The Best Self-Propelled Lawn Mowers That Save You Time And Energy
Mowing the lawn will always be a chore, but there are certain machines like a self-propelled lawn mower that can make the process easier on you. The best self-propelled lawn mowers cruise around your yard with minimal effort on your end, while creating a professional-grade cut you can be proud of. Our top pick is the Craftsman Self-Propelled Gas Lawn Mower for its moderate price tag and comfortable speed, but there are other great mowers that made our list, too.
The PowerSmart Self Propelled Gas Lawn Mower features a four-stroke engine and rear wheel drive to. [] help you navigate up and down hills without much effort on your part.
While a self-propelled lawn mower looks like a push mower, it’s distinctly different. Unlike a push mower, a self-propelled mower powers itself forward while you simply do the steering. These are a great option for “anyone who values their time and energy,” says Noah James, owner of Liberty Lawn Maintenance, a lawn maintenance company based in Surrey, Canada.
Self-propelled mowers also tend to be a little more rugged than push mowers and are better able to navigate hills and uneven lawns. “These mowers are designed to handle the toughest terrain, meaning that they can make short work of even the most challenging lawns,” says Tom Monson, owner of Monson Lawn Landscaping, a lawn care company based in St. Paul, Minnesota.
To find the right self-propelled lawn mower for you, experts say it’s important to consider elements like cutting width, your yard size, the power source you prefer and, naturally, your budget. With that in mind, these are the best self-propelled lawn mowers on the market to make mowing day a little easier on you. (While you’re at it, consider our lists of the best lawn mowers and best riding lawn mowers.)
Best Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Overall
Craftsman Self-Propelled Gas Lawn Mower
Cutting width: 21 inches | Power source: Gas | Weight: 73 pounds | Run time: Unspecified | Cutting options: Side discharge, rear discharge, mulching | Yard size: 1 acre
This Craftsman mower has a powerful 150cc Briggs and Stratton engine to help power through yards up to an acre—an impressive span for a machine that’s under 450. The 21-inch deck covers a solid amount of ground as it works, while 3-in-1 capabilities give you the options to side discharge, mulch or bag your grass clippings. Enjoy six height adjustments, ranging from 1.25 to 3.75 inches to get that just-right cut. Front wheel drive helps move this machine along at a comfortable pace. Keep in mind that this Craftman can easily handle uneven terrain, so you don’t need to stress about bumps and lumps in your yard.
Best Self-Propelled Electric Lawn Mower
Kobalt Self-Propelled Cordless Lawn Mower
Cutting width: 21 inches | Power source: Electric | Weight: 80 pounds | Run time: 80 minutes | Cutting options: Side discharge, mulching, bagging | Yard size: 1 acre
Kobalt’s 80-Volt Max is a powerhouse as far as electric self-propelled lawn mowers go. This machine can cut lawns up to an acre in size with an impressive 80-minute runtime. Startup is simple: Just push a button and get to work. The mower comes with two batteries and automatically switches to the second when the first runs out of juice, allowing you to keep working seamlessly. A single-lever, seven-position height adjustment lets you go from 1 3/8- to 4 1/8-inch cuts. There are even LED headlights in case you need to mow in dim conditions. This mower is designed to tackle both flat and hilly yards. Once the job is done, fold the handles down for space-saving storage.
Best Self-Propelled Battery Lawn Mower
Ryobi Brushless Cordless Electric Battery Walk Behind Self-Propelled Mower
Cutting width: 20 inches | Power source: Battery | Weight: 44 pounds | Run time: 42 minutes | Cutting options: Mulching, bagging, side discharge | Yard size: 1/2 acre
This Ryobi model is packed with features you want in a battery-powered mower. For starters, it’s lightweight, making it simple to steer around your lawn. It also offers an impressive seven height options, ranging from 1.5 to 4 inches, along with a 20-inch cutting width to tackle plenty of yardage in one pass. The mower allows for mulching, bagging and side discharge—your choice—and can go for up to 42 minutes before needing a recharge. Once the work is done, the mower folds up and can be stored vertically to save space.
