The 6 Best Small Lawn Mowers That Are Powerful — But Easy to Store (2023)

FAQs

What brand of lawn mower is the most reliable? ›

While all of the brands on our list are known for making quality mowers that should stand the test of time, as a rough rule of thumb, gas mowers tend to last longer than electric mowers, and top brands Honda, Toro, John Deere, and Cub Cadet are especially known for the durability of their mowers, all of which are used ...

Gas mowers are more durable; they simply last longer. In terms of engine life, a gas mower will run for 10 years or more, while a battery-powered mower will need to be replaced after about five years, on average.

Self-propelled mowers are easier to use, especially when mowing up hills, but you'll pay much more for these mowers. Still, it might be worth it if you have a very large or very hilly yard.

Machines that come with ultrasonic sensors (such as the Husqvarna Automower 450X/XH, or the Husqvarna Automower 550 Professional Grade, or the Husqvarna Automower 435/535 AWD), are great mowers for a cemetery. The sensors tell the mower when there's something in front of it.

If your lawn is small, you could opt for a low-cost reel mower for about $115 on average. However, if you need a riding mower for a large property, it would cost an average of $3,070. The walk-behind mower, which is the most common style for homeowners, costs an average of $475.

Knowing you can expect your residential lawn mower to last you around 450-500 hours is helpful in the decision-making process. The closer you are to the end of the expected lifespan, the more you should consider replacing it if a large issue occurs.

Compared to most battery-powered lawn mowers, gas mowers tend to run longer, especially in tough cutting conditions.

On average, you can expect a heavy-duty riding mower to have a 5-year to an 8-year lifespan for residential use. For professional-grade mowers that see heavy commercial use, that lifespan is between 4 years and 5 years. The closer your mower is to those milestones, the more strongly you need to consider replacing it.

A self-propelled mower should last eight years or more, depending on how often it's used. (Most manufacturers rate their mowers for a set number of service hours.) There's no significant difference in the service life of a self-propelled mower versus a standard push model.

What size mower do I need for a small yard? ›

Your Yard Size.

A 20-inch walk-behind mower may be perfect for a small yard, but you will probably want a 21-22 inch mower for a larger yard to cut down on mowing time. For yards larger than 3/4 acre, consider a rear-engine riding mower or a lawn and garden tractor.

A gas-powered manual push mower will typically cost between $140 and $570, with the average lawn mower price at $265. If you want a self-propelled mower, you could spend between $170 and $2,100. Usually, you will pay around $370.

Mow your lawn and leave the freshly cut grass in place.

In some cases, “dead” grass can benefit from a fresh cut; you can try mowing the whole lawn and leaving a thin layer of the grass clippings behind. Grass can act as its own fertilizer since the blades already contain the nitrogen the roots need.

Lawn dethatching (also called power raking or turf raking) uses layers of pliable steel combs to lift dead grass to the surface and removes the water barrier to allow new grass shoots to grow.

Electric Powered Lawn Mower

They're typically corded and are the most popular and most common types of lawn mowers suitable for medium and small-sized yards. Electric mowers are generally light, simple to operate and easily maneuverable.

Honda lawn mowers are easy to use, cost-effective, reliable, adaptable, and have earned a good reputation. Whether you are mowing the commercial lawn or residential lawn, these mowers are a good choice. The twin-blade cutting system of the Honda mower is helpful to create smaller clippings than other mowers.

For a 1-acre lawn, choose a lawn tractor with between 17 and 24 horsepower, or a zero-turn mower with between 20 and 25 horsepower.

1-Acre to 2-Acre Lawn: Look for a mower with a 42-in to 52-in cut width. 2-Acre to 3-Acre Lawn: Look for a mower with a 50-in to 54-in cut width. 3-Acre to 5-Acre Lawn: Look for a mower with a 54-in to 62-in cut width.

Most riding mowers last between 500-700 hours, although some can run for as much as 1,000 hours if cared for and maintained properly.

