Since moving to a new home with a front lawn last month, you can’t help but notice that the grasses have grown to unacceptable height so it’s definitely time for some serious lawn mowing activities. Since you’ve never handled a lawn mower before, you’re at lost on how to get one so it’s about time that we guide you on how to get the best lawn mower for garden use so that your front lawn will always look tidy.

 

Lawn Mower Reviews

Best Cordless Lawn Mower

Lawn Mower Reviews #1: A consumer favorite receiving positive reviews from expert reviewers is the best rated Black & Decker CMM1200 Cordless 24-Volt Mulching Mower. If you’ve got a small lawn to mow, then this Black & Decker lawn mower is the perfect tool. With 24-Volt battery supplied and 19" cutting deck, this best  cordless lawn mower from Black & Decker is able to mow up to 1/3 acre lawn on a single full charge. Acting as a lawn mower by using a bag to catch the clippings, it’s a mulcher too by simply attaching a mulch plate supplied. Adjustable wheel quickly shifts blade height from 1 1/2 – 3 1/2 inches using a lever for more cutting options. Foldable handle ensures easier and compact storage.

Best Electric Lawn Mower

Lawn Mower Reviews #2: Great reviews from pro testers and consumers have been written about this best rated Black & Decker Lawn Hog 19 Inch Electric Mulching Mower #MM875. If you think that electric lawn mowers are less powerful, then obviously you’ve not seen the full power of this Black & Decker lawn mower. Equipped with powerful 12A motor and 19" cutting deck, this best electric lawn mower from Black & Decker can cut through lawns with relative ease. One touch system adjusts wheel height up & down 8 levels (1 1/4 – 3 1/2 inches) for multitude of cutting options. Interchangeable rear-bag, mulching and side-discharge mode (sold separately).

Best Push Lawn Mower (Gas)

Lawn Mower Reviews #3: Top of its class with rave reviews from professional testers is the best rated Lawn-Boy Insight 21-Inch 6.5 HP Gas Mower #10683. If mowing seems like a chore, then save your energy with this Lawn-Boy lawn mower. Designed to take the load off out of mowing, its 6.5 HP Tecumseh engine provides the power and efficiency you need to tackle lawns without breaking a sweat. Equipped with 21" steel cutting deck to withstand pounding yet light enough to maneuver around the garden. Adjustable handle equipped with soft grips provide comfort. Easy pushing with large wheels. Interchangeable rear-bag, mulching and side-discharge mode. Quick folding for storage.

Best Self Propelled Lawn Mower (Gas)

Lawn Mower Reviews #4: Propelling itself to the top with ultimate reviews from expert reviewers is the best rated Lawn-Boy Insight Platinum 10797. If the mere thought of pushing a lawn mower makes you tired, then you’ve got to try this Lawn-Boy lawn mower. Powered by Honda GCV 160 OHV/OVC engine that is well-known for power and efficiency yet surprisingly light and best of all easy to start. With innovative Blade Control System that stops the blade but keeps the engine running, you can pause for drink and come back later hence eliminating the need to restart. Features patented Sens-A-Speed Self Propel system that adjusts the speed of the lawn mower to that of your walking pace. 21" cuttick deck minimizes time required to complete mowing task. It’s also a 3-in-1 rear-bag, mulcher and side-discharge mower.

Lawn Mower Reviews #5: Another high-quality lawn mower receiving good reviews from expert reviewers is the top rated Toro SR4 Super Recycler 20056. This Toro lawn mower comes with many innovative and high performance features designed to keep your lawn looking at its best all year long. Powered by all-powerful Briggs & Stratton engine that is Guaranteed-to-Start (GTS) at the mere push of a button. Features Blade Override System (BOS) that stops the blade from spinning whenever you take a break while keeping the engine running. Pushing this lawn mower is easy as it can sense your walking pace and automatically adjust to the same speed for a more relaxed push. Patented Super Recycler Cutting System combines the best of cutting blade, clipping accelerator and kickers to get an excellent cut. Interchangeable 3-in-1 rear-bag, mulch and side-discharge function can be done with ease.

