5 Best Self Propelled Lawn Mowers of 2026

If you’re looking for the best self-propelled lawn mower, the Hyundai HYM510SP Self Propelled Petrol Lawnmower should be top of your list. It’s one that we’ve tested and it scored incredibly highly.

As a starter for 10, it has a 196 cc engine which means it can power through both short and long grass, including grass that is slightly damp. Then, although it’s quite heavy at 38.7 kg, the self-propelled motion sees it moving at a fast-but-comfortable walking pace – even over more difficult terrain.

Plus, with a steel deck (instead of the commonly-found plastic deck) it feels strong and sturdy as it goes over bumps, without bouncing all over the place.

There are a lot of features to mention, and this mower has a large 51 cm cutting width, five cutting heights (ranging from 25 – 75 mm), mulching capabilities and a large 70 L collection bag. It’s also possible to connect a hose to the deck to make it easier to clean.

The cutting heights can be adjusted using just one lever, which alters the height of all of the wheels at the same time, making it simple to change between settings. It also has foldable handles to make it more compact and easier to store, and is easy to assemble with no tools required.

It’s one of the best self-propelled mowers for larger lawns, and it copes very well with uneven terrain. There are only a couple of downsides worth mentioning.

Firstly, the grass collector is a bag not a box, and doesn’t seem overly hardwearing; however, it does have a hard lid which offers reinforcement. Secondly, it’s quite a heavy lawnmower, and many people will likely struggle if they need to get it up steps or in and out of the car.

For this reason, it’s better suited to large spaces where having this much power (and weight) is justified. For smaller gardens, there are cheaper, more manageable alternatives.

But, overall, this is a powerful and capable mower with a lot of good features and very few flaws.

If you’re looking for a self propelled lawn mower from a respected British brand, the Webb WER410SP Self Propelled Mower is a popular choice among UK gardeners.

This mower copes well on standard lawns and offers a good balance between quality and affordability,

It has a 41 cm cutting width and there are seven cutting heights to choose from, ranging from 25 – 75 mm. As a result, it’s a great choice for medium-size gardens, and it’s still small enough to navigate into some tighter areas as well.

In addition to this, customers report that the 28 kg weight is manageable enough to carry, therefore meaning that this mower can be picked up and transported to the moving location when necessary.

It also has a solid steel cutting deck that copes well over bumpy, uneven ground.

The self propulsion speed is relatively fast, but it can be controlled somewhat by only squeezing gently on the throttle. It’s also possible to use the mower without the propulsion on; the ball bearings in the wheels permit movement even when pushing manually. This is useful when working around obstacles or in smaller areas where you need to mow a little slower.

The 45 L collection box fits snugly to the mower meaning there are very few leaks and clippings don’t escape when moving. The downside of this is that it can be a little difficult to remove the box, at which point some grass may spill out. There’s no mulching function, but this mower has the option of rear discharge or collecting the clippings.

As a 4-stroke mower, there is a separate section for oil. This will require a funnel to fill it because it is in a slightly awkward position.

Overall, this is one of the best self propelled lawn mowers in terms of value for money. It offers good quality and speed, at an affordable price for a 4-stroke mower. It’s a great choice for medium gardens due to its combination of size and power, but it would also be an appropriate choice for larger gardens too.

One of the best battery-powered self propelled mowers, the Hyundai 40V Lithium-ion Cordless Self Propelled Lawn Mower is perfect for medium size gardens. It runs quietly and is quick to charge.

Sporting Hyundai’s signature blue-and-grey colour scheme, this battery-powered mower has a modern, streamlined design.

The 42 cm cutting width is perfect for medium lawns and there are six adjustable cutting heights ranging from 25 – 75 mm. Most battery-powered mowers don’t offer such a range of heights, so the HYM40LI420P is one of the best self propelled mowers if you want an electric, cordless model, without missing out on high cutting features.

