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Which is the Best Petrol Lawn Mower?
Petrol lawn mowers are ideal for medium-to-large lawns. If you’re looking to replace your petrol lawnmower or buy one for the first time, you’re in the right place. In this guide I will Include several petrol mower reviews, covering the best petrol lawn mowers in the UK.
The best petrol mower for your garden depends primarily on your lawn. How big is it? Is the ground smooth or rough? You also need to consider your personal preferences. Do you like a regal striped lawn? Do you want to mulch the grass clippings? Do you prefer push mowers or self-propelled mowers?
Whichever your preference, in this monster post I’ve found the cream of the crop—the best petrol lawnmowers on the market—and organised them into three sections:
- Best petrol mowers by size
- Best petrol mowers by brand
- Best petrol mowers by price and features
At the bottom, I also include a buyer’s guide to petrol mowers, and answers to frequently asked questions.
Best Petrol Mowers by Size
The first factor to consider is size. An 18 inch petrol mower might fit a small garden quite well, but medium-to-large gardens will require larger mowers. Otherwise, you will spend a lot of time. mowing the lawn.
To get your mowing done quickly, look for a mower that fits your lawn. Large lawns are best served by a ride-on mower or a garden tractor. But for most of us in rural or suburban UK, a petrol mower—either push or self-propelled—will be enough to tackle the garden with ease.
Best petrol mower for large lawns: Hyundai P1
✔ Service kit, 600ml Oil, Replacement Blade
✔ 51cm cutting width ideal for medium to large sized lawns
✔ Powered by a reliable hyundai 173cc 4 stroke petrol engine
✔ Simple single lever cutting height adjustment with 7 different cutting heights from 25mm to 85mm
✔ Self propelled rear wheel drive to take the effort out of mowing
You can’t miss this bright fluorescent orange self-propelled mower from Hyundai.
This colourful beast is powerful. It can cut through long wet grass with no problems at all. This is a heavy duty mower, with a solid design, and a speedy self-driving mechanism that will chomp around your lawn in minutes.
Assembling the mower is very easy. And can easily be completed by anyone. With an ounce of common sense.
If you have a larger lawn or a gently sloping lawn, this Hyundai mower is ideal. The only downside, for elderly people, Is that the self-driving mechanism is quite fast for an elderly person’s gait.
It is also not the lightest mower. So be careful trying to lift it on your own if you are not very strong.
Tech Spec
- 163cc / 173cc Hyundai air cooled 4 stroke petrol engine
- Maximum cutting width of 508mm
- Electric key start and a recoil pull start
- 4-in-1 cutting functionality, including Cut and Collect, Cut and Drop, Cut and Mulch and Cut and Side Discharge
- Treated steel chassis
- Ergonomic grip handle
- Seven cutting heights from 25mm to 85mm
- Single cutting height lever
- Quick release 60-litre grass bag (Can be used without grass bag if you wish to leave the cuttings on the lawn)
Best petrol mower for medium gardens: Frisky Fox
- WOLF 'DYNAMIC' 5.5HP 4 STROKE PETROL ENGINE
- SINGLE LEVER HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT RANGING BETWEEN 25mm to 75mm
- SELF PROPELLED VIA GEARBOX WITH THROTTLE SPEED CONTROLLER
- 4 IN 1 FACILITY: CUT, CUT&COLLECT, MULCHE OR SIDE DISCHARGE
- 2 Year Warranty
The Frisky Fox is a fine creature indeed. This mower is fantastic for the price.
It has a solid build quality, and will plow through wet grass (though cutting in the dry is advised) and surge up hills.
It cuts very well for a rotary mower and the speed is very adjustable – from a slow, crawling, walking speed, to a nice brisk pace.
Sure, this is not the ideal machine for frail elderly, but it’s very suitable for able bodied adults.
Be aware that the manual is a bit useless, but the mower is not very difficult to assemble.
Tech spec
- 5.5hp 4 stroke engine
- Single lever cutting height adjustment, from 25mm to 75mm
- 4 in 1 cutting options: Cut, cut and collect, mulch, or side discharge
- 2 Year Warranty
Best petrol mower for small lawns: Einhell GC-PM 40
- Four stroke Einhell OHV engine with one cylinder
- Disengage able rear-wheel drive
- Central cutting height adjustment, five levels
- Sturdy plastic housing for agile handling
- Extra-high rear ejector for good catching result
This small Einhell petrol mower is the best petrol mower for a small garden. It is both very well built and surprisingly quiet.
You have some solid German build quality, and enough power to make mowing the lawn a pleasure.
The grass box is easily removed and replaced, and it has enough capacity for plenty of mowing before needing to dispose of the clippings.
