Lawn Mowers

A total of 50 lawn mowers are ranked here, based on ratings for evenness of cut, performance, handling and ease of use. Testing is objective and thorough, done yearly in Florida by a team of mowers. The… review excels in rating performance, and notes that the top-rated electric mowers perform better than all but the very best gasoline-powered mowers. The repair records, based on an annual poll of readers, are quite useful in comparing brands. We still find some bothersome gaps in the report. No noise measurements are given; nor are any manual reel mowers included in the review. The worst gap, however, is that there's still no rating for environmental impact. The review fails to note which lawn mowers meet California's latest emissions requirements -- important for choosing a mower that minimizes air pollution and health risks. An accompanying article does, however, include some tips on using saving water, minimizing lawn area and saving fertilizer by mulching clippings and making compost.

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Although the editors of Organic Gardening magazine don't tell us which three cordless mowers they tested, they do provide ample reasons why the Neuton CE 6.2 wins one of the 2009 Editors' Choice awards.… They praise it for consistent cutting, saying, "It chopped down thick, at times damp, grass with steady power." They also like the battery gauge and removable battery. Charging takes eight hours and runs the mower for about an hour.

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This review compares six high-end, self-propelled gas mowers based on three days of testing. Editors look for some things not mentioned in the Consumer Reports testing, including the mowers' maximum speeds,… and they measure noise levels in decibels. Although the models aren't rated or ranked, top picks are selected, and each mower gets a detailed review that includes pros and cons. A separate article reviews the controls on the Honda HRR series, new at the time. Jerry Beilinson's June 2007 review of the 20-inch Lee Valley manual reel mower and the single-speed self-propelled Cub Cadet CC-997ES also includes decibel levels. The March 2008 issue gives a Best of Green Design award to the new Remington cordless lawn mower, which can also run with an extension cord.

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Testing methods at this British consumer magazine are very well documented. Lawn mowers are rated for speed, quality of cut and ability to bag clippings. Even manual reel mowers are tested on tall grass and… damp grass, but not on rough. Only a few of the 31 lawn mowers tested here are available in the United States, but the Brill Razorcut 33 (a manual reel mower) is among the recommended models. The Black & Decker electric mower sold in the U.K. is a different model, of course, but the criticism here of the one-sided control (as uncomfortable) applies to Black & Decker models sold in the United States as well.

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This article gives a good overview of the 2009 lawn mower scene, with comments from environmental leaders as well as from Peter Sawchuk, who manages the lawn mower tests for Consumer Reports. Gas lawn… mowers are considered the worst by the environmental organizations, despite new Environmental Protection Agency regulations. Manual reel mowers are ideal, with electric mowers second best. Sawchuk insists that gasoline-fueled mowers are necessary for big lawns. He suggests replacing any mower that's more than 5 years old with a newer model with an OHV engine that emits fewer pollutants. He also notes that using a spill-proof gas-can will minimize pollution. Two brands get recommendations here: Black & Decker and Sunlawn -- but Sunlawn has apparently gone out of business.

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This review recommends one manual mower plus three gasoline and three electric lawn mowers. Within types, the gas and electric mowers are ranked based on ease of use, performance and durability. Ranking… seems to depend more on price and features than on any tests done for the review. This is still a valuable article, since it explains California Air Resources Board (CARB) and EPA regulations new at the time, plus the change in engine ratings from horsepower to torque.

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Quite a few lawn mowers have accumulated owner-written ratings and reviews here. It's interesting to see that mowers that are priced the same vary so much in rating. Most of the lawn mowers sold here are… Craftsman brand, but a few Husqvarna and Snapper mowers also get reviews -- including the two top-rated self-propelled mowers -- both electric-start. The only CARB-certified lawn mowers are available solely in California.

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This review by a journalist who specializes in reviewing household products gives the Black and Decker CMM1000 cordless lawn mower a high rating, calling it "pricey but worth it." She tests it on a 1/8-acre… lawn, finding that the mower stays at full power the whole time. Like other reviewers of this model, she praises the one-lever height adjustment, push-button starting, relative quiet and low environmental impact. Price is the only drawback noted.

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Owners rate lawn mowers here and have a chance to provide detailed reviews. At the time of our report, only a few mowers have accumulated ratings from enough owners to make the average ratings significant.… The Task Force manual reel mowers earn very low ratings for quality, and users reviewing the least expensive gas mower sold here, the Bolens BL074 gas push mower, say it would be more cost-effective to spend more on a mower that's built better. The least expensive self-propelled mower here, the single-speed Troy-Bilt TB200, also gets especially low ratings.

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This blog review of the Scotts Green Classic mower quotes and challenges some of the reviews posted at Amazon.com. Eric Burke is quite disappointed with the effort required, though he admits he could use… the workout. Quite a few readers weigh in, with several defending manual reel mowers, others advocating electric mowers. One reader notes that some cordless mowers let you switch batteries as needed.

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About.com's landscaping guide recommends three lawn mowers. Although newer models aren't covered, some general recommendations still apply. For bumpy or hilly lawns, lawn mowers with 12-inch rear wheels… make pushing much easier. The review is also helpful in evaluating both pros and cons of corded electric mowers and manual reel mowers. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)

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This active forum contains quite a few discussions of lawn mower selection, often comparing specific brands and models head to head. One thread, "Honda vs. Toro," includes some discussion of the Honda HRX… hand fatigue issue (due to the thumb position). This also comes up in another thread on the Honda HRR216K3TDA, with one user noting that it's possible to guide the HRX mowers with the heel of the hand instead. This is a good site for asking questions and researching specific models.

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This retail site sells electric corded and cordless mowers, as well as manual reel mowers. The comparison chart is useful in comparing the features and specifications of eight current manual reel mowers,… including the newest Brill Razorcut manual reel mowers. A similar chart elsewhere on the site compares four electric mowers, including the Canadian-made Epic cordless mower that can be fitted with an optional solar panel.

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