The Best Lawnmowers for Laying Down the Law on Your Lawn 2024

Keeping your lawn in tip-top condition is a skill, and requires hard work and dedication. All that love and attention can cost you dearly over the years, though, especially if you have a professionally landscaped garden. There are many additional products available to help you achieve a carpet-like lawn, but what about the humble lawnmower?

It’s not just about having the most powerful or the most expensive lawnmower; often it’s the subtle things that make the most difference in manicuring your grass to the finest detail. Where does a lawnmower feature in your arsenal of tools? Which ones are the best to help you keep your lawn looking its best? We look at 5 lawnmowers that lay down the law on your lawn.

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1Greenworks 25022 Corded Lawnmower

3-in-1 action (mulches, side discharge, and rear bag)
7 height settings
Push-button start
Foldable handle
4-year warranty

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2Black+Decker 3-in-1 Compact

3-in-1 mower, trimmer, and edger
Lightweight
Cord retention system to prevent detachment
Automatic spool feed
POWERDRIVE transmission
2-year warranty

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3Scotts Classic Reel Lawnmower

9 height settings
20” cutting width
Heat treated alloy blades
Ergonomic handles
2-year warranty

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4Sun Joe MJ401C-Pro

LED battery level indicator
Removable safety key
Lithium-ion battery
Tailored 3-position cutting heights
2-year warranty

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5Worx WG779 Cordless Lawnmower

Patented Intellicut technology to deliver power where it’s needed
Comfort grip handle
3 cutting heights
14” cutting width
3-year warranty

Greenworks 25022 Corded Lawnmower

Greenworks has created a corded lawn mower that has large wheels to make it easier to maneuver, and its 20” cutting width allows you make fast work of your lawn whatever the size. The 7 levels of height adjustments mean that if your lawn is overgrown after a long winter, you can grade the cuts depending on the grass height. The cutting range extends from 1.5 to 3.75 inches, so whatever the lawn and style of grass, this Greenworks model will tackle the task.
Adjusting the height is simple too: just lift or lower the large handle located over the rear right-hand wheel. The cuttings can be discharged from the side of the mower or into a bag that attaches to the rear of the machine, and because it’s corded, you will never lose power or have to wait while the battery charges. When you finish mowing, you can use its foldable handle to store it easily.
On the downside, if you have a large lawn, trailing a cord is not as convenient as a battery operated lawnmower, and the grass catcher on the rear has a small gap that throws grass into your face. Also, because it is a lightweight mower, it feels a little cheaply made, with the handle flexing while steering.

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Pros

7 height adjustment levels
20-inch cutting width
Large wheels
Folding handle
Easy to store away

Cons

Feels flimsy
May be a bit too lightweight
Design flaws with the grass catcher

Black+Decker 3-in-1 Compact

This little Black+Decker is an ingenious 3-in-1 tool that acts as a lawn mower, a trimmer, and an edger, so you won’t need to shell out on extra lawn tools. It has a POWERDRIVE transmission that delivers maximum performance when trimming the toughest weeds, and because the spool is fed automatically, you won’t have to stop every 5 minutes to adjust it and start again.
This machine is lightweight and has a height adjustable handle for comfort and grip, and because of its design, it is an ideal tool to mow hard to reach lawns and areas that traditional mowers can’t reach. On the downside, this mower only has a 12” cutting width, so it could take double the time to mow that lawn compared to the Greenworks 25022 Corded Lawnmower, and its compact and lightweight design might make it inadequate for more extensive lawns.

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Pros

3-in-1 tool
POWERDRIVE transmission
Lightweight
Height adjustable handle
Great for reaching difficult areas

Cons

Only suitable for smaller lawns
12” cutting width
It struggles to cut taller grass

Scotts Classic Reel Lawnmower

This Scotts push-along is the ultimate climate-friendly lawnmower as it doesn’t require a power source and operates by pushing and pulling it across your lawn in the old fashioned way. There are so few mechanical parts, this mower should keep on working for years and years, meaning you don’t have to fret about it breaking down.
The blades are constructed from heat treated alloy to preserve their cutting edge, and its 20” cutting width should handle most lawn sizes with ease. There is no motor, so mowing should be a silent affair, and its 9 cutting heights means you can grade the law so it looks like a lush carpet. On the downside, some may find the manual mowing action of dragging it across their lawn quite taxing, especially if they are elderly. It also lacks any form of grass catcher, so after you’ve finished mowing, you’ll need to scoop up the clippings which can also be a back-breaking task.

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Pros

Cheap initial cost
Eco-friendly
Simple to operate
9 height adjustments
Unlikely to break down

Cons

Some may find it taxing to operate
Better for smaller lawns
No grass catching features

Sun Joe MJ401C-Pro

This Sun Joe is cordless, so you don’t have to worry about slicing through the power cable. It also means that it has an endless reach, depending on how long the batteries last. It has a removable safety key to prevent the machine starting up when unattended, and because the battery is the latest Lithium-ion technology, it will cut an area the size of a quarter of an acre continuously before the juice runs out.
It has a push-button startup, 3 height settings, and a LED indicator that tells you when the battery is running low. It also comes with a detachable grass catcher that can hold 40 liters of grass, and because it’s a lightweight lawnmower, you won’t put your back out pushing this thing around the garden.
On the downside, when the battery dies, you can expect to wait up to 4 hours before the battery is fully charged, and make sure you don’t let it charge for too long, as there is no overcharge protection. In addition, lithium batteries are notoriously fickle when exposed to cold temperatures, so don’t expect this mower to hold its charge in the winter months.

