I’ve gone through thousands of hands-on reviews and rounded up the most affordable, long-lasting options for lawns of every size. Happy mowing!
FYI, prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.
1. PowerSmart - 21" Self-Propelled Gas Lawn Mower
Highlight: Advanced trimmer cuts grass faster and more efficiently.
Helpful review: Talk about a great investment! After one use, I already know that this is a mower I'm going to use time and time again. Not only is it lightweight enough to maneuver easily, but the result was crisp and clean.
Upon delivery, the box looked a little manhandled, and the delivery man just kind of tossed it on the ground, which annoyed me. Obviously not the manufacturer's fault, but still, it's important to note that nothing was damaged (just look at the picture), which goes to show that they did pack it well. Box damaged, but product intact!
The instruction and manuals and the provided oil were in a separate packaging inside the box which was an awesome plus. Setup was smooth and the instructions were helpful and easy to follow. Took me about five minutes to get it together. No kidding!
In regards to assembly, I really liked that I don't need a wrench to tighten the gas cap. It clicks effortlessly in place. I also like how I can store the pull cord by the handle, it's an added perk. Like any other mower, it took a few pulls to get it going, but once it did, it ran as smooth as glass. I really can't complain.
There's a handle grip, but I found it wasn't necessary, as nothing pinched when I held down the cord with the bar. It really moved nicely, even considering how tall my grass was, and that there were quite a few tree branches and roots in the ground (I live in the country). So it just goes to show you that the blade really is awesome, just like the ads say.
I do recommend letting it cool down when you're done, just so it doesn't overheat. I also like to wipe the excess grass off the blades just to keep it cleaner. Honestly, if you're looking for a great quality mower, at an affordable price, this is it! — Caleb A. Temple
Get it from Amazon now: $329.00 & FREE Returns
2. BLACK+DECKER - Electric Mower with Trimmer and Edger
Highlight: All-in-one compact mower can mow, trim and edge.
Helpful review: After some in depth research, I decided to take a leap and give this baby a shot. I really wanted to know the measurement between the mower and trimmer, but couldn't find the answers online. After purchasing my mower, I decided to just measure it myself.
From the ground to the operating button, the mower height at its lowest setting is 22 and a half inches. From the same distance, the mower height at its highest setting is 31 and a half inches.
Personal preference, I like the lowest height, and it worked perfectly. I didn't have any of the issues some people commented on. My only complaint is that it is a little loud, like a vacuum, but really it's not a big deal. This thing is so cute, and I love it!
It's on the smaller side, but that's kind of the point. And you do use it like a vacuum which doesn't bother me, but if you hate vacuuming you might get annoyed. It's not the most manly looking thing to use but who cares when it gets the job done?
There is a thin part that attaches the trimmer to the mower, so be careful when you click them into place, or it might break. I found an easier way to do it, though. I hit the pedal and then gently slide the trimmer in before letting go of the pedal. I think it's a solution to stop it from wearing down, but it's not super necessary.
Naturally, like most tools, it doesn't come with an extension cord, but I don't really care about that, I have a few laying around. I did purchase a new fancy one just for this product, only to find out it didn't work, which was kind of annoying, but then I realized that exact old one I had laying around worked even better. You definitely want to make sure the extension fits well, though, so if it seems loose, I'd probably try something else.
I mainly purchased this as a solution to paying for lawn care. My yard is that annoying size that doesn't seem worth shelling out the money to pay monthly for a company, and yet it's large enough that when the grass gets too long, it looks sloppy. This mower hit the sweet spot, doing exactly what I needed, and I really can't complain! And one last thing to note--if you don't like raking, then I recommend mowing weekly so you won't have to worry about those longer pieces of grass! — Andrew Zuker
Get it from Amazon now: $99.99 & FREE Returns
3. Greenworks 40V - 16" Cordless Lawn Mower
Highlight: Full battery offers three quarters of an hour runtime.
Helpful review: My Fiskars mower was great until the grass got too long and then it just didn't do what it was supposed to do. I live in Alaska, so summers are pretty much all daylight, which means that I'm getting a lot of sun, and a lot of sun equals loooooong grass. My old one also didn't scoop up the leaves when they fell. I ended up having to use a neighbor's gas powered mower just to get the job done, and it seemed kind of pointless.
As a result, I was hesitant about trying out another electric option, but honestly, I'm so happy I did. Gas mowers are dirty, loud, and a pain for maintenance so I knew I'd eventually need an electric, I just wanted to make sure that the one I bought was actually a good one. Enter the Greenworks lithium powered one--absolutely amazing!
