5 Best Steep Slope Lawn Mowers of 2024

The Hyundai 4-Stroke Self Propelled Petrol Lawn Mower is my top recommendation if you’ve got a steep slope in your garden. It also boasts a range of features that make it a good choice for gardeners with a larger outdoor space and the need for more power. 

It has a 196 cc engine that gives it enough power to get up steeper slopes. It also has a 51 cm cutting width, which can save you time if you’re mowing a larger lawn. The self propulsion feature means it feels lightweight when in use, but this feature is optional. This means that if you’re working around small obstacles or tight corners, it can be switched off so you can move at a slower pace. 

It’s worth mentioning that Hyundai doesn’t recommend using this mower on inclines greater than 15%. Having said that, some of the banks I tested this mower on were probably steeper than that, and the mower handled them very well. 

It cuts well across all grass types – from short, regularly cut grass to longer, denser areas. There’s 6 height settings, ranging from 25 mm to 75 mm, which is fairly standard amongst petrol mowers. The wheels are closely aligned with the cutting deck which means it’s easy to mow in straight lines and to the edges. 

Unboxing and assembly is quick and simple. It took just a few minutes to get this mower ready to go, and everything fitted together very easily. 

You’ve got a few options when it comes to grass clipping disposal. It comes with a polyester grass collector bag included, as well as a level indicator which will tell you when the bag is full. You can also mulch the clippings if you’re wanting to add more nutrients to the lawn. 

A final thing to note is that it runs quieter than other petrol models on the market, which was a pleasant surprise!

At 38.7 kg, this mower is heavy. If you’ve got a long distance between storage and lawn, you may prefer a different machine. 

After just one use I was convinced by the power and versatility of this machine. If you’ve got a garden with a steep slope that you struggle to mow, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it!

Webb is a British brand that specialises in quality machinery. Their Webb Classic Self Propelled Petrol Mower has been designed for small to medium size gardens and lawns. Its self-propulsion however, gives it ample power to get up steeper slopes. I was lucky enough to put this machine to the test!

It’s fueled by a 4-stroke 132cc engine, which is pretty powerful! It could deal with large lawns as well as small, although it’s limited by its annoyingly small grass collection bag, which is just 45 L. However, it certainly has the power to tackle larger areas, and I tested it on wet grass as well as dry. It performed equally well on both.

I then gave it a try on a steeper slope, an incline of around 20%. This mower coped very well without any issues, even when mowing uphill with an almost-full bag. It produced a neat, clean result no matter the slope or grass conditions. 

One thing to note is that the self-propelled speed on this mower is fast! It may be too fast for some people. If you’re able to keep up, it’ll save you a huge amount of time, but gardeners who like to move at a more leisurely pace can slightly release the throttle to slow it down.

At 28 kg, it’s not too heavy. I found it fairly easy to manoeuvre in and out of storage. 

Specific features include 7 different cutting height settings and a 41 cm cutting width. The heights range from 25 mm to 75 mm, while the cutting width makes it narrow enough to navigate obstacles. 

A couple of negatives to note. The first is that there is no indicator to tell you when the collection bag is full, so you may waste time checking. The design of the collection box isn’t great, and you may find you spill some clippings as you disconnect it from the mower. 

Although marketed towards small to medium size gardens, I would not hesitate to recommend this mower to those with larger lawns too. It did a fantastic job on all grass types, and mowing on steep inclines too. 

Manufactured in the USA, Murray lawn mowers are known for being hardy and durable. The Murray EQ2-500X Self-Propelled Petrol Lawnmower is a great choice if you’ve got some steeper hills in your garden.  

This mower is powered by a reliable, high-performance Briggs & Stratton 140 cc engine. It runs at 2900 RPM and is self-propelled so feels lightweight when in use. During testing, I found it relatively easy to get up steep hills. 

Specific features include 6 height adjustment options, ranging from 25 to 75 mm. You can dispose of the clippings either in the grass bag, out the side or rear, or by mulching them, and returning them into the grass. 

