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Pricey
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Battery limits operation time
Buy now at Amazon
$579.00 from Walmart
Best Gas Lawn Mower
Toro SmartStow Personal Pace Auto-Drive 21465
- Power source: Gas
- Self-propelled: Yes
- Cutting options: Bag, Mulch, Rear discharge
- Drive: Rear-wheel
- Weight: 90 lbs
Toro makes the best lawn mower with a gas engine and is is a top performer in its category. With a large cutting area of 22 inches, a powerful engine, and a comfortable 'personal pace' self-propel system, this Toro lawn mower is designed to make your lawn maintenance tasks a breeze. Its robust performance and efficiency will give you the confidence to tackle any lawn maintenance task.
To engage this feature, push the lever forward, and the mower begins to move. Push it a little more, and the mower moves faster. After a couple of rows of cutting, you will see how easy it is to regulate speed. This system is not as intuitive as others, but it works well.
Another great feature is that the Toro mower has Briggs and Stratton’s check-don’t-change oil system, which never requires an oil change.The mower handles fold down; you can store it vertically to save space in your shed or garage. When it comes to gas-powered lawn mowers, this is the one to buy to simplify your lawn maintenance routine.
Pros
-
Powerful
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Comfortable handling
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Easy to store
Cons
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Less intuitive speed control
$999.99 from Walmart
Other Lawn Mowers We Tested
Kobalt KM 5080-06
- Power source: Electric/battery
- Self-propelled: No
- Cutting options: Bag, Mulch, Side discharge
- Drive: Rear-wheel
- Weight: 66 lbs
The Kobalt 80V power 21-inch electric lawn mower is a versatile option that caters to a wide range of needs. It's affordable, flexible, and compact, making it easy to maneuver. Whether you're avoiding extension cords or gas cans, this mower is a reliable choice.
It's strong enough to handle thick grass and offers a highly adjustable cutting height, ensuring it can adapt to the needs of your lawn. Its versatility will give you peace of mind, knowing that it can handle any lawn situation.
At 66 pounds, it is easy to operate. It can be bagged or bagless, and we love how easy it is to store (fold up the push handle).
The main draw is the 80V battery system, which, in our testing, gave an hour of runtime, enough to cut about 7,500 square feet on a full charge. It also works with other Kobalt tools, and spares cost around $150.
When fully depleted, the battery takes about 45 minutes to charge. The battery pops into the designated slot, and if the safety key is inserted, the mower can turn on with a press button—much easier than using a traditional pull start.
This is an excellent choice if you need a nice, basic mower to get the job done and want to go cordless. It cuts clean lines, is easy to use, and can easily handle most lawns. The light weight makes it easy to use on slopes and hills.
If investing in a range of electric tools, this is an excellent system to buy.
Pros
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Compact
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Easy to maneuver
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Strong
Cons
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Battery must be charged
Buy now at Lowe's
Hart HLPM061US
- Power source: Electric/battery
- Self-propelled: Yes
- Cutting options: Bag, Mulch, Side discharge
- Drive: All-wheel
- Weight: 89.5 lbs
This Hart lawnmower was a pleasant surprise, making it a fantastic lawn mower for your yard. After removing it from the box and charging the batteries, we fired it up and took it out to the thick, lush grass.
It performed beautifully; its powerful electric motor easily cut through the lawn and even increased its revolutions when we cut thicker grass. This mower easily handles a larger lawn.
The Hart mower moved with power and confidence through the lawn, and the simple-to-use speed control was right there at your fingertips.
This excellent lawnmower has the power and convenience of mowers costing much more.
Pros
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Powerful motor
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Easy-to-use propulsion system
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Dual batteries
Cons
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A challenge to use in tight areas
$498.00 from Walmart
Skil PM4910-10
- Power source: Electric/battery
- Self-propelled: No
- Cutting options: Bag, Mulch, Rear discharge
- Drive: Rear-wheel
- Weight: 58 lbs
At just 58 pounds, this mower makes cutting small lawns fun. The rear discharge chute allows you to trim close to trees, beds, and shrubbery. We found ourselves zipping around obstacles using only one hand.
