5 mistakes to avoid when buying a lawn mower

1. Buying the most expensive lawn mower

The most expensive lawn mower we’ve tested costs over $2,000, but you don’t have to spend anywhere near that to get a good one. We’ve given the Consumer Recommends tick to seven lawn mowers costing less than $1,000.

2. Assuming petrol lawn mowers are always the best choice

You might think a good lawn mower means having to yank on a pull cord a few times to get it started, deal with deafening engine noise and breathe in petrol fumes. But a battery-powered lawn mower might be a better choice.

Battery lawn mowers are much easier to maintain, relatively lightweight, quiet, free of fumes and powerful enough for most tasks. If you sometimes mow wet grass, or let the lawn get really long between mows, go for a petrol lawn mower. Otherwise, a battery-powered lawn mower could be your best pick.

3. Choosing a battery lawn mower with too short a run time

If a battery-powered lawn mower is right for you, make sure you get one that’ll allow you to mow your lawn without having to stop and recharge the battery. The average run time of the battery lawn mowers we’ve tested is just under 1 hour and the longest run time is over 2 hours. But the batteries of some lawn mowers will only run for about 20 minutes. That’s fine if your backyard is small. For larger lawns, choose a lawn mower with a battery that runs for longer.

4. Not playing with the lawn mower in the shop before buying

If you don’t have a good play with a lawn mower in the shop before you buy, you won’t know if the handle is the right height for you or if you’ll find the catcher easy to install and remove. Make sure you check a lawn mower over thoroughly in person before buying.

5. Picking a lawn mower with a mesh catcher

Lawn mower catchers are either solid plastic or partly mesh. Solid plastic catchers are heavier but tend to last longer than the mesh ones. Mesh catchers also let dust blow all over you. So, we recommend a solid plastic catcher.