Push awn mowers cut grass and help you maintain a clean and appealing look. There are so many brands with even more lawn mower models in the market that you must do due diligence before getting any for your lawn.
The lowly lawn mower is one the most essential lawn mowing equipment used. It makes your lawn mowing job done with ease; but before getting one, you must consider few points about the things to consider while making your buying decision. Lets start with the list of best lawn mowers stated below.
Best Lawn Mowers
All lawn mowers are not created equally. They all have varying features, some more than others. These features, among others things, make some an even better buy than others. Here is a list of the top 4 lawn mowers you should consider:
#1. Troy Bilt TB130: Best Gas-powered Push Lawn Mower
Troy Bilt TB130 is the best gas-powered push lawn facilitated by its affordable cost. It is a medium sized push mower, ideal for medium sized lawns. It has a tri-action blade that improves the quality of cuts and makes mowing easier. It comes with a 1.9-bushnell trimmings bag that collects your grass clippings as you mow.
One of its strongest selling points is the “No Change Engine” feature which requires no oil change, only topping up with the oil is depleted. The mower is made with ease of use in mind, and this feature further showcases it.
#2. GreenWorks Pro 80V: Best Battery-powered Push Lawn Mower
GreenWorks Pro 80V push lawn mower uses two as h batteries to power its engine. It has a rapid battery charger and can give you a use time of 60 mins when fully charged. It is our top pick for best Battery-powered Push lawn mower. With its 21″ mower deck, it can mow your averaged-sized lawns easily.
It uses smartcut technology to adjust the engine’s power based on the grass height for optimum performance. You’ll find its vertical storage feature quite useful as it saves a lot of space. You also get to choose what you want to do with your clippings as you can leave the clippings on the lawn, use its grass bag, or the side discharge feature.
#3. GreenWorks 40V: Best Self-propelled Lawn Mower
When it comes to self-propelled mowers, Greenworks 40v Cordless Mower stands tall. This means you don’t have to do a lot of work pushing the mower across the field. It is also battery-powered as it uses two 4ah batteries. It’s 40v brushless motor ensures noiseless mowing while enjoying a lot of torque.
The cutting deck is 21″ wide, so you can quickly mow your small to medium sized lawns. It features an automatic battery switch over, so you get an uninterrupted run time. Its body is made from alloy steel for more durability. It also weighs 67 lbs.
#4. Husqvarna Automower 115h: Best Robotic Mower
The Husqvarna Automower 115h robotic mower is an entry-level mower for small gardens less than 0.4 acres. It can cut up to 3.6″ high, works seamlessly in the rain, and its price includes professional installation. It can also handle up to 30% inclines without tripping over.
Major Push Lawn Mower Brands
There are tens of different lawn mower brands in the market. However, some are more prominent than others, producing more than a couple of high-quality lawn mowers. Here are the major brands in this space:
- Husqvarna: This is another brand with a lot of diversity due to its age in the industry. It has a model for everyone with walk behind, robotic, self-propelled mowers available.
- GreenWorks: The GreenWorks brand is known for durability and reliability. Its lawn mowers are know for its power and even better cuts.
- John Deere: Talk about longevity and diversity; John Deere stands tall in the lawn mower industry as it has been producing high-quality lawn mowers for a long time.
- Craftsman: It is famous for its battery-powered lawn mowers. It produces durable mowers with long-lasting batteries.
- Cub Cadet: This is a high-end mower brand that focuses on quality mowers, with each engine tested properly before being shipped.
- Black decker: This lawn mower brand is famous for its easy to use mowers. The mowers are optimized for comfort and usability with longer and better position handles, bigger rear tires, and more.
How to Select the Right Push Lawn Mower?
The number of brands and models of lawn mowers keeps increasing, making it even more challenging to make a buying decision. Here are things to consider when buying a lawn mower so you can make the best pick:
1. Type of Mower
You should consider the type of mower you want first. Do you want a robotic mower that can do your mowing without you following it around? Or do you prefer the more affordable walk-behind lawn mower for your small yard? How about the riding mower where you can ride the lawn mower across your yard while working?
2. Fuel Type
Lawn mowers use different things to power their engines. Some utilize fuels like gasoline, while others are electrically powered. You’ll also find battery-powered mowers, among others. It would be best if you considered the mower power you want when buying. Which is more economical and accessible?
3. Price
Price is a vital factor in lawn mowers as the price difference between mower types, brands, and models varies significantly and can be pretty high. Some mower brands like cub cadet generally produce high-end mowers at high prices. Sometimes, the price is based on the type of mower, with robotic and riding mowers more expensive than walk-behind mowers.
You want to consider your budget before making a buying decision.
4. Push or Self-propelled
The walk-behind type of lawn mowers are further categorized into push or self-propelled mowers.
- Push mowers need to be pushed around as they cut grass. They require a lot of energy to operate as you need to move the mowers physically and control their direction. Push mowers are one of the most affordable types of mowers in the market
- On the other hand, self-propelled mowers use a propulsion mechanism that pushes the mower forward without your input. It requires minimal energy to operate as you only need to guide the mower direction as you move across your field.
