Best petrol lawn mowers to give your grass a neat clean cut

Getting your hands on one of the best petrol lawn mowers will make your next grass cutting adventure a joy rather than a chore. They offer power, are perfect for larger gardens and can tackle the wildest of lawns.

Petrol mowers are typically more powerful than the best cordless lawn mowers and will deliver a smart, neatly cut lawn that you can admire. But what should you be on the lookout for? Cutting width, grass box capacity, cutting heights, weight and drive type are all factors to consider.

A larger cutting width, means quicker cutting, but typically at the expense of manoeuvrability. A larger grass box means less trips to empty and are a good choice for larger gardens. Cutting heights are key, especially if you want a close crop finish. Choose a self -propelled drive type to help make cutting the grass that little bit easier. And, of course there is always a budget to consider.

Here we cover all bases and budgets to help you choose the best petrol lawn mower for your needs.

The Quick List

Pushed for time to search for best petrol lawn mowers? No worries – we've put together a quick overview of all the mowers on this list, along with handy links that allow you to skip down the page to get right into a more detailed review of the particular product that you like the look of.

Best self propelled lawn mower

The low-maintenance, high-performance Hyundai HYM510SP is the best self-propelled electric start petrol lawnmower.

It features six easily adjustable cutting heights, ranging between 25-75mm, and good cutting width for large gardens. It's easy to start, which is achieved through a contactless ignition system, and being able to control the large rear wheels from the rear mounted handle makes it easy to use.

Plus, Hyundai's four-stroke engine not only improves the torque but is designed to reduce noise and air pollution, making it an economic and low-emission mower.

The huge 70L grass collection box has a quick release, allowing you to easily empty your grass without spillage. And for easy storing the handles can fold down over the mower.

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Best for small gardens

The four-stroke engine on this Honda Four-Wheeled Push Rotary Lawnmower offers enhanced combustion thanks to its Euro-5 compliant, four-stroke GCVx engine. They are tolerant to lower quality fuels, helpful to keep it running. And an auto choke system offers optimisation for easier start up in all conditions.

Its four wheels, relatively lightweight nature, and a grass cutting bag with a capacity of 42L, helps keep the overall weight down when mowing. But it does mean that it needs emptying more often making it ideal for smaller gardens. .

And for easy maintenance there is easy access to serviceable parts such as the oil drain and spark plug, along with tool-free access to the air filter.

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Best budget mower

If you're after a budget-friendly petrol mower for a slightly smaller garden then the Mountfield HP41 is a great option. We're reviewing the push drive model, but a self-propelled version is also available.

With a 39cm cutting width, the Mountfield HP41 is suitable for mowing small-to-medium-sized gardens and lawns, and features five cutting height positions between 25-70mm.

The tough polypropylene chassis is an especially strong benefit. Not only does this material help to prevent the machine from rusting, but it helps to make the mower lightweight, making it easy to manoeuvre.

It starts really quickly too, which is aided through being powered by an auto choke engine. And to store away, simply fold down the handle. Easy.

Read our full Mountfield HP41 review.

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Best for professional stripes

If you are on the look out for classic striped lawn this mower from Hayter is one to top your list. But you will need to pay handsomely for the privilege

It is a compact self-propelled rotary mower that has a cutting width of 41cm. An Autodrive variable speed transmission means that the Harrier adjusts its speed to match your pace so you always have a smooth action.

Its two piece ribbed rear roller helps achieve the classic stripes when combined with cutting heights from 13mm-60mm. And, with the ability to cut right to the edge you will get a smart, sharp looking lawn.

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Best for mulching

If you are looking for a greener way to cut your lawn then this is the model for you. The RocwooD Petrol Lawnmower is a fantastic option for the more eco-minded gardeners out there as it enables you to mulch your grass clippings back into the lawn as you mow. It works by finely cutting and re-cutting the clippings and dispensing them on to the ground where they can decompose, allowing nutrients and fertilisers to be returned to the soil. There is a removable mulching plug inserted into the back of the mower. It also comes with a side shoot.

