The physical activity is as important as eating healthy food for a healthy life. Therefore, we suggest using lawn mowers that require a little bit of physical exertion or human effort.
Medical doctors recommend physical activities for good health and longevity. Some people are advised to exercise only up to a certain level for their medical conditions. For such people, lawn mowing can be too vigorous, tough and dangerous.
Suppose if you are an old person with inadequate physical health or you have some medical conditions which doesn’t allow you to use too much of your force or energy. Even if you are healthy and living a happy-clappy life. You have a large yard or multiple properties and you don’t find enough time to mow. What type of lawn mower would you like to buy?
Of course, the one that will reduce your physical efforts and will save some time.
We have found some great lawn mowers to help you find the best self-propelled lawn mower. No matter what size your lawn is, no matter how old you are, no matter if you have ever bought a lawn mower before or not, keep reading the article, you will be able to figure what will best suit your need.
Best Self Propelled Lawn Mowers Reviews
| Self Propelled Lawn Mowers [Comparison] | ||
|---|---|---|
 | Editor's ChoiceHonda HRR216K9VKA Self Propelled Lawn Mower
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 | Honda HRX217K5VKA 187cc Self Propelled Lawn Mower
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 | Craftsman M215 159cc Self Propelled Lawn Mower
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 | Snapper CP215520HV/7800849 Self Propelled Lawn Mower
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 | Lawn-Boy 17734 21-Inch 6.5 Gross Torque Self Propelled Lawn Mower
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 | oneinmil Self Propelled Lawn Mower
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 | Troy-Bilt 12AVA2MR766 21 in. Self-Propelled
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 | PowerSmart DB2321S Lawn Mower
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 | Honda 662300 Lawn Mower
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 | Husqvarna 22 Lawn Mower
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 | Lawn-Boy 17732 Lawn Mower
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 | PowerSmart DB8620 20 inch 3-in-1 Lawn Mower
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 | PowerSmart DB2322S Lawn Mower
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Gas Powered
1. Honda HRR216K9VKA
Engine: Honda GCV160 engine is a quiet, lightweight yet powerful engine. This is enough to help this mower propel as well as perform all of its functions well.
Speed: It runs at a maximum speed of 4 miles per hour which means it will get the job done as quickly as possible.
Cutting Deck: The cutting width of this mower is 21 inches which makes it suitable for mid-sized and large yards. The deck is made of 12 gauge steel which makes it’s durable for years.
Cutting height: Cutting height can be adjusted to 6 positions and the height can be adjusted from 1-1/8 inches to 4 inches.
SmartDrive System: This system enables the mower to work with variable speed. This system ensures that you will not be running after your mower but you can change the speed during operation.
Rear discharge, bag or mulch: This mower is a 3-in-1 unit. The grass can be discharged from the back of the mower or you can attach the bagging to collect grass clippings into that. Not only this, but you can also turn on the mulching feature and it will cut down the grass clippings into too small pieces to be used as a fertilizer.
Opinion:
This unit is compliant with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB). Although, it is a gas-powered lawn mower it is legally allowed to be used in 50 states especially California where most of the gas mowers are not allowed.
This model comes with greater quality and quantity of features. The best is the self-propulsion feature which makes this mower to move forward without having you pushing it around.
2. Honda HRX217K5VKA 187cc
Engine: The engine housed in this machine is 187CC which is almost 6 horsepower energy. The engine is strong enough to supply power for all functions as well as to maintain a speed of 4 miles per hour.
Cutting Deck: Honda offers a lifetime warranty for the deck only which affirms that the deck is extremely reliable. It delivers 21 inches of cutting width which makes it appropriate for larger yards as well.
Cutting height: The cutting height ranges from 0.75 inches to 4 inches and it can be adjusted up to 7 different positions whichever best suit your requirement.
Handle: Just to make sure that people with different heights can experience the ease of use while using this lawn mower, Honda has incorporated adjustment feature with the handle. This feature allows you to adjust the handle to 3 different positions.
