Despite being a smaller yard, it still needs to be kept neat and tidy, especially if you prefer to access this private space on a regular basis for leisure time, or have children or pets that also use the area. Running the lawn mower over the yard can instantly improve the overall appearance, while keeping maintenance to a minimum in the process.
When shopping for the best lawn mower for small yard, make sure you get one with the attached box for grass, as nobody wants to rake up after a mowing session. Also don’t forget to purchase an option with a self-propelled function, because such mowers move forward of their own accord, doing the work for you. We came up with a list of top 8 picks where the Snapper SXD21SPWM82K deserved our Editor’s Choice nomination.
Extra features: self-propelled transmission, variable speed, push-button start, a single lever, 7 position height of cut adjustment
As the editor’s choice in our list of top lawn mowers for small yards, you expect a lot from the Snapper SXD21SPWM82K, and it delivers. For starters, the push-button start is always appreciated. No more dealing with a pull cord that might take several attempts to start the machine. Of course, this is quite common in battery-powered mowers.
Also, there are two Lithium-ion batteries included in this purchase alongside a rapid charger. Each battery should give you a 45-minute runtime, although some users report that it doesn’t last as long. That said, you can purchase more expensive batteries to extend the runtime.
It has a 21-inch cutting width, self-propelled transmission, and will adjust the speed according to your needs at a particular moment. Also, the load sensing technology works well to adjust the power in the blades depending on the grass’s thickness.
As for the grass discharge, the mower offers three options to choose from, and they all come with the relevant attachments. The attachments include a bagger, side discharge chute, and lastly, the mulch plug. You can attach or remove any of these accessories depending on how you want to treat the cut grass.
The seven-position grass height adjustment is another reason to get this mower. You won’t get the same level of grass height control in most of the other machines that you encounter.
Extra features: removable safety key to prevent accidental starts
If you’re fed up of working around a cord each time you mow, but you don’t want to select a gas-powered lawn mower, then the Sun Joe MJ401C may just be your perfect choice! Rated here as our Best Cordless Lawn Mower, this model allows you to ditch both cord and gas and merely take advantage of inserting a key, pressing the safety switch, squeezing the trigger, and off you go! This is the perfect companion for those small to mid-sized lawns, as it allows you to get those essential yard chores finished in one complete go with its durable steel blade and three position manual height control. This means that you can adjust, tailor, and control your turf to just the right level of height. As you go along, the 10.6-gallon bag collects all your clippings and will then detach easily for rapid disposal. The battery in this mower is a long-life model, offering 28 volts, and is thoroughly rechargeable providing up to around 25 minutes each time, ensuring you have ample time to get the job done to your satisfaction. There is also a handy LED battery level indicator which conveniently informs you when you need to recharge your mower.
Customers of the Sun Joe MJ401C find this the more lightweight of mowers which makes cutting the grass so easy and comfortable with every use. The battery option is highly favored by many people looking for an alternative to gas and that often annoying long cord found in other electrical lawn mowers.
Extra features: 3 tools in 1: converts from mower to trimmer to edger
The first of two Black and Decker Models on our list is our choice for Budget Pick, alongside Amazon’s selection for the best mower as well! The BLACK+DECKER BESTA512CM is the most compact of designs and doesn’t just offer a lawn mower facility but also a trimmer and an edger – making this a complete three in one model. Working through the electrics, this model has 6.5 Amps of power, alongside a PowerDrive transmission, which Black and Decker believe gives you the most optimum of performances every time you use it. Such power allows the mower to cut through even the toughest and trickiest of grass, weeds, and other overgrowth, completing the job correctly and as thoroughly as its larger counterparts in quick time. This is an excellent lightweight design that also allows you to adjust the handle and height positions to ensure that every user has the most comfortable mowing, trimming, and edging experience possible each time. With a cord retention system that works on preventing accidental cord disconnection, there is also an automatic feed spool. The afs means you can continue to operate without bumping or stopping each time to adjust the spool. This is the perfect tool to get all three essential gardening jobs completed with the use of just one product in total!
