We Tested the Best Self Propelled Lawn Mowers That Do The Hard Work For You (2024)

Our Top Picks

Earning the top spot in our list is a battery lawn mower we tested that rivals the power of a gas mower but without the smelly fumes, the oil changes, or the frustrating pull cord. Instead, this self-propelled mower from Ego has a 56-volt, 7.5-Ah battery that provides up to 60 minutes of runtime on a single charge; that's enough to mow most lawns up to half of an acre.

This mower has a 21-inch cutting deck and a one-hand lever that adjusts the cutting heights through six different settings for grass heights of 1.5 to 4 inches. We found it very easy to adjust. We also liked the adjustable handle, which made it more comfortable to mow.We found it can easily handle mowing the lawn three times without requiring a recharge. Even when it does need to be recharged, it only takes around 20 minutes.

The speed of the mower is variable, so you can set it to match your stride from a leisurely 0.9 mph up to a brisk 3.1 mph. As this was our first time using a self-propelled mower, there was a bit of a learning curve. At first, it felt like the mower was pulling us along. However, we soon got the hang of it and enjoyed the ease of adjusting the mower’s speed. We then found that the mower was easy to maneuver, even around obstacles or sharp turns. This is an excellent mower for sloped yards as well, thanks to the self-propelled feature that handles the majority of the heavy lifting.

At nine inches in diameter, the mower’s wheels are fairly large, and it is rear-wheel drive, which also helps when mowing over rough terrain or hilly areas. You can dispose of the grass clippings in the included 2-bushel bag, discharge them to the side, or mulch them into fine clippings to quickly decompose them into healthful lawn nutrients. This mower even has an LED headlight, so you can mow early in the morning or at dusk to take advantage of mild temperatures.

The lawn mower easily handles all common types of lawn grass, including tougher warm-season varieties like Bermudagrass, zoysia, and St. Augustine. While testing, we found that it struggled a bit in the wet grass, becoming stuck at one point in a ferny patch. Aside from that, it delivers a precise and crisp cut that is sure to impress.

Most of the mower's construction is heavy-duty plastic for weather and rust resistance, but that might not be as durable as steel, although we felt it seemed quite sturdy. Once you finish mowing, the handle folds all the way down for easy storage. We loved this feature, as the mower doesn’t take up as much room in the garage. This mower comes with a 56-volt battery that is compatible with other tools in Ego's Power+ system (like battery chainsaws and snow blowers, and a fast charger that has the battery ready to go in just an hour.

_{Cutting Width:21 inches | Power Source:Battery | Weight:62.6 pounds | Grass Discard Options:Bag, mulch, side-discharge}

With this Greenworks model, you don't have to sacrifice performance to save money; it still does a good job mowing lawns less than 0.5 acres in size. While we were not able to test this model, we feel it's a great choice if your lawn is small and you are watching your budget.

The mower runs on an included 40-volt, 5.0-Ah battery, with a runtime of up to 45 minutes under ideal conditions. However, keep in mind you may get considerably less than that when mowing tall grass or using the mulching setting. The mower has a 21-inch deck and seven cutting settings ranging from 1-3/8-inch to 3-3/4-inch. The brushless motor starts up at the push of a button and is fairly quiet. Once running, Greenworks' SmartCut Technology detects the thickness of the grass and adjusts the power accordingly to handle it.

When switched into the self-propel mode, the mower takes a few seconds to kick in but then lets you adjust the speed by squeezing the levers. While the manufacturer doesn't give an exact speed range for the mower, like the self-propelled mowers we tested, it may seem too fast at first until you find your pace. Still, for the price, this is a sturdy lawn mower that won't emit smelly fumes like a gas mower, does a good job at cutting grass evenly, and lets you side-discharge, mulch, or collect grass clippings in the included bag.

We also like that the handle folds down for easy storage (a feature we loved on mowers we tested), and the mower comes with a rapid charger. It's part of Greenwork's 40-volt system, so if you have compatible tools in their brand (like weed eaters), you can easily swap in other batteries and continue mowing.

_{Cutting Width:21 inches | Power Source:Battery | Weight:83 pounds | Grass Discard Options:Bag, mulch, side-discharge}

We tested Toro's battery-powered mower in a quarter-acre home with varying hills and found that it handled them with ease. With its rear-wheel drive and large wheels, the mower was easy to steer on level ground and inclines, and we were able to mow the lawn in around 20 minutes without exerting too much effort. As with any lawn mower, it's important to mow from side to side on a slope to avoid losing control of the mower or tipping it over.

