The best petrol lawn mowers are powerful, easy to use and will give a professional looking finish for medium and larger-sized gardens.
Petrol mowers are typically more powerful than cordless (battery-powered) and corded (electric) mowers, meaning that you'll be spending less time mowing. But an unavoidable condition of buying a petrol mower is that they require some maintenance, not to mention the extra cans of petrol.
But the benefits are vast: they deliver great cut quality and impressive, neat finishes with smart grass patterns if that's your thing. And of course you are not restricted by a power cable.
Here we've done the hard work for you, choosing rated petrol mowers and including some of the best deals on the best mowers out there at the moment.
Quick links to the best petrol lawn mower deals
You can trust Homebuilding & Renovating. Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and materials in order to help you choose the best for your home and garden. Find out more about how we test.
In the market for a brand spanking new petrol lawn mower at a bargain price, but not sure what you want. Then check out these deals
- Amazon — Top deals on some of the best brand petrol lawnmowers
- Homebase — Save up to £80 on Powerbase petrol mowers
- Just Lawn mowers - Great offers on Mountfield and Honda petrol mowers
Our top picks for the latest petrol lawn mower deals
The best petrol lawn mowers to buy
The low-maintenance, high-performance Hyundai HYM510SP is the best self-propelled petrol mower.
It features six easily adjustable cutting heights, ranging between 25-75mm, and good cutting width for large gardens. It's easy to start, which is achieved through a contactless ignition system, and being able to control the large rear wheels from the rear mounted handle makes it easy to use.
Plus, Hyundai's four-stroke engine not only improves the torque but is designed to reduce noise and air pollution, making it an economic and low-emission mower.
The huge 70L grass collection box has a quick release, allowing you to easily empty your glass without spillage. And for easy storing the handles can fold down over the mower.
The four-stroke engine on the Cobra MX534SPH is an immediate positive for enhanced fuel efficiency, and a second positive is that it uses a Honda GCVX170 engine, which is very reliable.
It's easy to start this mower courtesy of a cord attached to one side of the handlebar, and the four-speed self-propulsion system means the machine works at your preferred pace (you can select walking pace or brisk walk, for example, with the latter really taking the strain off mowing larger lawns).
Another great feature is that you can mulch in three different ways, either conventionally through the 65L glass collector, or downwards so your grass cuttings are ejected back out onto your lawn, or sideways through an included chute.
In truth, there aren't too many differences between this mower and the Hyundai HYM510SP. Both feature similar cutting lengths and heights, and both leave a brilliant finish too, even on long or damp grass. The only negative that keeps the Cobra off the top spot is that the engine is pretty loud.
If you're after a budget-friendly petrol mower for a slightly smaller garden then the Mountfield HP41 is a great option. We're reviewing the push drive model, but a self-propelled version is also available.
With a 39cm cutting width, the Mountfield HP41 is suitable for mowing small-to-medium-sized gardens and lawns, and features five cutting height positions between 25-70mm.
The tough polypropylene chassis is an especially strong benefit. Not only does this material help to prevent the machine from rusting, but it helps to make the mower lightweight, making it easy to manoeuvre.
It starts really quickly too, which is aided through being powered by an auto choke engine. And to store away, simply fold down the handle. Easy.
Read our full Mountfield HP41 review.
The two things you'll likely immediately notice about the Hayter Harrier 56 are its price and its weight. But this is a machine with one very notable selling point: it is the best machine around if you want to cut professional-looking stripes into your lawn.
The massive 56cm cutting deck (the largest on this list) and 70L grass box collector (joint-largest) means this is a mower well suited to large lawns, and the seven height settings provide good versatility for finish options.
The 52cm real roller and automatic speed control means you can lay a pristine lawn stripe, especially with the cutting height going down to just 13mm.
Be careful using this machine, though. Even though it is suitable for domestic use many homeowners may struggle to use it given its weight.
Honda's reliable engine is a major plus of the IZY HRG 466 SK, and the powerful four-stroke GCVx engine is easy to start. This is aided by an auto choke system to ensure a quick start even in cold weather.
At 32kg it's relatively lightweight to push around without too much effort and the self-propulsion makes it easy to manoeuvre. Plus it's equipped with a sizeable 50L grass collector and six cutting heights ranging between 20-74mm.
