Which lawn mower brand is the most reliable?

Power issues are the most common faults across all lawn mower types, with cordless mower batteries failing to charge, electric mowers suffering electrical failures and petrol mower engines failing to turn over.

Each year we ask thousands of Which? members to tell us whether they're happy, or have experienced problems, with their lawn mowers in our unique customer satisfaction survey.

Our latest analysis is based on a survey conducted in February 2024, where we asked the owners of 3,833 lawn mowers all about their products to find out which brands are worth the money.

Breathe new life into your outside spaces.  Sign up for our Gardening newsletter, it's free monthly

Which lawn mower brands develop the fewest faults? 

This table summarises what we found about how quickly lawn mower brands develop faults or break down, based on lawn mowers bought in the last five years.

As you can see, there are large differences between different brands when it comes to the chance of developing faults – the best saw only 5% of their models develop a fault in the first five years, while the worst saw a rate over 20%.

Read our guide on how to buy the best lawn mower to help you find the perfect model for all your grass cutting needs.

Which lawn mower brands do owners recommend?

As part of our latest lawn mower brand survey, we've crunched the numbers to calculate customer scores for 15 different lawn mower brands, to reveal which brands owners feel happy with – and which they would recommend to a friend.

Join Which? to get access to the table below, plus all our Best Buys and lawn mower reviews. We’ve tested lawn mowers from brands including Bosch, Flymo and Mountfield, but only the very best make a Best Buy.

Ready to find the perfect lawn mower for you? Head over to our lawn mower reviews. 

Common lawn mower problems

Although each type of lawn mower is very different in terms of the mechanics that make them run, the most common issues owners of all types of lawn mowers face relate to power outages.

These can be caused by Li-ion batteries in cordless mowers struggling to retain a charge, or by key elements of the engines in electric and petrol mowers rusting or wearing away over time. Moist or cold storage environments can often exacerbate or accelerate these problems.

Cordless lawn mower faults

1. 29% – battery would not hold charge. Li-ion batteries always lose their ability to hold charge eventually. That's why you should always buy a mower with a replaceable battery.
   
2. 16% – battery failed to charge. Correct storage can help extend the life of your battery. Remove it from the mower after use and store it in a dry place at a moderate temperature.
3. 7% – engine would not turn over. Key functioning elements may be rusted or worn away. If you are not confident you can spot what's wrong, it's best to get your mower serviced.

Other than proper storage, the best way to extend the life of your battery is to charge it up a few times in the off-season, so that it doesn't ever deplete all the way to 0% charge. If it does, you may find that when you come to use it again in spring it fails to hold any charge at all.

Electric lawn mower faults

1. 21%  – motor failed. If your electric lawn mower won't turn on at all, consider taking it to a local garden equipment professional.
   
2. 14% – electrical failure. The fuse or wiring inside your mower may be damaged – make sure you switch off and unplug your mower before inspecting it.
3. 12% – handle controls broke. If your handle controls break, it's probably best to contact a professional to repair or find you replacement parts.

Petrol lawn mower faults

1. 14% – engine would not turn over. The spark plug might be disconnected, or the air filter in the engine could be dirty or clogged. A routine servicing every two years for your mower should avoid most engine problems.
2. 8% – drive belt and mechanism problems. The drive belt may become damaged due to wear and tear or improper tension. Addressing this typically involves inspecting the belt for damage and replacing it if necessary, along with ensuring the correct tension is maintained.
3. 7% – handle controls broke. If your handle controls break, it's probably best to contact a professional for repair or replacement parts.

Head to our guide on maintaining your mower to find out more on proper maintenance to get the most out of your mower.

Which lawn mower brands offer the best guarantees?

Most lawn mower brands offer product guarantees of at least two years, but there are a handful of popular brands that offer longer cover, including:

• Bosch - two-year guarantee, rising to three years if garden appliance is registered with Bosch.
• Flymo - a 'POWER FOR ALL' battery-operated product comes with a two-year warranty, rising to three years if the product is registered with Flymo after purchase.
• Mountfield - any machine purchased after the 1 October 2023 will qualify for a five-year extended warranty.
• Honda - seven-year warranty for domestic use.
• EGO - five-year warranty for domestic use.

How we calculate the best and worst brands

Which? has a wealth of information on the UK’s favourite garden product brands. Every two years, we ask Which? members to tell us about the garden products they own – from how likely they would be to recommend a brand, to how reliable the products are once you get them home.

Our reliability surveys, combined with our extensive lab tests, mean we can recommend the best lawn mower you should buy.

This data is crucial for our testing, too. If a brand falls far below the category average, we take away the manufacturer’s Best Buy recommendations and won’t recommend any of its products unless a marked improvement in reliability is shown.

To find out more about our rigorous lab tests and what makes a Best Buy, head to our how we test lawn mowers page.