The lawn mower has a 22-inch steel deck (the longest on our list, along with our best gas pick) and tabs on each wheel that allow you to adjust the cutting height from 1 to 4 inches. No matter what setting we used, the mower had no trouble cutting through thick grass, dandelion stalks, and even tiny weeds. We were careful not to pick up any bigger sticks from our trees, but we found it was capable of handling smaller pieces.

The mower's brushless motor requires no upkeep and is powered by a single 60-volt battery. We weren't concerned about the 45-minute cutting time because we were able to mow our lawn in half that amount of time with a fully charged battery. However, we discovered that the lower the blade is set, the faster the battery will drain.A convenient feature we loved is the ability to monitor the battery level. When the mower is turned off, open the battery area and click the button on the battery. When the battery is fully charged, four green dots will light up.

Thanks to the visual images in the manual, the mower took around 15 minutes to set up. The cutting bag was the trickiest to install because it had a bent plastic component on the cloth portion that needed to be squeezed around the metal frame. Once the mower was assembled, we took some time to adjust the handles to our height. There are two blue knobs on either side of the mower's body, allowing you to change the handle's two levels. One of our testers was 6 feet tall, and the other was 5 feet 8 inches tall; they both used the mower's higher handle height during testing.

You can discharge the clippings to the side, bag them in the included bag, or mulch them. Like our best overall, we loved that the handle collapses for easy storage when not in use. All in all, this is a great choice if you need a heavy-duty lawn mower to handle a hilly lawn.

_{Cutting Width:22 inches | Power Source:Battery | Weight:85 pounds | Grass Discard Options:Bag, mulch, side-discharge}

This powerful cordless mower from Ryobi impressed us during testing with its power, self-propelled feature, and long runtime (up to 70 minutes, the longest battery-operated option on our list) thanks to the two 40-volt, 6-Ah batteries. We found that a single charge can power the mower for up to four uses depending on how often (and how fast) we use the self-propelled function.

The mower has dual ports, so you can keep both batteries plugged in at the same time, switching from one to the other as the first battery loses charge. We think it's a great choice for lawns up to 1 acre in size. We really enjoyed how effortless it was to operate the self-propelled feature. All we had to do was slide the lever with our thumbs to adjust the speed accordingly. We kept the mower at a slow pace, just bumping it up a bit when going up hills. We did give the highest speed setting a brief try and had to jog to keep up with it.

Thanks to the rear-wheel drive and 11-inch rear wheels, the mower easily handles slopes up to a 15-degree incline. There's an LED headlight if you are mowing at dawn or dusk. And since the handle folds down flat for vertical storage, your lawn mower won't take up too much room in your garage or shed. Along with the two batteries, the mower comes with a rapid charger to recharge the batteries as quickly as possible. However, it's part of Ryobi's 40-volt system so if you have compatible tools (like cordless leaf blowers and hedge trimmers), you can share batteries between them.

_{Cutting Width:21 inches | Power Source:Battery | Weight:75 pounds | Grass Discard Options:Bag, mulch, side-discharge}

If you're looking for a powerful gas lawn mower that can handle a variety of terrain, consider the Toro Smartstow 21445 Gas Self-Propelled Lawn Mower. Weeds, damp grass, hills, and small twigs were no match for this mower, which we put through its paces on our 0.47-acre lawn. Even though it took us over an hour to mow the front and back yards, we were pleased by how clean and uniform our lawn looked.

The mower's high-traction 9.65-inch rear wheels made it easy to drive on our uneven ground and sloped lawn. However, we had some difficulty making tight turns around the trees along our fence. There were also some issues when we encountered a corner where the grass exceeded eight inches, at which point the mower turned off.We simply moved the mower to a different spot and turned it back on with no issues. The manufacturer doesn't say anything about the mower turning off automatically when it snags something, but it's worth noting that it did just that when it encountered a large rock on our lawn—a far safer alternative than shooting it out.

This mower has a 22-inch cutting deck (like our best for hills pick) and several cutting heights ranging from 1 to 4 inches. We always kept the cutting height in the middle since we felt it trimmed nicely without being too low. However, you can modify the height by utilizing the tabs located on each wheel, which we found was easy to adjust. At 71 pounds, this mower is the second lightest option on our list after our best overall pick.