This is a straightforward machine with one quick-charge battery in the center.
This is different than a lawn mower for the back 40. With a 20-inch cut and a small electric motor, it cannot handle large lawns. But for most small-to-medium-sized yards, this mower cleans up the area quickly.
Light and easy to store, this is the perfect mower to keep a lawn looking great.
Pros
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Lightweight
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Easy to maneuver
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Inexpensive
Cons
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Only suited to smaller lawns
$299.00 from Amazon
$299.00 from Walmart
Ryobi RY401150
- Power source: Electric/battery
- Self-propelled: Yes
- Cutting options: Bag, Mulch, Side discharge
- Drive: Rear-wheel
- Weight: 78 lbs
The 21-inch Ryobi RY401150 40-volt brushless mower sets up quickly and easily right out of the box. It includes double blades and cuts clean and clear.
The Ryobi lawn mower has two batteries installed on the top of the machine. One notable drawback is that only one battery powers the mower at a time. You cut your grass for approximately 30 minutes, and when the first battery dies, you can stop and move a switch to engage the second battery. Ryobi says that the batteries will last for 70 minutes, but stopping to change batteries seems counterproductive.
Otherwise, the mower performed well and completed all of the tests. It has a one-lever height adjustment and is light enough to maneuver around obstacles. It’s one of the best lawn mowers with plenty of power and handles the hill with little strain.
While both the Ego Power+ and Ryobi were solid performers on the electric front, the Ryobi was let down by its self-propelled controls. The controls are under the bar, but the lever is vague and unresponsive. Because the lever is designed for thumbs only, you need to push the lever awkwardly to get the mower up to speed.
Pros
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Environmentally friendly
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Powerful
Cons
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Battery design is inefficient
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Vague propel response
Buy now at Amazon
$599.00 from Home Depot
$999.99 from Walmart
Craftsman M220 CMXGMAM211201
- Power source: Gas
- Self-propelled: Yes
- Cutting options: Bag, Mulch, Side discharge
- Drive: Front-wheel
- Weight: 73 lbs
The Craftsman lawn mower is one of the more cumbersome models we’ve tested. The setup was more involved. To adjust it to the correct height, we had to kneel on the floor to remove two fasteners from the bottom of the handle and pull the handle out of the body.
Two fasteners at the base of the handle also allowed us to set the handle angle. The better mowers have release buttons and adjusting levers, enabling the operator to make these adjustments quickly and safely while standing.
The mower started on the first pull and had enough power to tackle any lawn. However, the two levers on top of the handle—one to start and one for speed of self-propulsion—are challenging to operate. Both are difficult to grab if your hands are small to medium, and the levers are too far from the handle for comfortable operation.
They’re also not intuitively placed; you have to look each time you make a pass.
The most significant disadvantage of this mower is that it is equipped with front-wheel drive. When self-propelled mowers emerged many years ago, a front-drive system was easy for manufacturers to design and implement, and the homeowner didn’t have to push dead weight.
The design worked for many years because nothing else existed. However, rear-drive systems were developed over the years, producing a more balanced, comfortable cutting experience.
When cutting a lawn, the operator naturally has some weight on the handle. Add to this the weight of the grass in the bag off the back of the mower, and you will have a very light front end. Because the mower's weight is not over the wheels, the front wheels tend to spin and grasp through each pass.
This results in uneven lines, a hard-to-control mower (especially on bumpy terrain), premature wearing out of the plastic front wheels, and difficulty trying to trim around obstacles. This antiquated front drive system lets this mower down. For the best lawn mowers, check out our No. 1 recommendation.
