Walk behind: Reel, electric (corded or battery), gas powered (self propelled or manual)

Riding: Rear engine, lawn tractor, garden tractor

When considering a new lawn mower, you must first consider what type of mowing you will be doing. This will affect the type of mower that you purchase. Below are some general guidelines to match your purchase with the size of your yard. Please note that there are exceptions to these rules. If your lawn is 1/3 acre or less you might want a reel or electric mower. If your lawn is less than 1/2 acre you will be able to handle that with a walk behind gas mower. 1/2 to 1 acre lawns usually require a lawn tractor or a rear-engine rider. If you have more than one acre you should consider a big lawn tractor or garden tractor. Of course, if you wish to get a lot of exercise each time you mow the yard and you have 3/4 acre to mow - get a walk behind. Likewise, if you have 1/2 acre and want to "take it easy" when cutting the lawn - get a rider.

If you are still uncertain about what to get, look around at what your neighbors(with similar lots) use. If they are all using walk behinds - that's probably the way to go. If there is a mixed bag of riders and walk behinds, informally interview the neighbors.

Riding
Riding mowers offer many advantages over walk-behind mowers, but this is evident in the price. Riding mowers usually have a large deck size. The deck size refers to the size of the lawnmower blade. The larger the blade, the more grass the mower can cut in one pass. This lowers the time it takes to mow a certain area but it may limit the places that the mower can go because of its size. You should expect to pay $900 and up for riding mowers.

Walk Behind
Walk-behind mowers have many different features to choose from. You should expect to spend $100 or more on a walk behind mower. To find the best walk-behind lawnmower for you, ask yourself these questions.
Is my lawn less than 1/2 arce?
Will it be hard for me to push a lawnmower around my yard or am I looking for an alternate way to stay fit?
Do I have a place to dispose of grass clippings or do I not want to bag the clippings?
Will I have trouble with a recoil start and do I need and electric starter?

Reel/Electric walk behinds
As more people become environmentally conscious the demand for alternatives to gas powered mowers has increased. As battery technology becomes more advanced the larger the area cordless, electric mowers will be able to mow.
Is my lawn less than 1/3 acre?
Am I concerned about the environment?
Am I prepared to mow the lawn frequently? (most electric and reel mowers require that the length of grass cut is smaller than with gas models)

Starting mechanism- Gas powered walk-behind mowers have two types of starting mechanisms. One is a recoil starter and the other is an electric starter. Pulling a handle attached to a rope operates the recoil starter. This turns the engine allowing it to start. Most new mowers with recoil starters will start within 2 pulls. The electric started is operated by pushing a button and requires very little physical energy to start the mower.

Gas or electric - Electric-corded mowers need to be plugged in during use but save you money by eliminating gas and oil costs. They also put no pollutants into the air and are much quieter than gas powered mowers. Electric mowers are great for very small lawns. Electric-battery mowers give you the freedom of having no cord but also put a maximum amount of time to cut the lawn before the battery needs to be recharged. Gas powered mowers run off of gasoline or a mixture of gasoline and oil. These mowers have more power than electric mowers and are able to cut through thick and wet grass easier. They can be used on larger lawns because no cords are required for use. More maintenance is needed to keep gas-powered mowers running properly.

Power - The horsepower of the engine is directly related to the power that the mower will have. The more power a lawnmower has, the easier it will be for the mower to cut grass. Tall and wet grass can cause some mowers to struggle cutting it. The result is an uneven and poor cut. Mowers with more power are more likely to cut through tall or wet grass easier and leave a cleaner, more even cut. A riding mower will also be able to tow larger loads if it has more power.

Mulch/Bag - Different mowers either bag the grass clippings or recycle them back into the lawn. Mowers that have bags may take up more space, but they allow you to cut your lawn less often than mulching mowers. They also leave your lawn with a "cleaner" look because no clippings are left on the lawn. With a mulching mower, you must cut your grass regularly because the mower can only mulch in a certain amount of grass. Mulching mowers cut up the grass clippings into small pieces and this allows them to fall between the blades of grass and decompose, adding to the richness of the soil.

Warranty - Warranty is very important when purchasing a mower of any type. Lawn mowers have many parts that can break or fail, and without a warranty, some of these parts can be expensive. Make sure that you know what you warranty covers. They usually do not cover normal wear and tear. Even if the warranty does not, it may still save you a lot of money.

Maneuverability - Maneuverability may be an important feature you need on a riding lawnmower. If you have a large lawn that has many tight turns, you will want a riding mower that has high maneuverability. Some mowers have a small turning radius, which allows them to "turn on a dime."

Storage - If you are tight on storage space in your garage or shed, you want to look for a mower that takes up little floor space. Walk behind mowers will take up the least amount of floor space and mulching mowers, which do not have bags, will take up even less space. The most space conscious mower would be the reel mower as it is light enough to be hung from a wall.

Speed - Self-propelled walk behind mowers and riding mowers will have different speed settings. Some will only have one speed setting, but if you will need more than one speed setting, for different types and depths of grass, make sure you get a mower with variable speeds. These mowers either have a set number of speed or variable speeds (you can adjust the speed to the exact pace you want to mow.)

Utility uses - If you plan to use your lawnmower as a tractor to till soil or to haul materials, make sure that the mower you get is capable of doing these things. Riding mowers that have the engine in the front rather than in the back are more likely to accept attachments. An advantage to having a rear mounted engine is visibility. So think ahead - you don't want to find yourself wishing you purchased a front engine model in a year or two.

Services - Your local retailer should be able to provide you with everything you need. From parts to service, your retailer or local lawnmower shop is the place to go. They should also be able to tune up your mower (change the oil and make minor adjustments to the engine) and sharpen the blade when necessary. Remember to change your oil regularly. This is very important in order for the engine to last.

Should I Buy a Used Mower?

You must be very careful when buying a used mower. There are many different things that can be wrong with a lawnmower that will cost you a lot of money to fix. Check to see if the previous owner changed the oil regularly and took care of the mower. This will help ensure that the engine of the mower is in good condition. Also make sure that the mechanical parts, like the wheels and blade, of the lawnmower are in good condition. You can always ask the person if you can take the mower to your local dealer. If they allow you to do so, have the dealer look over the mower and, if there are problems, find out how much it will cost to fix it. An advantage of buying a used lawnmower is that you can get a model for much less than you would if you bought it new. But remember, if the price seems too good to be true, it probably is.