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by Editors of ConsumerReports.org
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.
by Ed Smith
A veteran homesteader tests four cordless electric lawn mowers on his own lawn, saying, "If a mower can make my lawn look good, it can handle any normal lawn with ease." He concludes that there's a lot more… to mowing power than voltage, since the 24-volt Black & Decker proves better for mowing tall, wet grass than the 36-volt and 60-volt mowers tested. The main drawbacks are its weight and the fact that you can't pop in a spare battery. Smith concludes that if you don't let the grass get too long, the lighter Remington MPS6017A and two Neuton mowers are "perfectly adequate." The 19-inch Neuton CE 6.2 earns praise for its battery-level gauge, while the lighter 14-inch Neuton CE 5.2 gets top ratings for ease of use.
by Editors of Organic Gardening
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.
by Editors of Choice
This is the website for the Australian Consumers' Association, the equivalent of Consumer Reports. Testing and ratings are detailed. Only two of the 11 gasoline-powered lawn mowers tested here are made by… companies that also sell models in the United States. It's interesting to see, however, that the Yardman mower gets the same high rating for cutting quality as the Honda mower reviewed here. The reason the Yardman mower ranks so much lower overall is because it's louder and harder to use. It also doesn't cut as close to the edge.
by Roy Berendsohn
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.
by Editors of and contributors to Wired
This review rates and ranks two cordless and two corded electric lawn mowers based on test mowing, describing pros and cons for each. Noise ratings aren't reported, but the review does go into detail about… how much effort it takes to handle each mower. A few readers chip in with comments about the electric mowers they use. Unfortunately, Sunlawn, the manufacturer of the top pick, seems to have gone out of business.
by Editors of Which?
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.
by Editors of ConsumerGuide.com
Consumer Guide is now reviewing and rating lawn mowers on the basis of actual test usage, adding new reviews each year. Some lawn mowers are included here that Consumer Reports and Popular Mechanics don't… cover. The single-product reviews are nicely detailed, but it's not easy to compare mowers since there's no overall ranking. A few mowers are recommended as best buys, others as budget buys. Reviews cover push and self-propelled gas, cordless and corded electric mowers, but no manual reel mowers.
by Brian T. Horowitz
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.
by Editors of National Noise Pollution Clearinghouse
Although this review is four years old, it covers quite a few lawn mowers still available. The information provided is based on comparison tests of performance, ease of use and, of course, noise. Although… both Sunlawn and Neuton are among the many sponsors of this nonprofit organization, the review includes some criticisms of mowers made by both companies, and it recommends some mowers not made by sponsors, as well.
by Steve Trusty
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.
by Contributors to Amazon.com
by Contributors to Sears.com
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.
by Editors of EnergyQue.com
This review compares the Neuton CE 6.2 cordless mower with three other mowers by features, and price -- but editors test only the Neuton. Two monthly updates confirm that it performs well. It's interesting… to see that one of the Neuton's main attractions for this couple is its distinctive appearance. A few readers add comments about Neuton vs. Black & Decker cordless mowers. A video edition of this review demonstrates the Neuton in action, and you can find quite a few other reviews of it at YouTube as well.
by Lloyd Alter
by "Dan"
This detailed, anonymous review covers the latest version of the self-propelled Solaris solar-powered cordless lawn mower. This review follows up on a 2008 review, which covered that year's Solaris -- the… first self-propelled cordless mower. The 2009 model is easier to recharge, but has been changed from rear-wheel-drive to front-wheel-drive -- with the batteries moved forward for traction. Several questions from readers are also answered here. It's worth noting that the basic Solaris is just a 24-volt electric motor; the solar panel is extra (*est. $100).
by Diana Forbes
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.
by Contributors to HomeDepot.com
Home Depot publishes owner-written reviews and ratings, but you have to click on each lawn mower model to see if it's been reviewed. At the time of our report, only a few lawn mowers have accumulated… reviews from enough owners to make the ratings significant. Several users note that Honda mowers are a bit quieter than Toro. Most lawn mowers get reasonably positive reviews here, but we found quite a few complaints about the front-wheel-drive Toro 20064 self-propelled mower, and about the Homelite UT13122 cordless mower.
by Contributors to Lowes.com
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.
by John Hunter
This review compares the Black & Decker CM1200 with an earlier cordless Black & Decker -- presumably the CM1000 or an even earlier model. The CM1200 has an improved bagging system, but the new handle is… flimsy, with awkward controls. The electric starter on John Hunter's CM1200 "fails 80 percent of the time. The old model started easily essentially every time," he says. Also, there's no longer an indicator on the battery to show the remaining charge.
by Mark Healey
by Editor of LawnCareGuide.org
This review of the new 19-inch Neuton CE 6.2 cordless mower tests it on tough Bermuda grass. Adjusting the height is easy, and the reviewer finds that the motor protects itself by cutting off if the mower… encounters something that makes it stall. Overall, though, "it easily ripped through some of the thickest Bermuda grass you've even seen." Tough grass does shorten the battery run time, however, and there's no battery gauge to tell how much charge is left.
by Eric Burke
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.
by Seth Porges
by David Beaulieu
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.)
by Contributors to CleanAirGardening.com
As the name suggests, this retailer sells only electric and manual reel mowers. Two reel mowers earned high praise from owners in 2008, but one has been replaced by a newer model that hasn't been reviewed… yet by any owners. Another reel mower and one cordless electric mower came in for heavy criticism in 2008, but these reviews no longer appear. At the time of our report, few owner-written ratings and reviews have been posted.
by Contributors to GardenWeb.com
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.
by Contributors to ProductReview.com
by Editors of PeoplePoweredMachines.com
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.
by Editors of GreenerChoices.org
This environmentally oriented lawn mower buying guide includes ratings and rankings based on the 2007 mower tests. An added column shows which mowers can mulch, since this article emphasizes the value of… mulching to save fertilizer. It's surprising that a site purportedly dedicated to green living lists only three of the many available corded electric lawn mowers, only five cordless mowers and not a single manual reel mower.
by Editors of MowersDirect.com
by Editors of 3luxe.com
by Editors of Yenra.com
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