Every brush mower gets a score from 0 to 100% built from five factors, which maps onto the 5-point rating shown on the site (a 0% score would be 1.5 stars; a perfect score, 5). Each factor is scored against fixed reference points, not against the other products in the list, so adding a new model never moves another model’s rating. Mowers are grouped by cutting head, string and blade, and price, engine and cutting are scored on separate scales for each group.
| Factor | Measures | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Price | price of the mower | 25% |
| Engine | engine displacement | 15% |
| Cutting | width for string mowers, thickest stem for blade mowers | 15% |
| Drive | self-propelled, reverse and electric start | 20% |
| Warranty | residential warranty length | 25% |
Where the numbers come from
Engine size, cutting width, sapling capacity, drive and warranty come from the maker’s product page, spec sheet or manual, or the maker’s own copy on a retailer listing. Prices are checked at Amazon, the maker’s own store and farm and home improvement retailers, and the lowest is used.
The factors
Price is the current price on a log scale, so halving the price always counts the same. For string mowers $900 scores zero and $300 full marks; for blade brush mowers $4,500 scores zero and $1,500 full marks.
Engine is the engine displacement. For string mowers 140 cc scores zero and 200 cc full marks; for blade brush mowers 200 cc scores zero and 500 cc full marks.
Cutting is measured differently for each head. A string mower is scored on its cutting width: 18 in scores zero and 24 in full marks. A blade brush mower is scored on the thickest stem or sapling the maker says it cuts: 1 in scores zero and 3 in full marks. Accessory blades sold separately don’t count.
Drive is 50% for self-propelled wheels, 25% for a powered reverse and 25% for electric start. A push mower with a pull start scores zero.
Warranty is the maker’s residential warranty on the mower: 1 year scores zero and 5 years full marks. A separate engine warranty from the engine maker is noted on the product page but not scored.
What isn’t scored
Engine torque and horsepower, the engine maker, the number of forward speeds, cutting height, weight and release date are listed but not scored.
Missing data
If a figure isn’t published, that factor gets the neutral middle score (50) and the product page marks it as estimated. The exception is warranty: a maker that doesn’t publish one gets no warranty counted, so that factor scores zero, the same as the shortest warranty on the scale, and is marked estimated.
Ties and discontinued models
Products are ranked by score within each group. Discontinued models stay listed but rank below every current model and can be hidden with the “Hide discontinued” filter.