Buying a lawnmower can be tricky. There are so many similar brands and models, it can be hard to tell the good from the bad. Here’s how the major ones stack up.
Sometime between March and April each year, most of us have to gear up to tackle the sometimes daunting task of lawn maintenance. Rarely seen as a fun or enjoyable task, cutting the grass is a fact of life for dwellers of houses from coast to coast. Fortunately, modern science and engineering has made the job exponentially easier than it once was, and the proliferation of powered lawn mowing machines has given all of us the ability to keep a well-kept lawn with minimal effort.
Mechanical lawnmowers date back to the 19th century, but the ’50s and ’60s brought affordable designs and materials making motorized lawnmowers available to everyone, leading to the expansive mower industry we have today. Over the many decades of mower development, scores of companies have arisen, flooding the market with an expansive list of choices from which to pick the best model for your needs. This can make it difficult to decide which one is best for you, especially as the market is now populated by a growing list of electric and battery-powered lawn mower options.
Taking into account brand reputation, customer reviews, and independent quality testing, some brands fare better than others. Therefore, we have compiled a list of major lawn mower brands, with a few omissions to keep it from being unwieldy. Here’s our list of well-established brands that currently offer gas-powered push and riding mowers for the consumer market, ranked from the worst to the best.9. Murray
The Murray name has been affixed to lawnmowers for over a century dating back to 1913, but saw a decline until it was bought out of bankruptcy by Briggs & Stratton in 2005. The brand has since been offered as a low-budget mower exclusively by Home Depot.
Murray offers only four push mowers and just two riding models. With prices starting at $249, they rest clearly on the budget side of the market. What you get from a Murray mower is a basic design using established components and features. It is not the choice for those who prefer innovative products and are willing to pay for it. However, the standard Briggs & Stratton engines will provide competent and trouble-free operation.
The only self-propelled model from Murray, model 153003, offers front-wheel-drive with rear bagging for $379.00. Consumer Reports notes that it lacks an option for side discharge and that it is a bit on the loud side, offering an overall rating of 58/100. Furthermore, reviews posted to Consumer Affairs reveal an abundance of negative experiences owners have had with their Murray mowers. These reports do not inspire high confidence. 8. Troy-Bilt
The first Troy-Bilt product was a garden rototiller in 1937 — the first of its kind. Troy-Bilt built that early success into a company that makes a wide range of outdoor power equipment, and today offers a full line of products as a brand owned by MTD (and ultimately Stanley Black & Decker).
Troy-Bilt offers several models of lawnmowers and riding mowers, available from major retailers like Home Depot and Lowe’s, as well as independent equipment dealers. Pricing of Troy-Bilt mowers generally falls in the middle of the range, providing good value for buyers who prefer not to buy budget brands while keeping purchases affordable.
Unfortunately for Troy-Bilt, feedback to Consumer Affairs is rather poor. With 600 reviews collected overall, it only musters a 1.1/5 rating. Dozens of one-star reviews cite difficulties with return policies and poor customer service. Others complain of having multiple failures and difficulty starting. Consumer Reports gives its Troy-Bilt TB220B XP model a rating of 64/100, essentially placing it in the middle of every category from reliability and noise to bagging and owner satisfaction. Not everyone has the same experience with Troy-Bilt, but you might want to carefully compare options before buying.7. Cub Cadet
The agricultural machinery giant International Harvester sought to break into the consumer lawn care market in 1961 when it introduced its first garden tractor called the Cub Cadet. The Cub Cadet was well-received by buyers and the brand would become known for making dependable products with innovative features for years following its debut. Some 60 years later, International Harvester is no more but Cub Cadet continues to make lawnmowers as one of several brands of MTD, a division of Stanley Black & Decker.
Today’s Cub Cadet lineup continues to include garden tractors but is accompanied by a full range of outdoor power equipment, including zero-turn mowers, tillers, snowblowers, and push mowers.