Best Self-Propelled Cordless Lawn Mower
Green Machine Brushless Electric Cordless Battery Self-Propelled Lawn Mower
Cutting width: 22 inches | Power source: Battery | Weight: 76 pounds | Run time: 45 minutes | Cutting options: Mulching, bagging, side discharge | Yard size: 1/2 acre
The Green Machine provides up to 62-volts of power to help you mow for up to 45 minutes before needing a recharge. Even then, juicing up is fast—the mower’s battery is ready to go again in 75 minutes. The mower’s 22-inch cutting deck is slightly larger than average to help you get the job done faster. Flip between six cutting heights (ranging from 1.25 to 3.75 inches) and mulch, bag or side discharge your clippings. High rear wheels give you added traction, while variable speed lets you set the pace. The mower offers vertical storage to help you save on garage or shed space.
Buying a Self-Propelled Lawn Mower
Self-propelled lawn mowers are essentially push mowers with a drive system that adds forward momentum. While they can dramatically reduce the effort of mowing a lawn, they come with some trade-offs. Self-propelled mowers are heavier and more expensive than a standard push mower, and their additional parts mean more potential mechanical failures and maintenance costs.
Here are some factors to consider when shopping for a self-propelled lawn mower:
Toro self propelled lawn mower
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Toro 21” 60V Battery Personal Pace Super Recycler lawn mower review – It’s deja vu, all over again
REVIEW – A few years ago, I bought—and really liked—the TORO Super-Recycler gas mower. Then I killed it. In a move too stupid to admit in public, I neglected to check the oil after a year of use. One day as I was pulling the string, it seized—never to start again. I had to revert to an older mower I despised. It was smelly, loud, and not fun to use. Then Toro came out with a 21” 60V Battery Personal Pace Super Recycler lawn mower that even I couldn’t screw up.
The Toro 21” 60V Battery Personal Pace Super Recycler lawn mower is the newest mower in Toro’s growing array of battery-powered mowers. It is designed much like the gas version, but with an electric battery-powered motor.
It uses what Toro calls Personal Pace Auto-Drive self-propel technology. The speed of Personal Pace is dependent on how fast you walk (up to 4mph) while mowing. The handle slides forward as you walk. It’s an ingenious system that’s been included on gas Super Recycler mowers for years. I love it. There is no jerky movement as the mower ramps up to speed. It works smoothly as you begin to walk faster.
The 60V Super Recycler lawn mower has a cast aluminum deck that’s a bit heavy, but solid and rust-free. Toro has what they call Vortex that creates high-speed rotation under the deck, reducing grass clippings to smaller pieces for improved fertilization. If you choose to bag clippings, Vortex’s smaller clippings make bagging less frequent. Even so, I never bag clippings. My yard needs all the help it can get.
Note that the Toro has SmartStow. Its handle folds over the motor and the mower can stand up vertically taking up much less room in a garage—and since it’s battery-powered, there’s no gas to leak out!
The battery that comes with the mower is interchangeable with all other electric Toro yard tools. The more Toro tools you have, the more Toro batteries you can swap around. The 7.5 ah 60V battery that comes with the mower is heavy but packs some serious power.
It will last for 50 minutes—enough battery life for standard suburban lawns. My backyard is over an acre, so the Toro battery will not cut the entire yard on a single charge. Toro includes a 2 amp charger for the battery.
Before we get into the review, let’s go over some gas vs. battery info.
For today’s homeowners, battery-powered lawn mowers are every bit as powerful as gas versions with many advantages. There’s no gas to buy, no exhaust fumes, no carburetor, much less noise, and no oil to check (yea!). Plus, the battery provides full power up until the time it needs recharging.
There are also some real disadvantages to battery-powered lawn mowers. Batteries will only go so far before needing to be recharged—which can easily take an hour or more to charge. If your property has more than a half-acre, you will need to either recharge before finishing or have an extra battery on hand—an expensive proposition.