Customers of the BLACK+DECKER BESTA512CM highly rate this thoroughly practical lawn mower with a variety of functions which not only does exactly what it claims to do performance-wise, but also enables a more comfortable experience in the process.
Extra features: winged blade, pivot control handle
The BLACK+DECKER BEMW482ES is our choice of small yard lawn mower with the Best Pivot Control Handle. This is the model that is designed for pure ease of maneuverability and features the most accessible of control handles. From the makers of the trusted brand Black and Decker, this is a smaller electric lawn mower which merely requires the use of a push button to start. At 17 inches, this offers 12 Amps of power and works on providing better clipping collection through its winged blade, at a figure of 30% in total. There is a total of six heights adjustment to select from. To the rear of the mover is an attached box which accumulates a good proportion of grass clippings, before unclipping easily enough to empty each time. The best feature on the BLACK+DECKER BEMW482ES model has to be its super sharp blades, which are claimed to be sharp enough to cut through the more challenging of grass lengths and types, with its performance rivaling its more robust and more significant counterparts. Though it doesn’t offer a vast number of additional features, if it’s a simple style of mower that you’re after which is more lightweight than standard lawn mowers, this is undoubtedly an excellent choice.
Customers of the BLACK+DECKER BEMW482ES find that it does the job well and is a more simplistic model to set up and operate on a regular basis. It’s considered a more appropriate choice for smaller gardens as it can cope adequately with the more minimal of yard designs.
Extra features: rear and front wheel ratio results in easy maneuverability
The Greenworks 25142 gets our vote for the best electric lawn mower for a small yard, due to its powerful properties, but reduced, practical size. This is a 10 Amp motor which has a wonderful rear, and front wheel ratio meaning maneuverability is a breeze! The rear wheels are seven inches, while the front are six inches, making it simple to work around those more uneven of terrains and any flower beds in the yard. With just the right amount of power to cut through the tougher of grass types, the 16 inches cutting deck of this model is a useful feature which means you can get the work done in quicker succession, therefore ensuring an incredibly efficient job each time! The two-in-one element of the Greenworks 25142 makes mulching and rear discharging a breeze, and the option of five position height adjustments allows a great choice to cut your grass based on personal requirements. Working on the concept of just plugging in and going, getting started with this lawn mower only requires one touch of a button, and the job itself can be done more quietly than your standard lawn mower.
Customers of the Greenworks 25142 find it to be a well-designed lawn mower, which is an efficient model and has just the right amount of power to tackle a multitude of grass types. The idea of using an electric model is also preferred by many satisfied customers, reducing the smell, vibration, and noise that tends to come with many gas lawn mowers.
Extra features: IntelliCut technology saves power for when you really need it
The Worx WG779 gets our choice for the lawn mower with the best use of technology. This battery powered mower is also cordless, which means no worrying about constantly mowing over cable as you work. The best thing about this model is its intellect. This is the added technology that Worx have incorporated into this model to offer extra torque on demand. In turn, this is the more powerful of lawn mowers as it provides users with double the power of standard mowers through its 40 volts battery. With a two in one facility standard, you can mulch or bag, ensuring a healthy lawn no matter what season it is. Designed to cut to near perfection every time, there is a single lever adjustment which allows a quicker and easier cut to suit your individual preferences. Regarding charging, the battery level indicators are present on both the batteries and on the mower also, ensuring that you’re never caught short when you start mowing. This is a more lightweight of mowers which makes it compact in overall design and comfortable to fold away. That makes it the perfect choice for small yards and for those areas where it may be slightly awkward to maneuverer a standard lawn mower.
Customers of the Worx WG779 highly rate this as a competent but lightweight lawn mower, which receives high ratings for its batteries ability to last for an excellent practical time once charged.