Bag, Mulch, Leaf shred and Discharge: It is a 4-in-1 machine that will discharge the grass clippings like any other mower. If you would like to bag the clippings for easy disposal, you do have the bagging option available.
This mower also has a mulching feature but it works quite differently. Mulching your grass clippings may look messy sometimes but the use of Versamow technology in this mower allows you to choose how much grass mower needs to bag and how much should be mulched.
This mower can also be used as a leaf shredder. You get all of these features in one unit.
Opinion:
This is a powerful mower packed with features and functions. It is a four-in-one unit which means it will do more than half of your work in your home garden.
It is comparatively an expensive unit but the price is actually nothing when compared to its performance and reliability.
3. Craftsman M215 159cc
Engine: Craftsman M215 comes with a 159CC engine which is not just powerful but a reliable source of power when you are mowing on a hilly yard. More the power, more it will be able to propel easily and get the job done. There is no need for primer and choking, it comes with an auto choke.
Cutting Deck: The cutting width is 21 inches which means cutting down more grass in each pass. The deck is adjustable to 6 different positions to provide a range of cutting height.
Front-Wheel Drive: It is a front-wheel-drive mower which makes it more maneuverable and easy to handle.
Variable Speed: It is a self-propelled lawn mower and which comes with a variable speed. Variable speed ensures your comfort while walking behind the mower at your ease.
Height Adjustment: You will be able to adjust the cutting height to 6 different positions with a dual-level which allows you to adjust the cutting height for both front and rear wheels accordingly.
Wheels: The wheels are bar treaded to ensure better traction. The front wheels are 7 inches high and the rear wheels are 11 inches high to make sure that this mower will be able to face uneven terrains easily.
Opinion:
This mower is built to face all the challenges. It is sturdy, strong and well-built to mow a mid-sized or a large yard. The height adjustment feature and the height of wheels make it suitable for uneven terrains as well.
It is one of the perfect gas-powered self-propelled lawn mowers which will add not only the comfort to lawn mowing but will also make it fun.
Perfect for Hills
4. Snapper CP215520HV/7800849
Engine: This lawn mower is equipped with a Honda GXV 160 OHV engine which is a powerful engine and generates 163CC power. It makes this machine capable of performing well on rough terrains.
Rear Wheel Drive: Our previous model was a front-wheel-drive mower which is not that good for hilly yards. This lawn mower comes with a rear-wheel-drive feature that works great for hilly yards.
Cutting Deck: Snapper has incorporated a Hi-VAC Deck in this machine which has special vacuum feature to suck the grass so it can stand tall before the spinning blades. This technology delivers a clean and even cut. The deck is made of 14 gauge steel to make it last longer.
Cutting Height: The cutting height can be adjusted from 1.25 inches to 4 inches. There are 7 different height adjustments available so that you can adjust the cutting height as per your requirements.
Opinion:
This lawn mower is powerful and efficient. Therefore, it qualifies to work on hilly yards. It is reliable and durable.
We are recommending this self-propelled lawn mower for hills because this mower comes with rear-wheel drive transmission. These mowers are easy to handle and provide better traction when mowing on slopes.
All in all, it is good for hilly yards and will be suitable for mid-sized yards.
With Electric Start
5. Lawn-Boy 17734 21-Inch 6.5 Gross Torque
Engine: The engine supplies 149CC power with 6.5 gross torque making this machine too efficient for the job. It employs Kohler’s XTX OHV engine possesses commercial-grade features to deliver high-end performance and design of the engine to ensure user-friendly maintenance.
Cutting Deck: The deck is 21 inches wide which is good for mid-sized and large yards.
Cutting height: It comes with a cutting height range of 1.25 inches to 3.75 inches with 2 point of height cut system which makes adjustment of cutting height more convenient.
