Self-propelled Mowers

Honda recommended most often

Self-propelled, gasoline-fueled lawn mowers are the most popular type of walk-behind mower, and some budget models don't cost much more than a push mower. Lawn-mower reviews recommend self-propelled mowers for hilly yards or lawns up to about half an acre. (For mowing a larger area, consider a lawn tractor.) Honda, Toro and Lawn-Boy Insight mowers are most often recommended in reviews among self-propelled lawn mowers.

The best buy among self-propelled lawn mowers depends a lot on how you want to handle the clippings. For bagging and mulching, comparison tests give top ranking to the Honda HRX series. The Versamow System means that one lever adjusts the clippings discharge to any point between full mulching and full bagging, so you can choose to bag just part of the clippings. Both professional and owner reviews say this system works extremely well.

Reviewers like Honda's GCV190 OHC/OHV residential engine. The rustproof deck on the HRX mowers is made of high-impact nexite and carries a limited lifetime warranty. (The rest of the mower is warranted for three years.) This Honda mower series also has a good reputation for performing well on sloping lawns,

The top-of-the-line mower in this series is the Honda HRX217K2HMA (*est. $900), which features an electric starter. The Honda HRX217K2HXA (*est. $800) is similar but uses a recoil start. Both Honda lawn mowers have cruise control in addition to variable speed up to 4 mph. A blade brake means you can stop the blades without stopping the engine -- handy for moving things out of the way or emptying the bag. The less expensive Honda HRX2172VKA (*est. $700) has a slightly lower maximum speed of 3.5 mph, and lacks cruise control. Objective tests rate it a bit lower for cutting evenness.

One drawback to the HRX series -- aside from price -- is a long handle. Both owner-written and professional reviews have criticized the handle as too long for most people -- though of course this means that taller people particularly like these mowers. Even though the handle length is adjustable, it can still get in the way.

Another disadvantage of the Honda HRX series is that adjusting the cutting height requires the use of a lever at each separate wheel -- a pain if you like to change the cutting height periodically or for different months of the year. In contrast, the Honda HRR series of lawn mowers offers single-lever deck height adjustment. It also has a quick release, 2-position handle for easier height adjustment and storage. The Honda HRR216K5VXA (*est. $580) uses a slightly less powerful GCV160 OHC/OHV engine, and lacks the Versamow system. Furthermore, it has lost some ground in reviews because its drive system gets mixed ratings for comfort. Editors at Popular Mechanics join with quite a few owners in finding that the thumb-lever controls can cause significant hand fatigue.

If you don't want to spend so much, we also found good reviews for self-propelled mowers in the Lawn-Boy Insight Platinum series. Some of these mowers meet California's stricter environmental regulations (discussed below), but others don't. The less expensive Lawn-Boy Insight Platinum 10795 (*Est. $550) doesn't have a blade brake or an electric start, but still has the Honda engine that's included on the higher-end models in this series; it isn't CARB compliant, so it can't be sold in California. The recoil-start Lawn-Boy 10785 (*Est. $500) is still in the Insight Platinum series, but uses a Tecumseh engine -- usually judged noisier than a Honda engine -- and isn't CARB-compliant.

Consumers Digest recommends the Toro Super Recycler 20093 (*Est. $660), which carries a longer five-year warranty and includes a blade brake. The cast aluminum deck is rustproof. None of the Toro Super Recycler lawn mowers are CARB-compliant, however, and we've found some complaints about the "Personal Pace" drive system that automatically adjusts to the user's pace, though it got rave reviews in the past.

We found quite a few comments from owners saying that Toro mowers are definitely noisier than Honda models. However, reviewers like the wash-out ports on Toro mowers. These ports make it easy to hose under the deck.

In addition to the top-of-the-line Super Recycler series, Toro makes a less expensive Recycler series. The mowers in this series are relatively inexpensive, but use steel decks rather than cast aluminum, and carry a two-year warranty overall. They're guaranteed to start for three years, though, and carry a three-year warranty on the drive train.

