Best Lawn Mowers For Small Yards

Last Update: September, 2023

If you have a small yard, you’d know the importance of keeping your yard tidy. Going without mowing for a few weeks can make your yard look unkempt and decrease your home's curb appeal. But small yards also require much less time and power to keep maintained. For many, it can seem like a waste of money to pay for professional landscapers to do their yard.

Many lawn mowers are also too bulky and overpowered for the job. Rather than spending more money than necessary on what you don’t need, let’s look at lawn mowers that are ideal for small yards.

More About The Remington RM 1159

While not a conventional lawn mower, the Remington string trimmer is a must have for those with small or oddly shaped lawns. The trimmer's head is designed to be offset to allow you greater coverage and prevent you from missing anything.

It has a 22-inch swath to get in those hard-to-reach places, plus a folding handle for better comfort and storage. This trimmer packs a lot of power with a 4-cycle gas-powered engine. The best part is the 14-inch wheels that can get it through rough terrain with ease.

More About The Sun Joe MJ401E

Designed with a 14-inch-wide cutting path to get into harder to reach areas, the Sun Joe MJ401E-Pro is ideal for smaller yards. This mower is corded to provide you with continuous power. So, you should never need to worry about refueling or recharging. You won’t ever have to bother with oil, gas or any tune-ups.

The 13-amp motor and stainless-steel blade work in unison to cut through tough grass. A 10.6-gallon rear collection bag is included to make clean up quick and easy. You also get to choose from 3 different height adjustments for the best comfort.

More About The ​Sun Joe iON16LM

With its 40-minute battery life, the Sun Joe iON16LM cordless lawn mower has just enough juice in it to get through your small yard. A 600 W brushless engine and stainless-steel blade work in tandem to cut a 15-inch wide path as it goes.

Plus, the EcoSharp technology keeps your battery performance consistent, no matter how much charge is left. Finally, a 9.25-gallon rear collection bag is included for zero clean up. This Sun Joe model is easy to use and extremely convenient. You don’t have to worry about poisonous gases, extension cords, oil or gas!

More About The ​Greenworks 20 In. Corded Lawn Mower

With a push button start to make turning your mower on easy, the Greenworks 25022 is a great option for smaller yards. Folding handles to make it more compact for storage too. The 12-amp motor and 20-inch cutting deck make going through any grass type easy. Seven different cutting heights provide you with control over your lawn's appearance.

Greenworks designs all their mowers to be extremely lightweight. You’ll find it easy to maneuver around your lawn and cut harder to reach areas. You can also choose between mulching, side discharge, and rear bag collection. Designed with a strong metal chasis, this is a durable machine that will last. This GreenWorks model is fantastic for the professional landscaper in you. 

More About The ​GreenWorks 12 Amp Corded Lawn Mower

This lightweight lawn mower comes with a 12-amp motor and 18-inch cutting deck, making it easy to maneuver and cut through the grass. Its medium size packs a punch and shouldn’t be underestimated. There are even seven different adjustable cutting heights and you can choose between side discharge and mulching as you mow.

The corded mower provides continuous power to your machine and four 7-inch wheels can cut evenly as you push through any of the toughest types of grass.

Types of Lawn Mowers

 There are three main types of lawn mowers for you to choose from. There is the standard push mower, the self-propelled mower, and the riding mower.

While each will cut your grass, there are important differences between them that affect how easily you can take care of your yard.

Riding Mower 

For example, riding lawn mowers are great for large properties because they save you time and energy. But these riding lawn mowers can be bulky and awkward to use in smaller yards.

Self-Propelled Mower

Self-propelled mowers are fantastic for those with inclines in the property and help provide a more even cut. Self-propelling lawn mowers make your job easier by moving forward on their own, a lot like a car or motorcycle, so that all you need to do is navigate the mower. These can be helpful, especially on larger lawns.

These lawn mowers are usually more expensive, though. For a small lawn, you might want to consider an ordinary push mower. They still do not require too much effort, and they will be a lot more affordable, not to mention quieter. A self-propelling feature can end up being an unused feature that costs you more money.

Standard Push Mower

We recommend that those with smaller yards opt for the conventional push mower. This will help to guarantee that you get the easiest cutting experience for the least amount of stress on your wallet.

Smaller yards really don’t require as much power and don’t need any extra features to get the job done.

High-quality lawn mowers also provide features that make cutting your lawn a straightforward task. Adjustable cutting height positions give you a choice for how much you want to cut, so you never take too much or too little off.

Grass discharge is also a feature you need to consider in smaller yards. For many electric mowers, you can have mulching, side discharge and rear bag collection all on your machine and you can choose which one you want to use on any certain day.

Buying Guide Features to Consider

Before you purchase a lawn mower for your small yard, you will want to make sure that you are getting the very best machine for the job.

Here are a few important features that you will want to look for in a new lawnmower. Remember, some of these factors will be more important than others, depending on your lawn and your preferences.

Power Type

The first thing you will want to consider when shopping for a new lawn mower is how it is powered. In the past, all lawn mowers had gas powered engines, but today there are a lot of sensible electric options that could save you money and effort.