Extra features: heat treated blades – stay sharp longer
For a lawn mower with a difference the Great States 815-18 is our choice of Best Push Reel Lawn Mower. Though it may not look like your average lawn mower on first glance, on closer inspection, this is a product which is perfect for those short on space but who are also still looking for a good amount of power in their chosen lawn mower model. Of all the lawn mowers reviewed here, this is perhaps the easiest one to maintain as it just depends on you pushing it to start – with no cord to pull, no button to select, and no key to insert! Therefore, without an engine inside this mower, there is virtually no maintenance as there’s no gas, spark plugs, or oil to contend with each time. Basically, with the Great States model – you push, and it cuts. Most rotary mowers hack at grass blades and therefore leave them open to insect attacks and diseases. However this mower snips the grass instead, in the way a pair of scissors would cut it. Thus, the cut is more precise and cleaner, with the finish offering a healthier greener lawn that is visually more attractive.
Customers of the Great States 815-18 find this great for early morning and late evening mowing as it doesn’t emit any noise at all! It can also double up as a great workout for many enthusiastic mowers! The ability to hang it up or store it away with minimal room needed is also highly favored.
Extra features: easy-turn wheels
Yard Machines 140cc is our choice for Best Gas Lawn Mower for Small Yard and perhaps one of the most visually straightforward of gas lawn mowers on the market! This is a high wheeled push mower which is exclusively designed to tackle head-on those smaller and more medium sized of yards with ease. The 7 x 11-inch easy turn wheels are a beneficial feature in encouraging an easier job, helping maneuverability throughout. By installing a 140cc OHV gas engine, Yard Machines have produced a powerful machine in a relatively small design structure, but one which knowingly does the job perfectly every time. With a 21-inch cutting feature as standard, alongside a dual-lever height adjustment, this model also comes complete with a mulching capacity and a side discharge. The handle is also designed to ensure ease of use throughout, taking advantage of a sturdy loop handle for maximum comfort. The idea of this lawn mower is to offer a powerful but more adequately designed product, which doesn’t require too much storage room and doesn’t need you to spend too much pre-prepping time to start.
Customers of the Yard Machine 140cc find this a smaller, but powerful gas lawn mower which completes the job in half the time and starts up ready for action within seconds every time. The results from the 140cc machine are excellent with each mow. With no cord to deal with, many satisfied customers have purchased this model after finishing with an electric lawn mower!
Now you’ve had the chance to look through some of our best-rated lawn mowers for small yards, why not have a quick read through our extensive buying guide before you make your final purchasing decision? This is a more informative section where we have collected all the information that we believe to be the most relevant when choosing a lawn mower. Take a few minutes to read through the following features that we feel will help you make the better-informed decision when parting with your hard-earned money.
The most significant benefit of having a lawn mower of top quality for the smaller yard is that you get a model which is designed to take on the smaller of gardens, and which offers a better cut for more minimalistic areas than most standard lawns do. This means you get a near perfect finish each time and a fantastically maintained garden, as the mower you select is specially designed to do this with ease, while being lightweight and thoroughly able to maneuver any obstacle as you work.
There are a couple of essential features and benefits that you may want to look out for when searching for the best lawn mower for a smaller yard. Every model will differ regarding their specific functions, and each one will aim to offer a bunch of important benefits when compared to the other. However, those features will only be beneficial to you if you really need them in your chosen model. You may want to concentrate on the aspect of the lawn mower that will be more relevant to your unique space and your personalized requirements, instead of the more popular features. All of our reviewed lawn mowers for small yards have what we consider to be the best essential features, that a decent lawn mower of this size should have in abundance. Here is where we explain those features further.
There are three general types of lawn mower, as reviewed above, these include gas, electric, and battery charged. However, there is also the option to select a combined lawn mower, such as the BLACK+DECKER BESTA512CM, or even a push reel lawn mower, like that of the Great States 815-18. The exact type of lawn mower that you choose will all depend on your preference and whether you prefer to work with gas, electric, or battery powered devices as such when working in your yard.
The cutting width refers merely to the amount of grass your lawn mower can mow in one go. Therefore, the bigger the lawn mower, the more you will get mown and in quicker time.
