4 Best Self Propelled Lawn Mowers | 2022

If you’re looking for the best self propelled lawn mowers on the market, you’ve come to the right place. In this blog post, we will share with you our top 5 picks for the best self propelled lawn mowers of 2022 for residential lawns. If you are looking for a bigger machine that can handle larger acreage check out these articles on environmentally friendly electric zero turn lawn mowers and small ride on mowers and tractors.

Self-propelled lawnmowers

This machine appears as a push mower, but requires less manpower for operation. Self propelled lawn mowers use engine driven power to move the wheels—similar to the wheels of the automobile. This is to avoid having to push the mower on the lawn. Self propelled mowers generally cost $300 to $900.

Before you buy a self-propelled lawnmower

Buying a self-powered tractors mower may be a little more challenging today. Some factors you should consider to help you buy the right self propelled lawn mower: Are you looking at a battery powered lawn mower or is a gas powered self propelled lawn mower more your preference? Are front wheel drive mowers, rear wheel drive models or all wheel drive mowers important to your requirements? How much grass do you have? Do you have to deal with wet grass and/or areas with thick grass? Do you need to have grass clippings collected and mulched in one go? If this seems all too much, we have assembled a selection of our best mowers to suit a range of uses. We’ll talk about what makes these lawn mowers so great, and why we think they are worth your money.

Buyers Guide to Self-Powered Lawn Mowers

If you haven’t ever bought a lawnmower, it could be that your mower doesn’t have all the necessary functions. Let’s help. How do we choose an auto mower?

Selecting Your Features

When deciding whether you want to walk you must take into consideration two things in your decision—your budget and your comfort level. The more you spend on a lawnmower, the better the quality is. The reverse can be said. It’s less important with fewer, simpler yards. But the bigger the garden, the greater attention must be put on selecting mower features.

Commercial vs residential self propelled mowers

Commercial mowers are made from better and sturdier components. Similarly, commercial engines are engineered to endure longer hours of use. The most effective lawnmower can last five to 10 years if properly maintained. However, bear in mind commercial self propelled lawn mowers will come with a heftier price tag!

Front wheel vs rear wheel vs all wheel drive

The self-propelled mower has also different driving mechanisms. The drive unit determines how fast the mower moves. Each driving system makes mower handling different, and each has its benefits and disadvantages.

Front wheel drive (FWD):

The two wheels of the mower are carried in forward motion. It’s much simpler for the machine to maneuver around obstacles, although it isn’t good for mowing on an incline. FWDs are generally cheaper alternatives.

Rear wheel drive (RWD):

The back of the mower has two wheels that propel the mower forward. This unit can handle rough terrain that has steep slopes, bumps or ruts. The mowers are however quite difficult to handle in narrow spots.

All wheel drive (AWD):

As the term suggests, power is fed to all four wheels. AWD mowers can handle uneven terrain as it provides traction to both front and rear wheels.

Steel vs Plastic (Poly) Decking

Most gas mower decks have steel surfaces while battery powered self propelled mowers feature plastic poly decks. Those plastic decking materials are more sturdy than they appear, and they may be less durable than steel. Poly decking has many advantages as it offers much better air flow that has a direct impact on cutting quality and bagging and mulching efficiency.

Gas self propelled mowers vs battery powered mowers

Gas power will always win if your main aim is to keep your costs low and power levels high. However, electric lawn mowers are cleaner running and quieter require less maintenance than a gas self propelled mower. But the runtime is a limiting factor for battery powered mowers. It may also mean that you do not even have the services available near your house to help if you have problems. For lawns that are around half acre, there are many electric mowers available.

Deck height

It is recommended that you have a mower set with a cutting height of 4.5 inches. The minimum deck height generally does not matter unless you are mowing uneven terrain or an area that has overgrown and tall grass that may be littered with hard debris and rocks. In that case, it is best to start with the maximum cutting deck height to avoid damaging your blades.

Deck Size

Most residential self propelled lawn mowers come typically with a 20 to 24 inches cutting deck. Jumping on a 30 inch mower might seem appealing, but it won’t suit you if your lawn is irregular in shape and size. Generally speaking, the time that you save from larger decking isn’t worth the investment of more time spent maneuvering the heavier deck. When it comes to mowing wet and overgrown grass, the extra weight could be a disadvantage.

Engine size and cutting power

When cutting and mowing are not a high priority, a small 140 cc engine works well. Choosing the 160 cc–180 cc class will give better performance on thicker and taller grass. The higher power increases lift and reduces the risk of getting stuck in thick patches. If you look beyond 22 inch cutting deck, you can look at engine sizes in the range of 180 to 200 cc (or higher). When looking for a new mower try to find an engine that offers torque that keeps the blade speed up for thicker vegetation. Remember: You can always add mulch, but not replace the underpowered motors on your self propelled lawn mower.

Cut Quality

Cut quality is another important factor to consider with your lawn maintenance schedule. Look for uniformity and bagging volume of the grass clippings. Unevenness in cut is shown by grass blades whose edges have not been cut or indicate a lack of lift to clip the blade at the same height. Mulching efficiency will also improve by using a mulching-specific blade. These often contain additional cutting edges that cut the clipping fewer times before it is discharged. The smaller grass clippings will reduce the size and weight of mulch when it falls close to the base of the remaining grass. The mower can also leave trailing or clumped dirt in its tracks or debris. Bagging volume will depend on how much grass was collected or how much grass was deposited on the ground when the chutes started clogging up while the cut was made.

Noise levels

Hearing protection is still recommended when using gas mowers. Battery mowers have a higher noise level when used in the field than the conventional gas mowers, but they are less noisy.

