Keeping a pristine lawn doesn’t come without a bit of effort on the part of the proud gardener, but choosing the right mower to help you get the job done can go a long way towards making this task a pleasure rather than just a chore.
Nowadays, there are a whole host of online retailers you might trust to sell you your next mowing machine – so many that it can be difficult to know where to start. What’s more, there are often a number of decisions to be made regarding the type of mower you want to buy. Petrol driven or electric? Manual or automated? Ride-on, zero-turn, self-powered, or push-mower?
Good online retailers will offer clear, helpful advice on how to pick the right model for you, as well as intuitive filters and search tools to help you browse a range of products. Good online retailers should also be able to offer attractive delivery options, as well as the opportunity to view your prospective model in-store or, at the very least, ask detailed questions about its technical specifications.
Today, we’ve gathered together 6 online retailers that many people have looked to when buying a mower online. We’ve included a mixture of generalist DIY stores, online ecommerce giants, and smaller, specialist retailers, discussing some of the pros and cons of each.
The Home Depot
A store chain that have become practically synonymous with home improvement retail, Home Depot offer a healthy range of mowers, mowing accessories, and lawncare products that you would expect from a company this size.
Since their initial founding of two huge stores in Atlanta back in 1979, dwarfing the local small-DIY shop competition, Home Depot have expanded into the world’s largest home improvement retail centre, with more than 2,300 stores across North America.
For those shopping for mowers, they keep their online store as straightforward as possible. You can quickly sort mowers by type – self-propelled, push, or riding – or by their power source – petrol, electric plug-in, battery, or reel. They also have filtered searches for accessories and replacement parts, helping you determine whether a particular part for a particular model is available.
As with many huge online retail sites, the Home Depot also allow more detailed side-bar filters, allowing you to further refine your search for a mower based on specifications such as cutting width, yard size, drive type, brand, and even the make of the engine.
They also cater to the budget-mower market, with a range of basic reel mowers for under $100.
Their tool rental service also means you might be able to rent a model locally rather than purchase one, great for if you’d like the use of a premium mower for a short period, without having to buy it outright. If you’re thinking of splashing out on a larger piece of kit, this could also give you the option to try before you buy.
Lowes
Another titan of generalist DIY retail, Lowes online store offers many of the same things presented by Home Depot – a generous range of mowers, competitive prices, detailed filters to help you whittle down your search, and plenty of free delivery and pick-up options afforded by a vast distribution and store network.
Lowes also offer an increasingly popular line in automated robot mowers, a technology that is fast become a favoured method for many people looking to keep their lawn trim without the hassle of having to cut it yourself. Simply programme the machine to do its job and leave it to keep the grass neat.
To try to keep themselves ahead of the competition, Lowes also offer a guaranteed price match. If you find a qualified retailer offering the same mower for a lower price, Lowes can match it for you.
Mowers Direct
As you might expect, Mowers Direct offer a more specialised retail experience centering specifically around mowers and mowing equipment. They’re a subsidiary of Power Equipment Direct, a series of e-stores and nationwide distribution centres that pride themselves on providing expert, professional advice on a range of home improvement products.
Mowers Direct offer an impressive range of mower brands and models, including homeowner favourites such as Honda, Billy Goat, Husqvarna, and Toro. Their website is also smart and streamlined, allowing you to narrow down the type of mower you may be looking for with a few simple button clicks, rather than relying solely on a complicated array of side-bar filters.
They also produce a series of accessible buyers’ guides written by industry experts, along with detailed reviews of different mower types. Easy-to-understand ratings for power, durability, useability, versatility, and overall value can help prospective buyers see at a glance how different models fair in the eyes of the firm’s resident mower gurus.
To sweeten the deal, Mowers Direct also offer a range of finance options and a customer referral programme, allowing you to earn up to $100 in store credit or rebate cheque.
Amazon
As you might expect from Amazon’s vast online marketplace, the site offers a huge range of budget friendly mowers, from household names like Black & Decker, to virtually unknown manufacturers and brands.
The upside of shopping with Amazon is that they’re rarely beaten on price and can often offer attractive and fast shipping options. Many of the companies selling through their platform are also reputable and a wealth of customer reviews means that quality products tend to drift towards the top of the search results.
That being said, the downside of such a generalist platform as Amazon is that you will go without any of the specific knowledge, or in-store capacity, that home improvement retailers or mowing specialists can provide. If having someone to answer your technical questions in person, or even over the phone, is a priority for you, then we’d recommend shopping with a company experienced in selling this particular product.
The Tractor Supply Company
Don’t be fooled by the name, this retail giant doesn’t just sell tractors. (In fact, they don’t sell tractors at all.) What they do sell is a range of outdoor and garden products designed for ranchers, recreational farmers, backyard enthusiasts, and general lovers of the country lifestyle.
Their mower selection reflects this, from budget petrol machines starting at around $300 all the way up to huge ride-on behemoths costing upwards of $7000.
The navigation tools helping you pick your way through this impressive online catalogue could be slightly clearer, though the usual sidebar filters and search options are there, as with all the larger online stores.
What’s more, the fact that there are now more than 2,100 Tractor Supply Company stores across 49 states means it shouldn’t be too difficult to find a place near you where you can view in person any possible mowers for yourself before you buy.
Mowers at Jacks
The most specialised retailer on our list, Mowers at Jacks offer a smaller, targeted service than many of their larger competitors. They have built their reputation on a customer service team well versed in all the technical details of the mowers that they sell.
Customers are offered free technical support for the lifetime of their purchased model. As Mowers at Jacks are a servicing dealer, they can advise on repairs, replacement parts, and mower maintenance in a way that’s specific to your model, rather than just general advice.
Their advisors work with mowers and with other power equipment on a daily basis, and produce a range of expert-written articles related to lawn mowing and other power tools.
Mowers at Jacks are primarily an online retailer and do the vast majority of their custom through their online catalogue. They do have a small store in Jarrettsville, Maryland, but can provide detailed, multi-angled photos of their products for online shoppers, rather than merely stock images.
