There is nothing like the smell of freshly cut grass in spring. Adding a deep, healthy green lawn is one of life’s simple joys. But mowing the lawn may or may not be a pleasant task. A mower can leave a ragged edge stuck in tall grass or it can be stubbornly difficult to start. A machine like that takes away the pleasure of work and experience as something you fear. A self-propelled lawn mower is a machine that is powered by its motors without being pushed.
They can be rear-wheel drive or front-wheel drive, also single-speed or variable-speed, and some even have cruise control. Some of the top-rated self-propelled lawn mowers also cut more evenly than other types of standard lawn mowers. Some of them start with an electrical switch. Another high-end feature is a blade override, which stops the blade without cutting the motor. Like all other lawn mowers, self-propelled lawn mowers also need regular cleaning and maintenance, and around 85 decibels or more are loud enough to require hearing protection. They are also the most expensive lawn mowers and best suited to need repairs. Safety is also your main concern.
Emissions are other concerns, both from air pollution and from global warming. The environmental protection agency estimates that a typical lawn mower emits as much air pollution per hour as eleven cars. To minimize emissions, choose an engine that meets the California Air Research Board Tier 3 emission standards.
Gasoline powered self-propelled lawn mowers are the most popular type of lawn mower. Some inexpensive models don’t cost much more than a push mower. Lawn mower reviews say that self-propelled lawn mowers for hilly patios or lawns up to half an acre like the Honda, Toro, and Lawn-Boy insight mowers are the most recommended in reviews among self-propelled lawn mowers.
The best buy among self-propelled lawn mowers largely depends on how you want to handle clippings. For comparative bagging and shredding reviews, give the Honda HRX Series the highest rating. Both professional and owner reviews say this system works extremely well. The rust-proof deck on HRX mowers is made from high-impact NeXite. This series of Honda mowers also has a great reputation for good performance on sloping lawns. Honda mowers have cruise control in addition to a variable speed of up to 4 mph.
The Lawn-Boy insight platinum series is good too, and compared to Honda lawn mowers it costs less. Some of the mowers also meet the strictest environmental regulations in California. The less expensive Lawn-boy insight platinum 10795 series also has a Honda engine that is featured in the higher-end models in this series.
Some consumers recommend the Toro Super Recycler, which has a longer 5-year warranty and includes a broken blade. The cast aluminum duck is stainless. None of the Toro mowers meet CARB standards. On top of that, Toro makes a less expensive series of recyclers. The mowers in this series are relatively inexpensive and have a two-year warranty.