Best Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Reviews of 2023

Deciding on the best self-propelled lawn mower isn't as easy as it used to be. Do you need commercial quality or residential quality? Do you want to run on gas or battery power? How much grass do you need to mow? Are you a mulcher or a bagger?

After testing dozens of the best walk-behind lawn mowers, from entry-level residential to top-tier professional models, we rounded up our team of pros to choose our top lawn mowers in a range of scenarios.

One of the big changes that occurred in the market was Honda's announcement that the brand was exiting the lawn mower market. While you can still buy Honda lawn mowers until they go out of stock, 2023 marks the end of production. We still highly recommend them, but due to the news and uncertain availability, we're not considering the Honda as part of our picks this year.

Want to see more, including ride and robot recommendations? Read the main article on Best Lawn Mower Reviews!

Commercial: Exmark Commercial X-Series Self-Propelled Lawn Mowers

As we say goodbye to Honda this year, the HRC line still gets our two thumbs up, and you can get them. From there, we turn to Exnark and its Commercial X line, which complements its Lazer Z zero-turn mowers nicely. Some pros are sure to move to the higher-capacity 30-inch models, but we expect the 21-inch models to find their way on more trailers.

Exmark wisely used Honda's 163cc GXV engine, known for its reliability. It's fueled by a large 1 gallon tank and turns the blades at tip speeds of up to 18,500 fpm. If you want to upgrade to a 179cc engine, there is also the option of a Kawasaki FJ180V engine.

The deck is 1/4" aluminum construction to reduce weight (112 lbs) while maintaining high durability. The deck is adjustable from 4.5 inches on the high side all the way to 1 inch, while the drive runs at speeds up to 4.2 MPH.

Price: From $1799.00

Residential: Toro Super Recycler Series 21-Inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower

Toro has a long history of residential lawn mowers, and our favorite is the Super Recycler line. Taking advantage of all the technology Toro has to offer, our top recommendation (model 21565) includes the Personal Pace drive system and Smart Stow design, which lets you store the mower vertically, even if it's a gasoline model.

It uses a 163cc Briggs & Stratton engine that produces 7.25 foot-pounds of torque and a tip speed of just under 17,000 fpm.

Toro touts commercial-grade construction on this model, including a lighter aluminum deck instead of steel. Beyond that, you get excellent cut quality, especially in terms of coverage (prefer the name Super Recycler!). All in all, the Personal Pace drive system adjusts to your walking speed, so there's no need for adjustment bars or dials.

Price: $699.00

The Best Self-Propelled Electric Lawn Mowers

Just a few years ago, if you wanted to find the best battery-powered lawn mower, you'd only find home models. Now, with an emerging class of professional-grade options, we've got options for professionals and homeowners alike.

Professional: Milwaukee M18 Fuel 21-Inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower

There aren't many really commercially available self-propelled lawnmowers with lithium-ion power supplies. Milwaukee kicks off their efforts for 2022 with a whopping 10 foot-pounds of torque, more than you typically see from a 200cc gas engine. It's not just muscles, though. Its blade and deck combined handle mulching and bagging better than most.

When you're down, the mower's high lift mode keeps the blades at 3300 RPM to help pull those lightweight leaves and clear your lawn. Additional features include 180° LED lighting, an LED battery indicator that faces you, a shift thumbstick (in addition to the speed wheel), durable construction, and more.

Price: $1099.00 with two 12.0Ah batteries and dual-port fast charger

Residential: EGO Select Cut XP 21-Inch Lawn Mower with Speed IQ

The evolution of EGO's flagship lawn mower is interesting. It raises the bar for Li-ion battery capabilities, starting with a dual-cell peak power model. Then we saw the first stacked blade SelectCut option, which improves the quality of cut and efficiency in tall grass. These two technologies are combined in SelectCut XP. Now, EGO is adding Speed IQ to the mix.

Speed IQ is a self-propelled system that automatically adjusts to your pace. However, it's not a set of spring-loaded handles like Toro uses on its Personal Pace models. Instead, there's a sensor doing some serious engineering magic… and from our brief time at Gear Expo 2022 (formerly GIE), it worked like a charm.