Tru-Start Commitment: Lawn-Boy commits that the mower will start in 1 or 2 pulls otherwise lawn-boy will be responsible to fix the issue. This commitment is only for the first three years of the purchase.
Bagging, discharge, and mulching: It comes with a side discharge feature. Also, you can use the bagging feature to bag the grass clippings. It has a large bagging attachment to make sure you won’t have to empty the bag too often.
The mulching feature is always great for the health of your lawn. It turns the grass clippings to a healthy fertilizer by returning the grass clippings into the soil.
Opinion:
This lawn mower is great among electric start gas-powered lawn mowers. This is a 3-in-1 lawn mower and it comes with a great power to mow mid-sized and large yards.
The purchase won’t cost you a lot of money and it will perform more than what you will pay for.
6. oneinmil Self Propelled Lawn Mower
Engine: This mower comes with a 173.9cc gas-powered engine. The engine is heavily built to support the self-propulsion feature and the other tasks. An electric start option is incorporated in this machine to help start the engine at the push of a button.
Cutting Deck: The 21 inches wide cutting deck is wide enough to cut enough grass in one pass. The deck is made of steel which ensures the reliability of the product.
Cutting height: This lawn mower comes with a cutting height range of 0.89 inches to 2.95 inches. The cutting height can be adjusted to 8 different positions and will make it useful for all types of terrains.
Rear-wheel drive: This product also comes with a rear-wheel-drive system that provides excellent traction. The rear-wheel-drive system is accompanied by the variable speed which improves maneuverability when mowing in tight spaces and corners.
Bag, discharge, and Mulch: It is a 4-in-1 unit with rear and side discharge options. It will also collect grass clippings in a bag if you prefer to. Otherwise, it will mulch the grass clipping to return them to the soil for extra nutrients.
Opinion:
This self-propelled mower is manufactured in China. Unlike other gas-powered mowers, it makes comparatively low noise. The self-propelled feature will even work well on rough terrains and slopes.
It is a standard size lawn mower for a standard size lawn with a wide cutting deck. It will reduce the time you spend mowing and will add more comfort with its self-propulsion feature that works great.
Priced Under $500
7. Troy-Bilt 12AVA2MR766 21 in. Self-Propelled 3-in-1 Front Wheel Drive Mower with 159cc OHV Engine
Engine: It has 159CC OHV engines which are not only for higher torque but for quieter operation and for longer engine life. These engines are fuel-efficient and require less maintenance.
Cutting deck: The cutting deck delivers 21 inches cutting width. The TriAction cutting system is a wonderful feature including a rake bumper that lifts grass upright to provide a fine cut eliminating grass clumping. The deck is made of reliable steel to last longer.
Deck Wash Adaptor: It is used when you want to wash the underside of the deck to remove clippings. It makes it too easy to wash it.
Cutting height: The cutting height ranges from 1.25 inches to 3.75 inches. It comes with 6 positions height adjustment along with dual lever adjusters that make it more convenient and useful for different types of terrains.
Front-Wheel Drive: The front-wheel-drive system allows you to make easy turns and makes it highly manoeuvrable. It ensures better traction when you have a lawn with obstacles.
Bag, discharge, and mulch: It is a 3-in-1 unit that facilitates the disposal of grass clippings in all three possible ways. The side discharge chute comes with a built-in clip to easily attach when being used. Mulching blades are designed to deliver fine quality mulch.
Opinion:
This is one of the best self-propelled lawn mowers under $500. The use of technology makes it smart enough to render superior quality cut and efficiency in all other tasks it performs. You won’t regret buying if you have a mid-sized or relatively large yard.
The front-wheel-drive mower is good for your lawn if you have trees and tight spaces to deal with. It allows better control and handling.
8. PowerSmart DB2321S Lawn Mower, Black and red
Engine: This mower is powered by a 161cc supply right amount of power to deal with all types of grasses. The engine is incorporated with a pull mechanism and it starts easily on a pull.