Also, choose a brand wisely if you decide to go electric with yard tools. Once you buy a tool, you are locked into that brand’s ecosystem. All yard tool batteries are proprietary. This means that while you can swap batteries among tools (a great feature), they will only fit that brand of tools. If you have one brand of mower and another brand of trimmer, you cannot trade batteries because they have a completely different designs. However, all gas tools use the same gas. In a perfect world, all brands would use the same battery design (like AA batteries), but we all know that will never happen.
Despite all the negatives of battery power vs. gas, I have completely transitioned my tools to battery. Now that battery tools match the power of gas, I will never look back. I dislike the hassles of gasoline engine maintenance that much.
Toro has done a good job making an electric version of their Super Recycler. It has a sports car-like design that looks cool as you mow. It even has high-powered headlights that will actually let you see at night as you mow. I don’t use this feature, because, in humid Florida, the night is when the bugs really come out.
There’s not much to set up with the mower. A couple of knobs have to be unscrewed so the handle can be placed on some bolts. Once the knobs are screwed back into place the handle is good to go. One negative with the Toro is that the wiring is exposed. Some mowers have the wiring in a conduit strapped the handle. The exposed wiring is more vulnerable and looks cheap.
The start button fits on the left side of the handle. It requires a separate “key” that fits over the hole. This key is required to start the mower. Lose it and you’re out of luck. A few other mowers have this key setup, but I don’t understand the logic behind it.
Another thing I don’t understand is adjusting mower height. Each wheel is independently adjusted—exactly the same method as with my older gas Toro. It’s 2022. Toro needs to adopt a single lever height adjustment feature so many other mowers have. Adjusting each wheel is a pain—especially if you need different heights in your yard.
Another thing I’ve come across is that at a lower deck height, the ground-level protective flap at the back rear of the mower will pull under when backing up but won’t reset itself when I proceed forward. It sometimes remains tucked under the deck which creates a drag on the mower. Usually, it will eventually right itself, but should do so quicker.
The Toro comes with a large rear bag for catching clippings. I don’t use a bag unless I have a neglected area where grass has been overgrown. I will need to bag later in the year when the back part of my yard dries out. Currently, it is under 3 inches of water from all the rain we’ve gotten overfilling an adjoining lake. It happens. Removing, emptying, and re-attaching the bag is easy to do. What’s not easy is removing the mulching plug when the bag is used. Unless you’re bagging, the plug must be in place at all times.
Starting the Toro 21” 60V Battery Personal Pace Super Recycler lawn mower is as easy as pulling the bar back to the handle, pressing the key, and walking. No string-pulling! As I said earlier, the Personal Pace self-propelled system works as fast as you do. It is by far, the best self-propelled method on the market. It must be patented because no one else does it this way.
My motes-Operandi for mowing is to wear earplugs and get lost in an audiobook while mindlessly walking back and forth. The Toro is about half the volume of a gas mower, so my earphone volume can be set lower. It’s also possible to carry on a conversation without yelling while mowing. And because of the lower motor noise, you can cut earlier in the morning without waking the neighbors.
One unsung feature of the Toro is the ability to immediately back up without the wheels locking. When you come to a stop with some self-propelled mowers, the wheels stay in forward mode for a couple of seconds, making it hard to back up or turn without the drive wheels digging into the grass. The Toro Personal Pace system frees the wheels immediately after stopping, so reversing can be done without any delay.
The new Toro 21” 60V Battery Personal Pace Super Recycler lawn mower has all the cool features I loved about the gas version I owned a few years ago. If I hadn’t stupidly killed it, it would probably still be happily mowing today. This is a solid mower that’s built well and a breeze to use—not counting the individual wheel adjustments. As I said, the Personal Pace system is the best … period. when you add in the stealth look, powerful battery, and the motor’s auto mode, you have a mower that can make mowing—dare I say—pleasant. It is deja vu, all over again!