For those smaller of yards, this may not be your most significant consideration, but if you opt for the biggest cutting width you can find and indeed afford, you’ll see yourself being able to reduce your mowing time much more than you would with a smaller cutting width mower.
An important factor worth considering is how you will discharge the grass that your lawn mower cuts. Many of these models offer a box which acts as a grass catcher, meaning all you have to do is remove the box and empty it when it’s full and then proceed to cut. However, there are models without this function, particularly those that aim to be more lightweight and compact in design, and these will simply leave the cut grass over your lawn for you to rake up afterward. Again, this factor will depend on whether you want to merely empty the attached box, or rake your lawn after each mowing session. The Sun Joe MJ401C is perfect here, with a 10.6 Gallon bag attached for this job.
A gas-powered mower is usually seen as the more popular of lawn mower types, but it can be a heavier, weighty appliance which will be the noisier of lawn mowers and leave behind a distinct smell each time it’s used. An electric mower has a lighter weight but will need a socket outlet, and you may find it awkward to trail around a load of cord behind you as you mow. There is, however, the chance to select a cordless electric motor instead, where the battery is your primary power source, but you will need to charge this before you use your mower each time
The weight of your lawn mower may be more of a concern if you struggle lifting heavier lawn mower models. The lawn mowers with the most features and accessories will most likely be weightier, but it is possible to find some lawn mowers for smaller yards that are extremely lightweight in design. The best examples of this are the BLACK+DECKER BESTA512CM which weighs a mere 9.9 lbs.
A self-propelled function relates to the blade motion that is fired up as soon as you hit the switch to go. It’s what most people prefer to purchase, as it means your lawn mower will do the work for you. These mower types move forward of their own accord, similar to a vehicle, for example. It’s only with the push reel motors, such as the Great States 815-18, where you do not have a self-propeller function, meaning you have to do the majority of the physical work and push it to mow.
The cutting height is once again a personal choice and will depend on the height you wish to mow your lawn to. Most lawn mowers should offer a selection of height settings, as most of these reviewed models do here, which will be more beneficial. Look out for those machines that allow you to select the height settings based on your personal preference at the time.
The blade length of a lawn mower for smaller yards may not be your primary concern but if you have a trickier terrain, or you intend to mow your lawn less regularly, then the blade you choose needs to be able to cope with the longer length of grass or those more awkward of conditions. The size of your lawn may determine your blade length, but for a smaller yard you should ideally be looking at your terrain type to assure that your blade length can cope with this
If you want to be able to store your lawn mower easily, you’ll need to look carefully at its dimensions. Can be it be folded, such as the ones above on this list, for more accessible storage?
If you have a small yard, chances are storage space will be limited, so check that you can keep your lawn mower safely stored away before you purchase it.
You may want to select a lawn mower which has a good warranty on it to ensure that should anything go wrong, or you need to replace some of its parts, you are covered thoroughly without having to spend any further money. If you have a particularly expensive model, this may be of greater concern, and you may want to consider additional guarantees of your own on this. The average warranty here is two to three years, with the Greenworks 25142 offering four years warranty in total.
We hope that by now you feel more informed with using our extensive review list and our buying guide that you’ll be able to select the best lawn mower for your small yard to suit your individual needs.
Our favorite model from the list here is the Snapper SXD21SPWM82K, with its all-around accessibility and sheer ease of mowing action. Our second favorite model is the Sun Joe MJ401C, as one of the bests cordless lawn mowers which allows you to mow without worrying about mowing over the cord, while also offering a more substantial bag size to collect the cuttings in. Our third choice here is the BLACK+DECKER BESTA512CM as, for a budget pick, it certainly provides excellent all-around performance with its three in one functionality, making light work of maintaining your smaller yard.
Overall, the size of your yard doesn’t have to mean you can’t have a decent lawn mower that cuts and maintains your grass all year round, making your home look well-maintained and cared for whatever the season.
