Lawn Mowers
Choosing a lawn mower comes down to three questions: how big and how sloped is your yard, do you want to deal with gas and oil, and how much are you willing to push? The answers point you toward a very different machine.
Small, flat, quarter-acre lots do fine with a lightweight push mower — increasingly a battery model, since modern 40V and 80V platforms now match small gas engines on power while skipping the fumes and pull-cord. Larger or hilly yards benefit from self-propelled drive, and anything approaching half an acre or more is worth cross-shopping against a rear-engine rider or zero-turn.
What to look for
Deck size sets your mowing time
A 21-inch deck is standard for most residential mowers. Stepping up to a wider deck cuts mowing time on larger lots but makes storage and tight-corner maneuvering harder.
Battery runtime is about amp-hours, not just voltage
Two mowers with the same 40V or 80V platform can have very different runtimes depending on battery capacity. Check amp-hours (Ah) if you have a yard bigger than a small lot.
Self-propelled matters more than horsepower on slopes
On anything but a flat, small lawn, self-propelled drive saves your back far more than a slightly bigger engine or motor does.