The Best Lawn Mowers for Every Yard (2024)

Traditional gas mowers now have plenty of competition, but our experts still like them for their solid performance and time-tested reliability. Plus, there have been a lot of innovations around engine design, as this Honda shows. For starters, the self-propelled engine makes mowing the lawn so much easier compared with a power, especially for yards with hills. The gas-powered Honda adds additional convenience features our pros look for, like variable-speed control and the ability to mulch, bag, discharge and shred leaves without reaching for any additional tools.

The powerful 200-cubic capacity engine and rear-wheel drive should make things easier on high grass and hilly land. The machine also allows for an even cutting experience at seven levels, though you have to individually adjust the lever on each wheel. Its large capacity discharge bag is well-positioned, meaning less frequent emptying. The only ease-of-use feature missing is push-button electric start, so you'll need use some muscle pulling the start cord.

Bonus: A full spec review by our engineers found the Honda's limited five-year warranty to be impressive given the typical two- to three-year industry standard.

Lawn mower costs have gone up along with just about everything up in recent years, so it's tough to find a quality machine for under $400. This gas push mower from Murray, sold at Home Depot, combines value and performance as well as any model on the market. In their review, our partners at Popular Mechanics called out the mower's Briggs & Stratton engine, known for power and durability. "We also like its 11-inch rear wheels, which help it to roll smoothly over bumpy terrain," says Roy Berendsohn, senior home editor at the magazine.

It's a push mower, so you'll have to provide all the muscle. And the gas engine means routine maintenance, including oil changes and adding fuel stabilizer at the end of the season. But if you're looking for a no-nonsense mower that will deliver years, if not decades of service, this Murray is one to consider.

Since you provide the power with push mowers, good design and ergonomics is critical. Our experts say that the large 10-inch rear wheels and 7-inch front wheels make this Greenworks mower easy to control and maneuver. With a smaller cutting width than other models in our tests, it's best suited to small- to mid-size yards. The battery-powered mower has many details often reserved for higher-end models, including an extra-durable brushless motor. Plus, it's lightweight and quiet.

An easy push-button start gets you going without breaking a sweat, and a single spring-loaded lift mechanism provides seven cutting height positions. Our experts also like that the mower comes with a 2Ah and 4Ah battery, both with battery-life indicators and a three-year warranty.

Want your lawn to look like the outfield of a big-league baseball park? While all lawn mowers create some degree of striping as they move back and forth across the grass, the aptly-named Toro Stripe exaggerates the effect, thanks to the 3/4-inch-diameter steel roller at the rear of the mower. During extensive field tests, the mower delivered the same even cutting performance and smooth handling that we see with all Toros we've tested. The feature set is impressive too, namely the massive 7.5-Ah battery with a claimed 65-minute run time and the fact that the mower folds up for easy storage.

One thing to note: In order to leave behind those perfect stripes, the Toro moves at a more leisurely pace than other self-propelled mowers we tested, especially in taller grass. So it’s best-suited to a true lawn manicurist, rather than homeowners who want to get the job done as quickly as possible.

Ten years ago, our experts found that battery-powered mowers were only up for lightweight mowing tasks. But thanks to improvements in battery technology, the category has evolved in a big way. Ryobi is a leader among manufacturers of battery-powered tools, from cordless drills to pressure washers. With its 40-volt, walk-behind electric mower, the brand is extending that prowess into lawn care.

Our testers were impressed by the mowing and mulching capabilities of the mower, and for homeowners who still like to collect clippings, the bag went on and off without a hitch. The expanded set of features further impressed, especially the vertical storage which is a great space-saver in the garage or shed and the LED headlights come in handy when the sun is going down but you still have a few rows left to mow. One tester noted that the extra weight of the battery pack made the Ryobi a tad difficult to maneuver on hills and through tight turns. But once she adapted to the self-propelled feature, she was satisfied with the handling and navigation.

