A self propelled lawn mower is an investment that will save the user time and effort as they mow their grass. These mowers not only reduce mowing time but also help the user out by powering through tough grass spots without the user having to spend extra energy to get the job done. Which makes these machines a great choice for just about any homeowner. However, if a person is thinking about buying one of these mowers they really should invest some time into researching which models are the best self propelled lawn mower models. Fortunately, that’s something I decided to undertake right here by showing off the ten models I feel are the best self propelled lawn mower models currently available.
10. AAVIX AGT1321 With 159CC Engine
Capable of being used as a side-discharge, a rear-bagger or a mulching mower, the AGT 1321 has features that make it ideal for anyone looking to keep up with their grass. It has a powerful 159cc EPA3 engine, is self-propelled and has big 8-inch front wheels and 10-inch rear wheels. It also has a nylon grass catcher as well. This mower can have its height adjusted with one single lever, from a height of 1.25-inches to 3.75-inches. This model also has a heavy-duty construction that allows it to meet just about any challenge that’s posed to it.
9. Swisher Predator WBRC11524 24-Inch
This walk-behind mower is constructed to power through tough grasses while not placing a big burden on the user while they’re mowing the lawn. It has a powerful 11.5-HP Briggs & Stratton engine which provides the power necessary for this mower to cut a 24-inch wide path through the grass. This model also has a 4-speed transmission with reverse, has an adjustable handlebar with hand controls and a 1.75-inch cutting height range. This makes this an ideal mower for just about any job and its engine is compliant in all fifty States in the U.S.
8. Snapper P2185020E 3-In-1
Powered by a Briggs & Stratton 850 Professional Series Engine, this mower doesn’t need to be primed or choked, all the user has to do is pull the cord and this mower is ready to roar to life. It has a 3-in-1 capability that allows it to be used to either mulch grass, side discharge it or bag it. This mower also has easy-to-adjust height adjustments that range from 1.25-inches all the way up to 4-inches and a VAC 21-inch deck that sucks up grass as it’s cut. This model is ideal for small and medium-sized yards and is sure to provide many, many lawn jobs.
7. Poulan Pro PR625Y
This push mower is packed with an assortment of features which make it a useful tool for handling small to medium-sized yards. It has a 22-inch cutting deck, a powerful 625EX 150cc Briggs and Stratton engine, and 8-inch front wheels with 12-inch rear wheels. With 4-different height adjusters that have up to 9-positions, users can adjust their cutting height the way they see fit. Another key feature of this mower is that it has 3-in-1 capabilities, which means that it can bag, mulch or side discharge the cut grass clippings. This makes it an ideal machine for just about any grass cutting job.
6. Troy-Bilt TB270ES
A 159cc OHV is at the heart of this lawnmower and provides the power necessary to power the blades located in the 21-inch steel deck. This mower uses a standard 1-quart fuel tank and can have its height adjusted to six unique setting from 1.25-inches to 3.75-inches. This mower also has a variable speed drive with four different speed settings and has durable 8-inch wheels in the front and back. With the ability to bag, mulch or side discharge grass clippings, this mower is sure to make short work of just about any lawn care job.
5. Troy-Bilt TB330
With 8-inch front and rear wheels, as well as a 21-inch deck, this mower has enough power to complete just about any lawn cutting job. It has a 163cc Briggs and Stratton engine and has 3-in-1 capabilities which allow it to be used as a side-discharge, a mulching mower or as a rear bag mower. It even comes with a 1.9-bushel capacity bag. Another key feature which can be found on this unit includes an ergonomic handle, a single-level variable speed drive control and an integrated deck wash that allows the unit to be easily cleaned when the mowing is done.
4. Husqvarna HU800AWDH
This lawnmower has 3-in-1 capabilities, which allows it to be used to rear bag, mulch or side discharge cut grass clippings, and comes with a rear bag. It has a 190cc 4-cycle Honda engine and a 22-inch mowing deck that provides a good cutting width to get most grass cutting jobs done quickly and effectively. This model has 8-inch front wheels and 11-inch rear wheels which give it enough traction to handle most terrain types and an all-wheel-drive variable drive system that allows the user to mow at his or her own pace.
3. Troy-Bilt TB220
Power and precision can exist in the same mower and no model proves this more than the Troy-Bilt TB220. It features a 21-inch steel deck powered by a 159cc OHV engine that gives the user the power to get their grass cutting done in no-time flat without exerting a whole lot of effort. This machine has a smart tire design that features 8-inch front wheels and 11-inch back wheels that provide the necessary traction to go over most lawns and a 1.9-bushel grass catcher that can hold a pretty good amount of clippings before it has to be emptied.
2. Honda HRX217K5VKA
Designed to handle grass cutting quickly and easily, this mower has a number of features which make it useful to most households. It has a 21-inch deck that’s manufactured to not rust, dent or corrode and has a powerful and easy to start GCV190 engine that’s designed to provide years of dependable service. This mower can not only mulch, bag, or discharge grass but can mulch and bag at the same time. It also has a select drive with a speed adjust dial that makes it a great mower to handle a number of lawn types.