Cutting Deck: The deep dome deck is made of premium quality steel to ensure durability. It cuts 21 inches wide swath in one pass which means it will take lesser time possible to cover the whole lot.
Cutting height: The cutting height can be adjusted from 1.18 inches to 3 inches to nest suit your varying requirements. You can adjust the height to 5 different positions.
Bag, discharge, and mulching: This one is also a 3-in-1 unit like previous models. It comes with a side discharge and bagging options for the disposal of grass clippings. The mulching feature is empowered by the deep dome deck and solid blades.
Wheels: The rear wheel measures 8 inches in height. The height of wheels ensures easy movement on the grass.
Warranty: PowerSmart offers two years of limited warranty. The limited warranty is usually the warranty on certain parts and defects.
Opinion:
It is a compact and comparatively a lightweight self-propelled lawn mower. The components are durable and reliable offering quality work at a low cost.
This compact lawn mower is a powerful machine because of the engine and cutting deck that relies on solid blades.
It reduces your physical work at large due to its self-propulsion feature and is suitable for mid-sized and large yards.
Best for a Large Yard
9. Honda 662300
Engine: Honda stands among the top power product manufacturers all around the world. Honda incorporated this mower with a GCV200 engine that renders 200cc power – 3.8 hp – and a maximum torque of 9.367 ft-lb. This is a performing beast capable of dealing with tough terrains easily.
Cutting Deck: It comes with 21 inches cutting width and a rust-free deck.
The cutting width is 21 inches and the deck itself is rust-free. It’s a NeXite deck made up of an extremely durable polymer that resists rust, corrosion, and dents.
Cutting height: It has a cutting height range of 0.75 inches to 4 inches and can be adjusted to 7 different positions to suit your requirements.
Discharge, bagging, mulching, and leave shredding: It is a 4-in-1 lawn mower. It will mow the lawn and will dispose of the grass by simply discharging it or by bagging depending on your choice.
The mower comes with a unique system for bagging and mulching. The Versamow system with clip director helped you to direct this machine about how much grass should be mulched. The machine will mulch the grass clippings partial as per your direction and will bag the rest.
Another feature is leaf shredding for which you normally buy a separate machine.
Opinion:
It is indeed a powerful machine with a variety of features and functions. It is a bit expensive but it comes with high-end performance and especially a leaf shredder that you normally buy separately. So, comparing to what this mower offers you, the price is too low.
Its micro-cut blades render the finest clean and even cut. It is a CARB compliant product which means this powerful product with excellent performance is eco-friendly too.
This powerful self-propelled lawn mower is best for large yards.
10. Husqvarna 22
Engine: This lawn mower employs 163cc Briggs & Stratton Engine which is not just powerful but reliable. The engine is gas-powered and produces power to run this machine even on hills.
Cutting Deck: The deck renders cutting width of 22 inches which is the largest in our whole list of lawn mowers in this article. The deck is steel made and powder-coated to resist corrosion. It is durable and reliable.
Cutting height: This mower comes with cutting height range of 0.82 inches to 4 inches. The height can be adjusted to 9 different positions to meet your varying requirements.
All Wheel Drive: This lawn mower employs an all-wheel-drive system which means the power of the engine drives all four wheels equally. All-wheel drive helps attain the maximum control which results in extreme maneuverability and stability on hilly yards.
Discharge, bag, and mulch: It has bagged, discharging, and mulching features incorporated to facilitate easy disposal of grass clippings in different ways. Bagging allows you to dispose of the grass anywhere out of your lawn and the mulching disposes of the clippings by returning them to the soil.
Opinion:
This lawn mower is an embodiment of the best control and stability. Thanks to the all-wheel-drive system. In addition to this, the ergonomically designed handle also ensures better control.
It’s a sturdy and reliable machine good for all terrains whether flat or sloppy and even or rough. The consistency and performance is the asset of this machine.
It is good for mid-sized and relatively larger yards.
