Push mowers - ratings.(Evaluation)

For as little as $100 to $150, gasoline-powered push mowers are a cost-effective choice for cutting a quarter acre or less of relatively flat turf. They're also fine for trimming around trees, fences, and other tight spots that most tractors and riding mowers can't reach. Just how challenging these mowers are to push depends largely on how much they weigh (the mowers covered in this report range from 49 to 89 pounds) and the density of your lawn. Don't forget to add in the weight of a bag of clippings if you mow in that mode; grass clippings can add up to 20 pounds to your load.

Still other choices for small lawns include nonpowered reel mowers and electric models with and without a cord.

Reel mowers cost about the same as the least expensive gasoline-powered models, but they leave an unsightly trail of clippings in their wake (count on using a rake). They're also a poor choice for tall grass. The latest plug-in electrics are nearly as powerful as some gas models; their main drawback is their cord. Cordless mowers, which are powered by a rechargeable onboard battery, are quiet and convenient. But they provide only about a half hour of mowing before their batteries need a recharge. At about $400, they're also relatively expensive.

Nearly all of the mowers in the Ratings are gas-powered models from last year's report and are still available. This year, we've added two new ones to that list--a high-wheeled, gas-powered Craftsman (Sears) and a corded Black & Decker electric.

We also tested the high-wheeled Craftsman 38862 for this issue. But lack of a side-discharge mode for clippings kept us from rating it with the other three-mode mowers.

TWO TAKES ON LARGE WHEELS

Craftsman 38862. Mowers with high rear wheels are touted as being easier to maneuver. But on this $270 rear-bagging model, the 14-inch wheels block the area where a side-discharge chute would go. Most other high-wheeled mowers discharge clippings from the side of the deck, a design feature the 38862 lacks. That prevents it from simply throwing large volumes of clippings onto the lawn. Indeed, the Craftsman 38862 clogged and stalled as we attempted to mow high, thick grass in the bagging mode.