Greenworks 60V 21in Self-Propelled Lawn Mower, (2) 4.0 Ah Battery Kit

Why it's worth it

A 21-inch, 60V brushless self-propelled mower that costs meaningfully less than our top pick and gives up less than you'd guess. You get rear-wheel drive, four-way cutting, headlights, and a four-year warranty covering both the tool and the batteries.

This one does the core job for less money and skips very little. The 60V brushless motor and rear-wheel self-propel handle slopes and thick turf, and you adjust your pace on the fly. It mulches, bags, side-discharges, and has a turbo mode for sucking up leaves, so you're not buying attachments later. At around 65 pounds, it's the easiest mower here to swing around a flower bed.

The batteries are where you feel the difference. Two 4.0Ah packs is a smaller tank than the two 10.0Ah packs in the EGO kit. Greenworks claims up to three-quarters of an acre per charge, and owners on flat, dry lawns get somewhere near it. Drop the deck to a low cutting height or push through thick St. Augustine and that number falls off fast. For a quarter-acre lawn, it's plenty.

From our review of 5 lawn mowers, by Genevieve Dubois, Home & Living Expert

What we like

• +This one does the core job for less money and skips very little
• +The batteries are where you feel the difference
• +Small things make it pleasant

What to know

• –That three-quarter-acre claim deserves a squint
• –Day one is awkward. The shipping box is heavy enough that the label calls for a two-person lift, and the handle assembly rewards…