Five lawn mower features you never knew you needed

Mowing the lawn can be an arduous task, especially if you have a subpar machine. 

Thankfully, innovation and technology have come a long way to ensure lawn maintenance can be as efficient and enjoyable as possible. Modern lawn mowers now often come equipped with a variety of features designed to make your life easier. Here are five lawn mower features you never knew you needed, but once you have them, you'll wonder how you ever managed without them.

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Mulching capabilities

Traditionally, lawn mowers were designed with a simple goal: cut the grass and collect the clippings. However, modern mowers now come with an added functionality known as mulching. This feature allows it to cut grass clippings into fine pieces, then disperse them back on to your lawn. 

These clippings quickly decompose, serving as a natural fertiliser, enriching the soil, and promoting healthier grass growth. The mulching feature not only removes the hassle of emptying a grass collection bag, but it's also beneficial for your lawn and the environment.

Self-propulsion

For those with large lawns or hilly terrain, a self-propelled lawn mower is a blessing. Unlike traditional push mowers, self-propelled models use power from the engine to drive the wheels, reducing the amount of effort needed to push the mower. They come with different drive types: front-wheel, rear-wheel and all-wheel drive. 

Generally speaking, front-wheel drive is best for large, flat lawns filled with obstacles you need to steer around regularly. Rear-wheel drive mowers are better for undulating terrain and will help you with traction when climbing hills. All-wheel drive is relatively rare, but gives you the best of both worlds.

One key aspect of self-propelled mowers is the inclusion of variable speed settings. This feature allows you to adjust the pace of the mower to match your walking speed or the specific conditions of your lawn. Whether you need to slow down for intricate areas or speed up on flat, open stretches, variable speed control provides a custom mowing experience tailored to your needs.

Our reviews page has handy filters to show you all of the self-propelled and mulching mowers we’ve looked at.

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Easy-start buttons

If you've been using a petrol model, you're likely familiar with the pull-start mechanism that can be a bit of a workout. Now, many lawn mowers feature an electric start. With the push of a button or turn of a key, it will roar to life, saving you the effort and time associated with pull-start models. It's a simple convenience that makes a world of difference.

Our 2022 lawn mower owners' survey also found that almost 8% of the faults encountered by petrol models were to do with the pull cord breaking or getting jammed – so an easy-start button is great from a maintenance point of view, too. 

Find out the other faults commonly affecting mowers in our guide to the best lawnmower brands.

Washout ports

A washout port can make general maintenance much more straightforward. The undercarriage of a mower needs to be cleaned fairly regularly – when it's clogged, the mower’s performance will be impacted, it may begin to rust and it can even cause the spread of lawn diseases. 

A washout port is a fitting on the deck of the mower where you can connect a garden hose to clean the underside of the machine. 

Whereas usually you’d be scraping away at clogged grass cuttings and debris with a wire brush or damp cloth, with a washout port you just connect your hose, turn on the water, and move behind the handles of the mower. Then start the mower so that the blades start spinning, in order for the water to reach all parts of the undercarriage. Let it dry and voila - your mower is clean and ready for its next use. 

See our guide on maintaining your mower to keep your machine in tip-top condition.

Battery power indicators

If you're using a cordless machine, having a power indicator is a total lifesaver. It's like a fuel gauge for the mower, constantly telling you how much juice the battery has left. Forget about guessing when you need to recharge, as with a power indicator, you'll always be in the loop.

Feature-packed mowers we've reviewed recently

EGO LM2135E-SP

This cordless lawn mower is positioned as an alternative to the big, powerful petrol models that have traditionally dominated the market of mowers designed for large lawns. 

On top of its hefty 52cm cutting width, it’s self-propelled (with 10 speeds to choose from), has battery indicators to give you real-time updates about the remaining power and even has LED headlights in case you find yourself needing to mow as it starts to get dark. 

It certainly sounds good, but how did it perform in our tests? Read the full LM2135E-SP review to find out.

Spear & Jackson 42cm Cordless Lawnmower

This cordless mower has a 42cm cutting width, so is best suited for medium to large lawns – and has a built-in roller to give those lawns a nice striped effect when you’re done mowing. 

You can use its mulching setting or its grass collection bag, and although it lacks self-propulsion it’s fairly light weight for its size so shouldn’t provide too many challenges when it comes to manoeuvrability. 

It comes with two 4Ah lithium-ion batteries – each with a power level indicator – although only one is used at a time, so you can swap one in when the other runs out of charge.

Read the full Spear & Jackson 42cm Cordless Lawnmower review to see if this is the right option for you.

Hyundai HYM510SPE

This Hyundai petrol mower is designed for large lawns, with a 50cm cutting width and powerful engine. You can either make use of its generous 70-litre grass collection bag or switch it to mulching mode to eliminate any need for a trip to the garden bin. There are options for getting it running, too – either use the classic pull-cord or the electric push button start. 

It has an adjustable speed drive, a washout port and two handy cup holders, so you can stay hydrated while mowing in the heat. 

See our full review of the Hyundai HYM510SPE to see how it fared in our test gardens filled with different grass types and obstacles.