The vast majority of models use gas-powered engines, which means that you have to consider the cost of keeping extra fuel and performing regular maintenance into your budget. There are also battery-powered electric models, both ride-on tractors and push mowers, that often use the same types of batteries you may already have for your cordless power tools; which makes it easier to integrate the mower into your arsenal and a bit more affordable to maintain since you don’t have to invest in specialized chargers or batteries. The downside to electric mowers is that they don’t have the same run-time as their gas-powered counterparts, with most having a maximum mow time of about an hour. Though this should be plenty of time to take care of most suburban lawns. Robotic mowers are a recent innovation, working the same way as robotic vacuums and mops: working with AI and a home charging base to frequently mow different parts of your lawn for a consistently well-manicured yard. Their biggest drawbacks are both their hefty costs and the need to lay boundaries or guide wires to keep them in your yard and out of the street. Zero-turn mowers are similar to what you’d see in a commercial setting, featuring very large cutting decks and pivot-point turning for much better maneuverability around obstacles like trees, lamp posts, flower beds, and mailboxes. To help you find the perfect lawn mower for your needs, I’ve chosen five of the best you can buy. I’ve broken down their major features, deck widths, and power sources to help you find the mower of your dreams, as well as the best fit for your budget. Must read:
The 5 best zero-turn mowersThe 5 best robot mowersThe 5 best push mowersThe 5 best electric mowersHow to choose a mower
An adjustable, 13-inch seat makes it easy to find a comfortable position to safely drive your mower, and an emergency shutoff switch automatically kills the engine if it doesn’t detect you in the seat; you can override this by setting the parking brake so you can move small obstacles like fallen branches, toys, or garden tools without needing to restart the engine. A 3-year bumper-to-bumper warranty covers the mower, so you can quickly and easily get replacement belts, blades, and other parts if they become damaged during normal operation. It has a 50-inch, triple-blade cutting deck that’s made of stamped steel, which makes it perfect for yards 2 acres and larger. It comes equipped with a standard side discharge chute, though you can buy a bagger unit or mulching kit for easier clipping collection or to re-feed your lawn. You can even buy a haul-behind wagon or snow plow attachment for year-round use, hauling bagged leaves or clearing snow from your driveway. You control the mower via dual levers, which feels very different than the traditional steering wheel controls you find on most mowers, so I recommend practicing maneuvering around your yard with the cutting deck disengaged before using it to actually mow. The frame of the mower is made of 2 x 2-inch steel tubing for strength and durability in almost any condition, and a 3-year warranty covers the mower. The frame and deck have a lifetime warranty, so if there are any weld point failures, cracks in the deck, or issues with the blade spindles, they’ll be covered by Cub Cadet for as long as you own the mower. Once you’ve downloaded and set up the companion app, you can use a Bluetooth connection to set up mowing routines, lawn boundaries and mowing patterns, and check to see where the unit is in your yard in case it gets hung up on a tree root or stuck under a shrub. The app also alerts you if the mower has been removed from its designated areas so you can immediately report a theft and track its location via LTE cellular data for recovery. For power, it uses the same 20, 40, or 80V rechargeable battery as other Worx-branded power tools, so it’s easier to integrate into your workshop, and you don’t have to worry about buying special charging equipment. It comes with a dedicated charging base, and the Landroid L automatically returns to it when the battery reaches a certain percentage, so you never have to go retrieve a dead mower from the back of your lot and carry it back to the charging station. Worx doesn’t specify a maximum run time on a full charge, but they reassure you that the Landroid L will mow frequently in order to maintain an evenly-trimmed lawn; I would expect an hour run-time, tops, if your lawn doesn’t have any rough spots, steep inclines, or obstacles. The Landroid L is rated for lawns up to .5 acres, featuring an 8-inch cutting disc mounted on a floating arm so that it can follow the contours of your lawn without scalping high points or missing dips. The rear wheels feature protrusions to help it grip the ground without destroying your lawn while a single front pivot wheel gives it exceptional maneuverability. If you have a smaller, suburban lot (think .25 to .5 acres), a riding mower is going to be overkill, and you might not have any space to store it in the offseason or during bad weather. A 21-inch push mower, preferably self-propelled, will be plenty of power and cutting width to handle most typical in-town lawns. For anything from .75 acres to 1 acre, a riding mower with a 30 to 42-inch cutting deck will be ideal; you’ll be able to cut your grass in an hour or less and maneuver around most obstacles with ease. Anything over an acre, and you’ll need a much larger cutting deck, 46-inches and above. That way, you won’t have to spend 6 hours mowing 2-3 acres of open land. Zero turns are similar to commercial-grade lawn mowers, featuring very wide cutting decks and pivot turning for exceptional maneuverability around obstacles. They’re perfect for 2+ acre lawns or 1+ acre lawns with lots of trees. Robot mowers are the latest innovation in lawn care and are similar to robot vacuums and mops that you may already use inside your home. Their biggest appeal is that they automatically run mowing routines and return to their home bases for charging so that mowing can be completely hands-off. The downsides are: they’re very expensive, they don’t mow in straight lines (randomized patterns only, but they also mow frequently, so theoretically, you’ll always have a well-manicured lawn), have very small cutting decks (less than 10-inches wide), and require you to lay guide or boundary wires in order to keep the unit from driving itself into the street or your neighbor’s garden beds. They can be a wonderful addition to your tool shed but aren’t suited to many kinds of lawns. If you’re ever unsure about what kind of mower will work best for your lawn, you can always ask an expert at your local DIY or hardware store about what features you’ll need to get the best experience. During the later spring months and the height of summer, you’ll want to mow your lawn at least once a week. Not only does this keep your yard looking neat, but it also helps keep your grass growing evenly so you don’t get tall patches. Mowing more frequently during the prime growing season also helps keep your lawn healthy by re-feeding the roots with lawn clippings if you have a mulching attachment on our mower. Aside from the risk of injury, mowing wet grass is bad for your lawn as well. Water weighs down each blade, making it harder for your lawn mower to make an even, clean-cut, leaving behind uneven patches and huge clumps of clippings that can kill off patches of your yard and damage your mower if the discharge chute gets clogged. Whether it’s from rain or morning dew, always allow your lawn to dry out as much as it can before you start mowing.
