Battery, petrol and the point where each one stops making sense.
By Tom Brennan, Garden & Outdoor Editor · Published August 16, 2026 · 2 min read
Photograph: JJ Skys the Limit / StockSnap
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A mower is judged in week eight, not week one. We ran battery, petrol and robotic mowers across the same season, weighing clippings, timing runtime on a full charge or tank, and photographing cut ends under magnification to see what was sliced and what was torn.
A sharp blade at tip speed slices; a blunt one tears and leaves a pale, frayed lawn that browns within two days. Sharpen twice a season and most cut-quality complaints disappear.
On any slope over about 5%, a self-propelled drive is the difference between a fifteen-minute job and a chore you keep postponing.
Returning clippings puts nitrogen back and cut our feeding schedule from four applications to two. Bag only during peak spring growth or if the lawn is wet.
Fold-flat handles and upright storage were the features testers valued most after a season in a shared garage.
Independently tested
Petrol-class cut quality with an hour of real runtime and nothing to service.
Best for: Lawns up to roughly 800 m²
Price band last checked 2026-08-14. Live pricing arrives with our retailer feed.
Still the mulching benchmark, and the deck cannot rust.
Best for: Big or heavily leaved lawns cut with a mulching pass
Price band last checked 2026-08-14. Live pricing arrives with our retailer feed.
For anyone who would rather never push a mower again.
Best for: Large lawns with awkward shapes
Price band last checked 2026-08-07. Live pricing arrives with our retailer feed.
| Product | Score | Price band | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| EGO Power+ LM2135SP Select Cut Mower | 9.0 | $600 – $750 | Lawns up to roughly 800 m² |
| Honda HRX217VKA Petrol Mower | 8.9 | $800 – $1,000 | Big or heavily leaved lawns cut with a mulching pass |
| Husqvarna Automower 450X NERA | 8.8 | $4,000 – $5,000 | Large lawns with awkward shapes |
Methodology
Every product here was tested in a working home against standardised tasks. Scores are the mean of five measured criteria and are never adjusted for commercial reasons. How we test · How we review.
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