Best Mulching Lawn Mower Reviews

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Getting that freshly mowed lawn in the most efficient way can be a tricky task, with so many models and engine standards to choose from. Gas or corded? Make and engine reliability all play a factor in your choice as well as retail price. I’ve listed five good examples with a variety of options to give you an example of what’s on offer and the price you can expect to pay for premium models.

This review offers a good variety of corded electric, battery and petrol mowers for all your needs, be it a small, medium or large lawn that needs mowing, to a professional standard and fine finish!

lawn mowers are the smart gardeners choice.

Mulching Lawn Mower Comparison Table

ImageProduct NamePower SourcePrice and Rating
Greenworks 20-Inch 12 Amp Corded Lawn Mower 25022Greenworks 20-Inch 12 Amp Corded Lawn Mower 25022CordedEditors’ Choice$$$
Greenworks 20-Inch 40V Twin Force Cordless Lawn MowerGreenworks 10-Inch 40v Twin Force Cordless Battery Lawn Mower, 4.0 & 2.0 AH (options)Cordless$$
Honda HRR216K9VKA 3-in-1 Variable Speed Self-Propelled Gas MowerHonda HRR216K9VKA 3 in 1 Variable speed, Auto Choke, Gas Lawn MowerGas$
Greenworks 18-Inch 12 Amp Corded Lawn Mower 25012Greenworks 18-inch 12 Amp Corded Lawn MowerCorded$$
Greenworks 16-Inch 10 Amp Corded Lawn Mower 25142Greenworks 16-Inch, 10 Amp, Corded Lawn MowerCorded$

Features of a Great Lawn Mower

Bag Size and Fittings

Mulching mowers vary greatly in fitting and bag size. Budget models are usually simply hook and wire, whilst more expensive models are push button release and are usually be more secure.

The Bag is usually made of plastic or is a hessian cloth type design. Some models have a bag full indicator, in my experience this can however, be a premium feature and some models unreliable.

Bag size relates to the size of the area you have to mow. More grass means numerous bag emptying, so common sense tells us bigger size mower for larger lawns, translates to easier, more efficient mowing and that’s exactly what we want! A happy gardener, with a reliable, easy to use lawn mower, sounds like a win to me.

Engine, Cordless or Battery

Corded lawn mowers are powered by electricity and generally speaking cheaper to buy, but can be slightly more expensive to run, depending on current electricity prices. Usually small to medium size gardens are just right for corded mowers.

But when you start getting to 25-meter squared size, it’s time to switch to a petrol mower, for an easier cut and a more pleasant mowing experience.

One of main features of gas mowers is the choke, this is the control which allow more petrol into the engine, when it is cold and still warming up and getting the oil to all parts of the system.

Battery power lawn mowers offer a degree of freedom, which will compete on the same level as petrol mowers. They are the same, when it comes to running cost, but battery is better the for environment and offers a just as a reliable less messy maintenance experience. This whilst still in early development is the future of efficient good quality mowing.

What about Battery Power

The great thing about battery power, the newest type of mower is that the cord has gone! This makes the task much more pleasant and instead of feeling like a fly fisherman, now you can the freedom of a gas mower, all be it not with the power, so it wont handle such rough or mossy areas, however it still offers a high stand mow, at a reasonable cost.

This is the future of mowing, still in its early days, so not as good as gas, but much more environmentally friendly and running and charge is about the same as gas, without all the mess of oil change and gas. Good for average to medium lawns and great for cordless mowing on a Sunday, pre BBQ.

Cutting Height

Gardner’s have different preferences when they are deciding the height, their grass needs to be cut to. Lawn mower usually cut from 1.2 cm to 7 cm grass length. Look setting is 1.5 – 2 cm for the shortest cut for your lawn. This means the mower is of good quality and offers a fair range of cutting options.

Consider your Lawn Size

The smaller your lawn, the less important it is to own a gas mower, although a lot of people like to anyway. From a technical stand point it offers the best cut for the best price, however if you can stand the mains cable, the electric mower for small to medium lawn is perfectly fine and does a great cut.

The more moss and rough grass, the better suited for a gas mower, which is more powerful, so cut through difficult parts of the lawn with ease, where some electric motors are strained and will wear out faster.

What is Mulching?

Mulching mowers cut the lawn cutting down further, so they are more compact and take up less room. Some have a metal plate to compact the grass, whilst others have a switch allowing the use to change from cut to mulch settings, for longer time between bag emptying.

Because the grass is finely cut or mulched, it can be added into the flower beds, to re-nourish the earth and surrounding grounds. This is great for the eco system and will result in better growing plants and hedges. If you ground fruit and vegetables, the mulch can be good to form part of compost to get later applied to growing areas for healthier produce.

In this essence, the mulching mower, is the smart man’s choice!

Most models have an option to turn this on or off depending on your needs. The mulching can be a little nosier or more difficult when in operation, so optional for easy use.

Mower Selection

Below is the selection of mowers, which offer a good cut at a value price per performance. They come in three types; electricity corded mower, battery power and gas motor propelled.

Our Best Mulching Lawn Mower Picks

Greenworks 20-Inch 12 Amp Corded Lawn Mower 25022

Greenworks 20-Inch 12 Amp Corded Lawn Mower 25022

Your standard electric mower, the staple of good quality cut grass, at a very reasonable price. If you can pick this lawn mower up at a little under $150, we think you would have got yourself a bargain.

