Should you choose a manual, electric or gas push mower?

Which are the best push lawn mowers? 

A push mower is any lawn mower that is not propelled by a motor or engine but is pushed by someone on foot. Most push mowers have a power source that turns the blades that do the cutting, but that's all. Mower blades on push mowers can be powered by an internal combustion engine, electric power or the energy supplied by the person doing the pushing.

If you're considering a push mower, you first need to decide which qualities are most important to you. We rounded up the best push mowers to buy, including electric, gas and manual options.

In this article: PowerSmart 21-Inch 3-in-1 Gas Push Lawn Mower, Greenworks 60-Volt 21-Inch Cordless Push Mower and Craftsman 20-Inch Corded Electric Lawn Mower

Factors to consider when choosing the best push mower for your yard

The following is a breakdown of how gas-powered push mowers, battery-powered push mowers, corded electric lawn mowers and manual push mowers stack up against each other.

Power

Push mowers require you to supply the power that propels them around your lawn.

• Gas-powered push mowers have more power than electric motors, making them less likely to bog down in thick, long grass. The larger the engine displacement, the more powerful the mower.
• Battery-powered push mowers vary in power, based on the volts and amperes of their batteries. Bigger numbers mean more power and higher costs.
• Corded electric lawn mowers all have the same amount of power at the socket.
• Manual push mowers have you supplying all the power to propel the mower and turn the blades, too.

Noise

• Gas-powered push mowers make the most noise because internal combustion is a series of thousands of little explosions per minute when a spark detonates the fuel. The mower blades add to the noise.
• Battery-powered push mowers produce noise from the mower blades, but the motor is relatively silent, making them a quieter choice.
• Corded electric lawn mowers make the same amount of noise as battery-powered mowers.
• Manual push mowers are the quietest of all, making only a whirring noise as the blades spin around.

Run time

Run time is how long your push mower can operate without stopping to refuel or recharge.

• Gas-powered push mowers keep mowing until you run out of fuel. The fuel tank is almost always large enough that you won’t have to refuel to finish cutting your lawn.
• Battery-powered push mowers have run times that vary by how thick and tall your grass is. If you run out of power before you’re done mowing, you either have to swap in a spare fully charged battery or wait for your dead battery to recharge.
• Corded electric lawn mowers keep going until you turn them off or pull the plug.
• Manual push mowers can mow as long as you have the energy to push them.

Maintenance

All push mowers need to have their cutting blades kept clean and sharp.

• Gas-powered push mowers require fuel, oil, filters and spark plugs that the others don’t. This means you will need to make regular trips to the gas station and must also deal with storing flammable liquids safely. Gas engines require regular ongoing maintenance to keep everything in good running order.
• Battery-powered push mowers need only regular recharging of their batteries. It is always a good idea to have an extra battery on hand, charged and ready to go when you need it.
• Corded electric lawn mowers need to have the power cord rolled up for storage, so it doesn’t turn into a rat’s nest.
• Manual push mowers need only to be oiled occasionally.

Best push mowers

Best gas push mowers

PowerSmart 21-Inch 3-in-1 Gas Push Lawn Mower

This PowerSmart lawn mower offers side discharge, bagging and mulching settings. Dual-lever height adjustment provides six cutting height settings, so you can customize grass length. The durable steel deck cuts in 21-inch cutting swaths, making this mower suitable for small- to medium-sized yards. 

Troy Bilt 21-Inch 3-in-1 Gas Push Mower

This Troy Bilt push mower has many of the same features as the PowerSmart model, including three-in-one functionality, dual-lever height adjustment with six cutting height settings and a steel deck with a 21-inch cutting swath. While it comes at a higher price point, the larger back wheels make it easier to maneuver on hills, inclines and rough terrain. 

Yard Machines 20-Inch Gas-Powered Push Lawn Mower 

If you're looking for a straightforward, no-frills model, this is the best gas push mower to buy. It offers only side discharge capabilities. It's lighter and easier to maneuver, with a slightly smaller 20-inch steel cutting deck and three-position cutting height adjustment.

Best electric push mowers

Greenworks 60-Volt 21-Inch Cordless Push Mower 

This four-in-one Greenworks lawn mower features mulch, side discharge, rear bagging, and turbo leaf pickup settings. You get up to 60 minutes of run time with this battery-powered push mower. It has a 21-inch cutting swath, a push-button start and seven cutting heights. If you want to beat the heat this summer, high-visibility LED lights let you mow in the early morning or late evening. This model comes with a 5.0 Ah battery and charger. 

Craftsman 20-Inch Corded Electric Lawn Mower

You'll never have a dead battery again with this corded Craftsman push mower. As the lightest powered model on the list, it's easy to maneuver, weighing just over 20 pounds. This electric push lawn mower has a 20-inch cutting deck and offers rear bagging, mulching and side discharge settings.  

Lawn Master 11-Amp 15-Inch Corded Electric Lawn Mower

This is the best electric push mower if you're on a budget. This corded mower is lightweight at only 28 pounds and changes the cutting height from 1 to 3 inches with one touch of the adjustment lever. The handle has a start/stop safety switch and adjusts to three different lengths to fit whoever does the mowing. With a 15-inch cutting swath, it's best suited to smaller lawns.

Best manual push mowers

American Lawn Mower Company 14-Inch 4-Blade Push Reel Lawn Mower

You get a light workout while cutting your lawn quietly and without generating pollutants. Your power turns the cutting blades while propelling this 20-pound reel mower across the lawn. The 14-inch cutting width is great for small yards, and the blade height adjusts from 0.5 to 1.75 inches.

Earthwise 16-Inch 7-Blade Push Reel Lawn Mower

This 21-pound manual push mower rides on 10-inch composite wheels and has seven alloy steel blades that stay sharper longer. The reel is mounted on smooth ball bearings for stable spinning and a clean cut, so all you need to do is attach the handle and start mowing.

Fiskars Stay Sharp Max 18-Inch Reel Push Lawn Mower

The inertia drive reel has twice the cutting power of standard reel mowers and is 60% easier to push. The stay-sharp cutting system on this Fiskars reel mower eliminates the cost and effort of manual blade sharpening, and the one-touch handle height adjustment adjusts to the perfect height for you.

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.

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