Top 5 Best Rated Self Propelled Lawn Mowers Reviews – 2018 buyer guide

We have researched the marketplace by reading hundreds of customer reviews from reliable sites like amazon, eBay, mowers direct etc. to create a list that can provide our respected readers with the best choices in top rated self-propelled lawn mowers. We also carefully read datasheets of each model individually to prepare a comprehensive list.

Following are the points that we consider while researching.

Read on to discover the relative merits and pros and cons of the best self-propelled mowers on the market today. We used a star system for our ratings, with five stars being the highest possible rating. Hopefully, our analysis of each machine will be helpful in allowing you to make a well-informed purchasing decision.

1. Honda Self Propelled Lawn Mower Reviews

Model: Honda 21”3-in-1 Charging Electric Start Lawn Mower

This variable speed 3-in-1 self-propelled gas mower is top of the list because of its sharp twin blade, superb mulching and bagging.

It offers 6 position for cutting height adjustments of 1 1/8″ to 4″. An easy to start engine. So our recommended one is this self propelled lawn mower.

2. Troy Bilt Self Propelled Lawn Mower Reviews

Model: Troy Bilt TB370 Briggs & Stratton engine with readystart choke

 The Troy Bilt lawn mower TB370 features a 21″ Tri-Action cutting system that provides a one-pass clean cut and a 6-setting adjustable cutting range of 1.25″ to 3.75″.

Another helpful and diverse function is its  3-in-1 mulch, rear, and side discharge capabilities, as well as its Briggs & Stratton 163cc easy start engine. We rated this machine 4.5 out of 5 stars.

3. Husqvarna Self Propelled Lawn Mower Reviews

Model: Husqvarna 3-in-1 All Wheel Drive 4X4 Hi-Wheel Mower in 22-Inch

 The Husqvarna All-Wheel-Drive Mower features exclusive rear hi-wheel drive, a 190cc 4-cycle Honda gcv190 engine, and a steel 3-in-1 mower deck that provides the option to mulch, bag, or side discharge the grass.

Add to that 8″ front and 11″ rear ball-bearing wheels, a height adjustable handle with three positions, user manual, and warranty. We rated this machine 4 out of 5 stars.

4. Yard Machines Self Propelled Lawn Mower Reviews

Model: Yard Machines 159cc 21-Inch Perfect for mowing small to medium-sized yard

  The Yard Machines 21″ 159cc OHV Engine Self-Propelled Mower features dual-lever height adjustment, 8″ x 8″ smooth turning wheels, and is ideal for mowing smaller and medium-sized yards efficiently.

It also has front wheel drive, mulching and side discharge capabilities, and a single forward-speed that will power through all of your yard tasks with ease. We rated this machine 3.5 out of 5 stars.

5. Lawn Boy Self Propelled Lawn Mower Reviews

Model: Lawn-Boy 17732 Rear Wheel Drive System provides a better traction and control on hilly terrain

  The Lawn Boy push mower Kohler XT6 OHV 21″ lawn mower features a high-quality rear-wheel drive system that provides superior control and traction on hilly land and a two-point height-of-cut system that permits a quick adjustment of heights.

It also has a larger bag capacity, a 3-in-1 discharge ability, and a 2-year “No-Worry” warranty. We rated this machine 3 out of 5 stars.

The Lawn Boy push mower Kohler XT6 OHV 21″ lawn mower features a high-quality rear-wheel drive system that provides superior control and traction on hilly land and a two-point height-of-cut system that permits a quick adjustment of heights. It also has a larger bag capacity, a 3-in-1 discharge ability, and a 2-year “No-Worry” warranty. We rated this machine 3 out of 5 stars.

Top Rated Self Propelled Lawn Mowers Buying Guide 2018

What are self propelled lawn mowers?

As they are becoming popular these days due to various reasons. Most of us don’t want to push mower ourselves especially when the lawn is not leveled and have hilly terrain. It makes more difficult to push because of the inclined plane .

Solution to this problem are Self Propelled Lawn Mowers. In this type of mowers most of the pushing work is done by its engine. All you have to do is just turn your mower on and just walk behind it to control its path, so in self propelled vs push surely self propelled are amazing.

Types of Self Propelled Mowers

Self-propelled mowers can save one’s energy and time. Since the mower is mechanically moved forward across areas, that’s why it cut through very thick grass without having to use extra effort.

