Best Lawn Mower for Small Yards
Lawnmowers are a necessity if you have any grassed areas around your home or business, but these days they are considered more than machines that just cut our grass. It’s all about manicuring and shaping grass to your specific needs and taking into account lawn levels, dependent on both usage and preferences.
5 Best Lawn Mower for Small Yards Reviews:
1. Fiskars 17 Inch Staysharp Push Reel Lawn Mower
The Fiskars company knows a lot about blades. Ask anyone who sews, they probably have a pair of Fiskars scissors. The five-blade cutting reel on their 17-inch wide StaySharp push reel mower snips grass with razor-sharp efficiency.
They’re mounted on an InertiaDrive blade wheel that’s designed to be easier to push than ordinary manual mowers. If you happen to run over twigs, there’s usually no problem. And if you have tough grass like St. Augustine, you’ll love this little mower.
Another great feature of the StaySharp is that it handles a nice range of cutting heights, from 1.5 to 3.5 inches. Set the levers (one at each wheel) for the height you want, then test the handle length. The cushioned handlebar height is adjustable also, so you should be able to push the mower without bending over and without the front end of the mower lifting up.
2. Greenworks 20-Inch 12 Amp Corded Lawn Mower 25022
If you have a small yard, a small budget, or both, a corded electric lawn mower like the Greenworks 25022 can take care of your yard without stressing your budget or requiring the maintenance that a gas-powered mower needs. It has a 20-inch blade and a 12-amp motor that requires an outdoor extension cord. Like the other mowers featured here, this Greenworks mower can bag, discharge or mulch clippings.
It has seven cutting heights and a push-button start. Though it’s not self-propelled, owners say it’s fairly lightweight and easy to push, especially compared with gas push mowers. They also like how quiet it is, though most say there is a learning curve when it comes to power-cord management – you’ll need to learn how to.
3. EGO Power+ 20-Inch 56-Volt Lithium-ion Cordless Lawn Mower
The EGO Power+ 56-Volt cordless lawn mower runs up to 45 minutes on one charge of its 4.0Ah battery. If you’re in a hurry to cut more grass somewhere else, the battery only takes 30 minutes to refill. Or you can invest in the 5Ah capacity battery for up to 55 minutes’ runtime.
While it’s a monster at cutting grass with its 20-inch wide deck and 3-in-1 capability, it’s very quiet as it mows. You can cut the lawn without hearing protection and listen to music, a book, or a podcast.
The cutting height adjusts with the touch of one simple lever—in fact, a lot of gas mower manufacturers could benefit from putting this feature on their mowers.
4. Great States 415-16 16-Inch Reel Mower
The Great States 415-16 s a 16-inch reel mower with a T-style handle and heat treated blades. If you want to keep your lawn trimmed, but don’t want a gas-powered mower that can pollute the environment, or an electric mower that either needs to be plugged in or doesn’t give you enough battery run time, this is a perfect option for you.
This human-powered mower has a 16-inch cutting width, so you can usually complete your yard in one or two passes.
5. Fiskars 18 Inch Staysharp Max Reel Mower
Compared to the Scotts 2000-20, it’s bulkier. Its heavier weight allows smooth rolling push once you start mowing. The Consumer Reports rated it as being the easiest to push.
Unfortunately, if you cut at lower heights, the mower occasionally gets stuck on the grass. You need several pushes to get the job done. Another problem with its weight is that it takes more effort to turn around at the end of a mowing row.
The moment you get Fiskar StaySharp Max up to speed, it glides smoothly. But due to its weight, once you achieve that speed on a small lawn, you’ve already reached the end of your lawn and have to turn around. So, for very small yards, this Fiskar model is not suitable.
Things to Consider:
Size of The Mower
The larger the size of your yard is, the larger your lawn mower should be. If you have a ½-1 acre yard, a 42 inches deck would be enough while for 1-2 acres, 42-46 inches deck is needed. Although push lawn mowers will do for small areas, riding models are much more convenient.
Of course, you would also want to buy a mower that can fit into your storage area, right? After all, you need to keep it in a place away from winter and water elements.
Speed
A higher maximum mowing speed means getting the job done faster. Further on, you will need to choose between single-speed and multi-speed mowers. Single speed riding mowers come with one fixed speed option and work best for an even terrain without obstacles.
Otherwise, a multi-speed mower seems to be the most popular as it lets users choose from a range of speed options.
Power Source
There are two main types of lawn mowers – electric and gas-powered mowers. As you might have noticed, the best riding lawn mowers we have listed above are gas-powered. Meaning to say, their operation is not restricted by a power cord or its battery charge.
Deck Size
The right deck width is not just about the size of your yard and how fast you want to finish mowing but also about storage and the engine power. It is also about efficiency. The wide 42-inch deck may be ideal for a large lawn but not for a large lawn with a number of landscape features, for instance, trees, poles, flowers, winding paths, which will need a good deal of maneuvering.