This Einhell is an ideal petrol alternative to an electric mower for small gardens, and at only 18.5kg, this is the best lightweight petrol mower on the market.
Tech spec
- Four stroke Einhell OHV engine with one cylinder
- Disengage able rear-wheel drive
- Central cutting height adjustment, five levels
- Sturdy plastic housing for agile handling
- Extra-high rear ejector for good catching result
Best Petrol Mowers by Brand
If you are loyal to a specific brand, check out this section for my top picks from popular manufacturers.
Which are the best petrol lawn mower brands?
Honda has a fantastic reputation for manufacturing solid lawn mowers, along with scooters, cars, and most other things that come out of their factory. Honda engines are very good and also well-serviceable.
Briggs & Stratton is an American classic lawnmower engine maker, and it has a reputation for creating reliable engines. The firm has been making small engines since 1908.
Allett and Webb are great manufacturers of classic English cylinder petrol mowers.
Hyundai is a Korean manufacturer that has created some great little lawnmowers.
Mountfield and Flymo are two old names that also rank very highly.
Best Honda petrol mower: Honda Izy
The Honda Izy is a classic petrol mower from a quality manufacturer.It is robust and reliable enough to be considered the lawn mower equivalent of a Honda Cub motorcycle or Toyota Hilux pickup.
This one should keep going for years, and keep your lawn in tiptop condition. That’s why the Honda Izy is a common choice for professional lawncare businesses
Best Hyundai petrol mower: Hyundai HYM480 SPER
- 2.6kW Hyundai OHV 4-stroke 139cc engine, providing easy starting with low fuel consumption.
- Split 38cm ribbed rear roller for a traditional British striped lawn. Rear wheel (roller) drive, 48cm cutting width, ideal for medium sized lawns.
- Single point cutting height adjustment - 5 cutting heights 25mm to 75mm. Rear discharge and rear collect options.
- Easy to remove 70litre grass collector. Foldable handles for compact storage.
- Full UK spares backup to maintain your lawn mower for years to come. Covered by Hyundai 3 year platinum warranty.
This 139cc Hyundai mower comes with a Hyundai 3 year platinum warranty. It starts easily and has enough power to tackle tough grass or slopes.
Be aware that the mower is slightly heavy, and runs quite fast. Elderly people might struggle to keep up with this grass-eating racehorse!
Tech Spec
- 4-stroke 139cc engine
- 48cm cutting width
- Ribbed rear roller
- Single point cutting height adjustmen from 25mm to 75mm
- 70litre grass collection box
- Foldable handles for compact storage.
Best petrol mowers by price and features
If you want to buy a mower at specific price point, or are on the look out for certain features. This is the section for you.
Best cheap petrol mower under £200: Einhell Self-propelled GC-PM 40
- Four stroke Einhell OHV engine with one cylinder
- Disengage able rear-wheel drive
- Central cutting height adjustment, five levels
- Sturdy plastic housing for agile handling
- Extra-high rear ejector for good catching result
I’m a big fan of Einhell mowers and this one doesn’t disappoint.
The mower is easy to assemble, and simple to setup. It has sufficient power for most lawns an will easily chomp through long grass.
The motor is quiet, and the mower is easy to manouevre. The self-propelled mechanism pulls the machine along nicely, and grass is fed neatly into the grass collection box.
If you are undecided between a cheap petrol mower and an electric for a small-to-medium sized lawn, I would highly recommend opting for this model. I doubt you can buy a better lawnmower for the price.
Tech spec
- 4-stroke engine with 1 cylinder
- Self-propelled with disengageable rear-wheel drive
- Nine cutting heights from 30 mm to 80 mm
- Folding handle for easy storage in minimal space
Best petrol mower with electric start: Cobra MX484
- 48cm (19in) Petrol Lawnmower with steel deck and 4 speed drive system, from 2.5km/h to 3.9km/h speeds
- Push button electric starting, with a powerful Cobra Y173V 173cc engine
- 6 Stage central height of cut adjustment, from 25mm to 75mm - Tackles longer grass with ease, as well as finer cut lawns
- Large 65l garss bag collector for less bag emptying, includes a full indicator
- 2 Year warranty (domestic)
The Cobra MX484 has an electric start, and a pull start for backup. The mower is heavy, but it is very well-built, and easy to use. It is ideal for medium and large lawns.
Tech spec
- 48cm (19in) cutting width
- Push button electric start
- 4 speed drive system, from 2.5km/h to 3.9km/h
- 173cc engine
- 6 cutting heights from 25mm to 75mm
- 65l grass collection bag
Best petrol mower for rough and uneven ground: McCulloch M40
- 125cc Briggs & Stratton 450e Engine
- Durable, powder coated steel body for maximum life span
- 40cm cutting width
- 5 cutting heights 20 - 75mm
- 50 litre collector
Mowers with large diameter wheels are better-suited to rough terrain, and this McCulloch petrol mower should do the job for most lawns — assuming your garden doesn’t resemble the surface of the moon.