Lawn Mower Reviews #6: Receiving glowing lawn mower reviews from expert testers is the highly rated Toro 20076 Electric Start Lawn Mower. The Toro Recycler family line of lawn mowers kept getting better and better each time, killing off competitors along the way. This highly rated lawn mower from Toro is powered by highly efficient Tecumseh Guaranteed-to-Start (GTS) engine to provide the cutting power needed to mow lawns with ease. With Blade Override System (BOS) that kills of blade from spinning yet keeps engine running hence no restarting required should you decided to pause for a while. Personal Pace Self-Propel system ensures walking pace speed movement for comfortable and easy pushing. Features Recycler Cutting System that chops grass clippings into fine mulch using patented Atomic blade. With so many advanced features, now’s the best time to own a Toro!

 

Lawn Mower Guide

1) Reel or Rotary?

If you care so much for your lawn and would like it to look like a golf turf, then it’s advisable to get a reel lawn mower. If you are not familiar, reel lawn mowers come with a reel of about 5 – 8 blades that are designed along the axle between the wheels hence when they are pushed forward, the reel of blades will spin fast at 90-degrees with respect to the ground and in the process come in contact with a stationary bed knife, cutting grasses along the way much like the cutting action that you would find in a pair of scissors. Since reel lawn mowers cut cleanly, grasses grow beautifully afterwards and hence what you’ll get eventually is impeccable lawn.

Reel Lawn Mower Advantage

• Since reel lawn mowers come with no engine, there is no pollution at all hence you’re contributing greatly to the environment.
• With no engine running, these reel lawn mowers are extremely quiet when used, emitting not more than 75 dB which is roughly below noise level.
• Reel lawn mowers are very cost effective since running costs are negligible as there’s no need to replace spark plugs and air / oil filters, do engine tune-ups etc. To keep blades sharp as usual, WD40 works great for up to 8 years.
• If you’ve ever pushed a reel lawn mower, you’ll be surprised at its light weight since construction is usually of alloys and lightweight plastics hence pushing is easy.

Reel Lawn Mower Disadvantages

• With no engine, muscle power is needed hence reel lawn mowers are not string enough to tackle heavy weeds and tall grasses.
• With such a small clearance between blades and staionary bed knife, inconveniences might happen from time to time when twigs got stuck and hence must be removed manually.

If you seek power in lawn mowers so that you can mow lawns with ease, then the best option is to get a rotary lawn mower. If you need to know, rotary lawn mowers have motor that is powered by battery, electricity or gas engines that provide the much needed power to spin the blades that are placed parallel with respect to the ground and thus when these fast spinning blades come into contact with grasses, they "tear" grasses mercilessly. Due to the power of the engines (gas lawn mowers only), these rotary lawn mowers can mow heavy weeds and grasses to respectable height which would struggle even the best reel lawn mowers.

2) Cordless, Electric or Gas-Powered? If you want to play you part in protecting the environment, you might want to get either a cordless or electric lawn mower. As the name suggests, cordless lawn mowers are not restricted by any electrical cord since they use battery as the power source and as such they are portable enough to be used anywhere around the lawn, even far away from any power source. Powered by high-capacity 18 V – 24 V rechargeable battery, these cordless lawn mowers have a fixed run-time of roughly about 30 – 60 minutes and with limited power as well, they are best used on small lawns with thin & short grasses only. Electric lawn mowers on the other hand requires electricity to power the motor that in turn spins the rotary blades that’s to be used in cutting grasses. As electric lawn mowers need a power supply nearby, their mobility are severely restricted by the length of the electrical cord of about 100 feet and that’s why they are not portable enough to be used anywhere around the garden thus best used on small and mid sized gardens only. Nevertheless electric lawn mowers have slightly more power than the cordless type if you need to know.