Fuel efficiency

This is dependent on the price of gasoline, electricity, the size of lawn area and how often you mow your lawn. With increasing fuel prices, it may well be a toss up between gas and electric and not such a straight forward answer as to which type of self propelled lawn mower has better fuel efficiency!

Best Self Propelled Lawn Mower for Mulching: Honda HRX217HZU

Why We Love It: The Honda HRX217HZU is our top pick for the best self propelled lawn mower of 2022. This lawn mower is packed with features that make it a great choice for any gardener. Fitted with an auto choke, the electric rather than conventional recoil start makes it more attractive to the weekend gardener who just wants to get out there and mow the lawn, not fiddle with priming the engine.

This lawn mower features a 21-inch Nexite (R) polymer cutting deck that is perfect for medium to large sized yards. It offers precise 7 stage cutting range (1.9-10 cm), grass catcher (76 litres) and mulching capability that helps you to recycle your lawn clippings and fertilize your lawn at the same time. A powerful 201 cc Honda GCV200 engine running on unleaded 91 gasoline provides plenty of power to get the job done. Honda’s unique selling proposition is that it’s self propelled lawn mowers are fitted with a twin blade mowing system (MicroCut Twin Blades). Honda says it’s a four-in-one mower because of the Versamow system. You can mulch, mulch bags, shreds or discharge the material, but only from the back. MicroCut’s Twin Blade shreds grass much more finely than most competitor models, enabling more efficient removal of clippings. A knob located at a handle controls the drive of the rearwheel variable speed. The hydrostatic gearbox comes with cruise control and a maximum 6.4 km/h propulsion speed. Operator safety is built in by Honda with Blade Brake fitted into the HRX217HZU. Honda engines are known for reliability and here Honda offers 2 year domestic warranty on this premium domestic self propelled HRX217HZU model.

Best Rear Wheel Drive Lawn Mower: Toro 22 inch Personal Pace Spin-Stop Mower 20333

Why We Love It: The Toro 20333 comes with a powerful Briggs and Stratton EXi 163 cc engine with recoil starter. Don’t let the recoil starter put you off as Toro backs it with a 3 year Guaranteed-to-Start (GTS) promise that you don’t need to prime and choke.

If you need to walk away to clear obstacles in front of you, there is no need for restarts with Spin Stop (TM) Blade Stop feature kicking in. Toro have made the engine maintenance as minimal as possible-you just check the engine oil level and top up. Toro also recommends its own Toro All Season 4-Cycle Canned Fuel (ethanol free) for maximum performance. This rear wheel drive lawn mower is a great choice for those with smaller yards, as it features a 21 inch steel cutting deck with single blade. The cutting height is adjustable (2.5 – 10 cm) with mulch, collection bag and side discharge features as standard. Keeping this unit clean is a breeze, with Toro putting in a washout port also as standard. Additionally, the Toro 20333 is very lightweight (40.4 kg) and easy to maneuver, making it a great choice for those who have limited mobility. Toro backs the Toro 20333 with a 2 year warranty.

Best Budget Gas Self Propelled Lawn Mower: Craftsman M215

Why We Love It: The Craftsman M215 with bagger is our budget pick for the best self propelled lawn mower of 2022. This lawn mower is a great choice for those on a tight budget and a small yard, as it features a very affordable price tag. It is a three-in-one (ie three function mower) with a 21 inch cutting deck that is very easy to operate, making it a great choice for those who are new to using self propelled lawn mowers. It comes with 6 cutting heights. You can select side discharge, rear discharge or mulch.

And finally, the Craftsman M215 comes with a powerful 159 cc OHV engine that provides plenty of power to get the job done. This front wheel drive unit is a recoil starter with autochoke. Craftsman offers a 2 year warranty on the Craftsman M215.

Best Battery Powered Self Propelled Lawn Mower: Greenworks Pro 21 inch 80V Cordless

Greenworks Pro 21 inch cordless electric lawn mower is powered by an 80 volt Lithium ion battery (5.0 Ah) with a run time of 60 minutes that can tackle up to 1 acre of lawn. A push button start makes for simple operation and being battery powered means no gas smells, no wrestling with recoil pull cords or dealing with spark plugs and maintenance.

It is whisper quiet, produces zero emission each and every time you use this environmentally friendly self propelled lawn mower. This rear wheel drive 3-in-1 machine comes with a heavy duty steel 21 inch cutting deck and 7 level height adjustments (3-9 cm). It gives you the option to mulch or bag or just side discharge your grass clippings. Smart Cut Technology (TM) uses sensors to auto adjust the TRUBRUSHLESS (TM) motor which sends the right amount of power to the mower blades to make easy work of even cutting grass that is tall, thick or wet. This brushless motor uses less battery power, produces less heat but more torque making it overall a more efficient self propelled lawn mower. A bonus feature is the EZ Fold (TM) handles is a space saver that is ideal if you have a small shed or garage. Greenworks Pro 21 inch comes with a 4 year tool limited warranty and grass collection bag.

Conclusion

Self propelled lawn mowers make yard work much easier, and they are available in a variety of price ranges and styles to fit your needs. We’ve highlighted some of the best models on the market for 2022, so you can find the perfect one for your home. Whether you’re looking for a budget-friendly option or something more high-end, we’ve got you covered. Plus, most self propelled lawn mowers come with warranties, so you can rest assured that you’re making a sound investment. Happy mowing! best self propelled lawn mowers for the money, best self propelled lawn mower for hills, best rated self propelled lawn mower, best value self propelled lawn mower, best gas self propelled lawn mower 2022, best electric self propelled lawnmower, best battery powered self propelled lawnmower