Price: 749.00 Where to buy: Home Depot Source: The sample of this product was provided by Toro.
Nice Mower
I’ve had this lawnmower for a few years, and I have to say it still works like a champ. I like that it’s self propelled, and that it mulches. I have 2 huge trees in the front of my yard and 2 big trees in the back. Needless to say, I get a lot of leaves just from my trees; not to mention the neighbors leaves on a windy day. This mower has saved me from raking and bagging (the minimum) 50 bags worth of leaves during the fall/winter season. For the spring/summer I like the adjustments to keep a nice short lawn.
Good one
I mow my lawn sometimes and I really dislike starting it but i guess that goes for every lawn mower. The pull cord is very long and I’m a petite woman so I have to be in a horse stance to be able to start the engine. It cuts grass well but it’s hard to maneuver. Straight lines are great! But I guess all this work is good for my biceps 🙂 We had this for a few years and quite satisfied with it
I had a bag mower for years but then learned that leaving the leaves on my lawn is actually way better for it, especially during the winter months. It helps with water conservation and protects the dormant grass. That had me sold. less annoying bagging and less trash in the landfills. After taking a local city composting class, I invested in the Toro Recycler 22-inch 190cc 3-in-1 Self-Propelled Lawn Mower. I have never regretted my decision. This mower is easy to walk behind and has just the right amount of engine power without being a gas-guzzler. It mulches the leaves evenly and thoroughly. Performance Mulches the leaves to the perfect size to protect and nourish my lawn Handling Easy to turn and maneuver even on my sloping yard. Durability No issues thus far Safety Everything that is potentially dangerous is covered Ease of Use Easy to use and maneuver Engine Power Great! I actually prefer a walk-behind mower, but having a self-propelled is nice as well.
Durable and easy to use
This is probably one of the best mowers I’ve ever used. It is easy to maneuver and has a nice zip to it. You don’t get tired pushing it around and rarely have to force it over anything. I like that it is gas powered because you don’t have to worry about pesky cords and it is easy to tell how much “life” you have before you need to refill it. It gives the grass a nice even cut and does it with ease. It also doesn’t leave clumps like some mowers do. I highly recommend it. Performance Fantastic overall performance. Cuts well. Handling The handling is fantastic. Takes turns well, moves easily and is easy to push along. Durability This mower holds up extremely well. Safety The dangerous parts are well covered and since it is easy to control, you feel safe using it. The only down side in regards to safety is the gas and that is more about the storage than the actual use. Ease of Use This mower is extremely easy to get started and use. One of the easiest to push and use out there. Engine Power For a smaller model, this packs a lot of power and really zips along.
Highly recommended in Consumer Reports, we found it online. With simple assembly it has worked perfectly for many years. It turns the grass into fine mulch. It is easy to use, requires some 2 cycle oil to maintain. By shopping online it is easier to compare prices
Decent, gets a little heavy.
This is a pretty good self-propelled lawn mower. It is a bit heavy, so if you have a large yard, it might be worth getting something smaller or a riding lawn mower. I love the bagger, but this also adds to the weight issue. However, it’s worth it to just empty it more often to keep from having to rake all the cut grass off the lawn. Performance I think this mower performs fine. It has a large enough cutting radius to be really effective, and the settings for blade height are good too. Handling Handling is pretty good. Because of the weight issue, it can be hard to get into and out of tight spaces easily. Durability I’ve had this mower for a few years and have never had any issues with it at all. It’s worked well without any problems with fairly heavy use. Safety The bag is easy to change without having to access the blade area at all, and the safety stops work well. Ease of Use I find the bag to be easy to get off and then back on (this can be a huge problem with some mowers), and the mower starts easily enough. Engine Power The engine power works fine for me. It doesn’t have a problem propelling itself up a minor hill in my yard, although a steeper hill does require more pushing.
