The best petrol lawn mowers for dealing with unruly lawns

The best petrol lawn mowers take the effort out of cutting the grass. They should be powerful, simple to operate and deliver a smart, neat result for both medium and larger-sized gardens. They should also be quick and easy to start first time, even after being in the shed for some time, and feature grass cutting bags that offer good capacity so you won't be constantly emptying them. 

Petrol mowers tend to be more powerful than the best cordless lawn mowers (also known as battery-powered mowers) and corded (electric) mowers, which should, in theory, mean that you will be able to get the results you want faster. That said, it is important to realise that one condition of buying a petrol mower is that you will need to carry out a little maintenance, as well as ensuring you have a supply of petrol on hand for top ups. 

These conditions, however, come with a wealth of benefits, including great cut quality and impressive, neat finishes with smart grass patterns if that's your thing. Plus, there is no power cable to grapple with. 

Our guide to the best products around should take the guess work out of choosing the best petrol mower for you – plus we've included some of the top deals out there right now.

The Quick List

Pushed for time to search for best petrol lawn mowers? No worries – 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 get right into a more detailed review of the particular product that you like the look of. 

Best self propelled lawn mower

The low-maintenance, high-performance Hyundai HYM510SP is the best self-propelled petrol mower. 

It features six easily adjustable cutting heights, ranging between 25-75mm, and good cutting width for large gardens. It's easy to start, which is achieved through a contactless ignition system, and being able to control the large rear wheels from the rear mounted handle makes it easy to use. 

Plus, Hyundai's four-stroke engine 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 glass without spillage. And for easy storing the handles can fold down over the mower. 

Best for uneven gardens

The four-stroke engine on the Einhell Self-Propelled Petrol Lawn Mower is an immediate positive for enhanced fuel efficiency. A second positive is that it has a disengageable rear-wheel drive which makes it easier to mow in difficult terrain.

It's simple and smooth to start this mower as the starter cable is easy to reach on the long handle. The handle also folds down to make storing it easier.

While there is no mulching function on this particular model, the grass cutting bag can hold an impressive 65L, plus you can enjoy nine cutting heights.

It is this wide choice of cutting heights, as well as the disengageable rear-wheel drive, that make this lawnmower so attractive for those with bumpy and uneven gardens to navigate. That said, some reviewers found that it was hard to make a U-turn smoothly.

Best budget mower

If you're after a budget-friendly petrol mower for a slightly smaller garden then the Mountfield HP41 is a great option. We're reviewing the push drive model, but a self-propelled version is also available. 

With a 39cm cutting width, the Mountfield HP41 is suitable for mowing small-to-medium-sized gardens and lawns, and features 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, which is aided through being powered by an auto choke engine. And to store away, simply fold down the handle. Easy. 

Read our full Mountfield HP41 review.

Best for professional stripes

The two things you'll likely immediately notice about the Hayter Harrier 56 are its price and its weight. But this is a machine with one very notable selling point: it is the best machine around if you want to cut professional-looking stripes into your lawn.

The massive 56cm cutting deck (the largest on this list) and 70L grass box collector (joint-largest) means this is a mower well suited to large lawns, and the seven height settings provide good versatility for finish options. 

The 52cm real roller and automatic speed control means you can lay a pristine lawn stripe, especially with the cutting height going down to just 13mm.

Be careful using this machine, though. Even though it is suitable for domestic use many homeowners may struggle to use it given its weight.

Best for mulching

If you are looking for a greener way to cut your lawn then this is the model for you. Despite its powerful 500 Series engine, the MM51B lawnmower from Cobra is a great option for the more eco-minded gardeners out there as it 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.

This hand-propelled mower features five cutting heights, which is less than some of the other models here, yet users praised it for its performance over long grass with some even claiming it made short work of a wet lawn too.

While there is no grass collection bag due to the nature of this mower, it does come with a side discharge function which means the grass can be discharged in neat lines to the side of where you are mowing.

Best lightweight mower

At under £200 this is a brilliant option for those on a budget looking for a good-quality, easy-to-use petrol lawnmower. The body of this mower is plastic, contributing to how lightweight – and therefore easy to manoeuvre – it is. Despite being made from plastic, the mower is still robust and sturdy.

Five cutting heights and a comfortable soft-grip handle make it a pleasure to use although it is worth noting that some users of over 6ft reported finding the handle a little on the low side — something to consider. 

Being a manual lawn mower and with a cutting width of 40cm, this is probably a machine best suited to those cutting smaller areas of grass. 

FAQs

What are the benefits of petrol lawn mowers?

There are three types of power your lawn mower can run on: petrol, corded (electric) and cordless lawn mowers (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. 

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. 

Which is better — a 2 or 4 stroke lawn mower?

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. 

David Hilton

David is a renewables and ventilation installer who is passionate about testing new tools. He has reviewed the Mountfield HP41 Hand Propelled Petrol Lawnmower Review for Homebuilding & Renovating, which he described as having a cut that is "incredibly smooth, and there is plenty of torque in the engine for thicker grass patches and tufts of weeds."