Similar to the other mowers on our list, this mower allows you to bag, mulch, or discharge your clippings. We only tested the mower using the bagger, which worked perfectly for our needs. The only real drawback was how quickly the bag filled up; we had to empty it every fifteen minutes. Despite this, we found the bag to be simple to install, lift, empty, and reattach. If you choose to side-discharge your clippings, you'll need to get a discharge chute. Although it's not included, you can receive a free one in the mail by registering your mower online.

If you're short on storage space in your garage or garden shed, this gas mower's folding design is a lifesaver. You won't need to mix oil and fuel for this engine, but you will need to change the oil in your gas mower periodically. The oil is included, so you don't have to worry about purchasing it separately. Despite the maintenance requirements, we believe the mower's exceptional performance is worth it.

_{Cutting Width:22 inches | Power Source:Gas | Weight:71 pounds | Grass Discard Options:Bag, mulch, side-discharge}

Final Verdict

Based on our testing, our best overall pick is the Ego POWER+ Self-Propelled Mower, which is a cordless lawn mower that can run up to an hour on its 56-volt battery. You get plenty of power without smelly fumes, and the mower is easy to use and effective on all types of grass. We also tested and love the Ryobi 21-Inch Dual-Blade Self-Propelled Mower, our best electric pick. This mower has even more runtime, up to 70 minutes. Each mower has a battery that is compatible with other tools in the brand.

FAQ

• What is a self-propelled lawn mower?

  With a traditional push mower, the engine or motor provides the power to spin the blades, but you have to provide the pushing power to move the mower across the lawn. In a self-propelled mower, however, the engine or motor not only powers the blades but also provides power to turn the wheels, meaning that you basically only have to guide the lawn mower, not actually push it. That greatly reduces the effort required to mow, especially when working on slopes.

  "The main advantage of a self-propelled mower is that it requires less effort to operate than a push mower. This can be beneficial for people with large lawns or those who have difficulty pushing a mower due to physical limitations," says Bravo. The downside is that you’ll typically pay a lot more for a self-propelled mower than for a push mower, and there can be a bit of a learning curve when it comes to handling the self-propelled feature.

• What is the difference between rotary and reel lawn mowers?

  Reel lawn mowers, also called "manual mowers," do not have a motor or engine. While there are commercial reel mowers that tow behind a tractor for mowing golf courses or similar stretches of grass used for sports, the common reel mower is a residential tool that relies entirely on the pushing power of the user to propel it across the lawn. Reel mowers have multiple blades that spin vertically. These mowers give a very clean, precise cut, much like a pair of scissors trimming the grass. Reel mowers also can cut grass very short, often less than an inch in height. However, pushing a reel mower is tiring, and these mowers are not good for grass that’s taller than a couple of inches.

  Rotary mowers have either a gas or electric engine or motor. Most have a single blade, although some have two. The blade in a rotary mower spins very rapidly on a horizontal plane. The spinning blade creates a slight updraft that lifts the grass, which is then whacked off by the edge of the blade. This creates more of a chopped cut than the clean cut created by a reel mower, but the physical effort required by the person pushing the lawn mower is much less.

  When it comes to deciding between a reel and a rotary lawn mower, neither is necessarily better. The best option for you depends on the size of your lawn, your own level of physical fitness, the time you have to devote to lawn maintenance, and perhaps environmental concerns, as reel lawn mowers are the most environmentally friendly type of lawn mower.

• What is better: front-wheel, rear-wheel, or all-wheel drive?

  The “drive” of a self-propelled lawn mower refers to which wheels are directly powered by the mower’s motor or engine. There are three options: front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, and all-wheel drive.

  • Front-wheel drive (FWD) is the least-expensive option. These mowers are best on flat lawns, as uneven terrain tends to cause the front wheels to lift slightly, thus interfering with the self-propelled function of the mower.
  • Rear-wheel drive (RWD) costs a little more than FWD, but is worth the price if you have a lawn with slopes or uneven terrain. These mowers tend to have good traction on uneven ground, and if you need to lift the mower’s front wheels slightly to maneuver around an obstacle, you won’t lose the self-propel function.
  • All-wheel drive (AWD) is not a common feature on residential mowers, but it is a useful feature if you need to mow steeper inclines or work across rough terrain. You’ll pay considerably more for a mower with AWD.

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