It is easy to assemble, and very simple to use. But make sure to leave it on the highest setting for rough ground.
You may also want to consider a self-propelled mower if you are concerned about the difficulty of wrangling this heavy mower over rough patces of ground.
Best petrol cylinder mower with roller for stripes: Allett Kensington
Allett lawnmowers are for professionals groundskeepers, and the quality reflects that. The Allett Kensington is one of the best Allett cylinder mowers available, and will leave your garden with that traditional striped finish, and a fine cut suitable for a bowling green.
The Kensington specifically allows you to engineer the perfect lawn by micro-adjusting a cutting height from 6mm – 32mm. It comes with a large grass box, and should last a lifetime of mowing with careful maintenance.
Best petrol hover mower for slopes: Flymo XL500
This is a classic Flymo petrol mower with a very powerful motor. This hover mower is ideal for cutting sloping lawns, but be aware that it is a bulky mower and very heavy to carry when it is not running. Thus this mower is not ideal if you have steps leading up to your lawn, or need to carry it far.
If you want to buy this mower but are concerned about the weight, consider investing in the Flymo XL500 wheel kit.
Petrol Mower Buyer’s Guide
Before you click through and purchase a petrol lawn mower, consider a few of these points first:
1. Lawn size
Mismatch your mower wit your lawn and you will either be struggling to maneuver a heavy duty mower around a postage stamp garden, or spending hours pushing a tiny mower around your vast lawn. The smaller your lawn is, then the smaller the cutting width can be. A 16 inch mower may fit a small garden, but you will want a 20+ inch mower for large lawns to cut down on time spent.
2. Terrain
If your garden is sloping, you might want to use a self-propelled petrol mower, as this will be easier to drive up the slope. If your garden is rough, consider buying a robust mower with bigger wheels to handle the terrain.
3. Your fitness level
If you don’t have much muscle, you might opt for a self-propelled mower even for a small garden. But be careful not to get one that goes too fast if you are not a confident walker.
4. Features
Mulching mowers will help you fertilise your lawn naturally, and mowers with a roller will leave regal stripes on your lawn. Make sure you buy a mower with the features that will make your lawn look how you like.
Petrol Mower FAQ
Where do I buy the petrol for a lawn mower?
Don’t go pushing your mower all the way to the petrol station, or siphoning petrol out of neighbour’s cars, but take a jerrycan to the petrol station and fill it up. This is legal, but some filling stations may their own rules.
Warning: do not smoke in the car while transporting petrol!
Which oil should I use for a petrol mower?
Grade SAE-30 is generally a safe bet, but this will depend on the specifics of your mower. Check the instruction manual to determine the oil type and amount required. If you can’t find anything, you can use Briggs & Stratton oil checker.
How to start a petrol mower after winter?
If your petrol mower won’t start after hibernation, then the reason is often related to fuel – specifically fuel inside the petrol tank which has mixed with water. This can interfere with the spark plugs, so you may need to change the petrol or the plug.
To avoid this, empty the fuel tank after the final cut of the season by siphoning it off, or just run the mower until it conks out. Hayter have a full guide to preparing lawn mowers for winter.
Common Petrol Mower Problems
Why is my petrol mower smoking?
Sure, a smoking mower can be slightly scary, but it’s usually easily solved.
If the oil chamber is too full, or if oil has leaked on to the exhaust or any other hot part of the engine mechanism, it may simply be burning off and creating smoke. This is particularly likely if you have recently changed your oil or tipped the mower up at an angle.Solve the problem by either letting the oil burn off, or cleaning it off manually.
If the mower is not smoking due to spilled oil, you may have a more serious problem.
Why is my petrol mower chugging?
Jumpy mowers that rev and die down suddenly can be caused by poorly adjusted or corroded spark plugs. Check all the connections and check for corrosion.
Poorly adjusted carburetors can also cause engine issues, and on some mower models this can be adjusted with screws. I’d advise you to check the manual of your specific mower.
Airflow problems can also cause sudden engine surges and slowdowns. To fix this, simply check the air filter to ensure that it’s not blocked. Clearing blockages should solve the problem.
Why is my petrol mower overheating?
Blocked air vents, or a dirty engine, can cause overheating. To fix it, remove the casing and give it a good clean, ideally with compressed air or a brush. If vents or cooling components like fans are broken, they may need to be replaced.
Low oil levels can also cause lawn mowers to overheat by creating friction. SImply allow the lawn mower to cool. down, and then add oil.
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