To accommodate a mid-range ground speed that is acceptable to most users and most types of cutting conditions, A single-speed model has been designed. If you require a variety in ground-speed, then you might want to opt for a variable speed mower.

Now a days self-propelled mowers can be used for mulching, bagging, or collecting clippings in a side bag. The most mowers reviewed today offer all three functions and are called 3-in-1 mowers. Most Modern mowers start easily with automatic-choke recovery systems on their engines; this feature facilitates starting an engine ‘cold’. All you need is a push of a button.

1. Front Wheels Drive Self Propelled Mowers

As far as cost is concerned front-wheel drive lawn mowers cost less than rear-end drive mowers. The wheels of a lawn mower should be securely positioned on the ground to move forward. Rear wheels are grounded, but front-wheel drive wheels can’t lift the front of a machine when turning or whenever the mower wheels bounce off the turf for some reason.

2. Rear Wheels Drive Self Propelled Mowers

Rear-wheel drive gives better grip when mowing across hilly terrain using a back-and-forth (as opposed to an up-and-down pattern). It is the safest method of grass cutting on hills.

Which is best front or rear wheel drive self propelled mower?

Front wheel drive mowers are simplest to operate. If the user wants to turn the self-propelled mower only thing to do is just tipping back the front wheels and then lifting the wheels off the ground. It is the perfect choice for flat terrain.

Rear wheels on a mowers are always grounded, and that guarantees exceptional maneuverability and grip control. If you want to use the mower on hilly terrain, then you should always opt for a rear-wheel drive lawn mower.

4. All Wheels Drive Self Propelled Mowers

All-wheel drive mowers are also available in the market. That claims to provide power and balance to all four wheels in uneven, hilly terrains.

Some reviewers suggest that this functionality would be better if you invested in a rear-wheel drive mower. Plenty of folks are fans of all-wheel drive because it provides added traction and very low-effort manoeuvrability. They refer to its performance over wet grass, hills, and on uneven terrain.
One other negative is that all-wheel drive mowers are generally more expensive than both front-wheel and rear-wheel drive lawn mowers.

Best Commercial Walk Behind Mowers View on Amazon

Points to consider while buying Top rated self-propelled lawn mowers

1. Wheel adjustment system Option

Its one of the most important factors that should be considered while buying a mower. Normally people consider only engine power and speed. They should also consider mower’s wheel adjustment system, whether it is smooth or not. we recommend to buy the mowers having this system.

2. Self Propelled Lawn Mower Variable Speed

Sometimes we want to mow our lawn faster while sometimes we don’t feel much energized that’s why want to go slow. This phenomenon can be catered by a mower having adjustable speed settings that will give you the option to go slower or faster. So while buying a new self propelled mower one must consider speed options in it.

Broadly speaking two types of self-propelled lawn mowers are available in the market these days electric or gas. Both have their pros and cons.

3. Is Electric Lawn Mower Better or Gas?

We highly recommend to consider these points before buying it.

Pros and Cons of Electric Lawn Mowers

These are normally battery powered cordless mowers. You need to charge it for a specific time just like your phone or laptop and after charging you can use it cordless. If u decide to get this type of mower we advise to buy a separate battery so that in case if original losed power backup can be used to complete the job.

Pros and Cons of Gas Lawn Mowers

These are fossil fuel (oil/gas/gasoline) based mowers and usually give more horsepower than electric ones.

4. Self Propelled Lawn Mower Mulcher

Mulching is an important feature in Mowers. In most 3-in-1 self-propelled Lawn mowers have the mulching capability.

Despite of leaving behind grass clippings mulching mower shred the clipped grass and leave behind a compost or fertilizer like thing with which you can feed your kitchen garden. That is obviously far better as you are feeding your lawn with organic matter despite of chemical fertilizers.

5. Power

You will have to consider some points while deciding about how powerful and best self-propelled lawn mowers you should buy. These are:-

• Size of Lawn
• Mowing Speed
• Grass Thickness
• Leveled or hilly Landscape.

So if you mow faster, have thick grass or inclined plane, you will need a more powerful engine (160cc or more). You should also consider that a more powerful engine is most likely to be less fuel efficient and self propelled lawn mower loses power if work for long time or  heavy  work, so you should keep in mind operational cost of the mower. i.e. more powerful engine will consume more fuel or battery.

