The Ultimate Guide to Gas Push Mowers

What are gas push mowers and which one is the best? What things should you be searching for in a petrol lawn mower? I answer these and many more questions while giving you only the best petrol lawn mowers reviews to help you reach a purchase decision. Thank you for visiting top5lawnmowers.com

There is one BIG reason why gas push mowers are so popular: They make mowing fun. Who doesn´t like to pull the cord and listen to the powerful engine start. Steering the mower over your lawn and see your grass so nicely cut, makes every house owner happy! But what happens if the motor doesn´t start, or the machine is too heavy to push over your lawn, then that awesome mower gets forgotten in your own garage. I don´t want that to happen, I want you to enjoy your new petrol mower. That´s why I have selected the 5 best and highest rated gasoline push mowers to lighten up your mowing tasks!

On This Page

What is a Gas Push Mower?
Why Buy a Gas Powered Mower?
What Kind of Starting Mechanism?
Different Types of Gas Push Mowers Engines
TOP 5 Best Gas Push Mowers
How to Find the Best Petrol Lawn Mowers Reviews

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What is a Gas Push Mower?

gas push mowers Put an engine on a bicycle, add in a few gears, a carburetor, a full tank of gas and it instantly changes into a motorcycle. The benefits are obvious to the naked eye. It is the same with mowers. A conventional reel mower fitted with a gasoline engine, a carburetor, manual pull crank or electric starter transforms into a gas powered mower.

These mowers typically run on gasoline or petrol but there are some models that use other liquid fuels such as kerosene. Unlike two or four cylinder engines on a motorcycle though, mower petrol engines usually have a single cylinder and can either be a two-stroke or four-stroke internal combustion engine. Four-stroke engines are cleaner, more efficient and produce a steady output of power and torque. On the other hand, two-stroke engines tend to be more torque oriented with bursts of power but make a lot of noise and burn a lot of fuel. Regardless of the engine type on a mower, they usually pump out anywhere from two to seven horsepower or 1.5 to 6.75 kilowatt.

Moreover, just like the throttle on a motorcycle, petrol mowers usually have a throttle control on the handlebar to adjust the speed or RPM (rotations per minute) of the engine, which in turn helps speed up or slow down the blade arrangement beneath the deck. Finally, to start the engine you have a rip-cord that works like the kick-start of a motorcycle and obviously a choke to help cold start the mower. And just like with modern motorcycles, a few new petrol mowers tend to come with an electric-start, although this adds to the cost.

Petrol mowers offer up greater distance and more power as opposed to electric mowers but they do need some amount of regular repairs such as changing the engine oil, replacing spark plugs, cleaning the air filters, sharpening the blade, de-clogging of the gas line.

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Why Buy a Gas Powered Mower?

Lots Of Power

Despite the extra fuel cost and noise, petrol mowers are the most powerful mowers of the lot. With power comes greater revolutions per minute (RPM), which in turn ensures a cleaner and sharper cut and thus better efficiency. Your grass will grow quicker and healthier.

Multiple Discharge Options

Since a petrol mower generates high RPMs, it is easier to mulch with them. Almost all petrol mowers offer the chance to mulch, side discharge and rear bag. Some require third party enhancements to do all three activities but almost all petrol mowers can do these three things.

No batteries & No Wires

Electric mowers either use rechargeable batteries or long cables. Batteries will eventually run dry and need hours of recharging while cables are limited by the length of the cord and can get entangled with the deck risking accidents. With gas mowers, they are truly portable and can operate for hours as long as you have sufficient gasoline stored in your garden shed.

Continuous Operation

A petrol engine is designed to handle hours of stress and activity. This makes petrol mowers easier to operate over long durations without needing a cool-down period. Besides, they operate at a fixed temperature and do not get affected by the surrounding environment.

Cuts All Grass Types

Some strains of grass are so stubborn that they simply pop up uncut after the mower passes over. With gas mowers that have enough power, these strains can be easily dealt with using the mulching option. Gas mowers are also highly effective in chopping down weed or wild grass.

Self-Propelled Option

Sometimes you just need some extra pushing assistance to get your mowing job done quickly. That is when a self-propelled gas mower comes in handy. These machines do not only provide an excellend cut, but also make the pushing job a lot easier due to its self-propelling mechanism.

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What Kind of Starting Mechanism?

why lawn mower won´t start

Gas Push mowers can have several starting mechanisms. Before I explain further on each type, keep in mind that the easier it is to start a gas mower, usually the more expensive they are.