The solid construction, 3 speed electric motor and easy start button make this very easy to use.

This model, the Greenworks 25022, has a 20-inch base / blade, dual grass output (bag or side), 7 height settings and is foldable for easy storage. It weight 56 lbs, so is slightly height but on the wheels it has slightly better mobility than you’d expect.

It has a cutting range from 1.5 inches to 3 ¾ inches offering a good choice for the price, budget recommendation.

A great choice for the mid-range Gardner owner, specify to get the job done well at a value price point.

Check the price on Amazon >>

Greenworks 20-Inch 40V Twin Force Cordless Lawn Mower

Greenworks 20-Inch 40V Twin Force Cordless Lawn Mower

Like we mentioned above with a battery mower, you suddenly free the freedom of cordless, like the power tool revolution of a decade and a half ago, if you haven’t experienced this or find it tiring to be restricted by an electric cable this is a truly liberating experience!

The task is faster, the plug is gone and the cut is above average making this choice a real sensible one for a no hassle method. This mower is more expensive than the corded electric corded mowers, but easy to use and this is the current market value for battery (new for mowers), it brings a lot of joy to a repetitive task.

This 4.0 Amp battery mower comes with x2 batteries and a charger. This is great because you always have one on stand-by, meaning no problems if the battery discharges mid mow!

Again 7 height, setting and a 20-inch cutting base, make this mower a great choice for your first battery mower choice and offer a professional cut and efficient mowing experience.High initial outlay, but a great mow and a joy to use, make this recommended!

Check the price on Amazon >>

Honda HRR216K9VKA 3-in-1 Variable Speed Self-Propelled Gas Mower

Honda HRR216K9VKA 3-in-1 Variable Speed Self-Propelled Gas Mower

Honda branded all over this model, it is easy to realise it is a high-grade gas mower. The 3-speed petrol engine makes short work of almost any grass or cuttable surface you ask it to tackle and the cut is very professional and high grade.

The auto choke, makes the mower is easy to start and the mulching ability of the mower is very good and this model offers a rugged design, which offers confidence it will last for an extended time.

This Honda gas mower has a height adjustment of 1 1/8 inch to 4 inches, which is a good cutting range and has foam grips for easer control and comfort.

This is the traditional gas mower which is reliable and has excellent cutting ability. Gas mowers tend to be more expensive than electric ones and this is no exception. However, the tried and tested method which means it will last a long time and performs excellently throughout its life.

At 84 lbs this mower is the heaviest so far and the ruggedness exudes masculinity. Some ladies may have problems operating it, however it is self-propelled with an emergency cut off so Honda has accounted for this.

Excellent cutting ability!

Check the price on Amazon >>

Greenworks 18-Inch 12 Amp Corded Lawn Mower 25012

Greenworks 18-Inch 12 Amp Corded Lawn Mower 25012

Another corded electrical model, the 12A, 18-inch blade electric mower, makes this a great choice for small to small/medium suburbia style gardens. Excellent height adjustment and a light weight 46 lbs makes this a great choice for a single lady because it is easy to manoeuvre and very safe to use. The cut of this lawn mower is above average and compact design makes it easy to store.

This model should grab your attention, if you’re a small lawn owner with limited space and are after a high quality cut at a great price. The ergonomics are perfect for a not so strong operator and the 18 inch blade is great for demanding terrain.

The cutting height is 3 ¾ to 4 inches and this is a standard compact / light electric mower to get great cut results, all be it corded to keep your lawn in top shape. Recommended if you need a compact model.

Check the price on Amazon >>

Greenworks 16-Inch 10 Amp Corded Lawn Mower 25142

Greenworks 16-Inch 10 Amp Corded Lawn Mower 25142

This 16 inch based large lawn mower comes with a powerful 10A motor, making easy cutting work for most demanding medium lawns and longer grass with roughage. The 2 in 1 mulching function is great and you can really feel the power of this mower, when it gets to work.

With a cut height of 2 ½ inches to 8 inches, it offers a good cut range and the weight makes this mower want to tackle the big cutting tasks ahead and with a great professional finish, anyone will be proud of.

The mower is corded; however, the extra power really makes a difference and the final result is good and the mulching means longer cutting time and better compact cutting storage.

If you don’t mind the cord or aren’t quite ready to go for battery, this model offers a high value performance which other models will find difficult to compete with. If you just want to get the job done and think you need a higher than average powerful electric motor, at a great price, I would strongly recommend this model to give you a high quality cut.

Budget and power recommendation, although corded.

Check the price on Amazon >>

Conclusion

The high power electrical, battery and petrol mowers all offer excellent cuts for any lawn. Petrol is the most reliable, a little more difficult to use because of the weight, but is in many cases the cheapest to use and offers a professional finish which is hard to match!

If you want to aim purely on price, the electric 10 Amp model is great. The cord is annoying, but still the mower is usable and the price very good.

The battery Greenworks model is a real joy to use and this takes the effort out of the cutting task. I like that it comes with two batteries and has enough weight to make the cutting very manageable indeed. The price point is a little high. Remember this is a new option and that future models will be cheaper and you will come to the conclusion that, in this instance you get what you pay for.

Battery model is recommended here, because of the environmentally friendliness and competing with the freedom of the petrol mower, in a more refined and enjoyable option.

Enjoy gardening and connect with nature.

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