I was worried that it might be too small, but when it first arrived, the size surprised me. It's not as massive as a gas one, but it was definitely larger than I expected. I was also nervous about the intensity of the power, but surprisingly, it snapped right into motion. Even better, it even managed to cut down the eighteen inch tall grass by my driveway, the area I never touch.
I've used it bag up my leaves, and without the bag it also functions as a mulcher, which is an extra plus. Some people complained it doesn't have a lot of suction, and yeah, obviously, it's not gas powered. But for an electric one, it works great, and at the end of the day, it still gets the job done.
The one downside is the battery. Obviously it's not going to last as long as a gas on, but if it really came to that, you can just buy another battery for when this one dies. It does take a few hours to charge when empty, like a few hours, but when you actually get it working, it lasts more than long enough. In fact, I don't think I'll end up needing another battery. I managed to do both the front and back yard without the battery dying.
It's not the cheapest on the market, but you get what you pay for, so you're not going to be disappointed when you get this thing working. I definitely recommend it! — Chris Gordon
Get it from Amazon now: $399.99 & FREE Returns
4. American Lawn Mower Company - Four-Blade Reel Mower
Highlight: Can mow grass up to four inches high.
Helpful review: Honestly, my whole life I thought I was allergic to grass, but as it turns out, cutting grass isn't supposed to make you sneeze. With this mower, I have zero issues. There's no exhaust fumes from gas, no kick up of dirt and grass. As it turns out, the allergy I had was to gas fumes, and not actual grass! Would you look at that?
There's a bit of a learning curve, but honestly it's not that bad once you get the hang of it. The blades are sharp and the wheels are stable, although I've read reviews that said previous models weren't as nice quality. Even so, you can sharpen the wheels if you want to. I'm pretty sure this thing will last me years!
And when you consider that you're saving on gas, it's really a win-win situation. I also hated using oil on my gas powered lawn mower, so this just makes it so much easier.
The maintenance, the way it works, all of it. While it can cut grass up to four inches tall, it will get stuck on twigs, so just keep that in mind. Either way, as long as you take care of it (which is surprisingly easy), this thing will take care of you! — Mike Strenton
Get it from Amazon now: $99.99 & FREE Returns
5. WORX - 14" Cordless Mower
Highlight: Adjustable lever alters the height to mow lawn regardless of the season.
Helpful review: Affordability was the name of the game when I went searching for a good mower, but man, I'm really pleased with how quiet this thing is. I think this is a great option for those who have under half an acre, but I do have to warn you--it's not the most friendly option if you care about the environment.
This worked great on grass under seven inches, and while it's not the most powerful mower I've ever used, the silence on it is really impressive. It's super smooth to use, and it's so lightweight, that without the batteries it feels like a kid's toy. In other words, when my son hits the teenage years, he's not going to be able to say it's too heavy to mow the lawn haha.
It was delivered in two boxes which was awesome because nothing was damaged. It only took five minutes to put everything together, which is essentially just putting the handle bar on. They do offer clips to attach the cord to the bar, which was a nice touch.
When you're starting it, make sure to hold the throttle before sliding to the starting switch. You really have to hold the throttle tight, or else the mower will turn off.
I found that one battery charge should cover about a quarter of an acre, and it does stutter a little on taller grass, but so did other mowers I found. It has a few different height settings which I really liked, however the lowest setting makes it look more like a golf course than a typical lawn. I guess that's just personal preference, but I thought it went too short. There's seven settings, and I really liked setting five, it got the grass to about three inches.
Overall, I really do recommend this thing. Just a couple disclaimers: I do own a separate edger, which helps to make the yard look a little nicer. And yes, I understand fossil fuels hurt the environment, and while I do like electric powered tools, I don't think using this thing is going to save any polar bears or turtles, but who knows, maybe I'm wrong. I read a lot of reviews before going with this one, and I have to say, I'm really happy with my purchase. — Molly Gordon
Get it from Amazon now: $299.99 & FREE Returns
6. Sun Joe - 15" Electric Dethatcher and Scarifier
Highlight: Bag is detachable making disposal effortless.
Helpful review: This SunJoe came highly regarded for its powerful motor and its dethaching abilities--and this was something my yard really needed. There was also a scarifier included, which is supposed to help me reseed, and that wasn't even something I thought I needed until I gave this puppy a shot. My yard is massive, and it's been slowly dying, and I didn't know why. After some research, I realized it's because I've never dethached it! I didn't even know that was a thing until I went down the rabbit hole. And now there's no going back.
