If your garden leans towards the larger side, or has got a little out of hand, you may be considering employing the power of one of the best petrol lawnmowers to help keep it under control. Usually offering a little more oomph than electric or cordless options, they can be a good investment if your lawn is your pride and joy.
But, what are the key criteria you need to consider to make sure you purchase the best one for garden and personal needs? Cutting width, grass box capacity, cutting heights, weight and drive type are all factors to consider as they will affect how easy the lawnmower is to use, how well it cuts and how long it takes you to mow your lawn.
Add budget and costs into the mix and it's easy to understand why choosing the best petrol lawnmower is so important. We'll cover all of these elements in this guide, to help you find the best one for your gardening needs.
The quick list
If you already know the driving force behind your decision to choose one of the best petrol lawnmowers, 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 a more detailed review of the particular product you think could be the one for you.
Despite being one of the heavier models on the list, the Hyundai 196cc Petrol Lawnmower's contactless ignition system means it is easy to start. it's also easy to control using the rear mounted handle, and another plus is the quick-release 70L grass collection box.
If you have a small suburban garden and want a lawnmower that is easy to start up and easy to maintain, then this 145cc lawnmower has everything you’ll need for today and the future. It's also relatively lightweight and has six different cutting heights.
The Mountfield HP41 Petrol Lawnmower is really easy-to-use and has a 39cm cutting width and a 40 litre grass container – all of which make it ideal for owners of small to medium gardens. Other benefits are that it is lightweight and reassuringly sturdy – plus its price tag shouldn't make your eyes water.
Let's address the main downside of this one first – the price. It's most certainly not one for you if you're looking for a budget mower. But, it’s a top quality lawn mower and its two piece ribbed rear roller and minimum 13mm cutting height will help give a classic striped lawn.
This is the perfect choice for any green gardeners out there who want to fertilise their lawn at the same time as mowing. The RocwooD Petrol Lawn Mower makes it easy to mulch as you mow, plus it features seven cutting heights and a 60 litre grass collector.
A great everyday petrol mower that is lightweight and self-propelled making it relatively easy to manoeuvre around a lawn. A generous 45 litre grass bag capacity, means you can make less trips to empty it and get your mowing done quicker.
Looking for a low-maintenance high performer? The 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 has an easy to start contactless ignition system, and being able to control the large rear wheels from the rear mounted handle also makes it easy to use.
The four-stroke engine offers a number of benefits. It 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 garage storage, the handles can fold down over the mower.
Also boasting a powerful engine, the Honda Four-Wheeled Push Rotary Lawnmower includes enhanced combustion thanks to its Euro-5 compliant, four-stroke GCVx engine. It has four wheel for good movement, and an auto choke system offers optimisation for easier start up in all conditions.
A grass cutting bag with a capacity of 42L means it's relatively lightweight too, which helps keep the overall weight down when mowing. But, the smaller sized bag means it does need emptying more often which is why we recommend it for smaller gardens. .
For uncomplicated maintenance, there's easy access to serviceable parts such as the oil drain and spark plug, along with tool-free access to the air filter.
If your garden and budget are both on the smaller side, then we reviewed the Mountfield HP41 and it's a great option. We're looking at the push drive model in this guide, but a self-propelled version is also available.
The 39cm cutting width makes it suitable for mowing small-to-medium-sized gardens and lawns, and it also offers 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, thanks to the auto choke engine. To store, simply fold down the handle.
If pristine stripes are your gardening goal, then this mower from Hayter should be top of your list. But there's one word of warning. You'll be paying handsomely for the privilege of owning one.
A compact self-propelled rotary mower that has a cutting width of 41cm, it is also extremely smooth to use thanks to the Autodrive variable speed transmission which adjusts the speed of the mower to match your pace.
Classic stripes are achieved with the two piece ribbed rear roller and the option of cutting heights from 13mm-60mm. Plus, with the ability to cut right to the edge you will get a smart, sharp looking lawn.
Some users felt a bigger grass bag would be helpful
If you are looking for a greener way to cut your lawn and prefer to mulch your grass clippings, then this is the model for you. The RocwooD Petrol Lawnmower 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 but it also comes with a side shoot.
It 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.
A lightweight, self-propelled petrol mower (only the Mountfield HP41 is lighter in this guide) means ths Webb lawnmower is relatively easy to manoeuvre around a lawn. Plus, it is quiet and has seven, easy to manually adjust, cutting heights. Although the minimum cutting height of 25mm is not ideal if you want a close cut lawn, it shoudl be adequate for the average everyday lawn.
The popular and compact 41cm cutting width adds to its manoeuvrability, while the generous 45 litre capacity should also mean fewer trips to your compost heap and less time spent mowing.
There are three types of power your lawn mower can run on: petrol, corded (electric) and (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, even those that offer an electric start as this is powered by a battery, rather than via the mains.
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.
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Steve Jenkins is a freelance content creator with over two decades of experience working in digital and print and was previously the DIY content editor for Homebuilding & Renovating.
He is a keen DIYer with over 20 years of experience in transforming and renovating the many homes he has lived in. He specialises in painting and decorating, but has a wide range of skills gleaned from working in the building trade for around 10 years and spending time at night school learning how to plaster and plumb.
He has fitted kitchens, tiled bathrooms and kitchens, laid many floors, built partition walls, plastered walls, plumbed in bathrooms, worked on loft conversions and much more. And when he's not sure how to tackle a DIY project he has a wide network of friends – including plumbers, gas engineers, tilers, carpenters, painters and decorators, electricians and builders – in the trade to call upon.
