Updated on Jan. 29, 2025
Finding the right lawn mower for your property and budget can be a bit confusing. When it comes to a self-propelled vs. push mower, we'll help you decide which one is right for you.
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So, the time has come to decide between a self-propelled vs. push mower. As with any decision, there are positives and negatives to both. If you haven’t bought a lawn mower before, or it’s been a few years, we’re here to help you make the right investment. Here’s everything you need to know about the two types of machines.
Simply put, a self-propelled lawn mower has a drive system to propel it forward, while a push mower relies on manual effort to move. A self-propelled mower can climb hills with very little effort on your part, but a push mower is an affordable way to mow a flat yard.
Like push mowers, self-propelled mowers are available as gas-powered and battery-powered cordless. It’s worth noting that gas-powered mowers require ongoing maintenance to ensure a long life with optimal performance. Conversely, maintenance is a breeze with electric and cordless push mowers since they only require occasional blade sharpening.
When it comes to buying a self-propelled vs. push mower, it depends on the performance and features that make your life easier (without spending money on things you don’t need).
The Ego Power+ LM2156SP is one of our favorite self-propelled lawn mowers we’ve tested. It is a great electric mower that performs like a gas-powered mower and has the highest torque of just about any electric mower.
TYLER K FOR FAMILY HANDYMAN
The Toro TimeMaster 30-inch self-propelled mower provides a highly efficient cutting experience for those with large yards. Ethan O’Donnell, a senior editor at Family Handyman, tested this mower. He said it cut his “mowing time from 90 to 49 minutes” thanks to the extra-wide cutting deck and the self-propelled system.
FAMILY HANDYMAN
The Toro Recycler SmartStow mower feels like a gas-powered mower. It has a solid self-propelled function and a clean cutting deck. This mower pulls air up through the deck, making your grass blades stick straight up. Once up, the mower chops the blades for a supremely even cut across your lawn.
TYLER K FOR FAMILY HANDYMAN
Toro makes great mowers, and their Recycler line offers self-propelled and push mowers at various prices. A great starting point when it comes to push mowers is the Recycler Gas Push Lawn Mower. It has a Briggs and Stratton engine and a 21-inch cutting width.
VIA MERCHANT
The Murray MNA152506 Lawn Mower is a budget-friendly push mower with a 20-inch deck, about as narrow as a gas-powered push mower gets. So it’s one of the best mowers for small yards.
VIA MERCHANT
Buying a self-propelled mower, as opposed to a push mower, requires more than a few bucks to cover the added propulsion power. Although self-propelled mowers are more expensive, they shine at navigating tough terrain and cutting through tall grass and weeds. The best part is it takes very little effort on your part to power them uphill. These mowers may also include added features, like variable speeds, push-button start and a choice of wheel drive.
If you’re worried about the extra weight of a self-propelled mower being a burden, the battery-powered options are significantly lighter than the gas-powered ones. Going in reverse and making tight turns will be easier with a lighter model. For large properties that need ultimate power with minimal effort, a riding lawn mower is worth considering.
Push mowers, on the other hand, come in convenient options, such as push-button electric start and three-in-one mowing, mulching and side discharge. Extra features will increase the cost, but if you don’t need a self-propelled mower, you might be able to afford all of the wonderful bells and whistles that a high-end push mower has to offer. Compared to self-propelled mowers, push ones are more affordable mowers.
Push mowers use less gas and are naturally lighter than self-propelled models, so they’re easier to maneuver, especially when they’re turned off. As a result, moving them from garage or shed to lawn (and back again) requires less of an effort. Likewise, a battery-powered push mower will be lighter than a gas-powered mower.
When deciding on a push mower, consider your level of fitness, even if your yard is flat.
Both self-propelled and push mowers are widely available from top mower brands like Toro, Ego and others. You can find a variety of gas and battery-powered self-propelled and push mowers, too.
Additionally, each type of lawn mower works great on flat terrain. Front-wheel-drive self-propelled mowers perform well on flat surfaces and turn easier than their rear-wheel-drive counterparts. Rear-wheel-drive self-propelled mowers make it a bit harder to turn around obstacles, but they excel at climbing hills. A rear-wheel-drive option is recommended if you have a hilly property and helps to balance the load if you like to bag your clippings. For flat terrain in a small yard setting, a push mower should be sufficient for your needs. Push mowers are available as corded, gas and cordless.
Unlike large riding lawn mowers, self-propelled and push mowers are generally much smaller, so they’re both easy to store in a garage or shed without taking up too much space.
Over the past 15 years, our in-house lawn care expert, Tyler Graham, has tested over 25 self-propelled mowers. Gas, electric, corded, reel, zero-turn, riding—every type of mower under the sun. Whenever he tests a new mower, he puts it through the gauntlet, which involves spray painting his lawn with white paint, waiting a week, and then cutting it to see if the mower misses any blades.
Then, he gradually lowers the cutting deck in an area of thick brush until the mower completely chokes out. The longer it lasts in dense brush, the more powerful the cut. Lastly, he walks the mower with full fuel (battery or gas) until it dies.
Senior Editor Ethan O’Donnell has also tested mowers for Family Handyman. Jens Hoffmann, a senior marketing Manager at Toro, supported his testing experience by verifying that the cutting capacity of the wider deck on the Toro TimeMaster reduces mowing time by up to 40%.
A self-propelled gas lawn mower is expected to last 10 years or more. That’s, of course, assuming that regular maintenance, tune-ups, winterizing and care have been provided to prolong the life of the motor and mower. The lifespan of a lawn mower is largely determined by how it’s treated.
Conversely, a battery-powered lawn mower may be expected to operate for up to five years before replacing a battery. A non-combustion engine or brushless motor can last 15 years before needing repairs. A quality gas-powered push mower should also last at least 10 years with maintenance.
It seems harder and harder to find long-lasting, durable and quality products. The manufacturer’s warranties may cover a portion of their life expectancy, but rarely will you find anything close to a lifetime warranty (or even a 10-year warranty) on anything lawn care-related. We have noticed that replacement parts may be hard to come by if something breaks.
Tammy Sons, Founder and CEO of TN Nursery, says, “Some new features in 2025 are mowers with battery innovations that run longer and charge faster, alongside mowers with smart sensors that auto-adjust the speed and can detect the thickness of the grass.”
We called on the expertise of Tyler Graham of The Lawn Review website and YouTube, who currently owns nearly 20 mowers and has tested dozens more. His expertise helped us complete thorough tests that tested these mowers to the limit, including using the self-propelled function to walk seven different gas and electric mowers until they ran out of fuel.
Our editors, Ethan O’Donnell, Sheri Kas and Dan Stout, also contributed valuable information to this piece. Ethan has tested both electric and gas-powered lawn equipment for Family Handyman for several years. Dan is an expert in lawn care products and has covered a variety of lawn mower stories. Sheri is an expert in product reviews and gardening.
If it’s been a while since you last shopped for a new lawn mower, you’ll be amazed. Innovative features are storming the lawn care world, and streamlined design has made mowers more agile and powerful.
If you have hills and rough terrain, you’ll enjoy a self-propelled machine. For a lawn that’s flat, curvy or filled with obstacles and tight spaces, you’ll appreciate the maneuverability of a push mower. For those with physical limitations, a lightweight battery-powered self-propelled mower is a smart option.
Now that you’re ready to make a smart purchasing decision, get ready for a whole lot of mowing.
