The right tool can transform a tedious task into an enjoyable one. To help you find the perfect mower to maintain a vibrant, thriving lawn, we evaluated every feature of these machines side-by-side. Here's how.
Mowing
When you're mowing, you're not just cutting grass. Sure, it matters how well the blade slices, and we test that, but it also matters how well the deck maneuvers and deals with uneven terrain, how well the mower mulches or bags your grass, and how much ground it covers with every pass.
Performance and Power
To test performance and power, we take two consistently paced passes across a neglected lawn with each mower. On the return pass, we make sure one tire follows the previous track, testing to see whether it leaves a mohawk behind or maximizes your progress. After completing both passes, we carefully inspect the evenness and consistency of each cut.
Mulching and Bagging
To test each mower's mulching and bagging abilities, we conduct the mowing test outlined above twice, once in each mode. First, we make sure the mower is set up correctly for the mode we are testing, which includes switching out blades for some mowers.
After mowing in mulching mode, we rake the grass left behind, evaluating the evenness and fineness of the chopped grass, and noting any large clumps or clogged blades during the test.
Then we repeat the process in bagging mode, observing each mower's efficiency. We check to see if grass escapes the bag, how well it loads, if it clogs, and the mower's performance with a full bag. We also assess how easy it is to empty and replace the bag.
Terrain Management
It's easy to cut grass consistently on a smooth, flat lawn. Handling hills, dips, and divots is another challenge altogether. To test each mower's terrain management we tackle a challenging section of the test lawn, and compare the results. The width and rigidity of the mowing deck have a large role in how well it will manage rough terrain.
Power Source
To just the relative strengths of the batteries that power these machines, we measure the runtime when they are set up for mulching and bagging in a number of conditions. We also note how long they take to charge, calculate their amp hours, and count the number of batteries included.
Handling
With several self-propelled lawn mowers in the test, comparing each mower's handling ability is more important than ever. Here's how we do it.
Starting/Stopping
First, we start and start each mower, testing and comparing any challenges involved.
Pushing and Turning
For self-propelled mowers, we assess the effort required to push them up steep slopes, on slight inclines, and across flat ground. We also set up an obstacle course, steering around everyday obstructions like trees, buildings, and turns at the end of rows to compare each machine's maneuverability against the rest. We also compare performance with and without the bag attached.
Bail Bar and Safety
We check if the bail bar is easy or tiring to hold and if it binds or catches on clothing easily. For safety, we ensure each blade stops promptly if we disengage the bail bar.
Ease of Use and Maintenance
To test ease of use and maintenance, we read the manual and judge its clarity and user-friendliness. Then we get to work. We practice changing blades, fold each mower, and measure their compact dimensions for storage. We run through each mower's height adjustments, noting how easy or challenging they are to shift between and note any additional safety features.
Deck Height Adjustments and Cutting Deck Size
We measure the height of these lawnmowers at each deck adjustment and measure the cutting deck. We also measure the blade length, the distance between the front wheels, and the width of one mowing pass, providing a clear understanding of each mower's cutting capacity.