This self-propelled mower features seven cutting heights, and users praised it for its robust construction and how easy it is to start – despite its very reasonable price tag.

One other bonus of this model is that it comes complete with a free 600ml bottle of SAE30 oil.

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Best for manoeuvrability

The Webb is a lightweight self-propelled petrol mower (only the Mountfield HP41 is lighter in this guide) which makes it relatively easy to manoeuvre around a lawn. Plus, it is quiet and has seven, easy to manually adjust, cutting heights. Though the minimum cutting height of 25mm is not ideal if you want a close cut lawn, but adequate for the average everyday lawn.

The popular and compact 41cm cutting width adds to its manoeuvrability and its generous 45 litre capacity is designed so that it fills up before you need to empty. This means fewer trips to your compost heap and less time spent mowing. And, the weight doesn’t affect mowing.

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FAQs

What are the benefits of petrol lawn mowers?

There are three types of power your lawn mower can run on: petrol, corded (electric) and cordless lawn mowers (battery-powered), and all come with their pros and cons.

Petrol lawn mowers are generally much more powerful than their counterparts, which means faster completion times, and because they are mostly self-propelled, they are easy to start and to use.

Because of their power, petrol lawn mowers are also more suited to cutting medium-to-large gardens, whereas cordless and corded mowers are better for smaller lawns. Petrol mowers aren't constrained by power cords either.

How do I choose the best petrol lawnmower?

These are some factors to consider when buying the best petrol mower to ensure you get the best value for your money and the most optimal machine for your garden.

Size of lawn

This should be a primary consideration. Because the cutting widths of mowers will differ, some mowers will be more effective on larger gardens than on smaller gardens, and vice versa.

Before you buy, make a rough estimation of how many square metres (sqm) of your lawn will need to be maintained: if your garden is between 50-150sqm then this is generally considered to be small to medium, while more than 150sqm is considered large.

Collection

The larger your collection bag, the longer you can mow for. Therefore buying a mower with a larger bag (50L and above is best for larger gardens) will prove valuable. If you want to use your grass cuttings to fertilise your remaining gras then look out for a mower with mulching capability.

How do petrol lawn mowers work?

The easier your mower is to start, the better. Keep a look out for machines that come with electric start or electric key starts, which are more time-efficient, but will cost more.

Self-propelled or push drive?

Self-propelled mowers are easier to work, making them suitable for large lawns and inclined areas. Because they propel themselves forward, you don't need to put as much time and effort into mowing - all you have to do is control the direction.

Push drive mowers don't have the control or ease of use, but they are generally much cheaper and well suited to smaller or medium-sized gardens.

Is a 2 or 4 stroke lawn mower better?

Two strokes engines are less complicated than a four stroke so are cheaper to manufacture, which means they are typically cheaper to buy. As they have less parts they are typically lighter and cost less to repair.

But four stroke engines are typically more reliable, less noisy and more fuel efficient.

How we test petrol lawn mowers

Here at Homebuilding.co.uk we like to get our hands dirty and trial as many products as possible, but in the instances where we aren’t able to, such as with the best petrol lawn mowers, we leave no stone unturned to provide you with the crucial information you need to know before buying. Our team is passionate about DIY and home improvement (which probably won’t be a surprise) so we already have knowledge about the brands that make these lawn mowers. Moreover, we have taken into account user reviews when compiling this buying guide. There's a lot to consider to ensure you buy the best petrol lawn mower, and we’ve scanned the pros and cons of each model in this buying guide to ensure you feel confident in choosing the right product for your home.

David Hilton

David is a renewables and ventilation installer who is passionate about testing new tools. He has reviewed the Mountfield HP41 Hand Propelled Petrol Lawnmower Review for Homebuilding & Renovating, which he described as having a cut that is "incredibly smooth, and there is plenty of torque in the engine for thicker grass patches and tufts of weeds."