Recoil Start – The most common method and also the cheapest to manufacture, these gasoline mowers use a cord with a handle that needs to be pulled fairly quickly to turn the engine over and start it. This needs a bit of strength and also preparation. Cold starting with a recoil start involves opening the choke to flood the engine with more air and fuel mixture thus helping the engine turn but the moment the engine’s warmed up the choke needs to be released. You will also find this sort of starting mechanism on plenty other garden tools such as chainsaws, trimmers and edgers.

Electric Start – These petrol mowers are expensive and come with a single push button that turns the engine over. Obviously simpler to use than recoil start, the problem however is that with cold starting a mower straight out of winter hibernation, it can take a while before the mower roars into life. Always look for electric start mowers that come with a choke so as to help nudge them over after a bout of idleness.

Electric Key Start – The inherent complication with push button type starting is that you can accidentally start the mower when moving it or storing it back in the shed. Likewise, it isn’t safe for children to be around for the same reason. With electric key start, the mower engine will not engage unless the key is in the ignition and turned on hence preventing accidental start-up. Otherwise, the mechanism of starting remains the same.

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Different Types of Gas Push Mowers Engines

Typically you get to choose from two types of petrol engines:

2 stroke used in smaller mowers
4 stroke engines usually used in larger machines

2 Stroke Engines

Usually seen on trimmers and edgers, these two stroke engines need a special oil additive to the fuel in a specific ratio to keep the engine lubricated during operation. This oil is burnt along with the fuel and hence the smoke from a 2 stroke engine is more polluted. Moreover, such engines make a lot more noise and are far less economical in the long run needing lot of maintenance and lacking decent efficiency. The advantage however is that 2 stroke engines tend to be lighter and long lasting since the mechanism involved is much more simpler.

4 Stroke Engines

7.7

$149.00

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How to Find the Best Petrol Lawn Mowers Reviews

Selecting a new mower can be overwhelming as there are so many choices. From large OHV (Overhead Valve) engines to smaller and more compact motors, petrol mowers come in many shapes and sizes. Usually they have a large deck size and plenty of power, which helps take care of lawns ranging between 1/3 to 1/2 acre. Furthermore, almost all gasoline walk-behind mowers tend to offer a choice between side discharge, mulching and rear bagging thanks to the immense power and torque generated in the blade assembly.

These are the criteria I have chosen to use in my gas push mowers reviews. Check them out!

Ease of Use

Petrol engines, unlike electric motors, need a sudden jump start of the engine to fire up the internal combustion mechanism. This is achieved either with a pull-cord or a sparking mechanism and a push button. Regardless, it must be easy to start even after a long winter hiatus. It must be light enough and have a good center of gravity to push over even terrain and possess the ability to adjust as per the needs of the user. The handle better have multiple height adjustments, the wheels must be capable of being lowered and raised to change the cut height and it must be easy to assemble straight out of the box. These are a few things I consider under ‘Ease Of Use’.

Cut Quality

Usually petrol mowers have the highest cut quality thanks to the enormous power generated by their engines. Nevertheless, cut quality also takes into account whether the mower can handle tough grass strains, the occasional heavy weed and long overdue mowing of unkempt grass.

Height Adjustment

Setting the height on a petrol mower can either be easy with a single lever or can be straining thanks to independent adjustment bars on each wheel. Moreover, some mowers come with just two or three height levels while others have over 7 adjustment positions. More the positions better your landscaping results.

Motor Power

Engines are rated in terms of capacity or cc (cubic centimeter). Larger the engine more is the torque and power generated, which in turn ensures higher RPMs of the blade arrangement. Since petrol mowers rely on a rotary mechanism to cut through grass, it is vital to have steady yet high RPMs. Additionally, higher the motor power, less is the chance of getting stuck on tricky patches or clogging the blades.

Maintenance

Petrol mowers need a lot of maintenance. From winterization to refueling, changing of the oil, sharpening of the blades, valve and engine overhaul in two to three years – there is a lot of care involved in keeping a petrol mower healthy. Some brands and models need less attention while others need a lot more.

Cost Effectiveness

Ranging over $100 to under $400, petrol mowers can be expensive with plenty of power and adjustments or they can be cheap with sufficient power and lesser configurations. Also, remember that button start mowers are usually much more expensive than their pull-start compatriots. Add to this the cost of maintaining them over a period of 3 to 5 years and the total cost is what determines whether a particular petrol mower is worth purchasing.

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