The Best Lawn Mowers, According to Landscaping Professionals
Whether you’re trimming a small urban lawn or maintaining a sprawling suburban property, a battery-powered walk-behind mower makes cutting grass easier without the noise, fumes, or upkeep of a gas model. If you worry that cordless mowers lack the muscle for thick grass or the run time to finish the job, it’s time to reconsider. Today’s models deliver plenty of power for weekly cuts and enough battery life to finish on a single charge. Battery-powered models can cost more upfront than gas mowers, but some reports suggest they can pay for themselves in about two years through savings on fuel and maintenance. During that time, you can skip oil changes, winter fuel drainage, air filters, and spark plugs, though you’ll still need to sharpen the blade and (depending on where you live) store batteries indoors out of season to protect them from extreme temperatures.
Professional landscapers need equipment that matches the performance of gas-powered gear without running into battery-life problems, and they’re increasingly turning to battery-powered mowers. “We put mowers through years of testing,” says Dan Mabe, founder of American Green Zone Alliance, which tests battery-powered lawn mowers. “We place them in the hands of professionals to amass hours on them, and we also give them to residential users and verify manufacturers’ run-time claims.” George Carrette, owner of EcoQuiet Lawn Care in Concord, Massachusetts, has used battery-powered equipment for years. He thinks homeowners might be surprised by today’s mowers’ power and battery capacity but cautions against taking manufacturers’ run-time claims at face value. “If you’re mowing weekly, then the stated run time could be realistic, but if you mow every other week and the grass is wet, the run time could easily be half of what’s stated,” he says. Carrette found that keeping the blade sharp — even if that means taking a file or grinder to it more frequently than you would with a gas mower — also maximizes the run time and gives you a better cut quality.
Is it time for you to switch to a battery-powered lawn mower? We asked landscapers, experts, and homeowners who’ve spent hours cutting lawns which models they recommend for your yard.
Our top lawn-mower recommendations
What we’re looking for in a lawn mower
Battery voltage
You’ll find push mowers powered by batteries from 18 volts to 82 volts, but our experts recommend choosing a higher-voltage platform. If you’re switching from a gas-powered walk-behind with a 20- or 22-inch-wide blade and you were happy with how long it took to mow your lawn with that machine, chances are a battery-powered equivalent needs at least a 36-volt battery.
That voltage doesn’t have to come from a single battery. While we recommend some models that use single 40-, 56-, and 80-volt batteries, some mowers use two 18-volt units that drain simultaneously, delivering the cutting power and torque of a 36-volt model (and those models will usually only work if both batteries have at least some charge).
Supplied battery size
Walk-behind mower kits can include batteries in the four to 12 amp hour (Ah) range. Of all the battery-powered lawn and garden gear, mowers tend to come packaged with the heaviest and most expensive batteries because you need the run time and users are not carrying the weight around as they would be with a hedge trimmer, leaf blower, or string trimmer. In a pinch, you can use a string trimmer’s 4Ah battery in your mower for a few extra minutes of run time, but you might not want to use a mower’s battery in your trimmer. Mowers ship with higher-capacity batteries that can weigh a pound or two more, making them less practical for one-handed tools like leaf blowers.
Battery platform
Before choosing a battery-powered mower, consider what else its batteries can power. If you already own some outdoor tools, look at the mowers your favorite brand has available. Mowers are often sold as kits because they need larger, higher-capacity batteries than most other yard tools, so they’re often sold with larger packs or multiple smaller batteries. If you’re starting from scratch, look at the brand’s broader lineup of equipment: Ego, Stihl, and Greenworks focus on outdoor tools, while Ryobi, Milwaukee, and DeWalt offer batteries that work across a wider range of shop and outdoor equipment.
Cutting swath
A mower’s cutting width — the strip of grass it clears in one pass — is slightly narrower than its deck width, which is the mower’s physical width. Deck width matters when you’re planning storage or checking whether the mower will fit through a gate. Smaller models are typically 16 to 18 inches wide, mid-size models are 20 to 22 inches, and wide-area walk-behinds are usually 30 inches or wider. If you’re happy with how long your current mower takes to finish the lawn, stick with a similar cutting width. However, if mowing takes close to an hour — which is the max most homeowners want to be at it — consider a wider model. But before stepping up to a wide-area walk-behind, which uses two blades side-by-side, check that it can fit through any gates between your front and back yards.
Self-propelled or push?
Many manufacturers offer push and self-propelled versions of their mowers, with the latter versions more expensive (the feature adds $100 or more to the price). The range of speed is usually from 1 to 4 miles per hour, though most users walk at somewhere between 2 and 2.5. On hills or a larger yard, self-propulsion can make mowing less tiring and easier to control. It can also help you move the mower to and from storage, though you’ll still need both hands to steer and manage the controls. On a small, flat lawn, you may not need the extra assistance. Self-propulsion also uses battery power, reducing run time, though you can usually turn it off.