Pros
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Easy starting
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Powerful
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Capable
Cons
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Controls are cumbersome
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Front Drive System limits control and comfort
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Not nimble around obstacles
Buy now at Lowe's
Greenworks 60V 21-in. Cordless Battery Self-propelled Lawn Mower
- Power source: Battery
- Self-propelled: Yes
- Cutting options: Bag, Mulch, Side discharge
- Drive: Rear-wheel
- Weight: 65 lbs
We love that the Greenworks self-propelled lawn mower is battery-powered (read: good for the environment and for your neighbors, who won’t hear you mowing) and that the purchase includes two batteries with a dual port charger that you can also use for other Greenworks’ branded tools. The mower is a piece of cake to assemble out of the box, and it folds up nicely for storage.
When it comes to using this Greenworks lawn mower, it starts with a push button, and a lever allows you to adjust for height. The lawnmower bag hooks and unhooks smoothly when you need to empty it of grass clippings, although the mower also offers a mulching option that operates on par with that of a gas mower.
Its self-propel functionality works nicely, and its speed options are easy to use. Disengaging from self-propel is touchy and takes a moment to happen, which we don’t love. If you stop the mower and pull back, the wheels lock and skid through the grass.
Our biggest problem with this mower is its battery power. The charge simply doesn’t live up to Greenworks’ claim of being able to handle three-quarters of an acre, and that is using both batteries at the mower’s most basic settings—without the turbo or the self-propel function. We needed to stop and recharge both batteries three times to finish that sized area. Additionally, the batteries don’t offer consistent power, diminishing after the first five minutes of use.
Unfortunately, clean-up for the mower is tough. Grass tends to get stuck in its undercarriage, especially if the lawn is damp, but the instructions repeatedly state not to use water, e.g. your hose.
Pros
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Easy to assemble and store
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Self-propelled
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Adjustable
Cons
-
Inconsistent battery power
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Difficult to clean
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Wheels can lock
$599.99 from Amazon
What You Should Know About Lawn Mowers
There are two basic types of walk-behind mowers: push and self-propelled.
The push type of mower is usually smaller, lighter, and easier to store. They are used primarily for smaller, level lawns. They are perfect for cleaning up areas that larger riding lawn mowers may miss. Gasoline, cords, or batteries can run them.
Self-propelled lawn mowers usually have a larger cutting diameter and can move independently through operator controls. Gasoline, cords, or batteries can also power these mowers.
Since they take the brunt of the pushing away, self-propelled mowers are perfect for larger lawns up to a half-acre and can easily handle hills and sloped lawns. These self-propelled mowers aren’t fully robotic lawnmowers, so you still have to do some work guiding them around your yard.
What Is A Self-propelled Lawn Mower?
The first self-propelled lawn mowers started to appear in the late-1960s. As suburbia grew and lawns got larger, pushing a heavy steel mower around on a summer afternoon wasn’t what most people wanted to be doing.The first self-propelled mowers had primitive front-wheel-drive systems that worked well enough, but the mowers often moved along too slowly. You weren’t pushing, but you were caught in a slow-moving lawn-cutting procession. Early mowers moved too slowly or fast to match a natural walking speed.
Today’s best lawn mowers offer a much better propulsion system. Owners can dial their preferred walking speed to become one with the mower, not being pulled and not having to push.
The Ego Power+ Select Cut 56-Volt Brushless 21-in Self-propelled Cordless Electric Lawn Mower allows the operator to drive to the lawn without the blades turning. That is a great feature.
Self-propelled mowers reduce operator fatigue and make cutting the grass easier than years ago. Self-propelled mowers make cutting on hills safer and more efficient. And with modern speed options, they make a summertime chore a little more enjoyable.
Which Lawn Mower is Right for You: Gasoline, Corded Electric, or Battery?
Gasoline
Gasoline-powered lawnmowers have kept lawns manicured for decades. They are robust, reliable, and affordable. They come with self-propelled movement, mulching features, and self-cleaning availability. They are powerful enough for large lawn care jobs to tackle a quarter to half-acre lawn. Any lawn bigger than that would necessitate a riding mower.
But gas-powered mowers emit dangerous carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons, require regular maintenance, and require storing gasoline and oil. This may not be suitable for some consumers.