I just moved into a single-family home recently where I need to cut my own lawn. Because I had lived in a townhouse community before, I don’t really have any experience with lawn-care techniques and using a lawn mover. The Toro Recycler 22 inch 190cc 3-in-1 Self-Propelled Lawn Mower was a great addition to my lawn-cutting machinery, and served me well. It’s easy to use, and the instruction manual that it came with is particularly helpful. I have a rather small-frame, yet it the lawn mover is still versatile enough for me to maneuver around using very little energy. It cuts the grass on one go, which made me happy, because I didn’t have to go over the lawn multiple times. It wasn’t too loud either. The lawn mower was pretty easy to use and felt safe, and there were no moving parts that got dangerously close to me while I was cutting the lawn. Overall, the performance is incredible and I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a lawn mower that is efficient and easy to use, even for someone who isn’t used to regularly cutting lawns.
pretty good product
I have previously purchased and used this Toro Recycler 22 inch 190cc 3 in 1 Self Propelled Lawn Mower and found that I really did like this product. Being a female and all I have found a lot of lawn mowers that were really hard to maneuver but not this one. This Toro Lawn Mower worked wonderfully for me. First of all it is self propelled so I did not have to use a lot of pushing power. It kind of glided along really easily and smoothly. This lawn mower did a wonderful job cutting my grass and left it very evenly cut and not so low that it looked completely bare. I like using the bag because it makes it easier for me to dump the leaves and grass. This lawn mower also is very reasonably priced and lasted me a very long time. I can definitely say that I got my moneys worth with this product. I found it was pretty safe also to use. It runs on gas and it is very easy to start. I never have to fight to start it. I would recommend this product to all of my friends and family to try.
We had heard that this was a really good lawn mower so we were excited to receive one as a hand-me-down when we moved into a house with a half acre lawn. We mowed our lawn twice with it and every time after that something would go wrong that we would need to fix. We took it into the shop to get looked at it and we were told it was fixed, but it always had problems starting after that. When it did work the self-propel didn’t work very well and it was really heavy! The handle also vibrated a lot holding the propel lever down and hurt our hands to the point of blisters sometimes. My husband always had to start it since I wasn’t strong enough, although I’ve started every other mower just fine! We finally went and bought another lawn mower because this one just didn’t get the job done! It was very disappointing since the lawn mower was only a year old with light use when it was given to us. it should have lasted a lot longer than that and it was just a nuisance!
Toro Variable Speed Self-Propelled Gas Lawn Mower, 22-Inch
DWYM is your trusted product review source. Along with our in-house experts, our team analyzes thousands of product reviews from the most trusted websites. We then create one easy-to-understand review. Learn more.
We looked at the top Self Propelled Lawn Mowers and dug through the reviews from some of the most popular review sites. Through this analysis, we’ve determined the best Self Propelled Lawn Mower you should buy.
Update as March 9, 2023:Checkout The Best Self-Propelled Lawn Mower for a detailed review of all the top self propelled lawn mowers.
Overall Take
This innovative lawn mower is ideal for curved lawns or trimming around curved garden beds. It has nine cutting positions so you can manicure your lawn to your exact specifications. The wash-out port makes it easy to clean the inside of the mower.
In our analysis of 120 expert reviews, the Toro Variable Speed Self-Propelled Gas Lawn Mower, 22-Inch placed 8th when we looked at the top 25 products in the category. For the full ranking, see below.