Can grass be too long for a lawn mower? ›

It is never as simple as just pushing the lawnmower over it, as you risk damaging your lawn or even your lawn mower; if grass is too long, the lawn mower can get clogged or overheated, and you also risk tearing the grass, which can affect the overall health of the lawn.

But when it comes to factors including noise, smell, maneuverability, and ease of maintenance, electric mowers have the advantage. Over the long term, models at lower and average prices also can be more cost-effective than gas, even more so if fuel prices rise and batteries continue getting better and cheaper.

Electric mowers are cheaper than gas mowers and are usually powerful enough to tackle most lawns. If you have long, thick grass, or try to cut grass when it's wet, this can overtax a low power electric mower, so choose your mower wisely to meet your needs.

Sharp blades cut grass cleanly which helps the grass to recover faster and stay green. A dull blade will rip the grass blades, leaving ragged tears that weaken the grass and promote grass diseases. Mowing with sharp blades will also reduce your mowing time.

Do It at Least Twice Each Mowing Season. There is no rule about how often to clean your mower deck, but it really should be done at least twice each mowing season. You may need to do it more often if you're forced to mow very long grass or if you have to mow it while it is wet.

Self-propelled mowers will save you time and energy. You can cut through thick grass with a self-propelled mower without expending extra effort because the mower mechanically moves forward through challenging areas in your yard.

Consumer Reports recommends a self-propelled mower for anyone with half an acre to an acre of lawn space. Other experts, however, recommend self-propelled mowers for lawns even as small as a quarter of an acre. A little self-knowledge (and mowing experience) comes into play here.

So perhaps the biggest decision in buying an electric mower is whether to opt for a push or self-propelled model. Four of the six mowers we tested were self-propelled, and we found that while a standard electric push mower is just fine for small yards, self-propelled models are worth any extra costs.

Statement From Honda Power Equipment

“The decision to end lawn mower production is driven by market forces such as stricter environmental regulations, shifting customer preferences, and our focus on growing profitable products in our portfolio.

What is a good horsepower for a lawn mower? ›

Rotary walk-behind lawn mowers are generally powered with gasoline and have engines that are two horsepower to seven horsepower. Riding lawn mowers, on the other hand, have 13 horsepower to 30 horsepower engines because they're so much bigger and heavier.

Rotary mowers, which use a spinning blade beneath the deck, are usually best for a small lawn, but if the lawn is flat, you can also get great results with a cylinder mower. With this, the grass is cut by a rolling cylinder formed from sharpened blades, which cuts as it rolls across the lawn.

What does the term 3-N-1 mower mean? The term "3-N-1" refers to the ability of the mower to cut and process grass in three different ways: Freely discharge grass through the opening in the deck. Mulch the grass by closing off the discharge opening. Bag the grass for disposal.

In order to emphasize their greater versatility, mulching blades often are called 3-in-1 blades because they can perform three jobs instead of just two. They are able to discharge or bag clippings, and they can chop them into a fine mulch and leave them on the lawn.

So can you push a self-propelled lawnmower? You can push a self-propelled lawnmower, it won't damage the transmission in any way. However, it may be difficult to do so, self propelled mowers are a little heavier than a regular push mower.

A self-propelled mower will move itself, taking the weight off of you. It also eases the burden of maneuvering a flat but uneven ground. Front-wheel drive is easily maneuverable. A rear-wheel drive mower will push itself better, but it requires more effort when making turns.

However, most professional gardeners would agree that between 8 AM and 10 AM is the best time of day to cut your grass. The reason for that is that lawns need time to heal before evening. Grass needs the benefit of the day to dry and heal before dusk settles.

In winter: mowing is usually not necessary, unless the weather is mild and the grass is still growing. In this case, mow occasionally on a high cut setting. Never mow if the ground conditions are very soft, wet or frozen, or during spells of cold, drying winds.

Mowing every two weeks — instead of weekly — and not dousing grass with chemical herbicides and fertilizers, helps the environment and supports the health of bees, which are among the world's most important pollinators.