It’s suitable for bumpy, uneven lawns and can tackle longer grass that hasn’t been mown for a while.

This cordless mower has a 40 V lithium-ion 2.5Ah battery included. On paper, it’s advertised as having a run time of 15 minutes; however, customers have reported that it often lasts longer than this. For medium lawns, you shouldn’t need to stop and charge the battery partway through.

The achievable cutting time also depends on the type of grass. For regular trims on standard lawn grass, the battery can last around 30 minutes. With long grass, or slightly damp grass, the battery generally lasts around 14 minutes. A fast charger comes included that will recharge the battery in around 80 minutes.

Unlike most battery-powered lawn mowers that are made from plastic, the HYM40LI420P has a metal body. It feels very durable, but the weight is also increased as a result. Weighing 19.9 kg, it’s reasonably heavy as electric lawn mowers go.

It has a mulching function as well as a 45 L grass box.

Overall, this is one of the best battery-powered self propelled mowers on the market. It has a lot more power than many battery-powered mowers and is quite well equipped to deal with tougher lawn conditions. The battery will generally be sufficient for mowing medium-size lawns.

With a Briggs and Stratton 300E engine, the Sprint 2691794 420SP Self-propelled Petrol Lawn Mower is a powerful, yet reasonably compact, petrol mower.

This mower has a 41 cm cutting width which makes it suitable for most medium/large gardens. It’s powered by a 4-stroke, 125 cc engine, and there are six cutting heights to choose from. The cutting heights are easy to adjust using the levers on the machine. The handle height can be adjusted as well, and it can also be folded to reduce the space it takes up in storage.

Design wise, is compact and can be easily assembled in just 10 minutes. Even though it is constructed from alloy steel, it only weighs 25.2 kg which is reasonably light for a petrol mower; therefore, it is quite easy to carry and transport.

In fact, it’s the best self propelled mower if you want a quality petrol model which is still fairly light – it’s the lightest metal mower with a petrol engine featured on this page.

On top of its manageability, one of the best things about this mower is how easy it is to use. It works well in both wet and dry weather and the self propelled speed is suitable for most gardeners.

This mower also comes with a 60 L grass collection bag that makes it suitable for most lawns. The clippings can either be collected in the grass bag, mulched, or discharged from the back of the mower.

Overall, this is a powerful but compact petrol mower. It offers the power of petrol, but in a lighter, more manageable body which is easier to lift and control.

Self propelled mowers aren’t exclusively for bigger gardens. The Mountfield SP41 Petrol Lawnmower, Self-Propelled is one of the best mowers if you want a self propelled model in a smaller garden. It’s designed for spaces up to 250 m² (although it could doubtless handle medium gardens too!).

This lawn mower has a 39 cm cutting width which makes it one of the narrowest mowers featured here. One benefit of this is that it’s easier to manoeuvre around garden furniture, flowerbeds and trees. Plus, it can be navigated up smaller pathways. There are five cutting heights to choose from, ranging from 22 – 80 mm, as well as a 40 L grass collector.

Despite the smaller size, it’s still powerful, with a 123 cc Stiga auto choke engine.

It’s made predominantly from plastic which gives it an overall weight of just 21 kg. It’s the lightest petrol mower featured on this page, and therefore one of the best self propelled mowers if you want a petrol mower that is extremely manageable. Most gardeners should find this mower easy to move in and out of storage even when the self propelled feature is switched off.

However, customers have reported a couple of minor drawbacks to this mower’s design. Firstly, it seems it doesn’t work well if the grass is damp, despite its high cutting heights, as the cutting deck can clog easily. Also, the self-propelled speed is reasonably fast, so you may need to be prepared to walk quickly!

Nevertheless, due to its size and power, this is a great option for small/medium gardens. It delivers the power of a petrol mower, whilst being light enough to be easy to manage. The compact design and lightweight construction mean it shares many of the benefits of an electric model, without the faff of charging batteries.