6. Lawn Mower Bagger

Self propelled lawn mower with Bagging means collecting cut grass into a bag so that it can be deposited later either into a compost bin or a trash bin, despite mulching which leaves the cut grass clippings on the ground where they will slowly decompose over a period of time. People in favor of bagging claims that a bagged lawn has better and cleaner appearance as no stray clumps of grass are visible. Bagging is also the method of choice for times when the grass has been left too long without mowing.

Unfortunately, bagging is not an environmentally friendly option. Most people throw that bagged grass in bins and it increases waster. Rather one can compost it and use it as organic fertilizer for their lawn or kitchen garden.

7. Lawn mower Grinding Noise

All internal combustion engines can produce a lot of noise. Larger engines with more power tend to be louder, so if that is an issue for you, consider a machine with a smaller engine that produces less noise. For context, the quietest model tested produces 85 decibels of sound.

8. Grass Bag Capacity

If you plan on bagging your grass clippings, consider how much each model can hold in self propelled lawn mower grass catcher. A larger bag means you’ll have to stop less often to empty grass clippings. The trade off is that it gets heavier to mow as the bag fills .

9. Area Covers/blade width

The width of the cutting blade determines how many passes it takes to mow your yard. A wide blade means you spend less time pushing your lawn mower.

10. Cutting Height and Position

The best lawn mowers allow you to adjust the height of your cut and make it easy to adjust with levers located on each wheel. Broadly speaking most of the self propelled mowers offer at least 6 height position ranging from 1.25 to 3.5, it may vary depending upon model.

11. Self Propulsion

These days the best lawn mowers are equipped with self-propulsion technology, which means the mower’s engine can turn the wheels, taking some of the strain off you. It won’t eliminate pushing, but it will make it more tolerable.

12. Blade Brake 

Blade Break is a very important aspect to consider if propelled lawn mowers with blade brake clutch you will be doing a lot of mowing. The blade-brake clutch system allows you to stop the blade and leave the engine running.

13. Reliability (Warranty)

Self-propelled mowers need more care than simple standard mowers as there are more mechanical parts in them. So while buying a self propelled mower one should consider the company’s warranty and after sale service

14. How much should i expect to pay for Lawn Mowers?

The self-propelled lawnmowers featured here today range in price from around $300 to $1000, with a median price tag of $500 to 800. What features should your self-propelled lawnmower have at both the lower and the upper end of the price scale?

On the lower end of our price range, the Lawn-Boy 17732 Rear Wheel Drive Self Propelled Gas Lawn Mower gives you a number of great features at a low-end price. It has an electric button start, it’s lightweight, and it has rear-wheel drive for excellent traction and control on hilly tracts of land. Also, it features a 2-year warranty and a 3-in-1 discharge ability.  But in our opinion, suffers in reliability and power.

On the high edge of our price range is the Snapper Rear Wheel Drive Variable Speed Commercial Series Lawn Mower.  It features a high-quality engine (the Honda 163cc GXV160), a smooth turn differential, blade break shut off, steel axle and reinforced bracing, a 14-gauge heavy duty steel Hi-VAC mowing deck that cuts and sucks up all grass clippings with its rolled-deck edge and blade, and 10″ rear wheels which provide better maneuverability and improved traction.  It’s a very nice mower, but maybe a bit overpriced.

Self Propelled Lawn Mowers Maintenance Tips

After purchasing your desired self propelled lawn mower, comes the time for its maintenance. Proper maintenance is vital to increase its engine life and save money.

The most important thing for maintenance is that only buy genuine parts for your lawnmower. Because genuine parts are designed and manufactured to the precise standards as the original parts by authorized vendors, and it also reduces the risk of malfunctioning.

1. Oil Change

Just like your car, Oil changes of your mower should also be performed at regular intervals according to the owner’s manual to ensure long service life. It is best to drain used oil when the engine is warm, not hot. The engine and the fuel valve should be turned off.

2. Air Filter

Again just like car, the maintained air filter would help prevent dust from entering your engine. If dust enters the carburetor, it can cause premature engine starting or running problems.

You will need to clean the filter more frequently if you operate the lawn mower in very dusty conditions and vice versa.

3. Blade Inspection

A properly sharpened blade is essential for grass cutting. One should inspect the blades for damaged cracks and excessive wear rust or corrosion. You have two options for a dull blade either sharpen it or buy a new one.

