Lawn Mowers: Expert and User Reviews

Our AssessmentTesting here is objective and thorough, performed annually in Florida by a team of mowers. Lawn mowers are ranked here based on objective tests for performance in all three grass-handling modes, as well as ratings for handling and ease of use. The report ranks more lawn mowers than ever before: 58 self-propelled gas mowers, 29 push gas mowers, 16 cordless electric mowers (including two self-propelled) and five corded electric mowers. ConsumerReports.org still doesn't measure noise level or rate engines for emissions, but it does publish owner reviews plus a forum that includes useful comments from expert Peter Sawchuck.

Our AssessmentHonda, John Deere and Husqvarna earn top marks in the J.D. Power and Associates customer-satisfaction survey of more than 2,000 users who've bought a lawn mower within two years.

Our AssessmentAlthough the editors of Organic Gardening don't tell us which three cordless mowers they tested, they do provide ample reasons why the Neuton CE 6.2 (now simply called the Neuton CE6) 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.

Our AssessmentThis enthusiastic review of the Toro Super Recycler 20095 gives it a near-perfect rating based on personal usage by the About.com guide to lawn care. The only drawback noted is the price, but he says the extras are worth it, praising the electric start and reporting that the Personal Pace is the most intuitive drive system he's tried. Another review here gives the19-inch Neuton CE 6 cordless lawn mower a perfect 5-star rating based on three months of frequent use, with praise for its quiet, excellent performance. The reviewer bought an extra battery for the Neuton, but reports that it mows a third of an acre on a single charge. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)

Our AssessmentHomeDepot.com publishes owner reviews and ratings of the lawn mowers it sells, but you have to click on each lawn mower model to see if it's been reviewed. Self-propelled gas mowers accumulate the most reviews, cordless mowers the fewest -- but top-rated models stand out within each type. Among gas mowers, it's easy to tell which models are CARB-compliant.

Our AssessmentThis year at least one CARB-certified mower (the Craftsman 37639 with a Honda engine) is available in other states in addition to California. We found quite a few lawn mowers rated well here by owners that fare poorly in the tests at ConsumerReports.org. In addition to Craftsman mowers (made by Husqvarna and MTD), Sears sells some mowers by Black & Decker, Worx and American Lawn Mower -- but not all models accumulate reviews.

Our AssessmentMost of the lawn mowers sold here haven't accumulated reviews from owners, but there are a few exceptions. Three corded electric lawn mowers stand out, with mostly positive reviews, as do two Yard-Man push mowers (including one that's CARB-certified yet available in other states too).

Our AssessmentThis is an update to several earlier reviews of the self-propelled Solaris solar-powered cordless lawn mower, also sold as the Epic or Utopia mower. The earlier reviews document the author's personal use, but this update notes that after only two seasons of use, the original batteries needed replacement, and the new batteries don't work as well.

Our AssessmentMembers of this club review free samples of products, rating them on a 10-point scale. Only a handful of lawn mowers are reviewed here, but the average ratings do help rank them. The reports published online lack detail; reprints of more detailed versions are sometimes available on other sites.

Our AssessmentIn this two-part review, a garden writer reviews the Fiskars Momentum Reel (now known as the Fiskars StaySharp Max 6201), given to her by Fiskars to review. Though it's the end of the season, she has a chance to try it once, reporting that it makes her look forward to mowing more. She'd been using an unidentified top-of-the-line self-propelled mower up to this point. She likes the fact that the Fiskars can be set to mow as high as 4 inches, and she loves the quiet operation. It does take "some oomph" to push, but not as much as a regular gas push mower.

Our AssessmentThis well-illustrated review of the Fiskars reel mower covers its features in detail, including the way the wheels are positioned. This avoids one of the main complaints about reel mowers -- that the blades are hung between the wheels so that each pass leaves wide areas of uncut grass. This is a good overview of the Fiskars mower, but it doesn't report any actual testing.

Our AssessmentStaff at this environmentally oriented retail site recommend the Brill Razorcut 38 manual reel mower for lawns in the northern half of the United States, or for the thicker grasses in the south, the Mascot 6-bladed reel mower. Both also earn kudos from the handful of owners reviewing them here, but so do the Fiskars Stay Sharp Max (formerly the Momentum) and the Scotts Green Classic 2000-20. Three electric mowers are stocked here, but no reviews are posted.

Our AssessmentThis 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 10 current manual reel mowers, including the Fiskars StaySharp Max (still identified here as the Momentum). A similar chart elsewhere on the site compares six electric walk-behind mowers. Another article here recommends specific manual reel mowers based on the type of grass you need to mow.