Best Manual Hand Push Lawn Mowers – UK Reviews For Small Gardens

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Push mowers are the most simple and traditional types of lawn mower – AND they’re also the cheapest!

In this guide, I’ll show you my top recommendations for the best hand push lawn mower.

My recommendations for the best hand mowers are based on price, ease of use, features and performance.


A quick comparison

Product
Image Product Details
Heavy Duty Reel Mower
Fiskars Stay Sharp Plus
Fiskars Stay Sharp Plus

Wide Cutting Width

75% More Cutting Power

Lots of Mowing Height Adjustment

Ideal For Most People
Webb H18
Webb H18

Lots of Height Adjustment

Very Well Built

Creates an Excellent Striped Finish

Best Cheap Option
Garden Gear 30 Manual Mower
Garden Gear 30 Manual Mower

One of the Cheapest Available

Incredibly Lightweight

Ideal For Smaller Lawns

Upgrade to Our Cheapest Pick
Einhell GC-HM 30
Einhell GC-HM 30

Good Build Quality

Easy to Assemble

Cuts well

Great For Creating Stripes
Webb WEH12R
Webb WEH12R

Large Grass Collector

Easy to Adjust Blade Cylinder

Creates an Excellent Striped Finish

Best Hand Push Lawn Mower with Reviews

Here's a list of some of the best push lawn mowers I found on the market:

1. Fiskars Stay Sharp Plus: Best Heavy Duty Reel Mower

Fiskars Stay Sharp Plus: Best Heavy Duty Reel Mower
  • Cutting Width: 43cm;
  • Grass Box Capacity: N/A;
  • Weight: 18.6kg;
  • Warranty: 2 Years;

Overview

If your lawn is a little more rugged with an uneven surface or long grass, then the Fiskars Stay Sharp Plus is your best choice.

Fiskars have given the traditional push mower a modern twist with their ‘Stay Sharp Technology’. The mower slices through grass without the blades actually touching which Fiskars say makes it 40% easier to push.

It also features some kind of ‘Momentum Technology’ which they claim gives the mower 75% more cutting power than a traditional push mower.

It has a pretty wide 43cm cutting width and the mowing height adjusts from 4cm – 10cm which is really high for a reel mower but it means it’ll cut through thick tufts of grass and even twigs. Traditional push mowers just jam when faced with this kind of challenge.

There is not grass collector with this mower so you’ll have to collect the clippings after mowing. Or, if you mow regularly to keep the grass clippings small, it makes a good mulching mower.

Also, there’s no rear roller so it won’t create a striped finish. That said, that’s not what this mower is designed to do.

Overall though, the Fiskars Stay Sharp a cracking machine for more unruly lawns. It feels very solid and performs well.

Don’t get me wrong, don’t expect it to do the job of a petrol mower or electric mower. Be realistic about the condition of your lawn.


2. Webb H18 46cm Hand Push Lawn Mower - Best For Most People

Webb H18 46cm Hand Push Lawn Mower - Best For Most People
  • Cutting Width: 46cm;
  • Grass Box Capacity: 22 Litres;
  • Weight: 21kg;
  • Warranty: 2 Years;

Overview

In my opinion, the Webb H18 is the best push mower for most people.

It gives you a very nice cut, plenty of features and decent cutting width, all for a very reasonable price.

Assembling it simply involves putting the handles together and once built, it feels incredibly well-made.

The cutting width is fairly wide at 46cm so mowing the grass doesn’t take too long.

There’s plenty of height adjustment too, ranging from 12mm – 75mm.

Many cylinder type mowers don’t adjust very high which means you need to cut the grass more regularly to keep on top of it. So if you like a slightly higher cut, this Webb push mower is perfect.

22 litres of grass collection is also plenty for small lawns.

It cut very well too.

The 5 bladed cutting cylinder slice through the grass without touching the fixed blade which means it cuts very cleanly.

The combination of its 21kg weight and the rear roller creates very well-defined lawn stripes. It’s a two-piece roller which helps turning and manoeuvrability.

A cracking little mower.


3. Garden Gear 30cm - Best Cheap Manual Mower

Garden Gear 30cm - Best Cheap Manual Mower
  • Cutting Width: 30cm;
  • Grass Box Capacity: 17 Litres;
  • Weight: 6.4kg;
  • Warranty: 1 Year;

Overview

If cost is your main concern, the Garden Gear 30cm hand mower is definitely worth considering.

Granted, Garden Gear isn’t a brand name you’d probably recognise and I definitely wouldn’t consider it the best push lawn mower in this list but still, it’s a decent little machine.

It’s easy to assemble and at 6.4kg, it’s also really lightweight.

It has a 30cm cutting width and height adjustment ranges from 12mm – 45mm. I found the 17-litre grass collector wasn’t the best at catching the clippings, my feet did get covered a bit.

That said, it’s easy to manoeuvre and it cuts well and the rear roller will leave a striped finish. Although, because the mower is so light they’re not very defined.