Price: $599.00 bare metal, $999.00 with 12.0Ah battery and turbo charger

The best large walk behind lawn mowers

Commercial: Greenworks Commercial 30-Inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower

Can Battery-Powered Commercial Lawn Mowers Really Replace Gasoline Models? Greenworks Commercial has an 82V 30-inch model that caught our eye at Equipment Expo in late 2022 and was hard to ignore as a logical choice. It has the capability to replace 200cc gas engines with blade speeds up to 16,000 FPM. It can cover up to 2 acres when fully charged.

There are also some drive system features worth considering. The independent hub motors feature what Greenworks calls the Easy Turn System (ETS), making the mower easier to maneuver. The other big thing is that there is a power reverse feature – which is very helpful in reducing the weight of this type of mower. The controls are all right at your fingertips, and there's even a display to help you keep track of the battery level.

Price: $1999.99 bare-bones, $2999.99 with three 8Ah batteries and dual-port charger

Residential: Toro TimeMaster 30-Inch Personal Pace Lawn Mower

With a Briggs & Stratton 223cc engine delivering 10 foot-pounds of torque, the 30-inch Toro TimeMaster is our pick for the best large walk-behind mower. Not only does it provide the power to turn its time-saving 30-inch blade, but it also features Toro's Personal Pace self-propelled drive and Spin-Stop, which lets you stop the blade without turning off the mower.

It all adds up to a huge time saver on larger lawns. If you want electric start, choose the 21200 model; if you don't mind the kick start and want to save $100, choose the 21199.

Price: $1599.00 (21199), $1499.99 (20200)

The best self-propelled lawn mower for the money

Toro's 21" Recycler (21352) offers the budget-conscious homeowner a great value option. It is an American made rear wheel drive powered by a Briggs & Stratton 140cc engine. It's ready to be covered, bagged, or side drained, so you don't have to worry about oil changes. Just check the levels and add more if necessary.

Price: $399.00

Best Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Brands

In the self-propelled lawn mower market, no one is as dominant as Honda. Their engines have a reputation for quality and durability that other manufacturers look for, and their mowers are excellent.

They usually run at a premium, though. Both Honda lawn mowers and Honda power lawn mowers are more expensive than similar designs from other brands. Most importantly, though, is the fact that Honda is off the market.

This opened the door for Toro. We recommend many Toro models for good reason, ranging from affordable home lawn mowers to commercial zero-turns. It is one of the best selling brands of walk behind lawn mowers.

Hard sales numbers are hard to come by, and there's always the chance we'll miss the mark. Yet we see more Honda and Toro walk behind mowers than any other brand on commercial trailers and residential lawns.

Best Self-Propelled Lawn Mowers for Bagging

You don't have to ditch your current self-propelled mower and buy a whole new one to improve bagging efficiency. In most cases, adding a high-lift blade to your current lawn mower can make a significant difference. With the exception of electric lawn mowers, you don't have to worry too much about matching the blade brand, but you do need to match the style and length of the arbor. The packaging should tell you which brands it is compatible with.

If you're still in the market for a new mower, a higher RPM will result in better airflow and bagging. Check mowers with 160cc or higher engines and compare top blade speeds. You can change the blades at any time, but not the speed.

Pro tip: If you have 2- or 4-point deck height adjustment, set the mower's front wheels one notch higher than the rear wheels for improved bagging.

Best Self-Propelled Mulch Mowers

Similar to high-lift blades for bagging, you can increase mulching efficiency with mulching-specific blades. These often have extra cutting edges that allow for more cuts before the clipping falls back into the grass. Keeping your blades sharp ensures you get the best coverage every time you mow.

If you're in the market for a new lawn mower, look for a 160cc or higher engine to provide the torque you need to maintain high blade speeds in thicker grass. Remember, you can always add covering blades, but it won't make up for an underpowered engine.

Pro tip: You'll get the best coverage if you only cut an inch or two from the top of the grass, so make sure to do your lawn maintenance well during peak mowing time.

Best Self-Propelled Lawn Mowers – More Priorities

Best RWD Self-Propelled Lawn Mower for the Mountains: YBravo Gen II 25-Inch Commercial Lawn Mower

After having issues with other commercial walk-behind mowers, we switched to the YBravo 25" Commercial Mower for a 3-acre wet field and our ZT just got bogged down in it. Its Kawasaki 180cc engine keeps the blade turning while others simply turn and stand still.

