If you have a decent-sized yard or a lawn with uneven terrain, pushing your lawnmower can be at times very tiring and you can’t just let those grass grow out of proportions.
This is where the self-propelled lawn mowers come into play. These lawnmowers are a step up to the push behind ones and take off a lot of manual force from you making the job a good deal easier.
The energy from the motors that are generally used in propelling the blades, is partially diverted to move the wheels. Sometimes the energy is transferred to front or rear wheels and sometimes it is transferred to all the four wheels to make it even more comfortable for use.
The person behind the machine has to just guide the lawnmower through and occasionally give that extra push when the motors fail.
Best Self-Propelled Lawn Mowers
In a Hurry? here is the list of top 4 self propelled lawn mowers.
| Image | Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Snapper RP218502 | Type: Gas-Powered | Check Price |
 | Troy-Bilt TB330 | Type: Corded-Electric | Check Price |
 | Lawn Boy 17732 | Type: Gas-Powered | Check Price |
 | EGO Power+ LM2001-X | Type: Battery-Powered | Check Price |
Detailed Reviews of Self-Propelled Lawn Mowers
1. Snapper RP2185020/7800981 NINJA
The Snapper RP2185020 Ninja is a rear-wheel-drive gas-powered self-propelled lawnmower. It has a sturdy built with a rugged solid steel front axle and a stamped steel mower deck that provides durability to the mower.
The 10” high rear wheels along with the back wheel drive and smooth turn differential provide better maneuverability to the mower and improve the mower traction and eliminate the risk of damaging the grass.
The Snapper’s disc drive transmission is a dependable speed adjustment system. Along with the high wheel torque, it provides improved speed control on hills and helps in moving the mower through thick grass or rough terrain.
The handle has a sturdy ergonomic grip and all the controls from the speed select to the cup holder are strategically placed at the handle for easy operations.
The Snapper RP2185020 is powered by a Briggs and Stratton 850 professional series OHV engine that combines professional-grade power and performance with home-friendly easy of use.
This quiet yet powerful engine has a Ready start starting system that allows the engine to start at the pull of the cord without any priming and choking.
The Snapper RP2185020 is a perfect choice if you are a fan of mulching. The Ninja walk-behind self-propelled lawnmower features 6 powerful cutting surfaces that will finely mulch the grass. The deck is so designed that once the mulching is done the clippings will be blown back into the lawn.
It has a cutting deck width of 21”. The height of the deck can be easily adjusted between 1.25” and 4”. There are 7 different height adjustment options available within this range.
The mower also has a bagging or side discharge option but the bag does not come with the mower and has to be purchased separately.
- Briggs and Stratton OHV engine with Ready Start
- Rear-wheel-drive and 10” high rear wheels
- Comfortable handle controls with cup holder
- Ninja blades with 6 cutting surfaces
- Variable speed
- 21” cutting deck with 7 height adjustment options
- Mulching, bagging and side discharge available
- No bag provided and has to be purchased separately
- Handling the speed can pose a problem and so it is better to run it at low speeds
2. Troy-Bilt TB330 163cc
The Troy-Bilt TB330 is a rear-wheel-drive gas-powered self-propelled lawnmower. This self-propelled lawnmower is extremely powerful and can handle all your lawn mowing jobs with ease.
The rear-wheel-drive lawn mower can easily be maneuvered in hilly terrains and features 8” high wheels. The wheels are relatively small and may pose a problem sometimes.
It has a dual lever variable speed control to adjust the top speed to four different levels with precision and to improve traction. The highest speed can be set at 3mph.
The Troy-Bilt TB 330 is powered by a 163cc Briggs and Stratton engine. The powerful Briggs and Stratton engine is extremely reliable and comes with a Ready start technology which avoids any priming requirement and facilitates an easy start every time.
The engine comes with the Briggs and Stratton promise that says if the engine does not start in one or two pulls, then it will be fixed for free by the manufacturer.
The Troy-Bilt TB330 has a 21” wide cutting deck and has a tri-action cutting system that adds precision to the cuts and your job would be done in fewer passes saving a lot of time and fuel.
A rake bumper lifts the grass upright, a specially designed blade provides the finer mulch and a symmetrical deck allows superior grass flow.
