The 6 Best Lawn Mowers Under $200 of 2026, Ranked & Reviewed

Our verdict: Brushless cordless convenience with a battery included.

The Litheli is a 14-inch cordless mower with a brushless motor, a 5.0Ah battery and charger in the box, and five cutting heights, in the $50 to $100 bucket. A brushless motor has no carbon brushes to wear, so it runs cooler and draws less from the pack, which stretches a mowing session on a small battery.

It wins because it removes the three things budget mowers make you tolerate: cords, fuel and a missing battery. The PowerSmart cuts a wider swath, but it asks for oil and gas, and the LawnMaster tethers you to an outlet. Both cost more.

Buy it for a lawn up to about 3,000 square feet. The honest limit is the 14-inch deck plus one battery: a larger lawn means more passes and a pack that runs out partway, so a second battery becomes necessary.

Deck

14-inch

Motor

Brushless

Battery

5.0Ah included

Height

5 positions

Our verdict: The widest deck here, powered by gas.

The PowerSmart EasyCut pairs an 18-inch deck with a 144cc 4-cycle gas engine, side discharge and five height positions, in the $100 to $200 bucket. It is the widest deck in the group, and a gas engine has no battery to drain halfway across the lawn.

It ranks second because width costs you simplicity. Four fewer inches of cut per pass sounds trivial, but over a half-acre it removes a lot of turns. Against that, you pay in oil changes, fuel, a pull start and noise that the Litheli avoids entirely.

Buy it for a small to mid-size yard where the cut width matters and you accept engine upkeep. Skip it if you do not want to handle fuel or oil, since a mower that is a chore to start ends up used less often than the lawn requires.

Deck

18-inch

Engine

144cc 4-cycle

Discharge

Side

Height

5 positions

Our verdict: Steady power with no battery to wear out.

The LawnMaster MEB1114K is a corded electric with a 15-inch deck and an 11-amp motor, in the $100 to $200 bucket. The cord gives it constant power with no battery to age, so performance in the tenth season matches the first, and the motor never fades near the end of a charge.

It ranks third because the cord is a leash. The Litheli removes it for less money, and a cord snags on trees, beds and corners, forcing you to flip it over each turn. Its 15-inch deck is only marginally wider than the Litheli's 14 inch, a minor gain.

Buy it for a small, open yard near an outlet. Skip it if your yard has many trees or flower beds, where cord management turns mowing into a puzzle and you spend more time handling the lead than cutting.

Deck

15-inch

Motor

11-amp corded

Battery

None needed

Reach

Cord-limited

Our verdict: Zero fuel, zero cord, and the lowest running cost.

The American Lawn Mower 1204-14 is a push reel mower with a 14-inch cutting width and a four-blade reel, in the $50 to $100 bucket. A reel scissors the grass against a fixed bar instead of whacking it, which is why it is quiet and needs no fuel, battery or cord.

It ranks fourth because you are the engine. On a small, flat lawn that stays trimmed, it is the cheapest to own and the gentlest on the neighborhood. Let the grass get tall or thick and the reel stalls, so it only works if you mow often.

Buy it for a small flat lawn where running cost and quiet matter most. Skip it if your grass grows tall, your lawn slopes, or you want a mower that handles a missed week, because the reel will push over taller stems instead of cutting them.

Width

14-inch

Reel

4 blades

Power

Push only

Running cost

No fuel or battery

Our verdict: Light and compact for tiny patches of lawn.

The 13-inch cordless mower runs on a 40V battery platform and is built for weight and storage, in the $100 to $200 bucket. It has the narrowest deck here, and its small footprint lets it hang on a wall or fit in a closet.

It ranks fifth because the Litheli gives a wider deck, a listed brushless motor and a 5.0Ah battery for less money. That leaves this one with a compact, lightweight design as its argument, and the listing gives few details beyond that. A 40V platform could pay off if you buy other tools on it.

Buy it for a tiny patch of lawn, or as a backup mower for a second small area. Skip it if value per dollar is the goal, which is the Litheli's territory, or if you need a clear runtime figure before buying.

Deck

13-inch

Platform

40V battery

Design

Lightweight

Fit

Small spaces

Our verdict: A mower, trimmer and edger for very small yards.

The BLACK+DECKER BESTA512CM is a corded 3-in-1 with a 12-inch cutting width and a 6.5-amp motor that works as a mower, trimmer and edger, in the $50 to $100 bucket. The idea is to replace three tools with one, which suits a shed with no space.

It ranks last because a 12-inch width and a small motor only fit a tiny yard. Against the LawnMaster's 11-amp motor and 15-inch deck, it gives up cutting power for versatility. It is also corded, which brings the same cord limits.

Buy it for patios, courtyards and edging strips along a path. Skip it if you have a normal-sized lawn, since a narrow deck means many passes, and the transition between mower and trimmer modes adds fiddling each time you switch.

Width

12-inch

Motor

6.5-amp corded

Modes

Mower, trimmer, edger

Design

Compact push