It's also great for clipping quality when you're out of the radio station swamp and want a more professional look. Available in 21-inch and 25-inch models we tested, the Ybravo deserves serious consideration.

If you have a Bad Boy dealer near you, look for the same model sold under the Bad Boy brand name.

Price: $1299.00 (25-inch model)

Best All-Wheel-Drive Self-Propelled Lawn Mower: Toro 22-Inch Personal Pace All-Wheel-Drive Lawn Mower 21472

An AWD lawn mower is the tool you need when working on slopes and uneven terrain where one or both wheels may lose traction. For the best all-wheel-drive self-propelled lawn mower, we like the Toro 21472 Personal Pace model.

Its 22-inch deck sits on the larger size of a standard mower, and it's easy to use once you get used to the Personal Pace system. If you're switching between mulching and bagging, the mower's lever system is pretty simple.

With plenty of power from its 163cc Briggs & Stratton engine, it didn't destroy the competition. That's because it performs so well and really delivers on innovation while keeping the price in check.

Price: $479.00

More self-propelled lawn mower recommendations

Not every lawn mower wins an award, but several other models we recommend didn't find a place earlier in this article. Check these options if one of them doesn't fit your needs.

• Echo 58V E-Force 21" Self-Propelled Lawn Mower – Buy at Acme Tools
• Greenworks 60V 21" Self-Propelled Lawn Mower – Buy at Tractor Supply
• HARt SuperCharge 40V 21" Self-Propelled Lawn Mower – Learn More
• Ryobi 40V HP Brushless Transverse AWD Lawn Mower – Buy at The Home Depot
• Skil PWRCore 40 20" Self-Propelled Lawn Mower – buy at Amazon

Best lawn mower buying guide – what we look for

gasoline and battery

When your highest priority is keeping purchase prices low and maintaining high power levels, natural gas power still wins. However, the OPE world is moving to battery power as battery and motor technology advances. It runs cleaner, quieter and requires less maintenance.

However, you'll have to look at premium models to get real gas power, and runtime can be a limiting factor. If something goes wrong, it's also unlikely that there's a service center near you that can get you back up and running quickly.

If your lawn is 1/4 acre or smaller, there are many battery-operated options to choose from. Once you get past that size, you need to consider how much battery you need, and once you get to 1/2 acre, the legal options really start to thin out. For larger lawns, the newer battery-operated zero-turn mowers are a reasonable choice.

Learn more about the comparison between gasoline and battery power in this article.

commercial and residential

Given that there are both commercial and residential professional workers, this might be more appropriately called "professionals vs homeowners". In any case, commercial lawn mowers are equipped with better components and commercial engines, resulting in machines that will last for years of intense daily use.

If you're a homeowner who mows about once a week, a good home lawn mower can still last you 5 or 10 years (or more) if you maintain it properly. It just uses components and an engine design that are better suited for occasional use.

Engine size and cutting power

If you're always getting the best cut and quality of cut isn't a top priority, an engine as small as 140cc might be fine.

Step up to the 160cc–180cc class for better performance when the grass is thicker and taller, or when you want to ensure excellent mulch, bagging and/or a clean cut. More power improves lift and is less likely to get stuck in thick patches.

When you're considering deck sizes over 22", you should start looking for an engine in the 180cc–200cc range (or higher) to make sure it can maintain high RPMs while cutting such a large range.

cutting quality

We look for three main components of cut quality: uniformity, coverage size, and bagging efficiency.

Uniformity is very simple. When we test, we look for blades of grass that haven't been cut, and signs that there isn't enough lift to clamp all blades of grass to the same level.

When mulching, the smaller the grass clippings the better, as they fall closer to the remaining grass roots. We also look to see if the mower is prone to marks and clumps.

For bagging, it's all about how much grass is collected, whether the chute tends to clog when we harvest, and how much grass gets put back into the ground.

noise level

One of the main advantages of a battery powered mower is the lower noise level compared to gas, but that doesn't mean a gas mower has to be a nuisance. We expect a higher level than battery-operated models, which is usually the case.