I started with renting a dethacher, but quickly realized they're highly desirable products, and I really didn't want to wait months before working on my yard. The assembly is great, and was so much faster than I expected. When I first gave it a go, I ran my Sun Joe at the zero setting, and found then one bag literally took all the thatch there. It didn't even feel like it had picked anything up, it went so smoothly, and surprisingly, the bag was packed!
You might have to do an extra pass or two if your lawn was as neglected as mine, but once it got moving, it's really easy to use. The safety switch is an added perk, too. Now my wife doesn't have to worry if our kids are going to accidentally use it and hurt themselves. Oh, and the dethachter and the scarifier were easily swapped back and forth, which I was a little concerned about, so that's nice.
My complaints? I guess the bag could be bigger, and the assembly takes a little bit of effort, and you will need a wrench to change out the roller, but other than that, no real issues.
When it comes to customer support, I can't emphasize enough how great this company was for me. I had some issues with assembly, but when I called up the company, they didn't question it. They didn't ask me if I was doing it right. They literally just said, yep, got it, sending you a new one! It was one of the easiest customer service experiences I've ever had. Not only that, but this was one of the first times that the direct manufacturer was actually better than Amazon. Ten/ten recommend! — Brad Nemerov
Get it from Amazon now: $199.00 & FREE Returns
7. EGO Power+ - 21" Lithium-ion Cordless Mower
Highlight: Since charge gives close to an hour run time.
Helpful review: My lawn is massive, and it's for that reason that I needed something that could handle it...but I didn't want to break the bank. I really wanted a mower that didn't just cake the clippings to the deck. I wanted them in the actual bag. I found my solution with the Ego! The batteries are 56V 5Ah, and it comes with two of them.
Compared to my last mower, the EGO gets me double the power on one single charge. Not only can I mow my entire lawn, but it still has extra battery left.
PROS:
Obviously the power is great, but it's not just that. Changing the battery is super easy, and considering this is self propelled, I also walk away with energy left in me, which I definitely didn't feel when I had to push my last mower.
This also fills up the bag from behind and it has high lift blades which makes it awesome. Oh, and did I mention it comes with lights? I can even mow at night, which I really love. Oh, and it comes with a plastic deck, which means I never have to worry about it rusting.
NIT PICKS:
The batteries don't show the fuel gauge, which is honestly something it should have if I'm paying this price. Because of the high-lift blade, it seems to switch up the speed when left alone. Because of how the front of the machine juts out, t's definitely not an edger, and I'll probably need a weed whacker to get the fine sides unless you cut super close.
It takes a little bit of time to slow down, and you need to wait until the blade completely stops before starting it back up. There's only one charger, and considering there's two batteries, that's kind of annoying. Still, even these mild flaws, wouldn't stop me from purchasing this baby again. It really is one of the best mowers I've ever used. Five stars from me. Highly recommend! — Jeff Carl
Get it from Amazon now: $799.00 & FREE Returns
8. Greenworks - 21" Cordless Lawn Mower
Highlight: A 4-year warranty offers extra reassurance.
Helpful review: While not exactly a lawn mower, hear me out--this thing is a life save when it comes to yards. Before I get into the nitty gritty, I need to make a few things clear--it arrived in a timely manner, was packed perfectly, and everything was included. The instructions were super clear, but I recommend taking your time reading them and studying the pictures. I think it's possible to assemble it as short as ten minutes, but even taking my time, it only took me twenty.
I have a pretty big yard too, just over four thousand square feet, and I used to thatch everything with a rake meant for it. Honestly, it sucked. And seriously took forever. More recently, I've brought a landscaper out once or twice a year to do the job for me, but I needed it done more, and I also wanted to save money.
Of the three settings, it was super easy to switch between them. I found the highest setting did the least amount of damage. Make sure you don't use this thing on a wet lawn, and although it might work in dew, I'd still advise against it.
It was fairly easy to use and took less than forty five minutes to do my whole backyard, and even less to do the front. Honestly it took me longer to rake all the dead grass than it took to actually use the thing. No joke, I ended up with fourteen thirty gallon trash bags--all full with dead grass.
It's super light to use and really intuitive. You just press the button, hold down the bar, and start walking. I do recommend walking in straight lines and avoid turning it too sharply.