Cordless & Electric Lawn Mower Advantages

• I will repeat this again – cordless & electric lawn mowers do not emit harmful gases hence they are environmentally-friendly machines.
• If you can spare $5 – $10 for electricity, then you can use either of these cordless & electric lawn mowers weekly for a year!
• Maintenance is almost non-existent since there’s no spark plugs or air / oil filters to replace and frequent engine tune-ups are not required so running costs are close to zero.
• If you’ve handled gas lawn mowers, you might be put off by the loud noise but cordless & electric lawn mowers register just below 75 dB (noise level) hence can be used at night after work or early morning just before leaving for work.
• Cordless & electric lawn mowers are easy to start at the press of the starter button unlike the gas type which needs choking and pulling.
• Unless you’re using a self-propelled lawn mower, cordless & electric lawn mowers are easy to push since they are light due to small motor incorporated unlike push gas lawn mowers which have heavy engines.

Cordless & Electric Lawn Mower Disadvantages

• Since most, if not all cordless & electric lawn mowers have small motor incorporated, their mowing power is limited hence not suitable for use on large lawns or lawns with thick & heavy grasses and weeds.

Gas-powered lawn mowers can either have 2-cycle or 4-cycle engines built-in and as such they are definitely more powerful than either the cordless & electric types plus with the fact that they offer portability as well, they are best used for larger yards of between 1/2 – 3/4 acre. If you’re looking for gas lawn mowers to cut down on lawn mowing time, it’s better to choose one with 4-cycle engine built-in as they are fuel-efficient but upfront costs could be somewhat higher. Gas Lawn Mower Advantages

• Since gas lawn mowers are powerful, they can cut through thick grasses and heavy weeds with ease which would struggle either cordless, electric  and even reel lawn mowers.
• Self-propelled gas lawn mowers take out the effort in pushing as such mowing large lawns is definitely faster, not to mention the ability to handle sloping grounds & difficult terrains.

Gas Lawn Mower Disadvantages

• It’s been reported that gas lawn mowers at an hour of usage pollute air more than automobiles running for 600 miles!
• Gas lawn mowers require regular maintenance to keep them perform attheir best hence spark plugs, air / oil filters need to be replaced at regular intervals plus engine tune-ups need to be done from time to time.
• Gas lawn mowers are noisy when in used, emitting higher than 90 dB hence neighbors might be frustrated if used in early morning or late at night.
• If you’ve ever pulled the starting rope of an old gas lawn mower, you’ll definitely know how difficult it is to start them.
• All gas lawn mowers are expensive when compared to other types of lawn mowers.

3) Push, Self Propelled, Riding or Zero Turn?

Push gas lawn mowers as the name implies use their 2/4-cycle engines to rotate the rotary blades that’s used for mowing grasses that’s all while self propelled gas lawn mowers use their engines to do dual tasks of rotating the rotary blades plus powering the wheels to move forward, eliminating the need for pushing. If you’re thinking of getting a gas lawn mower, your best bet would be to get the self propelled type since your mowing task will be made easier with just directing only, without the need to push. Do remember to choose a self propelled lawn mower that can be adjusted to match that of your walking pace for convenience.

If you have lawns that are of considerable size (between 3/4 acre – 1 acre), instead of pushing or directing a push / self propelled lawn mower respectively, you might want to consider getting a riding lawn mower. In case you don’t know, riding lawn mowers come with a seat (with backrest on some models) so that you can sit on it while driving across gardens and lawns, cutting grasses along the way. With bigger engines of between 26 hp – 32 hp plus bigger cutting widths of between 46" – 72", these riding lawn mowers can cut mowing time on large lawns drastically without making you break a sweat at all. Riding lawn mowers can be further categorized as pure riding or zero turn radius lawn mowers. Currently most pure riding lawn mowers can execute between 12 – 18 degrees turn but zero turn riding lawn mowers are able to make a complete 0-degree turn on the move thereby providing excellent maneuverability on turning hence best used on yards that are full of obstacles such as flowerbeds and trees. Unfortunately though, zero turn lawn mowers are expensive to say the least.