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Pros

Lightweight
Cordless
Safety features that prevent accidents
3 height settings
Lithium-ion technology

Cons

Battery hates cold weather
No overcharge protection
4-hour charging time

Worx WG779 Cordless Lawnmower

This Worx model is another cordless lawnmower, but where it differs from the Sun Joe MJ401C-Pro is that it uses two 20V batteries that give this mower an extended runtime. The power packs are also interchangeable between all the DIY and garden power tools in the Worxs range, so that could save you money in the long run.
This mower has a 14” cutting width and a single lever adjustment to select 3 height settings. It also features a padded handle to make the mowing more comfortable and to reduce the strain on your hands and wrists. It also comes equipped with Intellicut technology to deliver power where it is needed to save the drain of the batteries and to improve the efficiency of the mower.
On the downside, there are Eco and Turbo setting that drastically affect the performance and the battery life, with the Turbo setting draining it in less than 15 minutes. Moreover, given the 14” cutting width, this machine is best suited to medium and smaller lawns.

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Pros

Lightweight
Intellicut technology
3 height settings
Comfort grip handle

Cons

Battery doesn’t last long in Turbo mode
Small cutting width
Build quality issues

Comparison Chart

FEATURES	Greenworks 25022 Corded Lawnmower	Black+Decker 3-in-1 Compact	Scotts Classic Reel Lawnmower	Sun Joe MJ401C-Pro	Worx WG779 Cordless Lawnmower
Battery	X	X	X	✓	✓
Cutting Width	20 inches	12 inches	20 inches	14 inches	14 inches
Height Settings	7	2	9	3	3
Weight	56 lbs	13 lbs	34 lbs	23.1 lbs	35.27 lbs
Size of Lawn	Large	Small	Large	Medium	Medium
Warranty	4-year	2-year	2-year	2-year	3-year

Buyer’s Guide:

Lawnmowers

Corded versus Cordless

If you choose a corded lawnmower, you are guaranteeing that you will never have a loss of power, so people with larger gardens often select this type. There are inconveniences that come with a corded lawnmower, though, such as the risk of cutting the cable and causing an injury. Dragging a cable around is in itself inconvenient and restricts your range as you can only reach as far as the lead will allow.

With a cordless lawnmower, no such restrictions apply. They are “go anywhere” machines, so even the farthest corners of your lawn can get the attention it needs. Remember, however, that you are going to be a slave to the battery life, and many batteries will drain within one usage. Moreover, once the battery has died, don’t expect to be straight back on the job because it can take up to 4 hours for them to fully recharge and, unless you have purchased a back-up battery pack at great expense, you may have to accept that you will finish the job tomorrow.

Going Manual

If you want to be more environmentally friendly, then using a push-along lawn mower could be ideal. They have minimal impact on the environment because, other than raising a sweat, they use no energy at all. It could be that you want to turn the weekly manicure of your lawn into a workout for fitness reasons, or that you like the fact that they are “go anywhere” mowers, unencumbered by batteries or electrical cords. Whatever the reason, manual lawnmowers shouldn’t be dismissed.

Pros and Cons of Lawnmower

PROS:

Keeps your lawn manicured – If you want to maintain a healthy lawn, then it must be trimmed regularly. Unless you want to get on your knees with a pair of scissors, a lawnmower makes light work of the task.
Convenient – The convenience of a lawnmower shouldn’t be underestimated. Being able to spruce up the lawn before a party or a family visit can help to make your garden a usable space.
Cost effective – in the end, a lawnmower will cost less than paying a gardener to look after your lawn.

CONS:

The initial cost – On the whole, lawnmowers aren’t cheap, and if you have a large lawn, then you could be shelling out a couple of hundred dollars.
Storage – These machines are big and bulky, so storing them can sometimes be a challenge.
Maintenance – Keeping your lawnmower in peak condition is crucial to how effective it is.

FAQ

Should I use a grass catcher?
If you mow your lawn and don’t mind where the clippings end up, then there is no reason why you should use a grass catcher. When the cuttings dry they make your lawn look aesthetically displeasing, though, which defeats the object of trying to have the perfect lawn. In addition, not using a grass catcher means that once you’ve completed the mowing you are going to have to spend another hour collecting and bagging the clippings.
How loud is a lawnmower?
Most lawnmowers operate at between 90 and 110 dB, which is akin to listening to music through headphones. Of course, the most silent way to cut your grass is with a push-along that only requires a bit of effort on your part but creates no additional noise pollution.
How do I keep my mower free from debris once I’ve used it?
You should turn off the power and disconnect the cable, then tip the mower on its side to expose the bottom. Grab a hand brush and sweep away the clippings before they dry and harden. Also, make sure you clear any debris away from the motor. Never use a hose or water as that will damage the motor and potentially kill the mower.