5. Lawn Size
Consider the size of your lawn before making any lawn mower buying decision. The size of your yard will affect the type and size of lawn mower you can use. Walk-behind mowers are best for small yards as their cutting radius is smaller and requires energy moving them around. Riding mowers, on the other hand, can handle more extensive areas since they have a wider cutting radius, and you can ride the mower without consuming a lot of energy.
6. Grass Box
Some lawn mowers come with grass boxes while the others do not. If you plan to pack your grass clippings as opposed to leaving them on the lawn, it would be best to get a mower with a grass box. If you prefer to leave your clippings as fertilizer and mulch on the lawn, you wouldn’t need a mower with a grass box.
7. Cutting Type
Generally, there are two types of lawn mower cutting styles; reel and rotary cuts.
- Reel cutting involves a scissor-like cutting action with a cylinder of 2-6 rolling blades turned by an axle. Reel style produces cleaner cuts
- Rotary cutting is more popular and uses a single cutting blade. It works by sucking the grass into the blade area and is powered into a fan-like motion which cuts the grass
8. Cutting Width
The cutting width of a lawn mower determines the area of grass that can be cut at a time, which in turn affects the time you spend mowing. Decoding on the size of your lawn, you may need a wider cutting width or something smaller. Cutting width for walk-behind mowers are generally smaller within a range of 10-16″. Cutting width for riding mowers, on the other hand, are typically wider starting from 21″.
9. Cutting Height (Adjustable)
It would be best if you got a lawn mower with adjustable cutting height settings so you can alternate on the height of grass you want to cut. Generally, a cutting height between 3 and 3.5 inches is ideal, but having a mower with several other options may prove valuable when you want to cut differently.
10. Rear Rollers
A rear roller is a tool attached to the back of a mower that presses the grass down as you move over them to make beautiful patterns. If making interesting patterns on your lawn interests you, you should consider getting a lawn mower that comes with a rear roller or at least can carry a rear roller.
11. Mowing Edges
Some lawn mowers are better equipped to mow the edges of the lawn than others. Typically, larger mowers will struggle to clip the edges efficiently, while smaller mowers like robotic mowers excel at cutting grasses at the edges of the lawn. Consider the edge of your yard to see if it stops at the base of a wall or obstacle that may make it difficult to cut those areas with some mowers. In cases like these, you should choose more suitable mowers that can reach those edges.
New Vs Used Push Lawn Mowers
You can choose to buy a new lawn mower or go for an already used mower. They all have their peculiarities. You can even decide to go for neither and instead rent the lawn mower.
New lawn mowers
New mowers have not been used by any person before. It comes with less stress and more efficiency since its parts are still new. They typically also come with a guarantee and require little to no repairs for a while. New mowers are, however, more expensive.
Used Lawn Mowers
Unlike new mowers, used mowers have been used by somebody before and as such are more affordable. They may require some maintenance and repairs immediately after buying them and usually do not come with any warranty. You can get used mowers of your choice near you.
Lawn Mower Maintenance and Care
You have to maintain your lawn mower properly to get the best of it and prolong its life. Here are some things you can do:
- Clean the mower deck regularly
- Change the oil in lawn mower with the recommended oil to extend the life of the engine
- Sharpen the blades of mower to get clean cuts
- Stabilize the fuel of the mower if it has been ideal for more than 30 days by adding a fuel stabilizer
- Check the air filter of mower
- Check the fuel filter
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions in the owner’s guide
- Service the belts of lawn mowers
- Replace spark plug when needed
- Check the tire pressure
Benefits of Push Lawn Mowers
Lawn mowers have a lot of benefits for persons owning a lawn. Its one of the best and convenient tools to have to take care of your lawn. Some glimpse of its benefits are as follows:
- Saves you time
- Produces a clean and appealing look
- It can help you do other garden activities like aeration and dethatching
- It is an effective grass cutting tool
FAQ
- Q. How often should I perform maintenance on my lawn mower?
A. Depending on how often you use your lawn mower, doing complete maintenance at least once a year is ideal. If you use it more frequently or it is a used mower, it may require at least two maintenance yearly.
- Q. What is the average life of a lawn mower?
A. Typically, the average life of a lawn mower is around ten years. However, this depends on many factors like the frequency of use, maintenance culture, the brand of mower and quality of parts, climatic factor, and the work the mower has to do, among other things.
- Q. Are lawn mowers safe?
A. Lawn mowers can be dangerous, causing injuries ranging from mild bruises to more severe bone breaks. This is why proper care needs to be taken when using the mower, including removing kids and pets from the area, wearing personal protective equipment, among other things.
- Q. Can you hose down an electric lawn mower?
A. Please do not use a hose or any equipment with a lot of pressure to clean an electric lawn mower as it can force water into the mower’s motor, causing corrosion and damage. If you must use a hose, do not spray on the motor area.
Conclusion
Lawn mowers that you push help you maintain a healthy and tidy lawn while saving you considerable time. There are several kinds of lawn mowers, and you should choose the one best suited to your needs by following the guide in this material.