Home & Garden Shopping Guide

Looking at the lush green lawn is one of the simplest pleasures in life, but mowing the lawn is a chore. Whether you have a small patch of grass or a few acres of lawn, you need a powerful lawn mower. You can rely on a lawn mower to complete this arduous job. Every year, Consumer Reports tests the mulching, side unloading, bagging, ease of use and maneuverability of all types of lawn mowers. We also evaluate features that can save you time and effort.

There are many factors to consider when choosing the right lawn mower. First, you need to decide whether you need a cordless mower or push mower powered by a cordless electric, gasoline, or battery.

Wired electric lawn mowers are usually in the mid-price range and are relatively light and quiet. But you need a charging point and possibly an extension cord, which may hinder your use.

Gasoline lawn mowers are powerful, but they are usually loud, heavy, and not environmentally friendly. They need to conduct maintenance inspections and supply of gasoline and engine oil once a year.

The battery-powered cordless lawn mower is the latest lawn mower with the lightest weight and the best maneuverability.

Push lawn mowers are usually the cheapest. However, if you need to deal with hilly terrain or larger areas, the self-propelled model is a more sensible choice. The self-propelled model obtains energy from the engine (or the motor on the electric model) to power the wheels. Better lawn mowers are equipped with variable speed motors and rear-wheel drive to provide better traction.

The riding lawn mower is undoubtedly the most daring choice. If your yard is large enough (about half an acre), it makes sense to consider a riding lawn mower; it can greatly reduce your time in the yard.

As you can see, there are a variety of lawn mowers to choose from. We have compiled the best lawn mowers in each category to make it easier to choose the right lawn mower for you and your property.

1.Best Electric Riding Lawn Mower:  Cub Cadet XT1 LT42E

$3,999.00 at Cub Cadet

Less maintenance, no need to change air, oil, spark plugs and belts. Two brushless motors for 13 steel, direct drive. The optimized steering system provides a one-button 16-inch turning radius. Premium 15-inch adjustable knitted seat with 10° tilt and sliding. Fully electric gearbox means no gear shifts; just step on the pedals. The benefits of electric equipment are not limited to trimming the yard. Greater flexibility, less maintenance time and fewer gas station trips can free up time to enjoy your favorite lawn. The benefits of electric equipment go far beyond cutting time. Greater flexibility, less service time and less hassle will give you unprecedented freedom for the rest of your life.

2.Best Cordless Self-Propelled Lawn Mower: EGO Lawn Mower 21" Self Propelled Kit LM2135SP 

$649.00 at Acme Tools

This mower is the first cordless mower with a multi-blade cutting system. Equipped with interchangeable blades can provide you with the runtime and cutting quality you expect from a high-end lawn mower. Touch drive technology allows you to enjoy all the drive control on your palm. Tap the palm to turn on the auto-propelled function, and at the same time use the dial to scroll to change the speed. Comfortable, ergonomic and safe. Using a 56-volt 7.5-hour ARC lithium battery power supply, a single charge can provide up to 60 minutes of running time. Bright LED headlights allow you to mow grass at dawn or dusk. And the lawn mower can be easily folded and folded to achieve compact storage.

3.Best Walk-Behind Mowers: Honda HRN Walk-Behind Self-Propelled Lawn Mower

$419.00 at Northern Tool

This Walk-Behind Mowers has multiple cutting options of 3-in-1 Clip Director for covering, bagging or rear unloading functions. Powered by a fast-start Honda GCV170 4-stroke 166cc engine with automatic choke, it is sturdy and durable, easy to operate, improved applicability and advanced power leading the trend. The adjustable intelligent drive system allows you to quickly and easily change the speed with just one click of the handlebar control. The convenient automatic choke system provides quick and easy start-up.

4.Best Zero Turn Mowers: MZ Magnum 54 in. Zero-Turn Mower, BMZ54KT740

$3,499.99 at Northern Tool

Looking for an efficient zero-turn lawn mower? Turn to the Bad Boy BMZ54KT740 MZ Magnum 54-inch zero-turn lawn mower! This zero-turn lawn mower has a new, larger and stronger frame with a No. 7 all-steel fabricated deck. This zero-turn lawn mower uses a 725cc Kohler Pro 7000 HD series engine with dual integrated Hydro-Gear EZT drives. Compared with other lawn mowers in this price range, its manufacturing quality is much higher.

5.Best Trail Mowers: Swisher Rough Cut Pull-Behind Mower 

$2199.99 at Northern Tool

This Swisher Rough Cut Pull-Behind Mower can be connected to an ATV or UTV to easily clear the densest bushes, and can cut most trunks up to 3 inches in diameter. Great for clearing brush, cutting trails through the woods and reclaiming your property.  Equipped with two 16-inch powerful 11.5 HP (344cc) Briggs & Stratton engines, the cutting range is from 3 inches to 7 inches. The spring pin of the hook base can be locked and opened, and the hook can be rotated freely and placed on the mowing deck, reducing storage space.

6.Best Robotic Lawn Mower: Husqvarna 430X Robotic Mowers

$2,499.99 at Tractor Supply

Experience first-class technology, just a few taps (or a few words), you can have a more beautiful lawn. Noise reduction wheel motor technology helps to minimize noise, allowing you to enjoy an ultra-quiet mowing experience day and night. Even if your lawn is very complex, you can use smart mowing cycles to get a healthier lawn and a perfect lawn . It can be trimmed for up to 145 minutes on a single charge. When the battery is low, it will automatically return to the charging station with the help of our patented navigation system and GPS-assisted navigation.

7.Best Gang Reel Mowers: Pro Mow 7 Gang Reel Finish Cut Lawn Mower

This Pro Mow 7 Gang Reel Finish Cut Lawn Mower delivers a scissors-type cut, promoting a green, healthy golf-course look.  If your grass is high, or wet, it will just push the grass down.Unit flexes to follow the terrain for an even, carpet-like cut. No scalping or high spots. The Pro Mow 7 cuts very evenly and shears the grass clippings into tiny pieces so there is no clumping and no evidence of lawn clippings in the yard. If you have a wide open, large area to mow this is the mower for you. Just make sure your tractor can handle pulling the weight of this unit since it weighs close to 400 pounds.