The integrated premium deck wash aids in easy cleaning and enhances the lifespan of the product in turn. A single lever allows you to adjust the height of the cutting deck between 1.25” and 3.75”.
The grass clippings can be either mulched or bagged or side discharged. The 1.9 bushels grass catcher that comes along with the lawnmower is easy to clean up and is large enough to avoid the emptying of the bag at intervals.
The Troy-Bilt TB330 comes with a three-year limited warranty
- 163cc Briggs and Stratton OHV engine with Ready Start
- Tri action cutting system with 21” deck
- Deck height adjustments
- Mulching, bagging and side discharge available
- 1.9 bushels bag
- 3 year limited warranty
- Low height wheels
- Consumers complain about the plastic levers
3. Lawn Boy 17732
The Lawn-Boy 17732 is a CARB compliant rear-wheel-drive self-propelled gas-powered lawnmower. This machine is designed for improved traction and controls that will provide you with an extraordinary mowing experience.
It can be maneuvered smoothly over hilly terrain. The Lawn-Boy 17732 has a strong built I.e everything from the deck to the wheels has steel built.
Thus it is extremely durable and at the same time lightweight. With a weight of 66lbs its not difficult to push it through when the engine is switched off. The Lawn-Boy 17732 offers you two choices in terms of speed. This may pose a problem for some as its difficult to cope with the high speed sometimes.
It makes very little noise compared to other gas-powered lawnmowers and being CARB compliant can be easily shipped to California.
The Lawn-Boy 17732 is powered by a 149cc Gross torque/ OHV Kohler engine. The engine is not one of the most powerful ones but along with the superior blade system, it does a pretty commendable job.
It bears the Tru-Start Commitment wherein if the engine does not start with one or two pulls the manufacturer would fix it for free. The Tru-Start Commitment is valid for three years from the date of purchase.
The Lawn-Boy 17732 has a cutting deck width of 21”. The height of the deck can be adjusted between 1.25” and 3.75”. It has a two-point Height-of-Cut system that allows you to adjust the cutting height from one side of the mower.
The rear wheels bear a metal stud that does the job while the front wheels have a plastic one and can be a matter of concern if you are not careful.
The cut quality of the mower is excellent. The mower boasts of a tri-cut blade system that may reduce the cutting surface area but will give you a smooth and clean cut every time. It acts smoothly even over rough terrain or wet grass.
The Lawn-Boy 17732 has a triple discharge system. So you can mulch your clippings or side discharge them or even bag them according to your convenience. The bag provided along with the mower is pretty large and has a capacity of 2 bushels.
We have already mentioned that the engine is backed by a three year Tru Start Commitment. But there is also a two-year warranty on the entire machine.
- Kohler OHV engine with three-year Tru-Start Commitment
- All steel body
- 21” wide cutting deck with tri cut system
- Two-point height adjustments
- Mulching, bagging and side discharge available with a large bag capacity
- Rear-wheel-drive
- 2 year limited warranty
- Hollow plastic front wheel height adjustment stud
- 149cc engine is not as powerful as its competitors.
4. EGO Power+ 20-inch 56-Volt Lithium-ion Cordless Lawn Mower
Most of the self-propelled lawn mowers mentioned till now were powered by gas. We prefer a gas-powered lawnmower due to the sheer power that the engine can generate, although we know that these machines enhance the overall carbon footprint of the household and also produce a considerable amount of noise.
With Ego Power + the performance gap between the gas-powered machines and the battery-powered ones has been bridged.
The Ego Power + self-propelled lawnmower provides almost the same performance sans the noise, fumes and starting hazards. It is the most advanced rechargeable lawn mowers in recent times. It has a convenient weather-resistant construction with rugged 9” high wheels and an easy to store design.
The mower is IPX4 rated which means that it can withstand up to 5 minutes of splashing with water. The Ego Power + handle can be easily folded flat into the mower deck and can be stored in a flat or upright position.
The Ego Power + can be easily started by the push of a button which is conveniently placed at the handle. It does not make much noise and hence can be used anytime of the day or even at night. It wouldn’t disturb your neighbors. LED headlights will guide you if you are mowing at night.