The fastest way to remove a lawn is to physically remove the sod by cutting it into strips with a sod cutter, rolling the strips up, and either taking them away or turning them over and letting them compost in place.

What is the easiest tool to remove grass? ›

A tiller—a gas-powered machine that uses blades to break up the soil and roots of anything in its way—is the best tool for removing grass. It gets the job done fast and kills grass quickly.

The three were unanimous in naming Toro, Honda, and Robomow as top brands, and praised many others, including Greenworks, Cub Cadet, and Husqvarna. "We've come a long way since the first lawnmower was invented in 1830," Ingham says.

Rotary lawn mowers are the most versatile type and will cope with most types of grass. They are better than cylinder mowers at cutting longer and rougher grass.

Overall, a solid mower, though be sure it matches what you're looking for. I didn't even know Craftsman made lawn mowers until it came up in Amazon's search results. They make great tools that they guarantee for life so I bought this mower based on brand reputation and I'm so glad I did.

The company has since become one of the most highly regarded brand names in the industry and the world's largest producer of air-cooled petrol engines for outdoor power equipment. With renowned success in power equipment, it was only a matter of time until Briggs & Stratton moved into the generator space.

How to Buy a Lawn Mower. You want the engine that always starts easily – with the reliability and power to cut through tall, thick grass every time. Briggs & Stratton has built its reputation on reliable, innovative – and easy-to-maintain engines. The thickest grass does not stand a chance.

Craftsman Professional and Craftsman Industrial are marketed as being comparable to brands like Cornwell Quality Tools, SK, Snap on, Proto, Mac, and Matco.

They're sold at Home Depot, Lowe's, and Walmart. Prices range from $120 to $400. Craftsman is one of the market leaders in mower and tractor sales. All Craftsman mowers are made by MTD.

It depends which craftsman tools, and even so, they could be made in a variety of different countries. Though it would be fair to say that China take up a large percentage of the manufacturing of these craftsman tools.

Honda makes great engines - but they do cost more on the mowers that have them especially Honda mowers. Briggs and Stratton engines are generally cheaper but are still good engines. For consumer use - do the maintenance and they will last as long as the lawn mower.

Which is better Kohler or Briggs and Stratton? ›

Kohler engines are typically more expensive than Briggs & Stratton, due to their superior quality and performance. This makes them a great option for those who use their lawn mower on a daily basis or need the extra power that Kohler has to offer. Most professionals therefore choose Kohler over Briggs & Stratton.

Briggs & Stratton Corporation is an American manufacturer of gasoline engines with headquarters in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, U.S.

While corporate executives who preside over failure often find someone else to blame, Briggs' demise has, in reality, directly resulted from its executives' mismanagement, greed and pathological animosity towards the unionized workers who had made them rich. Reprinted with permission of Wisconsin Examiner.

Best: 875iS Series™ InStart®

The iS SERIES engines represent the ultimate performance package. They naturally incorporate the heritage attributes of power, performance and reliability, but add the most innovative and easiest starting ever seen on a lawn mower.

If the engine has proper maintenance, spark plug and oil changed every year, then it will last about 15–20 years. Always use Premium (no alcohol added) fuel. If you use regular fuel the carburetor might dry up and plug the many circuits in the carburetor.

California has already announced it will ban the sale of gas-powered mowers in 2025, and Honda, a major producer, stopped manufacturing them in October 2022. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, gas mowers consume 1.2 billion gallons of fuel annually.

Our twin blades create smaller clippings, so bags hold 30% more clippings than a single blade mower. Decks are designed to reduce the distance that grass has to travel to the bag. Wide deck and bag openings also improve the bagging performance, making it easier than ever to bag your clippings.

Honda Mowers Are High Quality

They're powerful, durable, extremely well built, efficient and very reliable. In addition to having excellent motors they also have other high quality parts such as: The blades Honda uses are made out of high quality steel which is essential if you want a clean cut.