Mowing the lawn can be a time consuming chore, especially if you don't have the right equipment.  

Consumer Reports just put more than 100 lawn mowers through their paces to determine which ones keep your lawn well manicured without breaking the bank.  

The tests involved mowing more than 18 acres this year alone at its Fort Meyers, Florida location.  

Testers spent six sweaty weeks mowing, mulching, side discharging, weighing bagged clippings and even getting down on their hands and knees to judge how evenly a mower cuts.  

When it was all over, testers found the least expensive mowers didn’t always make the cut.  

The $130 Murray had an engine that lacked power. It only discharges from the side – no bagging or mulching – and you also have to assemble it yourself.

"And keep your wrenches handy. To change the cutting height, you're going to have to take off each wheel. Most mowers allow you to simply do that by adjusting a lever,” said Peter Sawchuk of Consumer Reports.

A $140 Weed Eater also needed to be assembled.  

While the $240 Brute came ready-to-go, it was also the least expensive self-propelled mower tested – and its mediocre performance makes it no bargain.  

Plus, it began rusting after only a few weeks of routine cleaning.  

If you don’t mind using a little muscle, two push mowers that cost even less were rated a Consumer Reports “Best Buy.”

They are the $195 Murray 11A-A23K and the $200 Troy Bilt TB-110. Both of these top performers have premium engines and let you easily adjust the cutting height.

If you want to use less muscle cutting your lawn, consider the single-speed, self-propelled Toro 20370, which sells for around $300.