The kit version comes with a 56V 7.5Ah “ARC Lithium” battery and a 60minute rapid charger. The 7.5 Ah battery supplies enough power for the mower to run for about an hour and can handle even rough patches without turning red.
A battery indicator will tell you the amount of charge that is left to carry on the job. The speed of the mower can be varied from 1.8MPH to 3.6MPH simply by sliding the cruise control lever.
The power for the movement is transferred to the left rear wheel. The new improved bearings in the wheels reduce the friction to a great extent and increase the mower run time.
The mower has a 21” cutting deck which is a standard size if you compare other lawn mowers in this range. The height of the cutting deck can be adjusted between 1.5” and 4”. There are 5 height-adjusting options within this range to choose from.
The Ego Power + is equipped with all the three modes of clippings management viz. Mulching, side discharge, and bagging.
You need to insert the plastic plug to choose the mulch option so that the blades double cut the grass into finer pieces. The lawnmower comes with a three-year battery warranty and a five-year tool warranty.
- Battery-powered rear-wheel-drive self-propelled
- Weather-resistant body IPX4
- No noise fumes and fuss
- 21” wide cutting deck
- 5 height adjustments
- Mulching, bagging and side discharge available
- 5-year tool warranty
- LED headlights
- The battery has an hour of run time
5. Greenworks PRO 21-Inch 80V Cordless Lawn Mower
Another high power battery operated self-propelled lawnmower to make it to our list is the Greenworks Pro MO80L510 offers a professional-grade commercial mower with loads of power and performance to its credit.
Though after a glance you may feel that the mower is made of cheap materials no consumer has ever complained off the mower falling apart.
The steel deck is durable if you are not keeping it out for hours in the rain. The mower handle clips for adjusting the handle height can be a matter of concern though.
The mower starts with the push of a button and on engaging the bail switch. There is a safety switch that will eliminate the risk of engaging the mower blades when the engine is started. The mower blade is engaged only when the safety switch is released.
The self-propelled 80V lawnmower is powered by a brushless motor which enhances the torque and delivers maximum power with minimal heating and wastage of battery energy. The motor delivers power equivalent to a 160cc gas-powered motor.
The motor is equipped with a smart cut load sensing technology that engages more power when it meets rough patches and lowers it down otherwise to save the battery energy and thereby increasing the run time of the mower.
The mower comes with an 80V 5Ah li-ion battery and a rapid charger. The battery takes about 30 minutes to charge fully and lasts for about 70 minutes of run time.
The Greenworks Pro MO80L510 has a cutting deck of 21” and has seven different cutting height options to choose from within 1.25” and 3.65”. The height adjustments can be done by a single lever which is preferred by many who have a problem with adjusting multiple levers.
It has all three modes of clipping management facilities, mulch, side discharge, and bagging. Like the Ego Power + it can be easily folded and stored in two different positions. It is backed by a two-year warranty on the battery and a four-year warranty on the mower.
- Battery-powered rear-wheel-drive self-propelled
- 80V powerful motor with brushless technology and smart cut sensing
- No noise fumes and fuss
- 21” wide cutting deck
- 7 height adjustments with single lever
- Mulching, bagging and side discharge available
- Easy storage
- The battery has run time of 70 minutes
- Plastic handles on height adjustment handle
- Not at all light in weight
6. Husqvarna 961450021 HU800AWDH Honda 190cc lawn mower
The Husqvarna HU800AWDH is a four-wheel-drive, self-propelled gas-powered lawnmower. It has a perfect combination of a solid built, a powerful Honda Motor and a four-wheel-drive feature that makes it most suited to uneven hilly terrains.
The Husqvarna HU800AWDH has a solid built for the most of the lawnmower. The deck though is a little bit flimsy and some consumers have faced the occasional problem of the cutting deck flexing a bit to hit the blades.
The handle height can also be adjusted and hence you will not have to bend and suffer backaches while guiding it through.
This self-propelled lawnmower has a top-notch powerful and reliable Honda engine that doesn’t fail to impress you. The 190cc four-stroke Honda GCV engine not only provides enough power to handle most grass cutting duties but will also help you in maneuvering the mower effortlessly through rough terrains.
