Best Budget Lawn Mowers

These gas and battery push mowers are a cut above at a reasonable price

By Tobie Stanger

Updated by Daphne Yao

Updated April 18, 2023

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Person pushing the Toro 21311 lawn mower on a lawn. — Price surges for lawn mowers have made it harder to find budget models, but there are still some that deliver top performance with great value.

Can you even find a budget lawn mower anymore? And if you do, will it be worth what you spend? With prices for this key outdoor power tool rising significantly over the past year, purchasing a reasonably priced lawn mower that performs well has become a whole new challenge.

In Consumer Reports’ lawn mower and tractor ratings, prices for “carryover” gas lawn tractors—models we rated last year that are still available this season—are up by double digits, according to Courtney Pennicooke, a CR product analyst who covers outdoor power equipment.

The pandemic supply-chain snarls that raised prices of manufactured products, including cars and large appliances, have eased. But rising manufacturing costs have still led to price hikes in lawn mowers this year.

How to Shop for a Lawn Mower

Where does that leave you if you’re looking for a reasonably priced lawn mower that does its job well?

The new sweet spot for lawn mower value is between $350 and $500. Even at prices below that range, you’ll find a few very good gas or battery push mowers in our ratings, some with helpful features like folding handles and the option of upright storage. Among the three gas and four battery models featured below—all priced around $300 and recommended by CR—a couple also earn excellent predicted reliability scores, which means they’re more likely to hold up for many years of use.

Best Budget Gas Lawn Mowers

Gas lawn mowers generally cost less and run for longer. Check out our picks for the most reliable gas lawn mowers.

Best Budget Battery Lawn Mowers

Battery lawn mowers are quieter and more eco-friendly than their gas counterparts. We’ve also rounded up the best battery mowers from our tests and the best ones for mulching.

How CR Tests Lawn Mowers

@consumerreports Are you ready to step up your #lawncare game? 😎 See expert tips, ratings, and reviews at cr.org/home 🌱 #spring #lawnmower #lawntok ♬ original sound - Consumer Reports

Tobie Stanger

Tobie Stanger is a senior editor at Consumer Reports, where she has been helping readers shop wisely, save money, and avoid scams for more than 30 years. Most recently, her home- and shopping-related beats have included appliance and grocery stores, generators, homeowners and flood insurance, humidifiers, lawn mowers, and luggage—she also covers home improvement products like flooring, roofing, and siding. During off-hours, she works on her own fixer-upper and gets her hands dirty in the garden. Follow her on Twitter @TobieStanger.