Battery Powered or Corded

A battery-powered or corded electric lawn mower is generally best for a small lawn. Electric lawn mowers are not quite as powerful as gas-powered mowers, but they work well for a small area and come with a lot of benefits.

Electric lawn mowers are also a more efficient option for smaller yards. They can either be cordless and run on batteries or be corded to provide you with a constant stream of power. These types of lawn mowers are much lighter and easier to navigate.

Gas Powered

On the other hand, gas-powered mowers are fickle machines that require regular maintenance. They’re also subject to rising fuel costs. For small yards, this can create expenses that make it difficult to keep your lawn as you want it.

Compared to an electric lawn mower, you might have to spend more on fuel or even repairs. They are also much noisier, heavier, and not as easy to move around and store.

Manual Reel

The last option is not very popular these days. It is the traditional, manual reel lawn mower. These kinds of mowers may be old-school, but they do cut grass very efficiently. They are also much cheaper and will last a long time because there is no motor.

If you go for a reel lawn mower over a rotary mower (or a mower with an engine) just remember that you will want to cut your grass more regularly. This is because if it becomes too overgrown, it will be hard to use the mower.

Cutting Deck

​The cutting deck of your lawn mower determines how wide of an area it can mow in one direction. The wider your cutting deck, the fewer times you will have to go back and forth over a certain area.

A lawn mower with a wide cutting deck will save you time on large, open spaces. But it will be harder to maneuver around tighter spaces and corners. It will also be slightly more expensive.

For a smaller lawn, you don't need to worry too much about the cutting width of your lawnmower. Anywhere between 7 and 15 inches will be plenty to cut your lawn quickly and still be able to work around fences and walls easily.

Cutting Height

​The cutting height of your lawn mower is the height of the rotary blade from the ground. In other words, a lower cutting height will cut your grass shorter. The lower the blade is, though, the harder the lawn mower will be to push. There will also be more risk of damaging the blade on a rock or hard object.

For the best results, a lawn mower with an adjustable cutting height comes in handy. You should be able to easily adjust the height of your rotary blade, allowing you to trim the grass lower in certain areas and save yourself effort in areas where the lawn is overgrown.

For the biggest lawns and areas with a lot of tough, overgrown weeds, you might want to consider a riding lawn mower. They are bigger, much more powerful and adjustable.

Weight

​The weight of your lawn mower can make a bigger difference than you might think. Even though they are on the ground while you are using them, you are still going to need to be able to lift your lawn mower for transportation, storage, and repairs.

The lighter the mower, the easier all of that will be.

Electric mowers are almost always lighter than gas-powered mowers. If you need to move your lawn mower from place to place often, your best choice will probably be a small, corded or battery-powered electric mower.

How to Mow Your Lawn Properly

Good lawn care is all about keeping the grass maintained without damaging its growth. Here are a few helpful tips on how to mow your lawn properly without damaging it. 

Remember the 1/3 rule

As a rule, you should only be cutting about 1/3 of a blade of grass at one time. Of course, it is impossible to accurately measure that for every grass blade on the lawn. You can think of the 1/3 rule as more of a guideline. You should never be cutting away more grass than you are leaving behind.

Make sure the lawn is dry

A lot of people don’t know this. But it is crucial to only mow your lawn when it is completely dry. If there is still moisture on the grass from sprinklers or rainfall, it will cause the grass to cling to your power blade, which will result in pulling up the entire blade of grass instead of trimming it short. Always make sure your lawn is dry before you mow.

Don’t set a schedule

 Regular mowing is not healthy for your lawn. You should allow it to get slightly overgrown occasionally, promoting healthy grass growth. A lawn that is cut on a set schedule will not account for changes in seasonal growth and healthy root growth. You should always wait until your lawn really needs to be mowed – measure it by eye, not on a time schedule.

For example, in the spring, grass grows faster and does need to be mowed more often. However, in the hot weather of summer, grass tends to not grow as fast. In this case, you really only need to mow perhaps once every other week instead of twice weekly.

Mow your yard in various patterns

Mow in a different direction every time. Always cutting your lawn in the same direction will make the grass lean in the direction you tend to mow. Yes, grass can actually learn the direction you tend to cut it from!

Mow in various directions so that ruts won’t form in your lawn. You’ll also be able to achieve a nicer effect, with the grass standing tall and neat.

Leave some grass clippings on the lawn

If your motor has a side discharge to dispose of grass clippings, that can be great for the lawn. Clippings will decompose and enrich the soil, helping your grass to flourish. If you do not like the look of a lot of clippings left behind and use a collecting bag on your lawn mower, that’s fine. You can always go back over and scatter a decent layer of clippings over the grass by hand.

Conclusion

​Now that you are informed, you are ready to go out and buy the best lawn mower for your small lawn. Make sure you choose a mower that is lightweight, easy to handle and has an adjustable height. No matter what kind of engine you prefer, the best power for you will be the one that is easiest and most effective on your lawn.