When we test noise levels, we take measurements from the operator's ear to get an idea of what someone using the mower should expect. Although some lawn mowers are quieter than others, we still recommend that you wear hearing protection when using a gas lawn mower.

fuel efficiency

How efficiently a gas lawn mower uses fuel can have a very direct impact on your wallet, especially if you mow grass every day as a professional.

Fuel efficiency testing is more than running time calculations. The mower's cutting belt comes into play, especially on those 25-inch and 30-inch models. For larger lawns, more cutting can be done per gallon with an engine that uses more gas per hour.

deck size

21 or 22 inches is the standard size for most mowers. Jumping up to a 25- or 30-inch mower might seem tempting, but it's not for everyone.

If your lawn is 1/4 acre or smaller, the time you gain with a larger deck may not translate to a lot of time saved. Where you really gain time is on a 1/2 acre or more of lawn.

Keep in mind that the larger the deck size, the heavier the mower will be. When you have to mow wet or damp areas, the weight can work against you.

Steel vs. Plastic (Poly) Deck

The vast majority of gas mowers have steel decks, while battery-operated models have a higher percentage of plastic polyester decks.

Those poly decks are stronger than they look, but they probably won't be as strong as steel in the long run. You're unlikely to wear it out before replacing your lawn mower, though.

However, poly decks bring a lot more design flexibility, and engineers can do some amazing things to help with airflow which directly affects cut quality as well as bagging and mulching efficiency.

deck height

In Florida we have a lot of St. Augustine grass that cuts at 3 1/2 inches, so we prefer mowers with a maximum deck height of at least 4 inches.

Depending on the grass species you have, you may be able to get away with a lower height, but 4 inches is a good all-round benchmark.

On the low end, most of us won't be cutting golf course greens (you'll be using a reel mower anyway), so minimum deck height is usually not an issue.

However, if you are using de-thatching or scalping blades for maintenance or reseeding, you may want to make sure the deck height is low enough—usually 1 1/2 inches or less.

set speed

The type of speed adjustment on your self-propelled lawn mower can make or break your experience. There are pull rods, thumb push rods, full push rods (Toro's Personal Pace), and their iterations.

Try it at a dealer before buying. If you hate using the mechanism for a few minutes, imagine how it will feel after 30 minutes or an hour.

Front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive?

Front-wheel drive lawn mowers are usually the cheapest and work well on flat terrain. They also help you turn in the easiest possible way, as you lift the drive wheels when turning.

Rear-wheel-drive lawn mowers add some cost, but produce better traction on hills. They're especially good at pushing the weight of the mower uphill because the front-wheel drive starts to lose traction as they try to pull the weight.

All-wheel-drive lawn mowers are the most expensive and generally work best on hills, slopes, and uneven terrain. This is best in particularly bumpy areas where one or more wheels may lose traction.

wheel size

According to the manufacturer, larger wheels tend to handle bumps and uneven terrain better than smaller wheels. However, Consumer Reports claims this is not the case.

electric start

If you've ever used a gas engine, chances are you've hurt your arm pulling the cord to start it. There is no doubt that an electric lawn mower can take a lot of worries away.

However, it won't make up for poor maintenance. A well-maintained mower starts easily on the first or second pull. This begs the question of whether electric start is worth the extra hundred bucks.

That's entirely up to you, but if it's in the budget, we want it.

Covers, bags or side/rear drains?

Most good lawn mowers are 3-in-1, which means you can bag, mulch, or side/rear discharge. Less expensive models usually only offer bagging and covering options. Which you choose depends on the type of grass you have, how quickly it grows, and your personal preference.

In Central Florida, St. Augustine, Zoysia, and Bahia dominate our landscape, and summer heat and rain cause our grass to grow surprisingly fast. Most of us mulch out of necessity, because we pretty much need a dumpster to hold the plethora of clippings we make.

handle position

Most mowers have 3 handle positions that can be set. For a tall person like me or someone of average height like Clint, it helps you find a more comfortable grip. Some mowers choose 2 handle positions, sometimes only 1 handle position.

value

Value is not just price. We determine the value of each lawn mower by comparing performance and features with price.

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