Best Self-Propelled Lawn Mowers under $300
11. Lawn-Boy 17732
Rear Wheel Drive System: This drive system is exactly that is incorporated in your car. Having this feature in your mower means that the engine supplies power to the back wheels only and the front wheels are only to steer the mower.
Such configuration ensures balance and stability when you maneuver around your mower. It works amazingly on slopes.
2-point height of cut system: It is to ensure that you will be able to quickly adjust the cutting deck to a custom height that you prefer. The cutting height can be adjusted between 1.25 to 3.75 inches.
Cutting Deck: Lawn-Boy 17732 comes with 21 inches cutting width which is quite good for a standard-sized lawn.
3 Years Tru-start Commitment: Lawn-Boy have committed that if the mower will not start in 1 or 2 pulls, they will fix it for free of cost. This commitment will start from the date of purchase and will be valid for three years.
Engine: The engine power is 149cc. It is not that good for larger yards but still, it is not bad for the price.
Gross Torque: Though the engine is not that powerful as inexpensive mowers but this LawnBoy comes with 6.5 Gross Torque. Torque is the amount of force that causes the blades to spin or rotate slow or faster.
Opinion:
Overall it is a wonderful machine. It has some features that you can expect to get inexpensive mowers only. It starts in 1 or 2 pulls which is a good feature for women and old people as you don’t need to waste much of your energy is just starting a mower. The best part is that it is a self-propelled mower.
12. PowerSmart DB8620 20 inch 3-in-1 196cc Gas Self Propelled Mower, Red/Black
Engine: The engine capacity of this model is 196CC which exactly the same we have in the previous model we discussed. It supplies the right amount of power required by this compact and lightweight mower. It starts easily on a pull.
Cutting deck: It cuts at the width of 20 inches. The deck itself is made up of steel which ensures reliability and strength.
Mulching, side, and rear discharge: It’s a 3-in-1 mower with side discharge, rear discharge, and mulching feature. These features can be used independently as per your own requirements. Bagging of the grass will give your lawn a nice and clean look otherwise if you are more inclined toward the health of your lawn; the mulching feature will serve the purpose well.
Adjustable Cutting Height: This feature allows you to change the cutting height up to 8 different height positions.
2 Years Warranty: This Company offers you two years limited warranty to present their products as reliable products in the market. Their customer service responds within 24 hours.
Opinion:
Except for having little shorter rear wheels than others in this list, it is not less than any other. Again, I would say the price is not the factor that will determine the worth of this product like previous ones. This compact package is all that you need for your yard and it is powered to perform at any type of grass.
13. PowerSmart DB2322S Lawn Mower, Black and red
Engine: The PowerSmart DB2322S is powered by a 196CC engine which equivalent to almost 7 horsepower. This is more than the previous models we have discussed above. It starts easily on a pull. A self-propelled lawn mower in less than $300 comes with nothing better than this.
Mulching, side, and rear discharge: These 3-in-1 features in a self-propelled mower make it nothing less than any other expensive model in the market. You can bag the grass or you may return it to the ground in the form of nutrients by using the mulching feature. Mulching is a good feature to maintain the health of your lawn.
Adjustable cutting height: It comes with 5 different positions to adjust the cutting height. To avoid getting the deck collided with any obstacle which is normal when you are mowing on an uneven surface, you need to adjust the cutting height. This feature will solve your problem.
2 Years limited warranty: It has a limited warranty for 2 years. So, it means the warranty is limited to certain parts, defects, and conditions.
Opinion:
This is a compact and lightweight lawn mower. This can’t be underestimated due to the low price factor. It comes with a 2 years limited warranty which means you can at least give it a try. If anything goes wrong, you can decide what to do.
Buying Guide
Self-propelled lawn mowers are the most versatile lawn mowers. They come with a variety of features and functions. In other words, they are the most complicated ones among all the rest. But you don’t need to worry about choosing the best one because we have done extensive research and going to discuss some of the features and functions that will help you to understand lawn mowers and buy the one that will best suit your needs.