Zero turn mowers, also know as “Z-turns” or “ZTRs,” have made their way from landscaping crews to the residential market, thanks to lower prices and increased usability. This version from John Deere stands apart with its combination of value and performance. Its ample 48-inch cutting deck and robust 24-horsepower engine will make short work of lawns up to 2 acres in size. In testing, it plowed through the thickest and tallest grass, throwing a steady stream of clippings in side-discharge mode, and was equally adept at mulching shorter grass. "The washout port makes for easy cleaning of the mower deck and there's a cup holder to keep your water bottle from toppling over," one tester noted.

Like most zero-turn mowers, the John Deere is controlled with a pair of levers, known as lap bars. This allows for exceptional speed and handling, but it does take some getting used to. In the last year, several brands have come out with ZTRs that have a steering wheel or joystick controls, which makes operating them easier. Check out our full article on zero turn mowers for more recommendations.

If your yard contains a lot rocks and tree roots, you need a mower that's up to the task. This no-nonsense machine from Troy-Bilt is powered by a 140-cubic capacity Briggs & Stratton engine, a brand known for its dependable, long-lasting small engines. "The mower took a bit longer to assemble than other models, but once we had it out on the open field, it felt incredibly solid with very little vibration," one of our testers noted.

The Troy-Bilt started up easily every time and excelled at cutting, mulching and side-discharging. Its beefy, 11-inch wheels helped maneuver over rough spots in the lawn. On open runs, the lightweight machine moved fairly easily, especially given the fact that it's not self-propelled. Another tester remarked on how easy it is to adjust the deck height — nice if it's been a while between mowings and you need to take a little more off the top.

Robot lawn mowers are the latest thing in lawn care, though they've been around long enough for most of the early bugs to be worked out. Most models work using a wired perimeter, so the mower can cut the lawn all by itself, even on hills. Our experts are impressed by Husqvarna, which pioneered this category, and our experts say this robotic mower is great for medium to large yards up to 0.8 acres (for smaller yards, the Automower 315X would be a more prudent choice). With built-in Bluetooth and cellular and voice control compatibility with Amazon Alexa and Google Home, the mower is controlled by an app. Our pros liked how easy it was to use the app to conveniently start, stop and park the machine remotely as well as set up a schedule for mowing and track its progress. Adjusting the cutting height is also quick and easy via the app. For theft prevention, GPS tracks the position of the mower and sends alarms and notifications to your connected devices if anything is amiss.

Three pivoting razor-sharp blades cut finely from all directions, even in the rain, working like a mulching mower (as with all robot mowers, grass clippings are never bagged). The weather timer ensures the mower cuts more often in a strong grass growth period and less often when growth slows. When it's getting tired, we love that it knows to find its way back to the charging station. Thanks to its LED lights and super-quiet operation, it can operate in the dark. Be mindful though that some conditions (i.e. big hardwood leaves) may overwhelm this tiny bot.

While lawn tractors tend be massive machines, with decks up to 50 inches wide, riding tractors are more compact. Our experts like the added versatility of this 30-inch wide, six-speed ride-on mower from Ryobi, which is slim enough to fit through a standard 42-inch gate and takes up less storage space than other ride-ons. Plus the 16-inch turning radius makes it easier to maneuver and because the engine is in the back, you have an unobstructed view.

This mower has many features our pros look for, like LED headlights, a battery-level indicator and a cup holder to make mowing comfortable and convenient. A single charge on its battery-powered motor is enough to mow a full acre. This mower has garnered nearly 800 five-star reviews at Home Depot; many consumers say they like the easy maintenance of battery-powered machines since you don't have to deal with oil changes and broken belts.

Our experts in the Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute keep track of the lawn mowers and tractors that you’re most likely to find at home centers and online. Hands-on testing focuses on brands that have performed the best and proven the most reliable through years of outdoor power equipment tests. Our engineers do a thorough review of technical and performance data points, covering such factors as cutting swaths, noise and battery run times, when applicable.

To measure all-important cutting performance, our experts test mowers and tractors on a variety of terrains, from hilly to flat and on many types of turf grass. Usability tests take into account handle comfort, how easy it is to raise and lower the deck and how easy it is to mount and dismount the grass bag. We even look at whether the tires have a tendency to pick up wet grass clippings. And we consider feature set, for example giving extra points to walk-behind mowers with larger rear wheels, since it helps with handling on rough terrain.

