Practically any mower will cut your grass. But you’ll get better results with less effort if you choose a machine based on your lawn size, mowing preferences, and budget.

Mowing options range anywhere from $100 manual-reel mowers to tractors that cost $4,000 or more. If you have a small yard, a manual-reel or electric walk-behind mower is probably fine. Gasoline-powered walk-behind mowers are appropriate for most lawns up to about a half-acre. If your lawn is larger than that, you might appreciate the ease and speed of a ride-on lawn tractor.

Compared with cars, gasoline-powered lawn mowers produce a disproportionate amount of air pollution. Federal regulations aimed at reducing smog-producing mower emissions have made today’s gas-powered mowers cleaner than old ones--something to consider if you’re now using an older mower.

WHAT’S AVAILABLE

Manual-reel mowers are still made by a few companies. Major brands of electric mowers include Black & Decker and Craftsman (Sears). Of all brands, Craftsman sells the most gasoline-powered walk-behind mowers. Other less expensive, mass-market brands include Bolens, Murray, Yard Machines, and Yard-Man. Pricier brands, traditionally sold at outdoor power-equipment dealers, include Ariens, Cub Cadet, Honda, Husqvarna, John Deere, Lawn Boy, Snapper, and Toro. Several of those brands are now available at large retailers, including Home Depot and Lowe’s.

Which type is best for your lawn? Here are the basics about each to help you decide:

Manual-reel mowers. Pushing these simple mowers turns a series of curved blades that spin with the wheels. Reel mowers are quiet, inexpensive, and nonpolluting. They’re also relatively safe to operate and require little maintenance other than periodic blade adjustment and sharpening. On the downside, our tests have shown that cutting performance is typically mediocre, and most can’t cut grass higher than 1 1/2 inches or trim closer than 3 inches around obstacles. Some models have cutting swaths just 14 to 18 inches wide--another drawback. Consider them for small, flat lawns a quarter-acre or less.

Price range: $100 to about $400.

Electric mowers. These push-type, walk-behind mowers use an electric motor to drive a rotating blade. Both corded and cordless versions start with the push of a button. They produce no exhaust emissions, and, like reel mowers, require little maintenance aside from sharpening. Most offer a side or rear grass catcher, and many can mulch--a process where clippings are recut until they’re small enough to hide unobtrusively within the lawn. But electrics are less powerful than gas mowers and less adept at tackling tall or thick grass and weeds. What’s more, their narrow, 18- to 19-inch swaths take a smaller bite than most gas-powered mowers at 21 inches.

Both corded and cordless electrics have other significant drawbacks. Corded mowers limit your mowing to within 100 feet of a power outlet--the typical maximum length for extension cords. Cordless versions, while more versatile, weigh up to 30 pounds more than corded models and typically mow just one-quarter to one-third acre before their sealed, lead-acid batteries need recharging. Both types of electrics are mainly suitable for small, flat lawns of a quarter-acre or less.

Price range: corded, $125 to $250; cordless, $400 or more.

Gasoline-powered walk-behind mowers. These include push mowers and self-propelled models with driven wheels. Most have a 4.5- to 6.5-hp four-stroke engine and a cutting swath 21 or 22 inches wide, allowing you to cover more ground with each pass, and handle long or thick grass and weeds. All can mow as long as there’s fuel in the tank. But gas mowers are relatively noisy and require regular maintenance.

Most gas mowers provide three cutting modes: bagging, which gathers clippings in a removable catcher; side-discharging, which spews clippings onto the lawn; and mulching, which cuts and recuts clippings until they’re small enough to settle and decompose within the lawn.

Consider a push-type model for mowing relatively flat lawns of about a quarter-acre or for trimming larger lawns. Choose a self-propelled model for hilly lawns or lawns of a half-acre or more. You might also choose a self-propelled mower if you mostly bag clippings; a full bag can add 20 or 30 pounds to the mower’s weight.

Price range: push-type, $150 to $400; self-propelled, $200 to $900.

IMPORTANT FEATURES

For electric mowers. A sliding clip electric cord keeper (holder) helps ease turns when using corded mowers by allowing the cord to move from side to side. Some have a flip-over handle you move from one end of the mower to the other as you reverse direction, say, at the end of a row.

