Lawn mower models start at a few hundred dollars, but prices can climb well into the thousands. In the end, you’ll have to weigh performance, comfort, and durability with cost. Here are the main factors to consider as you narrow down the choices.
✔️ Power source:
Gas-powered mowers and tractors still run on gas, so you’ll have the widest selection in this category, along with solid performance. But gas mowers are the noisiest, plus they require routine maintenance (like oil changes) and their fuel gives off emissions. Battery-powered mowers and tractors eliminate the noise and fumes, and many models cut nearly as well as their gas counterparts. They tend to be more expensive though and their hefty battery packs add to their weight. Corded electric mowers run on electricity. You don’t have to worry about them running out of power, but the cord is a nuisance, so our experts recommend them only for very small lawns.
✔️ Wheel size: Uniform front and back wheel sizes generally provide the best maneuverability over even lawns, including tipping the mower back to make U-turns at the end of a row. If your yard has a lot of rough terrain, look for slightly larger rear wheels.
✔️ Cutting options: Mowers can mulch, side discharge, or bag clippings. Some mowers can only support one type of cutting option, some two, and some all three. What you are trying to accomplish and how frequently you cut your lawn will determine what’s ideal for you. Here’s what our experts have to say:
Mulching saves time and energy and deposits clippings onto the lawn, returning natural nutrients to the soil and reducing the need for fertilizer.Side discharging is like mulching, except the clippings are discharged from a side chute. That allows the blade to spin faster, for a quicker mow, but it’s not as tidy, since clippings can end up on sidewalks, flower beds, and the like. Bagging is time intensive and not as good for the health of the turf and soil, though it gives you the neatest looking lawn. However, you might need to do it if the grass is very long and mulching will result in lots of clumps, which will need to be raked up.
✔️ Features: LED headlights on mowers and tractors let you finish the job when the sun is going down. Electric-start buttons on mowers are preferable to pull cords. For riding mowers, extras like an ergonomic seat and cup holder may not be deciding factors, but they sure are nice to have. Cruise control is another nice-to-have, as is an automatic drive for adjusting speeds. Some tractors have the ability to switch mowing modes without a manual blade change.
✔️ Warranty: Look for a robust warranty to ensure if something goes wrong you’ll be covered—especially with expensive riding mowers and tractors. The industry standard is two to three years, but some models come with warranties of five years or more.
✔️ Storage space: Many battery-powered mowers can be put away vertically to save storage space, but only specific gas models can handle vertical storage, as it requires special engine seals to ensure gas won’t leak out.
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