It’s been designed primarily for larger gardens, although it’s manoeuvrable enough for smaller spaces too. There’s a 75 L grass bag and 51 cm cutting width, so you can move across large stretches of lawn very efficiently. The grass bag has a level fill indicator, so you’ll be able to see at a glance when it needs emptying. 

One pleasant surprise is that this mower isn’t too noisy. For a large and powerful machine, I’d expect it to make a bit more of a noise, so that was another nice surprise. 

It’s worth mentioning that the build quality is also very impressive. It has a durable alloy steel deck and it feels good quality. 

There’s not much to criticise about this mower! One thing worth mentioning is that adjusting the cutting height needs to be done at both the front and rear of the mower, while most petrol mowers have just one single lever. While still very easy to adjust, it’s not as efficient as a single lever. 

It also doesn’t start particularly well from cold. I found that multiple pulls were needed. 

All in all, I’d happily recommend this Murray model as a great option for gardens with hills. Its easy manoeuvrability makes it a more versatile option than other petrol powered mowers. 

The Sprint 420SP Self-propelled Petrol Lawn Mower is a great mid-range petrol mower, designed to be used in both wet weather and dry. It’s self propelled and does a good job managing most garden slopes. It’s a powerful model, with a Briggs & Stratton 300E Series Engine.

This mower has 6 cutting height positions so it can be used year-round and to cut any type of grass. During testing, I found it did a good job cutting both long and short grass, and there’s two levers that can be used to easily adjust the cutting height. 

The 42 cm cutting deck is a good size for most medium size gardens. it gives the user a fair amount of manoeuvrability around objects or trees, but it’s not so narrow that your efficiency is drastically compromised. 

It’s both comfortable and easy to use. At 25.2 kg, it’s one of the lighter petrol models on this list. This makes it fairly easy to move in and out of storage, while the handle bar can be adjusted to three different heights, so it suits most users. The handle can be folded down for easy storage in tighter areas too. 

You’ve got two options when it comes to grass collection. Either discharge the clippings or collect them in the 60 L grass bag. 

Perhaps the best thing about this mower is that it’s very easy to assemble. It can be put together in just 10 minutes, which is a huge benefit. 

I do have a couple of criticisms however. The first is that it’s difficult to attach the grass bag to the frame. It needs to be stretched into place. If you are planning on discharging the clippings this won’t matter, but it was frustrating. 

I’d also say that it lacks some of the features you might expect from a mower of this price. There’s no mulching feature or rear roller. While it’s a good quality model, mowers of a similar price tag do tend to offer more options. 

Having said that, if you’re after a lightweight, petrol powered mower that does a good job on most grass types and in most weathers, this model is a good choice.

Lightweight and compact, the Mountfield SP41 Self Propelled Petrol Lawnmower is ideal if you’ve got a smaller garden with a couple of slopes. While large petrol mowers can be too much for small gardens, this model is perfect. It weighs just 21 kg so it can be lifted pretty easily, and it has a 39 cm cutting width. In fact, it’s ideal if you’ve got a lot of trees, flower beds or narrow passages in your garden. 

Having said that, it still boasts enough power. It’s self-propelled, powered by a 123 cc petrol engine. I found it fairly easy to manoeuvre up gentle slopes and around corners. For gardens with shallower inclines, you shouldn’t have a problem, although another machine may be required for very steep slopes. 

This mower has 5 adjustable cutting height positions, ranging from 25 mm to 80 mm. 

The body of this mower is made primarily from plastic. While some gardeners prefer a metal body, polypropylene really helps to keep the weight down, and it also won’t rust. It’s very easy to store too, as the handles fold over. 

There’s a 40 L grass collector for clippings. If you’re mowing a small lawn this should be large enough, but you may need to stop and empty it if you’ve got a big garden. 

There’s a lot to love about this mower, and the only real criticism I have is that it’s not suitable for use on damp or wet grass. It becomes blocked quite easily, and doesn’t have the power of other models. The self propulsion is also quite fast – so elderly users or those who wish to move at a slower pace may find it moves too quickly. 

All in all however, this is a great budget model for those with smaller gardens who still want the power of a petrol model. Its power means it’s suitable for uneven or sloped ground, but it’s lightweight enough to easily carry from storage to lawn.