4) Cutting Deck (Width) Naturally if you have bigger lawns, you should seriously consider getting a lawn mower with a bigger cutting deck since a bigger cutting deck lawn mower is able to sweep large volumes of grasses to be cut per pass hence cutting down on mowing time. As a rough guide, for lawns of between 1/2 – 3/4 acre, your best option is to get a lawn mower with at least 20" – 22" cutting deck. For lawns between 3/4 – 1 acre, it’s advisable to get a riding lawn mower with minimum 42" – 50" cutting deck for time saving purposes.

5) Blades You might not realize that the strength of the lawn mower blades play a crucial part in the outcome of the degree of cut fineness not to mention offering increased durability so as to keep them operating optimally for longer periods of time. For best lawn mowing results, the blades should be made of hardened steel at least and for extra versatility as well, 4-blade systems win hands down over single-blade system in terms of their ability to tackle heavy weeds and grasses.

 

Best / Top Rated Lawn Mower Brands

Ariens Lawn Mower – Ariens Keep You Cutting
For lawns to look envious to neighbors and friends, Ariens lawn mowers make them happen. Homeowners are discovering why.

Black & Decker Lawn Mower – Black & Decker Mulches Up The Competition
In a single sweep, Black & Decker lawn mowers can shreds grasses with such precision that leaves nothing to chance.

Bolens Lawn Mower

Craftsman Lawn Mower – Craftsman Crafts A Masterpiece
Compared to Huqvarna or John Deere, Craftsman lawn mowers seem like babies with only 20 years in operation but don’t underestimate them.

Cub Cadet Lawn Mower – Cub Cadet Is Better, Smarter & Tougher

Grasshopper Lawn Mower – Grasshopper Hops To New Height
With 28 years of manufacturing under their belt, Grasshopper lawn mowers have grown by leaps and bounds to become machines of choice for lawn owners.

Honda Lawn Mower – Honda Does It Time After Time
Since 1978, Honda lawn mowers have been known all over the world as reliable and efficient.

Husqvarna Lawn Mower – Husqvarna Innovates All The Way
As a reliable maker of garden tools, Husqvarna lawn mowers carry on the same tradition started way back in 1689.

Lawn Boy Lawn Mower – Lawn Boy Matures At Last
It took 70 years for Lawn Boy lawn mowers to gain the trust and recognition that it truly deserves.

Scag Lawn Mower – Scag Roars Loud
For about 25 years Scag lawn mowers have been prowling the market capturing consumers heart & mind with their high-quality and good-designed machines bit by bit.

Snapper Lawn Mower – Snapper Just Makes Sense
When Snapper said No! to Wal-Mart wanting to sell Snapper lawn mowers on their stores, they fear that their reputation would take a big hit.

Swisher Lawn Mower – Swisher Makes Work & Play Converge
You don’t feel like you’re working when you sit on these Swisher lawn mowers when doing tasks.

Toro Lawn Mower – It’s Time To Own A Toro
For over 90 years consumers have relied on Toro lawn mowers for their lawn care needs. If you’re not using one right now, why not?

Troy Bilt Lawn Mower – Troy Bilt Takes Care Of Nature Effortlessly
It’s never easy taking on Mother Nature hence you need Troy Bilt lawn mowers to do the job perfectly. With the correct machine, carry on winning.

White Outdoor Lawn Mower – White Outdoor Gets It Done
When you need mowers that get the job done without much fuss, White Outdoor lawn mowers are the ones to consider. You have to see to believe it.

Yard Machines Lawn Mower – Built For Yards
If you’re looking for mowers specifically designed for mowing, it’s got to be Yard Machines lawn mowers. When all is said and done, you’ll have a lawn to be proud of.

Yardman Lawn Mowers – Yardman Gets It Right The First Time, Everytime
With Yardman lawn mowers, you don’t have to trade your precious time for additional work. After all, doing right the first time gets the job done faster, everytime.

Yazoo Lawn Mower – Yazoo Is Impressive