For gas-powered mowers. Some models have a blade-brake clutch system that stops the blade but allows the engine to keep running when you release the handlebar safety bail. This is more convenient than the usual engine-kill system, which stops the engine and blade and requires that you restart the engine. An overhead-valve engine tends to generate less pollution than a traditional side-valve engine, and is often quieter.

With most gas mowers, you press a small rubber bulb called a primer to supply extra fuel for cold starting. Some now use a manual choke that automatically shuts off. An electric starter is easier to use than a recoil starter, though it typically adds $75 to the price. Most mowers with a recoil starter are easier to start than they once were, however.

Some self-propelled mowers have just one speed, usually about 2 1/2 mph; others have several speeds or a continuous range, typically from 1 to 3 1/2 mph. Driven mowers also include front-drive and rear-drive models. Rear-wheel-drive models tend to have better traction on hills and with a full grass-collection bag. Mowers with swivel front wheels offer the most maneuverability by allowing easy 180-degree turns. But on some, each front casterlike wheel must be removed to adjust cutting height.

You’ll also find several different deck choices. Most are steel, although some mowers offer aluminum or plastic decks, which are rustproof; plastic decks also resist dents and cracks. Nearly all mowers now have tools-free cutting-height adjusters, which raise and lower the deck with wheel-mounted levers. Some let you adjust cut height with only one or two levers, rather than having to adjust each wheel. Most models also allow you to change mowing modes without tools, although a few still require wrenches and, rarely, a blade change. One model has a variable-mode lever that lets you mulch some of the clippings and bag the rest. Some models use a side-bagging deck design, where a side-exit chute routes clippings into a side-mounted bag or out onto the lawn--or is blocked with a plate or plug for mulching.

Mowers with a rear-bagging deck tend to cost more, but their rear-mounted bag holds more than side bags and eases maneuvering by hanging beneath the handlebar rather than out to the side. The rearward opening is fitted with a chute for side discharging or a plug for mulching.

HOW TO CHOOSE

You’ll see lots of competent choices for mowing the typical quarter- to half-acre lawn. Here are the most critical points to consider as you shop:

Pick your power. Gasoline-powered mowers continue to perform best overall, especially in long or dense grass. Self-propelled models are best for larger or hillier terrain, while lighter push models are fine for smaller, flatter lawns or for trimming. On the downside, gas models of both types are relatively noisy, create exhaust emissions, and require periodic tune-ups. Most also require pull-starting.

Electric mowers are quieter and create no exhaust emissions. They also free you from fueling and engine maintenance, and start with the push of a button. But even the best corded electric mowers aren’t as powerful as gas models. Cordless models free you from the tether and tangles of a power cord. But they’re pricey and have limited run time before their batteries need recharging.

Manual reel mowers are another clean and quiet option, since they rely solely on people power to move their spiral-shaped mowing blades. Most models are relatively inexpensive (about $130 to $200). But some can be hard to push. What’s more, those in past tests couldn’t match a power mower’s cut quality.

Pick your mowing mode. Most walk-behind mowers can mulch, bag, or side-discharge clippings. But as the Ratings show, not all mowers handle all three modes equally well. Choose a model that scored well in the mowing mode you use most. If you bag most clippings, you’ll probably prefer a self-propelled mower, since a full bag can make push types a handful, especially uphill.

Check the drive control. Most self-propelled mowers have two controls: a blade-engagement bail you must hold against the handlebar and a bail for adjusting the speed. Some new models now use a short lever that allows you to engage and vary ground speed by squeezing it with the right hand.

Those we tested worked well. But some levers can be stiffer than others--a potential problem for some users, since all require constant pressure to keep the machine moving. As with all controls, see if you can try such levers before buying.

Don’t get bowled over by big names. You’ll find a Honda engine on even more non-Honda walk-behind lawn mowers this year as Craftsman, Lawn-Boy, Yard-Man, and other brands use Honda’s premium image to give their machines some added cachet. These newer engines aren’t the commercial-grade versions that made Honda’s reputation for durability, however. While those we tested performed well, so did the more-plebeian Briggs & Stratton and Tecumseh engines on many other machines.

Don’t count horses. High horsepower is another rallying cry at the store and online. Many of the mowers we tested now have up to 7 hp on tap. But mowers with at least 5.5 hp performed just as well overall as higher-horsepower models.

Copyright © 2003-2007 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.

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