Prepare for spring: Here our picks for the best lawn mowers of the year

Personally, I have an older version of this lawn mower, and I can't say enough good things about it. The stamped-steel, 42-inch cutting deck and 16-inch turn radius are perfect for yards up to an acre and for mowing around obstacles like trees, lamp posts, and fire hydrants. It features a hydrostatic drive, which means that the harder you push the pedal, the faster you go; no more needing to stop and manually adjust speed. You can even safely mow in reverse with the flip of a switch, which is perfect for tricky areas or for going back over spots you may have missed. The deck features a hose hookup for washing out the blades and discharge chute, which helps eliminate the build-up of dried grass and extends the life of your mower and blades. 

An adjustable, 13-inch seat makes it easy to find a comfortable position to safely drive your mower, and an emergency shutoff switch automatically kills the engine if it doesn't detect you in the seat; you can override this by setting the parking brake so you can move small obstacles like fallen branches, toys, or garden tools without needing to restart the engine. A 3-year bumper-to-bumper warranty covers the mower, so you can quickly and easily get replacement belts, blades, and other parts if they become damaged during normal operation.

The Honda HRN, 166cc engine model, is the best push mower you can get. It features dual cutting blades in a 21-inch, stamped steel deck, which can be individually adjusted with separate levers for the perfect cutting height for almost any season and terrain. It includes a bagger attachment to collect clippings, though you can use the mulching feature to re-feed your lawn if you want. The rear wheels work with the drive train to propel the mower forward, and you can control the speed with the intuitive clutch attached to the handle; simply hold the throttle down and move the sliding button to set the perfect walking speed. A 3-year warranty covers the mower for replacing parts that become worn out or damaged during normal use, so you can rest assured your new Honda push mower will last season after season.

This model snagged the top spot in our list of the best electric lawn mowers you can buy, and for very good reason. You can get between 45 and 60 minutes of run time on a full charge, depending on your yard's grade and terrain, which makes it perfect for smaller suburban lots. It also includes a bagger attachment for collecting grass clippings as well as a mulching feature to re-feed your lawn in between professional treatments. It's self-propelled, with an adjustable throttle to match your walking speed, and you can easily adjust the cutting deck to 6 different heights with the side lever. Dual LED headlamps make it easy to see where you're mowing in the early morning or late evening, and a push-button start eliminates frustrating ripcords for faster motor turnover so you can spend more time actually mowing your lawn and less time icing your sore shoulder from yanking on a cable. The entire mower also has a foldable design for more compact storage when not in use, which is perfect for garages and tool sheds that are on the smaller side.

Zero-turn lawn mowers are great for anyone who has a lot of obstacles in their yard: trees, oddly-shaped garden beds, patios, etc. They're called "zero-turn" because they have a turning radius of zero inches: either the right or left-back tire becomes a pivot point for the entire mower. This enables you to get exceptionally tight turns when navigating around smaller trees, decks and patios, or lamp posts. And the absolute best one you can buy is the Cub Cadet Ultima ZT1.

It has a 50-inch, triple-blade cutting deck that's made of stamped steel, which makes it perfect for yards 2 acres and larger. It comes equipped with a standard side discharge chute, though you can buy a bagger unit or mulching kit for easier clipping collection or to re-feed your lawn. You can even buy a haul-behind wagon or snow plow attachment for year-round use, hauling bagged leaves or clearing snow from your driveway.

You control the mower via dual levers, which feels very different than the traditional steering wheel controls you find on most mowers, so I recommend practicing maneuvering around your yard with the cutting deck disengaged before using it to actually mow. The frame of the mower is made of 2 x 2-inch steel tubing for strength and durability in almost any condition, and a 3-year warranty covers the mower. The frame and deck have a lifetime warranty, so if there are any weld point failures, cracks in the deck, or issues with the blade spindles, they'll be covered by Cub Cadet for as long as you own the mower.

Robot lawn mowers are a recent innovation in lawn care. They're similar to robot vacuums and mops, using Bluetooth and GPS technology to give you control over run-routines and to map your yard for more efficient mowing. The Worx Landroid L is one of the best and most affordable robot mowers on the market. It can handle lots up to half an acre, and unlike some other models, you don't have to lay a guidewire for mowing patterns, though you do have to lay out a boundary wire to keep it from wandering into the street or your neighbor's flower bed. 

Once you've downloaded and set up the companion app, you can use a Bluetooth connection to set up mowing routines, lawn boundaries and mowing patterns, and check to see where the unit is in your yard in case it gets hung up on a tree root or stuck under a shrub. The app also alerts you if the mower has been removed from its designated areas so you can immediately report a theft and track its location via LTE cellular data for recovery. 

For power, it uses the same 20, 40, or 80V rechargeable battery as other Worx-branded power tools, so it's easier to integrate into your workshop, and you don't have to worry about buying special charging equipment. It comes with a dedicated charging base, and the Landroid L automatically returns to it when the battery reaches a certain percentage, so you never have to go retrieve a dead mower from the back of your lot and carry it back to the charging station. Worx doesn't specify a maximum run time on a full charge, but they reassure you that the Landroid L will mow frequently in order to maintain an evenly-trimmed lawn; I would expect an hour run-time, tops, if your lawn doesn't have any rough spots, steep inclines, or obstacles. 

The Landroid L is rated for lawns up to .5 acres, featuring an 8-inch cutting disc mounted on a floating arm so that it can follow the contours of your lawn without scalping high points or missing dips. The rear wheels feature protrusions to help it grip the ground without destroying your lawn while a single front pivot wheel gives it exceptional maneuverability.