And above all, you can always rely on a Honda engine for its long-lasting performance. With this engine at your disposal, you will never have a starting problem even if your machine has been idle for all those winter months. There will be no coughing or spluttering and the engine would start at the very first attempt.
The self-propelling feature of the lawnmower is controlled by a trigger mechanism which is located at the handle for convenience.
It is also equipped with speed controls so that you can set it up at a pace that you are comfortable with. The ergonomic design allows you to control the operations with a single hand only.
The Husqvarna HU800AWDH has 8” tall front wheels and 11” high rear wheels and is equipped with a four-wheel-drive that transfers power to all the four wheels which makes the maneuvering of the lawnmower an easy and comfortable task.
The high rear wheel design adds on to its maneuverability and is especially helpful during the turns. It can be easily guided uphill or over rough terrain.
The rugged wheels provide excellent traction and eliminated the possibility of tearing the grass. Though it does face a problem when the grass is wet or when you need to back out of a tough spot. Pulling the mower backward can pose a problem sometimes. But this problem can be handled if you plan your action or movement accordingly.
The self-propelled lawnmower has a steel cutting deck of 22”. The 22” cutting deck is wider than the standard and hence can do the job in fewer passes and will save a lot of time in return.
The four-point height adjustment facility allows you to adjust the height of the deck by your needs. The deck height can be adjusted on individual wheels.
You can never complain about the cut quality of this machine. The premium crown cut blades excel in its job and outperform the standard blades.
Most top of the line lawn mowers nowadays come with a three-mode clippings management feature and the Husqvarna HU800AWDH is no exception to the rule.
You can either side discharge the clippings or bag them for disposal at a later time or you can mulch them to tiny pieces so that they can be decomposed easily. It has a side bumper that doubles as a grass rake to pull the grass for a clean trim.
The Husqvarna HU800AWDH has an additional hose attachment that aids in cleaning the cutting deck which can otherwise be a very tedious job. And it has to be one after every mowing act so that the blades remain clean and have a longer life.
This lawnmower is heavy and when you are in the self-propelled mode, you wouldn’t even feel the weight. But the weight will be of concern when you have stopped the engine and want to guide the lawnmower back to the garage or the storage space manually.
The Husqvarna HU800AWDH is backed by a three-year warranty on the product.
- 190CC Honda GCV engine
- Four-wheel-drive
- High rear wheels
- 22” cutting deck with four height adjustment options
- Handle height adjustments
- Mulching, bagging and side discharge available
- Hose attachment
- The mowing deck is not well built
- Weight poses a problem when pulling back or guiding it back to the storage space
7. Honda HRX217K5VKA 187cc Lawn Mower
The Honda HRR216K9VKA is a 3 in 1 rear-wheel drive gas-powered self-propelled lawnmower. A well-designed machine this has enough power punched in it to handle your lawn mowing jobs with ease.
It is strongly built and the handle has a soft ergonomic grip with a smart drive at the handle so that you can control the operations single-handedly. The handle can be easily folded down with the twist knob release and aids in reducing the storage space required.
Unlike the Husqvarna HU800AWDH, this is comparatively light in weight and has a rear-wheel-drive I.e the power is transferred to the rear wheels. The self-propelled feature takes off any kind of pressure involved in pushing the lawnmower along the path.
The rear-wheel-drive allows you to move easily through uphill terrains with obstacles while the speed controls allow you to adjust the speed of the mower between 0-4mph following your stride.
The height of the wheels can also be adjusted by four levers to set the mower at a fitting level for your lawn. The height of the rear wheels are small and are a matter of concern sometimes.
The Honda HRR216K9VA is equipped with a 160cc 5hp Honda GCV engine. The Honda engine will never disappoint you even if the grass is long or rough or is a little wet. Featured with an auto choke this engine will never give you a starting problem even after a long resting period.
Just a pull at the start cord will start the operations immediately. The powerful engine is not very loud but can’t be termed as silent and does produce some noise which is common to most gas-powered mowers.
The Honda lawnmower has an impressive cutting width of 21” which may be an inch less than the one mentioned above but has a twin blade set up that enables precise micro-cuts. This helps you maintain a well-trimmed lawn with fewer passes.