Corded Electric
Corded electric mowers have been around for years and were historically the choice of consumers with smaller lawns that didn't need the more powerful gasoline mower. While powerful enough to get most cutting or trimming jobs done, the one obvious drawback to a corded mower is the electrical cord.
For any yard worthy of mowing, a long electrical extension cord is required to power the mower. This can be a minor annoyance, such as keeping the cord free from getting tangled in trees and bushes, or a major annoyance when you drive over it and cut it into small pieces.
However, corded electric mowers require no gas, oil, or maintenance and, other than occasional blade sharpening, can perform reliably for years.
Battery
Battery-powered cars, power equipment, and tools have been around for a long time. The electric motors were solid and reliable, but the battery needed fixing. A few years ago, an electric car could expect to go only 100 miles on a charge, and power tools and equipment lasted only a short time. Recently, battery technology has improved by leaps and bounds.
Electric cars can expect hundreds of miles on a charge, and power tools and equipment can last a full day. This lithium battery technology has found its way to lawnmowers, creating a viable option for consumers who don't want gas or cords. These battery-powered mowers are robust, efficient, lightweight, and green.
Many now use brushless electric motors, which are more efficient, produce more torque, and are longer lasting than the older electric motors with brushes.
What's a Reel Lawn Mower?
A reel lawn mower, distinct from others in our guide, operates without an engine. This unique feature makes it an environmentally friendly choice, as it doesn't rely on gas or batteries, reducing noise pollution. The mower's mechanism is simple yet effective, with two wheels connected to a larger blade with handles. As you push the mower, the wheels set the blade in motion, efficiently cutting the grass.
Its delicate design means it can't handle sticks and doesn't work for mulching leaves. However, it's a great mower for small yards and one of the most affordable lawn mower options.
How often should I mow my lawn?
Cutting your lawn keeps it healthy and lush.
Cutting the lawn too often and only cutting it when it gets overgrown are both unhealthy for a lush, beautiful lawn. The rule of thumb in the lawn-care industry is for grass to be between 3 inches and 3.5 inches in length. This allows the grass to be long enough to thrive in the heat.
When cutting grass, never take more than a third of the blade at once—in other words, never cut more than an inch or so. Not only does this cause clumping on the lawn or in the mower bag, but it also removes too many nutrients and moisture from the grass.
After the late winter fertilizer treatments and the often heavy rains, lawns come to life and need trimming every four to five days to remove just enough length. As the summer wanes and the temperature rises, the grass will grow slower, and a once-week cutting is adequate.
It is also essential to keep the blades of your lawnmower excellent and sharp. Steel lawnmower blades tend to develop a dull edge after a season. A dull edge will tear the grass and not cut it. This may result in browning of the tips of the grass and put more stress on the mower.While you are under the deck checking those blades—and always disconnect the spark plug wire before going under the mower—be sure there is no old clumped-up grass clinging to the mower deck.
How We Test Lawn Mowers
The Tests
We assemble each mower and note the ease of the setup and how quickly we can adjust the handle to our preference.We then add gasoline, a battery, or an electrical cord to prep the mower. We evaluate the ease of setting the cutting height, first testing a high cutting height and then a lower one.
We take each mower on a few passes of an uncut half-acre lawn measuring approximately 22,000 square feet, noting how it cuts at high and low heights. We also monitor the bagging and mulching features.
Then, we take each mower up and down a grassy hill to see how it performs. Our final test is testing storage capability.
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Meet the testers
TJ is the former Director of Content Development at Reviewed. He is a Massachusetts native and has covered electronics, cameras, TVs, smartphones, parenting, and more for Reviewed. He is from the self-styled "Cranberry Capitol of the World," which is, in fact, a real thing.
See all of TJ Donegan's reviews
Kevin Kavanaugh
Contributor
Kevin Kavanaugh is a retired public school teacher and a product tester for Reviewed. Kevin has been cutting lawns for just about 50 years. He has always been intrigued by all things mechanical, be it watches, power equipment, vintage bicycles, or classic cars.
See all of Kevin Kavanaugh's reviews
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