1. Honda HRR216K9VKA 3-In-1
With a variable smart drive that can go anywhere from zero to four miles per hour, this mower is designed to take the burden off of the user and allow him or her to get their grass cutting duties done quickly and easily. It has micro cut twin blades which allow for ultra-fine mulching, a 12-gauge steel deck that’s designed to be durable and provides years of service, and a GCV160 engine that’s designed to deliver power. Along with those features, this machines also has 6-cutting height adjustments, a 2.4-bushel bag, 8-inch ball-bearing wheels and a two-position handle that folds for easy storage.
How To Buy A Self-Propelled Lawn Mower
A self-propelled lawn mower is a wonderful invention. It allows the homeowner or lawn care technician to cut their grass without exerting a whole lot of effort. Although they do require a little bit more work than a riding lawn mower, these mowers are many times cheaper than riding mowers, so they’re often a good piece of lawn care equipment for people with small to medium sized lawns.
Although using these mowers are pretty straightforward and quite easy, choosing the best self-propelled lawn mower isn’t all that easy. That’s because there are numerous brands available, and each one of these mower brands claims their machine has the best features. Not surprisingly, this can cause quite a bit of confusion among people who are just trying to buy the best mower for their lawn. That’s why we’ve decided to write this guide. In this guide, we hope to let our readers know which mower features they should really consider and which features they should ignore.
Before we get into the meat and potatoes of this guide, however, it’s important that I say that the following features are what we consider to be the best features available. This means that not everyone will have to worry about all of the following features. Having stated that fact, however, it’s important that you give the features you don’t think you’ll need some thought before dismissing them altogether. Okay, now let’s get started.
Single Speed Versus Variable Speed Drives
Self-propelled lawn mowers come in one of two distinct flavors. There are ones with Single Speed Drive and ones with Variable Speed Drive. Single speed ones move forward at one consistent speed that’s independent of a person’s own walking speed. What we mean by that is with single speed mowers, the mowers move forward at speeds predetermined by the mower’s manufacturer. This speed is what they consider to most likely be the mowing speed of the average person. Although these mowers are usually somewhat cheaper, they don’t give the user the options they need as far as walking speed. And that’s why Variable Speed Drives are usually preferred. Mowers with variable speed drive can be adjusted upward or downward to accommodate the speed of the person actually using it. That can make them easier to use, especially for people who may have particular mobility problems.
Lawn Mower Deck Size
Deck size is another important consideration. That’s because the larger the deck speed the more grass the mower can cut at one time. And the more grass that can be cut at one time, the faster the mowing goes. To give you an idea of the time savings a person can gain by buying a mower with a larger deck, let’s compare two of the more popular deck sizes: a 16-inch versus a 24-inch lawn mower. Let’s say that each of these mowers run at approximately 3 miles per hour and that a person using both of these mowers has approximately 1-acre of land to mow. With all of those conditions factored in, we can determine that the 16-inch mower will cut the 1-acre of land in about 2-hours & 17-minutes. That’s approximately 0.4364 acres per hour. The 24-inch lawn mower moving at the same speed and cutting the same acre of land will finish the job in approximately 1-hour & 31-minutes. This gives the 24-inch mower speed of about 0.6545 acres per hour. That means that the 24-inch mower will cut the acre of land 66% faster than the 16-inch mower.
Okay, now let’s compare a 21-inch mower with a 24-inch mower at the same speed and acreage cut. The 21-inch will cut the grass at 1-hour & 44-minutes, thereby giving it a speed of 0.5727 acres per hour. The 24-inch mower will cut the land at the same speed, which to remind you is a cut speed of 1-hour and 31-minutes or a speed of 0.6545 acres per hour. That means that a 24-inch mower will cut the grass approximately 87% faster!
Self-Propelled Mower Deck Size Cutting Speeds
Okay, to further illustrate the importance of deck sizes, we decided to create a table that illustrates the average speed of each lawn mower. It should be noted that the following list is a measurement of the speed of a mower moving approximately 3-miles per hour. How fast your actual mower will move will depend on a number of factors that could affect the following values. For example, whether the terrain is flat or hilly, the height of the grass and how many breaks the person mowing takes, all can alter the time frame that a certain mower will mow. As a result, the following table is only an estimation of mower speeds.
- 21-Inch Deck: 0.5727 acres per hour
- 22-Inch Deck: 0.6000 acres per hour
- 24-Inch Deck: 0.6545 acres per hour
Rear Bag, Side-Discharge Or Rear-Discharge
Another thing to consider is whether you want a mower that discharges cut grass from the rear into a bag, whether you want a side discharge or a rear discharge mower. Rear bag mowers provide a cleaner looking lawn, but the clipping’s bag has to be regularly emptied. Side discharge mowers are good because they basically mulch the grass clippings and that can feed the grass throughout the summer months. The same can be said of rear-discharge systems that don’t use a bag. When it comes to mowers, how the grass is discharged isn’t too important, and it’s basically up to the preferences of the lawn mower operator.
Front-Wheel Versus Rear-Wheel Mowers
The last thing to consider is whether you want a front-wheel mower or a rear-wheel mower. Although front-wheel mowers are usually less expensive than rear-wheel ones, they also don’t have as much power or traction. Rear-wheel mowers do have the power for difficult lawn cutting jobs and usually gives the operator the traction they need for uneven pieces of land. Of course, the final decision is up to the consumer and what they’re willing to spend or to not spend on a mower.