Height adjustment
Most mowers offer six or seven cutting-height settings, typically ranging from about one to four inches. Adjustment styles vary: a single lever moves all four wheels at once for maximum convenience, while two-lever systems take extra effort. Models with a separate adjustment at each wheel are the slowest to change.
Deck material
Steel decks resist impacts better than plastic, but they add weight, cost, and can rust if scratched. Plastic or composite decks will not rust, are lighter, and can be shaped to improve airflow, but they can crack under severe impact. A lighter deck can make the mower easier to maneuver and may help preserve battery run time, especially with self-propel engaged. Pros favor the durability of steel, but for a homeowner it can be less important — unless you have a teenager mowing your lawn.
Cutting options
Most mowers today offer three cutting options: mulching, side discharge, and bagging. Since these features are common, they rarely determine which mower you buy. Still, check that the box includes the parts needed for all three.
One blade or two
Some manufacturers offer mowers with two stacked blades, which can cut grass into finer clippings that blend into the lawn when you mulch. The extra blade increases the purchase price by roughly $150, reduces run time, and requires maintaining two non-interchangeable parts. If you usually bag clippings, you may not need this feature, but if you mulch, the finer clippings can leave a neater-looking lawn behind.
Best lawn mower overall
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Cutting width: 21 inches | Volts: 56 | Included battery: 7.5 Amp-hours | Run time with included battery: up to 60 minutes | Recharge time: About 45 minutes | Self-propelled? Yes
The LM2125SP is part of Ego’s entry-level 600 series, and while you can spend nearly $300 more on the manufacturer’s most premium single-blade, 21-inch mower, this one does not skimp on any important features or performance. In fact, after testing with professional crews and homeowners, the American Green Zone Alliance (AGZA) certified the LM2125SP, finding it stood up to heavy-duty use and delivered cut quality that competes with gas models.
Ego covers the composite deck and mower with a five-year warranty, while backing the 7.5-Ah battery for three years. That power pack delivers about an hour of run time, which is about as long as most users want to be mowing, but it’s also a very useful size to work across Ego’s other 56-volt tools that need a longer run time, like a snow blower, pressure washer, or inverter.
The mower has up to 6.0 foot-pounds of torque — the force required to sever thick, tall, or wet grass. It’s common to see gas walk-behind mowers with 5.5 to 7.5 foot-pounds of torque. The Ego’s seven cutting heights are adjustable with one lever, and handlebars that slide in and out to fit users of different heights. “Touch Drive” means that the self-propelled motor is controlled by a wheel mounted on the handlebar, which is intuitive to swipe up or down with a thumb. Levers (conveniently styled in a bright green) also make the mower’s folding mechanism easy to use. If you need more run time, a second 4Ah battery can add about 30 minutes.
Best lawn mower for smaller lawns
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Cutting width: 18 inches | Volts: 36 | Included battery:5Amp-hours | Run time with included battery: up to 47 minutes | Recharge time: About 60 minutes | Self-propelled? No
“The Stihl RMA 348 is a good, entry-level mower for the average homeowner with a smaller yard,” says Curtis Atkinson, of Sunshine Landscapes in Bluffdale, Utah. “It’s got plenty of run time for a small- to medium-sized lawn, and the batteries are known for consistency, so the power won’t drop off as the battery discharges.”
The RMA 348 feels easy to use, with a soft-grip handle, push-button start, and a single lever that quickly sets the cutting height to seven positions. When grass gets taller or tougher, the boost button adds power to help you keep moving. Like all Stihls, it’s backed by just about the strongest warranty in outdoor power equipment. If you like the idea of a small mower, but want self-propelled, Stihl offers that feature in the RMA 348 V, which typically costs about $150 more, but is a great deal if you can find on sale, whe it’s priced at just around $50 more than the standard RMA 348.
Best lawn mower for more power
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Greenworks 80V Cordless Battery 4-in-1 Self-Propelled Lawn Mower LM2108S - 21-inch
Cutting width: 21 inches | Volts: 80 | Included battery: 4 Amp-hours: | Run time with included battery: up to 33 minutes | Run time with included battery: About 40 minutes | Self-propelled? Yes
This 80-volt Greenworks offers more power than its competitors: enough to avoid stalling in thicker turf like zoysia and St. Augustine grass. It’s available with a larger 8Ah battery, but the standard 4Ah version is enough for Jon Graham of Element Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical in St. George, Utah, to mow his sizable front yard. “I focus on run time and on our larger, 4,000-square-foot lawn, I’m getting closer to 35 or 40 minutes before I swap to a second battery,” he says. The self-propelled drive also makes mowing a mostly one-handed task.
The mower has seven cutting-height settings and a dashboard that shows the charge level of the battery. The battery’s recharge time with the included charger is nearly equal to its run time, so a second battery can be charging while you mow with the first-a practical setup for tackling a larger lawn.