From The Manufacturer
The Toro Recycler 22 in. KOHLER Self-Propelled Gas Lawn Mower features variable-speed functionality and front wheel drive with a KOHLER engine (CARB compliant). This design is great for homeowners seeking a lawn mower with a high-quality, user-friendly design and excellent mulching capability. Toro products are known for Smart features and proven dependability you can count on. Recycler cutting system with front throw chamber and Atomic blade lift – suspend and re-cut clippings into a fine mulch for a healthy, lush lawn 22 in. steel deck with atomic blade KOHLER 6.75 ft. lb. gross torque 149cc OHV engine with auto choke provides great power and easy starting; CARB compliant Variable-speed front wheel drive provides better maneuverability and makes mowing in tight spaces easier 3-in-1: mulch, side discharge or bag Quick connect bagging system Washout port – attach a hose to the mower deck to easily clean the underside of the deck 9 cutting positions with 1-4 in. cutting height range to manicure the lawn to your specifications
Expert Reviews
What experts didn’t like
Skil Fast Charging Variable Speed Self-Propelled Lawn Mower, 20-Inch
Makita Long-Lasting Adjustable Height Self-Propelled Lawn Mower, 21-Inch
Greenworks PRO 80V Battery Powered Self-Propelled Lawn Mower, 21-Inch
Craftsman M215 Dual Lever Self-Propelled Lawn Mower, 21-Inch
PowerSmart Adjustable Cutting Depth Self-Propelled Lawn Mower, 22-Inch
EGO Power LM2142SP Brushless Self-Propelled Lawn Mower, 21-Inch
Honda Adjustable Handle Self-Propelled Lawn Mower, 21-Inch
Toro Variable Speed Self-Propelled Gas Lawn Mower, 22-Inch
Honda Variable Speed Self-Propelled Lawn Mower, 21-Inch
Snapper XD 82V MAX Cordless Electric Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Kit, 21-Inch
EGO Power LM2020SP Electric Self Propelled Lawn Mower, 20-Inch
Troy-Bilt Fast Turns Self-Propelled Lawn Mower, 21-Inch
Troy-Bilt Single Speed Self-Propelled Gas Lawn Mower, 21-Inch
Remington Explorer Self Propelled Lawn Mower
Yard Machines Multiple Settings Self-Propelled Gas Lawn Mower, 21-Inch
Lawn-Boy 17732 Rear Wheel Drive Self Propelled Lawn Mower, 21-Inch
Husqvarna Self Propelled Lawn Mower
Greenworks Long-Lasting Self-Propelled Lawn Mower, 20-Inch
Worx Intellicut Dual Port Self-Propelled Lawn Mower, 14-Inch
An Overview On Self Propelled Lawn Mowers
A well-kept lawn is a thing of beauty. Not only is it nice to look at, having perfectly mowed grass makes it more enjoyable to have fun out in your yard. However, if you have a sizable grassy area or just don’t enjoy sweating while pushing a manual lawn mower along, then a self-propelled lawn mower may be a good choice for you.
Walk-behind push-mowers are powered by your strength, where you move them by pushing them over the grass you want you cut. A self-propelled lawnmower takes most of the manual labor out of mowing your yard because it is powered by a transmission. Typically, this kind of lawnmower runs on gas, though there are some that are cordless electric models as well. You can find self-propelled lawn mowers that come with variable speeds, which the operator controls in order to move the mower forward. For most people, a single-speed mower will do the trick. If different people with unique walking speeds will be using it, then you may need a variable speed mower. Instead of having to push the lawnmower, though, you only have to walk behind the mower and steer it where you want to go.
Self-propelled lawn mowers that are front-wheel drive provide more dexterity when it comes to turning and maneuvering. This kind of mower is perfect for those who have flat lawns. On the other hand, if you have a sloped lawn, then a rear-wheel drive lawn mower is a better choice. These offer better traction on curved land.
The biggest benefit of self-propelled lawn mowers is the time and energy you save. You can get the job done much faster without exerting a lot of effort. If you have thick grass, you don’t have to worry about pushing your lawnmower through it because the gadget will power through on its own. If you have a slope, your mower should be able to propel itself along the incline as well.
With a powerful machine like a self-propelled lawnmower, safety is a key concern for many shoppers. Keep in mind that many mowers come with a built-in safety feature where the mower only starts and runs if the operator squeezes a bar on the handle. If they let the bar go, then the mower stops. This way, if you slip and fall on the ground, you won’t be near spinning blades. You also don’t need to fiddle with complicated on/off switches or dials as the blades shut off automatically.
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