Best push mower for SFH (1/4 acre lot)

[Anonymous]

My husband has been using a cheap mower for our SFH since moving in 7 years ago. He vaguely mentioned that he’d like to upgrade to something that works a little better - our current mower can’t handle grass that is slightly damp or even a little bit too long.

I doubt I’d actually buy him a mower without telling him, but I’d like to surprise him with some research and recommendations of new mowers.

Any recommendations or places to read about good push mowers?

TIA.

[Anonymous]

got a budget?

anything with honda would be a win. many options from discharginging, to bagging to mulching. self propelled. etc

Electric(battery) has come along way in the tech department and i would not poo-poo them.

[Anonymous]

Not a specific budget. The Honda’s at Lowe’s and HD are in the $400-700 range which is fine.

We mostly mulch the grass but occasionally bag it.

His main complaints are having to wait and wait for the grass to be 100% dry and also when we return from vacation and the grass is longer it’s difficult to mow without the mower choking up. Those are the main issues he’s trying to solve.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:got a budget?

anything with honda would be a win. many options from discharginging, to bagging to mulching. self propelled. etc

Electric(battery) has come along way in the tech department and i would not poo-poo them.

+1 on electric. It is worth considering. Electric mowers are much quieter and you don’t have to deal with the smell and storage of gas. If you invest in a backup battery and keep the blade sharp you would be able to cut 1/4 of an acre of damp grass with both batteries. Honda has a dual blade self-propelled mower you should look at.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not a specific budget. The Honda’s at Lowe’s and HD are in the $400-700 range which is fine.

We mostly mulch the grass but occasionally bag it.

His main complaints are having to wait and wait for the grass to be 100% dry and also when we return from vacation and the grass is longer it’s difficult to mow without the mower choking up. Those are the main issues he’s trying to solve.

wet grass is a pretty common problem but it's better to cut it dry. Tall grass issue, I mow it twice - use highest setting and mow it again 3 days later with lower setting. Get him a self-propelled to make it easier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a specific budget. The Honda’s at Lowe’s and HD are in the $400-700 range which is fine.

We mostly mulch the grass but occasionally bag it.

His main complaints are having to wait and wait for the grass to be 100% dry and also when we return from vacation and the grass is longer it’s difficult to mow without the mower choking up. Those are the main issues he’s trying to solve.

wet grass is a pretty common problem but it's better to cut it dry. Tall grass issue, I mow it twice - use highest setting and mow it again 3 days later with lower setting. Get him a self-propelled to make it easier.

Ok thanks. If he has to wait for the grass to dry and cut long grass twice, that’s what he already does and doesn’t need a new mower. I will ask our neighbors because they seem to be able to mow wetter grass than we can.

[Anonymous]

EGO Battery mower is pretty awesome.

[Anonymous]

I'd not go w/ electric if OP is trying to cut wet/tall grass on a 1/4 AC lot. She needs serious power and, sadly, nothing beats gas engine.

[Anonymous]

Honda. We've had one for 11 years, it's great.

[Anonymous]

yeah unless the mower is commcerial grade, its not going to handle wet tall grass.

I'm still cutting about every 5 days right now. if i go 7, even when dry, i end up having to double cut a few spots or use the blower to spread out the clipping clumps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a specific budget. The Honda’s at Lowe’s and HD are in the $400-700 range which is fine.

We mostly mulch the grass but occasionally bag it.

His main complaints are having to wait and wait for the grass to be 100% dry and also when we return from vacation and the grass is longer it’s difficult to mow without the mower choking up. Those are the main issues he’s trying to solve.

wet grass is a pretty common problem but it's better to cut it dry. Tall grass issue, I mow it twice - use highest setting and mow it again 3 days later with lower setting. Get him a self-propelled to make it easier.

Ok thanks. If he has to wait for the grass to dry and cut long grass twice, that’s what he already does and doesn’t need a new mower. I will ask our neighbors because they seem to be able to mow wetter grass than we can.

OP - taking good care of lawn is a lot of work. I've always had large yards and there is no easy answer.

[Anonymous]

DH’s Craftsman lawn mower is 27 years old and still going strong. Bought it just after we married.

[Anonymous]

Honda and Toro are the best push you will get for residential use. Go with the Toro. Their patented Personal Pace on their push mowers is awesome!! It’s their self propelled feature based on how fast you choose to walk. You can even light jog lol. You can mow with one finger it’s that great.

He needs to stop mowing wet grass no residential lawn mower is designed for this. Plus the wet grass clippings just clump up under the mowing deck affecting cutting performance and you’re actually ripping the grass blades, not cutting them. Don’t pay attention to how your neighbors mow wet grass it’s just more people doing it wrong. Also cut height should preferably be close to 4" if you have tall fescue grass.

The Toro Super Recycler are the best mulching mowers out there for home owner use and are built to last. Super Recyclers like most residential lawn mowers have a 21" cutting deck.

https://www.toro.com/en/homeowner/walk-behind-mowers/21-personal-pace-21386

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Toro-21-in-Super-Recycler-Personal-Pace-SmartStow-163-cc-Briggs-Walk-Behind-Mower-21386/311047054

He has a 1/4 lot to mow and probably would like to save some time but not get a riding mower. The Toro Timemaster is the only residential walk behind mower that has a 30" deck and could cut his time in half. It also has Personal Pace. Burns more gas though because it has dual blades.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Toro-TimeMaster-30-in-Briggs-Stratton-Personal-Pace-Self-Propelled-Walk-Behind-Gas-Lawn-Mower-with-Spin-Stop-21199/300234121

Buy from a Toro dealer in the area if first possible. If not, Home Depot suffices. Just know that with Home Depot once you put gas in it, it’s yours no returns unless it was defective out of the box.

https://www.toro.com/en/locator

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:EGO Battery mower is pretty awesome.

The EGO is pretty powerful and does a great job with our lawn. As other PPS have said, you really shouldn't be mowing wet grass anyway. Most mowers will have issues with clumping and cutting. Even our Honda did.

https://www.bobvila.com/articles/mowing-wet-grass/

Read here^ lots of reasons to not mow a wet lawn.

[Anonymous]

Lots of folks keep suggesting a battery powered mower which is silly considering OP stated they have a 1/4 acre to mow. A full battery charge lasts around 45 mins and will most likely die before the cut is finished.