A great lawn mower is an important piece of equipment to keep your yard looking good. Consumer Reports testers have looked at more than 100 lawn mowers from Home Depot, Lowe’s, and other retailers, pushing them more than 80 kilometres, to help find the best mower around.

The testers rate each mower on how well it can cut in different modes, including mulching, bagging, and side discharging.

If you’re looking for a push mower, Consumer Reports says consider buying one that’s self-propelled.

“They’re a lot easier to use and they’re not a lot more money for a single speed, about 40 to 50 dollars more,” said Peter Sawchuk of Consumer Reports.

If you want more control and more even cutting, testers suggest buying a self-propelled mower with multiple speeds. That allows you to vary the speed to meet the conditions of the grass, or if you’re in a hurry, to get the job done faster.

One of the best is the Honda HRR2169VKA. It offers excellent cut performance whether you’re in bagging or mulching mode.

If you want to skip the gasoline altogether Consumer Reports recommends the $540 self-propelled, battery powered Black and Decker SPCM1936.

It doesn’t offer the cut performance that a gasoline mower does, but it’s easy to use and handle and one of the best non-gasoline options tested.

For a little less money, Consumer Reports also recommends the self-propelled Toro Recycler model 20332 for $460. When it comes to operating the controls and shifting speeds, it’s not as easy to use as the Hondas, but it does offer excellent cutting in mulch mode.