It also features six different cutting positions and you can set the height anywhere between 1-1/8” and 4” along with the range.
Some consumers have complained though that the twin blades have reduced the effective cutting width to about 2”. The flywheel brake system quickly stops the engine when you let go off the blade control lever.
Equipped with a grass guard you can simply discharge your clippings without allowing them to fly anywhere around.
You can alternatively use the mulching option or bag them for disposal. You can easily slide the clip director to change the clippings management mode. The bag provided has a large capacity and you do not have to empty it often.
The Honda HRR216K9VA is backed by a three-year warranty.
- 187CC Honda GCV engine
- Rear-wheel-drive
- Auto choke
- Low height comfortable cushioned fold-able handle
- Variable speed
- 21” cutting deck with twin blade and 6 cutting positions
- Mulching, bagging and side discharge available
- No hose attachment
- Noisy
- Small wheels
Best Self Propelled Lawn Mowers Buying guide
We have already given you a list of some of the best mower for 2020 that are available in the market. But just choosing one blindly may not suffice your needs. There are some factors that you need to consider before you decide on the lawnmower that may be perfect for you.
How big is your lawn
So the first thing you need to consider is your yard or lawn size. Self-propelled lawn mowers are more suited for medium to large-sized yards. Small yards can be easily mowed by cheaper push lawnmowers, but medium to large-sized lawns can put a lot of stress on you and hence are best mowed with self-propelled lawnmowers.
Gas-powered ones can handle large-sized yards and although battery-powered ones are equally powerful nowadays if the yard is too large then the battery charge can be exhausted before you have finished up with the whole thing.
The Lawn Terrain
Self-propelled lawnmowers work very well in rough and uneven terrains with slopes. But if you have a really sloped terrain or a very rough one then a rear-wheel-drive mower or a four-wheel-drive one will work better than a front-wheel drive.
The Wheel Size
The wheel size is also of extreme importance here. Small wheels tend to get entangled easily if you have rough patches.
And if the traction is not too good it can lead to grass tear, which will obviously damage the uniformity of your lawn and will leave a patchy looking lawn behind.
The Deck Size
The deck size or the cutting width should be chosen keeping in mind the size of your lawn. A wider deck will speed up the process if you have a large lawn.
On the other hand, if you have narrow areas on the lawn, its advisable to choose one that can do up the narrow areas as well. You need to see if the deck has height adjustment facilities.
Some mowers have a single lever that can adjust the height of the deck on all the four wheels while some others will allow a two-point or a four-point height adjustment facility. You need to also look for the minimum height that your deck can reach. A 1.25” can be considered to be pretty good.
Weight of the mower
The weight of the mower is obviously important mainly when you bring it back to the garage for storage. When the engine is on and the mower is moving on the self-propelled mode, the weight of the mower may not come into consideration but when you have to carry it along to the garage, you can’t just waste energy by starting the engine up and then self-propelling it back.
Also, it would damage the uniformity of the lawn on its way back. The weight of the mower is felt on such occasions and if you have to push it uphill then you may well guess what the situation will be like. So if you have a steep lawn its always better to go for a lightweight lawnmower.
Noise and fumes
Mainly of concern when you are using a gas-powered self-propelled lawnmower, the noise levels of the engine and the fumes can be a thing to worry especially if you have neighbors in the near vicinity. Electric mowers make almost negligible sound and there is no question of fumes what so ever.
Warranty
Reading the warranty conditions carefully can save you a lot of hassle later. Choose one that has a longer and overall cover on the mower and not on just some parts of it. Getting an extended long term warranty, if the warranty period is short, is recommendable.
Additional features
The other things that may ease up your task and should be looked for in your mower are the handle comfort, the cruise controls, the speed of the mower and if it’s variable, the clipping management options, the size of the bag, integrated deck wash, to name a few.
Conclusion
So one glance at your lawn, its size, and the terrain can give you a fairly good idea of the type of Self-propelled lawnmower that you should go for.
Once you have decided on the must-haves, you can then carefully choose between the features that you want and the ones that you can do away with. You can then select from one of them that have been mentioned in our list.
If you have chosen well, then with minimum effort on your part you will get a great looking lawn within minutes.