What's more, it's been designed with durable steel cutter deck which is resistant to corrosion and UV ray deterioration, helping to ensure a lengthy service life.
What are the benefits of petrol lawn mowers?
There are three types of power your lawn mower can run on: petrol, corded (electric) and cordless lawn mowers (battery-powered), and all come with their pros and cons.
Petrol lawn mowers are generally much more powerful than their counterparts, which means faster completion times, and because they are mostly self-propelled, they are easy to start and to use.
Because of their power, petrol lawn mowers are also more suited to cutting medium-to-large gardens, whereas cordless and corded mowers are better for smaller lawns. Petrol mowers aren't constrained by power cords either.
How to choose the best petrol lawnmower
These are some factors to consider when buying the best petrol mower to ensure you get the best value for your money and the most optimal machine for your garden.
Size of lawn
This should be a primary consideration. Because the cutting widths of mowers will differ, some mowers will be more effective on larger gardens than on smaller gardens, and vice versa.
Before you buy, make a rough estimation of how many square metres (sqm) of your lawn will need to be maintained: if your garden is between 50-150sqm then this is generally considered to be small to medium, while more than 150sqm is considered large.
Collection
The larger your collection bag, the longer you can mow for. Therefore buying a mower with a larger bag (50L and above is best for larger gardens) will prove valuable. If you want to use your grass cuttings to fertilise your remaining gras then look out for a mower with mulching capability.
How do petrol lawn mowers work?
The easier your mower is to start, the better. Keep a look out for machines that come with electric start or electric key starts, which are more time-efficient, but will cost more.
Self-propelled or push drive?
Self-propelled mowers are easier to work, making them suitable for large lawns and inclined areas. Because they propel themselves forward, you don't need to put as much time and effort into mowing - all you have to do is control the direction.
Push drive mowers don't have the control or ease of use, but they are generally much cheaper and well suited to smaller or medium-sized gardens.
Which is better — a 2 or 4 stroke lawn mower?
Two strokes engines are less complicated than a four stroke so are cheaper to manufacture, which means they are typically cheaper to buy. As they have less parts they are typically lighter and cost less to repair.
But four stroke engines are typically more reliable, less noisy and more fuel efficient.
How do you service a petrol lawn mower?
Petrol lawn mowers require a certain level of maintenance, primarily through checking and changing the oil. It's best to do this as soon as you begin mowing in the spring or summertime, and once a month throughout the summer.
Always use the fuel and oil recommended by the engine manufacturer, and be sure to store your fuel in a sealed fuel can and keep it in a cool, dry, place.
You'll also need to clean your mower every so often to remove any grass or debris from the blades or underneath the mower. A small brush is handy for cleaning tighter spaces. An important note: make sure to completely switch off your lawn mower before cleaning.
Lastly, it's beneficial to check your spark plugs every so often to ensure they don't become too dirty — every 25 hours is recommended, although an indication they need cleaning is that the lawn mower will be harder to start.
How we test petrol lawn mowers
There's a lot to consider when buying one of the best petrol lawn mowers, and the Homebuilding & Renovating team is getting hands-on experience with the products in this buying guide to help you feel confident in choosing the right mower for you.
In our ongoing independent reviews we are testing the ease of use, battery life, cutting power and noise to gauge each mower's efficacy, and assessing key factors including value for money and the fuel efficiency of each mower. We’re also reviewing everything in-between from the size of collection boxes to which households will most benefit from buying a specific petrol lawn mower.
Our team is passionate about DIY and home improvement (which probably won’t be a surprise) so we already have detailed knowledge about the brands that make these lawn mowers.
Moreover, we have taken into account user reviews when compiling this buying guide, and gleaned key information from our sister sites such as Real Homes and Ideal Home to help you find the best petrol lawn mower for your home.
Still intrigued by our testing process? Find out more about how we test on our page. Here are a few of our Homebuilding & Renovating lawn mower testers:
David is a renewables and ventilation installer who is passionate about testing new tools. He has reviewed the Mountfield HP41 Hand Propelled Petrol Lawnmower Review for Homebuilding & Renovating, which he described as having a cut that is "incredibly smooth, and there is plenty of torque in the engine for thicker grass patches and tufts of weeds."