Obviously sharpening a dull blade will save money rather than buying a new one but its advised that an excessively worn bent or cracked blade must be replaced with a genuinely new one.

When replacing your lawn mower blades always use genuine replacement blades.

4. Spark Plugs

The spark plug must be properly gapped and free of carbon deposits. Allow the engine to cool before removing the spark plug. To inspect the spark plug, disconnect the spark plug cap and remove any dirt from around the spark plug area.

You should replace it if it is found that the electrodes are worn or if the insulator is cracked or chipped.

5. Grass Bag

It is necessary to clean the grass bag periodically to maintain proper lawn mower performance. Wash the container with a garden hose and allow it to dry completely before using it. Since a wet bag will clog quickly. If the grass bag has excessive wear tears or holes replace it to get more grass in it.

Troubleshooting Common Self-propelled Lawn Mowers Problems

Self-propelled lawn mowers’ ease of use and extra features as compared to a simple walk behind mowers make it very user-friendly lawn care tool, but when your self-propelled lawn mower stops working, it is not necessary to seek help from a professional for repairs.

You can also troubleshoot it by inspecting regarding a few of the most common problems that could occur. After going through following points, you may be able to diagnose and correct the issue yourself and soon be back cutting your lawn effortlessly. Do also check out maintenance checklist for a smooth operation of your self-propelled lawn mower

1. Lawn Mower Steep Slopes

If you experience running issues on a slope, then you should check gas tank. Placement of the gas tank in most self-propelled mowers is in such a way that it allows gas to fluctuate forward or backwards when working on a slope.

Due to this reason, the mower can slow down or stop unexpectedly as the motor will not be getting enough fuel it needed since the fuel has been shifted to forward/ backwards. The best way to solve this problem is to keep your tank topped off when working on slopes to avoid this issue.

 2. Self-propel Cable

This cable runs from the handle of the mower to the transmission. The high use of this cable makes it prone to breaking, wearing, or stretching, which can compromise with the mower’s functionality.
So the common breakdown in current self-propelled lawn mowers is due to breakage or wearing out of this self-propelled cable.

To troubleshoot it, check the cable position, it would b placed underneath or within the handle. Trace the line up till it connects the transmitter. If you see any visible wear or tear, it means the cable needs to be replaced. Luckily these cables are readily available at most hardware store and easy to replace. It requires a little more than unhooking the old one and hooking the new.

3. Lawn Mower Runs Rough 

When you feel that your mower is having issues mostly, it is because of grass buildup. While mowing the lawn, just like your car’s carburettor the motor and transmission can accumulate grass clippings, dirt, and debris. These clog the internal parts and cause the mower to perform poorly or not start at all.

To diagnose this issue, you should remove the casing over the transmission and clean any grass or dirt found in it. Nowadays its difficult to get clean fuel, any fossils or dirt in fuel can block the fuel line, all you have to do is to clean the fuel line, its essential to keep water away otherwise it might get mixed with the fuel, the fuel tank also can be drained then refill with fresh, clean fuel .

If it doesn’t resolve the issue, then check for spark plug. It shouldn’t b dirty. If its so then it will not allow the mower to start. Wipe clean it; if the dirt doesn’t come off, then it needs to be replaced. Make sure to tightly secure spark plug after cleaning and putting it back in or when installing a new one.

4. Lawn Mower Not Running at Full Power

One of the common issues regarding lawn mower is its loss of speed. If you experience it, then check the drive belt. It is located within the motor casing. Over the passage of time and frequent use, often drive belt become damaged, loss or detached which result in speed loss. So firstly inspect the drive belt and if you notice visible damage then replace the belt.

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Top rated Self-propelled Lawn Mowers View on Amazon

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 Top Rated Self Propelled Lawn Mowers – Our Recommendations

 After a careful study of reviews of hundreds of available self-propelled lawn mowers, our editor unequivocally chooses the Honda 21”3-in-1 Charging Electric Start Self-Propelled Lawn Mower as the cream of the crop.

This mid-price variable speed 3-in-1 mower offers the best options and the most bang for your buck. It features micro-cut twin blades for super-fine mulching, a six position cutting-height adjustment of 1 1/8″-4″, a super easy to start GCV160 engine, 8″ ball bearing wheels, and an auto choke, all of which receive stellar reviews from its many satisfied reviewers.