Best lawn mower for bagging leaves
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Cutting width: 21 inches | Volts: 60 | Included battery: 5 Amp-hours | Run time with included battery: up to 45 minutes | Recharge time: About 50 minutes | Self-propelled? No
Romkee likes this Greenworks mower because its battery works with other lawn and garden tools, and it can make quick work of the lawn, especially if you have two batteries. Like many mowers, it offers bagging, mulching, and side discharge, but it also has a turbo button that spins the blade up to 3,200 RPM — slightly faster than the roughly 3,000 RPM maximum on many models. With the bag attached, that mode creates suction that can pull up dry leaves, mulch them, and send them to the bag, helping cut down on raking.
The mower has a sturdy steel deck and a single lever with seven cutting-height settings, from 1.3 to four inches. Its dual battery ports let you carry a second battery to extend run time; the mower automatically switches to the second battery when the first runs out. Plus, the handle can be adjusted to accommodate users of different heights, and folds down for compact storage.
Best lawn mower with a long warranty
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Cutting width: 20.1 inches | Volts: 36 | Included battery: 7.2 Amp-hours | Run time with included battery: about 50 minutes | Recharge time: About 80 minutes | Self-propelled? Yes
“The mower is exceptionally quiet and provides a beautiful cut,” says Jacob Romkee of Vintage Lawn Service and a member of Thumbtack’s Pro Advisory Board, who also appreciates the RMA 510 V’s compatibility with Stihl’s wide lineup of tools. “These mowers can fit their smaller batteries, the AP 300s and AP 500s, which can fit directly into their weed trimmers, hedge trimmers, as well as some of their blowers,” And Stihl backs the battery (and mower) with an industry-leading five-year warranty, whereas most brands offer three.
The Stihl has a 21-inch steel deck, but its smooth, ball-bearing wheels make it feel lighter and easier to maneuver than similar, full-size mowers. It has room for two batteries, but the second bay is just for convenience and extended run time; it uses one at a time. By the way, it doesn’t switch to the second one automatically — you’ll need to swap them yourself. Eco mode adjusts the motor’s output to match the cutting conditions, to power through tall or thick grass, and help conserve battery power. Height adjustment is with a single lever to set all four wheels, and you get eight cutting heights, from under one inch to about four inches.
Best lawn mower for tool compatibility
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Cutting width: 20 inches | Volts: 18 | Included battery: 6 Amp-hours: | Run time with included battery: Up to 40 minutes | Recharge time: About 3 hours | Self-propelled? Yes
These days, for an 18-volt mower to compete on all but the smallest lawns, it needs teamwork. The two 18 volt batteries in the Ryobi work in concert to provide 36 volts, giving you gas-like cut quality and power. For homeowners with a long list of indoor and outdoor tasks, Ryobi might be the most accommodating platform out there with more than 300 tools that use the batteries that come with this mower. While a 6Ah battery, and its nearly 2-pound weight, might not be comfortable strapped to a drill/driver, you’ll appreciate the punchy run time on something like a leaf blower, utility vacuum, power station, and lighting.
On the lawn, the Ryobi PBLLM05K2 is a capable gas alternative, with a motor that automatically adjusts blade speed according to the load to handle tougher grass and self-propelled rear-wheel drive for easier mowing. Its main drawback is the basic, slow charger: a depleted battery takes about three hours to recharge, even though the kit includes two chargers. A faster charger would be a smart investment to reduce downtime between mowing sessions.
The best riding mower for large lawns
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Cutting width: 42 inches | Volts: 80 | Included battery:6Amp-hours: | Run time with included battery: Up to 90 minutes | Recharge time: About 3.5 hours | Self-propelled? Yes
If your lawn is larger than 3/4 of an acre or takes more than an hour to mow — especially if it has few trees or garden beds to maneuver around and no steep hills — it may be time to consider a riding mower. “The 80-volt riding mowers would work great for many homeowners,” says contractor and interior designer Eric Goranson. “Everyone I’ve met likes them,” says George Carrette, who uses a Greenworks walk-behind mower on the job as owner, and als uses the company’s 80 volt riding mower.
The 42-inch 12-gauge steel deck adjusts from 1.5 to 4.5 inches across seven positions with a single lever reachable right from the seat, and the ride-on can clear between 1.5 and 2 acres on a single charge. It tops out at an 8 MPH transport speed, to get it back and forth from the garage, and mows at a brisk 5 MPH cutting speed while handling slopes up to 15 degrees (Carrette notes that, “they can be a bit tricky on hills”). While small, the rear cargo bed holds up to 200 pounds for bags of mulch, soil, or firewood. Equipped with a standard two-inch rear hitch, it can tow pull-behind attachments weighing up to 350 pounds. Like an EV, the Greenworks has a charging port for its included wall-mounted charger. You can also remove the batteries to power other Greenworks lawn and garden tools, or even lifestyle gear including an e-bike.
Our experts
- Jacob Romkee, co-founder of Vintage Lawn Service
- Eric Goranson, of DIY podcast and YouTube channel Around the House
- Curtis Atkinson, CEO of Sunshine Landscapes
- Jon Graham, CEO of Element Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical
- George Carrette, owner of EcoQuiet Lawn Care
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