Definitely avoid running over the power cord and if you have a lot of debris in the way, try to avoid that as well. This machine is probably best for lawns under 5,000 square feet, but either way, you're probably going to want at least a hundred foot extension cord. This thing is really going to make my life easier, and I highly recommend it. Definitely worth the price. — Charles Freise
Get it from Amazon now: $599.99 & FREE Returns
9. Makita - 18" Cordless Brushless Mower
Highlight: Can mow a third of an acre in less than forty-five minutes.
Helpful review: Just a heads up before you read any further, this is a review on my first impression, not a review based on years of using this thing. Honestly, this thing is built like a tank and there's a lot of details taken into consideration. I love how the bag fits, and it honestly turns so smoothly I really enjoy using it.
Even when the blades are stopped, the drive mechanism still works, which is awesome. I can lug it up my gravel driveway without spraying gravel everywhere. And it makes the sharpness of the blades last.
Now beware--this puppy is heavy. The listed weight is 99 pounds, but I'd venture to say it weighed a bit more than that. Even so, it's really so quiet! I was able to carry on a full conversation with my neighbor while using it. When have you ever heard of a mower doing that?
Yeah, it was one of the more expensive mowers I found in my research, but you really do get what you pay for. This thing is all about quality, so I look at it as more of an investment than anything. This thing might outlive me.
So yeah, would I buy it again? Definitely. Do I think it will last? You betcha. I'll update when I know more for sure, but first impressions are real for a reason. If you're on the fence, take the leap. You won't regret it. — Douglas Taylor
Get it from Amazon now: $899.00 & FREE Returns
10. Gardena SILENO Minimo - Mows up to 2700 Sq. Ft.
Highlight: Safety sensors make sure this mower won't bump into unwanted area and destroy your lawn.
Helpful review: If convenience is what you're looking for, then this baby is for you. If you hate mowing, then this is exactly what you should get. Trust me, I'm speaking from experience. Yeah, there's a little set up to get it going, but it's so worth it once you roll it out. Honestly, after living in Florida and seeing how much it goes back and forth between rain and sunshine, I should have bought this a long time ago. Just keep in mind, this mower isn't about reaching perfection. But it will make your yard presentable, and personally, that's all that matters for me.
PREP AND SETUP:
It's not too hard to get set up, but I do recommend watching a few videos online to make sure you get the hang of this thing. Unboxing it was easy, it's pretty compact, but the instructions are longer than necessary, so watching a quick video will give you all the information you need to get it going.
Before giving it a whirl, I'd definitely recommend clearing your yard from large debris. And then once you do that, the hardest part will be creating the border around your yard for the collision control. It's what makes this thing great, and gives you full control, and trust me, it's definitely worth the time it takes to get it set up.
You'll use the provided wire to outline the yard, and the wire leads back to the main station where it gets the power. There is a little wire cutting, and it can be tricky, but if you follow the steps, you'll figure it out. I'd never done it before, and I managed to figure it out.
You can either bury the wire or use stakes to keep the wire in place. Just make sure that you keep the stakes closer together otherwise the mower might get caught in the wire. The videos show this better than the instructions. Essentially, you'll just have to keep the stakes about two feet away from each other.
RUNNING THE MOWER:
Once you power it up, you'll just use the install wizard which will walk you through the steps for your preference and the schedule you want it to function on. Before you let it go on your own, I'd make sure that you keep an eye on it for its run just to make sure it's working well. I'd mowed my lawn about a month prior to trying this out, and it worked well. I don't know if it will be able to mow over longer grass, just keep that in mind.
SETTING UP THE APP:
This mower comes with a Bluetooth control which allows you to have easier access to it. It might seem like it doesn't, but just flick on the app and turn the power on the mower on and off and then it will pop up. It should come up on your phone pretty fast, and it's definitely a more effortless option for controlling the mower.
CHARGING STATION COVER:
If you live in an area where the weather can change at the drop of a dime, I definitely recommend using the cover for the charging station. It makes it so you don't have to worry if it will get damaged when it rains, which is an added relief. It does say it's built to use in all weather, but I'd take that with a grain of salt and err on the side of caution.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
This model of mower is super quiet, more so than I was expecting. I only heard it whine once when it went over some taller grass, but even then, it worked great. And let's be real, I'm not going to be outside listening to it the whole time. That's the beauty of having it do the work for me. One thing is for sure, it's definitely not going to wake up any neighbors like normal gas powered mowers.
It's light, but it also hasn't gotten jammed up anywhere. Keep in mind, you may still have to touch up some areas with a trimmer or edger, but when it comes to making your yard presentable, this is going to do the job! I definitely recommend it, and trust me, it's worth the investment! — Patrick Clark
Get it from Amazon now: $649.99 & FREE Returns