Rear wheels, front wheels or all wheels:
The very first thing that you should consider is the wheel drive transmission of a lawn mower. There are three different wheel drive systems that are as follows:
Rear Wheel:
A rear-wheel-drive transmission means that the engine supplies power to rear wheels only to drive enable them to propel. Rear-wheel drive is good for sloppy yards as they provide better control and traction on slopes.
Front Wheel:
The front-wheel-drive transmission is the one in which the engine or motor will drive only the front wheels and the rear wheels will aid only to maneuver the lawn mower.
In fact, in a front-wheel-drive self-propelled lawn mower, if you lift up the front wheels of the lawn mower, the rear wheels will stop moving forward until you push them. Such a drive system is good for flat areas and proves to be very maneuverable.
All Wheel:
All-wheel drive is like a system in the cars that controls all the four wheels and empowers them to propel. All-wheel drive provides you with excellent traction because of the equal power distribution to all four wheels. All-wheel drive lawn mowers are ideal for hilly yards.
Power Source
Gas:
Gas-powered self-propelled lawn mowers are the most powerful lawn mowers. They provide excellent cutting results and are the high-end lawn mowers.
Most of the gas-powered lawn mowers are comparatively expensive, noisy and eco-unfriendly.
Electric Corded:
Self-propelled electric corded lawn mowers are lightweight and eco-friendly lawn mowers. They don’t make much noise and gives you unlimited run time. If you have a very large yard, it might not be able to cover the whole yard due to the limitation of the cord. But if you have multiple electric outlets in your yard, it might work.
Electric Cordless:
Like gas-powered mower, cordless lawn mowers are more mobile and easy to manoeuvre around. They are lightweight and eco-friendly as compared to gas mowers.
You have to charge their battery and finish up your work before the battery gets exhausted. They are ideal for small and mid-sized yards. If you afford to buy extra batteries, then you might have no issues using these mowers for a larger yard.
Start option:
There are some lawn mowers that start on a pull. Others start at the push of a button. Pull start mowers with recoil are good and they usually start on a first or second pull. But if you are buying a self-propelled mower for having inadequate physical strength, I suggest you go for a push-start-button one.
Cutting Deck:
The cutting deck is an important part of a lawn mower. After all, this is the part that is directly in contact with the grass blades. Along with reliability and durability, you must pay attention to the deck size as well. The larger the deck, larger the swathes your mower will cut in one pass reducing the time you will spend mowing.
Engine:
The engine is also a crucial factor when it’s about performance. Whatever features your lawn mower possesses, they all will be performed by the power supplied by the engine. You have a self-propelled lawn mower, how well it can automatically propel itself depends on the power engine supplies. You have a nice wide cutting deck, how well the blades can perform depends on the power or torque the engine can produce. So, always find a lawn mower with a strong and powerful engine.
What is meant by the self-propelled lawn mower?
Self-propelled lawn mowers are the mowers that work on a propulsion system installed in them. They are manufactured to reduce human effort and don’t require physical exertion to move forward. They are more like a vehicle and move automatically when you give them an indication using a lever. All you are required to do is guide them about where to go and they follow your directions.
How self-propelled lawn mowers work?
Lawn mowers usually work the same way i.e. move forward in your direction but not the force. Some of them are single-speed mowers and some come with variable speed so you can adjust the speed according to what best suits you. There are others that follow your speed automatically for better control.
Can you pull self-propelled lawn mowers backwards?
Mostly, the walk-behind lawn mowers are not designed to move backwards when propulsion mode is active. Only riding lawn mowers are designed to move backwards using the self-propulsion feature.
How fast a self-propelled lawn mower can move forward?
Usually, the speed of self-propelled lawn mowers is 3-5 miles per hour. This should be the maximum speed you should be looking for a walk-behind lawn mower. Higher speed might be dangerous if you have a sloppy yard.
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