Objective tests find that the Toro Recycler 20333 (*Est. $400) performs nearly as well, however, as the much more expensive Honda HRX2172HXA (*est. $800) discussed earlier. Toro mowers have a better repair history than Honda and Lawn-Boy, too. The Recycler 20333 includes a blade brake, so you can stop mowing briefly without cutting the motor. The 190cc Briggs & Stratton engine isn't an OHV engine, so it's more polluting than the Lawn Boy Insight mower above, but the Toro mower costs less. The Recycler 20333 can mulch, bag or side-discharge clippings. One plus is that you can switch between mulching and bagging with the flip of a switch. The Toro Recycler 20332 (*Est. $390) is the same model without the blade brake. Both have the Personal Pace self-propel drive system.

For even less, the 21-inch Troy-Bilt TB340 XP (*Est. $380) is a good choice for sloping and irregular lawns, since it uses rear-wheel drive plus bigger rear wheels than competing mowers. The Troy-Bilt XP series features single-lever adjustment of cutting height plus variable speed and rear-wheel-drive for good traction. Though MTD-made equipment used to get poor ratings for reliability, the Troy-Bilt self-propelled mowers now have similar repair records to those of Honda and Lawn-Boy. The main drawback is the steel deck since it can rust.

Craftsman self-propelled mowers are made by Toro and have earned the same excellent repair history. Among self-propelled mowers, owners like the 21-inch Craftsman 37077 (*est. $340). It has rear-wheel drive, electric start and a deck-washing port. The similar Craftsman 37076 (*est. $300) uses a recoil start and also gets good reviews from owners.

Husqvarna mowers are also sold at Sears, and have a good repair record, but professional reviews for them are mixed. Note that the models sold at Sears are not the same models sold at independent dealers (the latter use Honda OHV engines). However, owners praise the 21-inch 8.75 Torque Husqvarna 37446 (*est. $380) -- one of the top-rated mowers at Sears. It uses a Kohler OHV engine and has rear-wheel drive and electric start, but no deck-washing port.

For a budget self-propelled mower for flat lawns, the front-wheel-drive Craftsman 37665 (*est. $250) gets middling reviews from owners reviewing it at Sears.com. We found complaints about the height adjusters and various other problems. One owner says the discharge chute keeps clogging, another that the wheels wear out after just one season. This is clearly a budget mower. However, it does provide a choice of bagging, side-discharging, or mulching clippings, and it costs less than quite a few push mowers.

Self-propelled CARB-compliant lawn mowers

California has the most stringent requirements for engine and fuel-system emissions. Its CARB III regulations cover any lawn mower sold in that state. Current EPA regulations won't match these till 2012. Meanwhile, it's harder to find low-emission lawn mowers in other states. If you live in California, your choice is restricted to mowers that meet these requirements. Those living in other states might seek them out for their lower emissions, but they are hard to find in other states.

For bagging or side-discharging clippings, the CARB-compliant Lawn-Boy 10797 Insight Platinum (*Est. $660) gets good reviews. It uses the same Honda GCV 160 OHV/OHC found on the Honda HRR series and it comes with a blade brake. It also meets California's stricter emissions regulations. This is the top lawn mower in the most recent comparison review at Popular Mechanics, where it earns praise for relative quiet, as well as easy startup and a good drive system. Tests at HowStuffWorks.com also rate this mower "excellent" and a best buy, praising the Honda engine as well as conveniences such as the fold-up handle. Adjusting the cutting height has to be done at each wheel separately, though.

The CARB-compliant Lawn-Boy 10796 (*Est. $700) is similar, but substitutes electric start for the blade-stop feature.

All these Lawn-Boy Insight Platinum mowers use rust-proof aluminum decks and come with five-year warranties. The Lawn-Boy Insight Platinum series is similar to the Toro Super Recycler series (Toro now owns Lawn-Boy). However, Lawn-Boy mowers have been getting better reviews for convenience features. For example, owners say they like the way the wheels are inset to make it easier to trim next to curbs and edgings.

Several CARB-compliant Toro Recycler models are available from the Home Depot website, and other Toro dealers can also special-order them to states outside California. They use Briggs & Stratton engines designed for lower emissions. The 22-inch Toro 30350 (*Est. $300) is a basic variable-speed model with front-wheel drive. The Toro 20351 (*Est. $320) is similar but has bigger rear wheels for better traction. The more expensive Toro Personal Pace 20352 (*Est. $410) has rear-wheel-drive for even better traction. It's designed to adapt its speed automatically to fit the user's pace.

In stores outside California and its neighboring states, it's easier to find the Toro mowers that don't meet CARB standards.