It used to be that you could have any lawn mower you wanted, as long as it was a gas-powered push mover. They're still plenty common, but there are now many more categories to consider, including residential riding mowers. Our experts say you should get a walk-behind mower if you have less than ½ an acre or 10,000 square feet of grass space. Anything more and you’ll want to opt for a riding option.

✔️ Walk-behinds come in three basic types:

• Manual lawn mowers require you to do all the work without any assistance from a motor or engine.
• Push lawn mowers have an engine or motor to power the blades but require you to move the machine yourself.
• Self-propelled lawn mowers have an engine or motor that powers the blades and the wheels, so you don't have to push manually.

✔️ Riding mowers are available in both manual and automatic transmissions (much like a car) as well as hydrostatic, which uses fluid instead of belts for power transfer.

• Zero-turn tractors are essentially souped-up riding mowers and enable better handling and higher speeds than traditional tractors. You control rotation with a pair of levers as opposed to a wheel (i.e., turning one will move you in a circle). We also starting to see more ZTRs that are controlled with a steering wheel or joystick.

✔️ Robotic mowers are like robotic vacuums but for the yard. The autonomous, battery-powered machines cut the grass according to programmable schedules, staying within wiring that you put around the perimeter of your property. The latest models rely on GPS tracking, eliminating the need for perimeter wires.

For a more detailed breakdown of the types of mowers, check out Popular Mechanics' lawn mower buying guide.

Lawn mower models start at a few hundred dollars, but prices can climb well into the thousands. In the end, you'll have to weigh performance, comfort and durability with cost. Here are the main factors to consider as you narrow down the choices.

✔️ Power source: Most mowers and tractors still run on gas, so you'll have the widest selection in this category, along with solid performance. But gas mowers are the noisiest, plus they require routine maintenance (like oil changes) and their fuel gives off emissions. Battery-powered mowers and tractors eliminate the noise and fumes, and many models cut nearly as well as their gas counterparts. They tend to be more expensive though and their hefty battery packs add to their weight. Corded electric mowers run on electricity. You don't have to worry about them running out of power, but the cord is a nuisance, so our experts recommend them only for very small lawns.

✔️ Wheel size: Uniform front and back wheel sizes generally provide the best maneuverability over even lawns, including tipping the mower back to make U-turns at the end of a row. If your yard has a lot of rough terrain, look for slightly larger rear wheels.

✔️ Cutting options: Mowers can mulch, side discharge or bag clippings. Some mowers can only support one type of cutting option, some two and some all three. What you are trying to accomplish and how frequently you cut your lawn will determine what's ideal for you. Here's what our experts have to say:

• Mulching saves time and energy and deposits clippings onto the lawn, returning natural nutrients to the soil and reducing the need for fertilizer.
• Side discharging is like mulching, except the clippings are discharged from a side chute. That allows the blade to spin faster, for a quicker mow, but it's not as tidy, since clippings can end up on sidewalks, flower beds and the like.
• Bagging is time intensive and not as good for the health of the turf and soil, though it gives you the neatest looking lawn. However, you might need to do it if the grass is very long and mulching will result in lots of clumps, which will need to be raked up.

✔️ Features: LED headlights on mowers and tractors let you finish the job when the sun is going down. Electric-start buttons on mowers are preferable to pull cords. For riding mowers, extras like an ergonomic seat and cup holder may not be deciding factors, but they sure are nice to have. Cruise control is another nice-to-have, as is an automatic drive for adjusting speeds. Some tractors have the ability to switch mowing modes without a manual blade change.

✔️ Warranty: Look for a robust warranty to ensure if something goes wrong you’ll be covered — especially with expensive riding mowers and tractors. The industry standard is two to three years, but some models come with warranties of five years or more.

✔️ Storage space: Many battery-powered mowers can be put away vertically to save storage space, but only specific gas models can handle vertical storage, as it requires special engine seals to ensure gas won’t leak out.