If you’re on a budget and you have small, even lawns, or if you need a lightweight mower, then the Garden Gear is a decent little machine and offers good value.


4. Einhell GC-HM 30cm Hand Mower with Roller

Einhell GC-HM 30cm Hand Mower with Roller
  • Cutting Width: 30cm;
  • Grass Box Capacity: 16 Litres;
  • Weight: 6.5kg;
  • Warranty: 2 Years;

Overview

The Einhell GC-HM 30cm push mower is an excellent upgrade to our cheapest pick.

It’s very easy to put together and at just 6.5kg it’s very lightweight, so if you need a mower that’s easy to move around, it’s excellent.

The mowing width is 30cm and the mowing height is a cinch to adjust between 15mm – 42mm which makes it ideal for small, flat lawns.

However, if you try to mow a lawn that’s uneven or overgrown, it just doesn’t work. The blade cylinder jams and the grass collector bounces off.

The grass collector holds 16 litres of clippings which is enough for a small lawn.

It features a rear roller so it will leave a striped finish but again, because the Einhell is so light, they’re never very defined.

However, if you want a more robust mower, try and stretch your budget and go for the Webb H18.


5. Webb WEH12R Hand Push Lawn Mower with Rollers

Webb WEH12R Hand Push Lawn Mower with Rollers
  • Cutting Width: 30cm;
  • Grass Box Capacity: 18 Litres;
  • Weight: 11.1kg;
  • Warranty: 2 Years;

Overview

If you’re really into creating a striped finish when cutting the grass, the Webb WEH12R is my top pick.

OK, the grass box is a bit fiddly to put together but the mowing performance is excellent.

And it works, holding 18-litres of clippings.

The cutting width is 30cm and the mowing height adjusts between 13mm – 25mm. It adjusts differently to other mowers too. Instead of adjusting the height with a lever, you loosen the large wing nuts on the front roller and set it to your desired height before tightening them up again.

And speaking of rollers, the Webb has two; A zinc plated front roller and a large rear roller.

It also weighs 11.1kg which helps to flatten the grass to make the stripes bolder.

These are what creates the best striping effect I’ve seen from a push mower.

Also, because this mower doesn’t have wheels, you can roll right over the edges of your lawn without worrying about a wheel falling off the edge and the blades scalping your lawn.


Why Choose a Manual Push Mower?


Push mowers are an excellent choice of lawn mower for those with small, well-manicured lawns.

They feature the same blade cylinder as cylinder mowers which slices through the grass in a scissor-like action. This type of cut is much cleaner and gentler than the swinging blade of a rotary mower which can tear and bruise the grass.

The end result is a much cleaner, much neater, much healthier finish.

Push mowers are also much lighter than other types of mowers, the heaviest mower on my list of recommendations weighs in at only 11.1kg.

So if you’re not able to push a heavy lawn mower around the garden, a small push mower might be better suited.

And because they’re reliant on push power, you don’t have to faff around with power cords like you would with an electric mower. Or remember to charge the battery for a battery mower.

Your neighbours and the environment will benefit too as manual mowers are not only quiet, but they don’t require charging, plugging in or filling with fuel.

Compare that to a noisy petrol mower which pumps out exhaust fumes every time you use it.

And lastly, hand mowers are small, which makes them easy to store. They barely take up any room in the shed.

When NOT to Choose a Manual Push Mower

Push mowers aren’t for everyone though.

Firstly, if you have a bigger than average lawn, you could spend hours mowing them. In which case, petrol mowers are best.

Even for medium-sized lawns, you’ll need a different type of mower.

Secondly, as the name suggests, push mowers need you to physically push them around. Although they’re lightweight, if you struggle with pushing, you might consider a hover mower instead as they float on a cushion of air which makes them very easy to move around. A self-propelled mower might also be a good choice as all you have to do is steer them.

Even a robotic lawn mower could be a good choice as it’ll work with any input from you at all.

If your lawn is uneven, bumpy or has tufts of long, coarse meadow grasses, a manual mower simply won’t work. It’ll jam on the high spots, miss the lows spots and make a mess.

OK, the Fiskars Stay Sharp Plus is a ‘Heavy-Duty’ push mower but that’s relative to other push mowers. A heavy-duty push mower is completely different from a heavy-duty petrol machine.

Be realistic about the condition of your lawn. If it’s unkempt, choose a different type of mower.

 

In Conclusion


Unfortunately, there aren’t many really good mechanical mowers on the market so I hope you’ve found my push mower reviews helpful.

As I said earlier, I made my picks based on factors like budget, features, ease of use and performance.

Hopefully, this has helped you choose the best hand push mower for you and your lawn.

If not, use use this article as a guide to make your own decision on which might be the best model for you.

About Tim Stephens

I'm a professional gardener with degrees in Horticulture & Landscape Gardening. I want to help you create the garden of your dreams. I want your garden to look like it’s maintained by a professional. As if I was there doing it all for you!

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