When many of us think about lawn mowers, our first image is of a huge and cumbersome piece of machinery that’s difficult to manoeuvre at the best of times, let alone over tricky terrain.
If you need a lawn mower with a large cutting width, a heavier, bigger mower might indeed be the best option.
However, if you have no need of extra cutting width and don’t have a lot of storage space, opting for a smaller lawn mower might be a more logical choice.
Additionally, while many of us have to stay on top of our lawn care, this can be really difficult if you suffer from back problems or other painful conditions that make using a larger lawn mower almost impossible.
If you’ve been wishing you had a smaller, lighter lawn mower at your disposal, you’ve come to the right place.
We’re going to be talking about the smallest lawn mowers available worldwide to give you some ideas for more suitable mower models.
The Smallest Zero Turn Mowers
Zero turn mowers are known for their manoeuvrability, but if you really want to be able to turn your mower any which way without any problems, you should opt for the smallest possible zero turn mower.
Here are some of the small zero turn lawn mowers we recommend buying to make your life easier:
The Toro Timecutter is not only one of the smallest lawn mowers on the market currently, but it’s also one of the most efficient zero turn lawn mowers.
Zero turn lawn mowers already tick a lot of boxes for people who have sharp turns and difficult to reach areas to mow, but the timecutter is so small and lightweight that you’ll have no problem getting into even the tightest spots that may have been neglected due to inaccessibility until now.
Moreover, because the Timecutter only measures 39 inches across and is less than 6 inches in length, you can easily fit it into smaller storage spaces, and if you need to take it anywhere, it will fit snugly into most average-size truck beds.
When it comes to small zero-turn lawn mowers, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better model than the Husqvarna Z2F2F.
The RZ3016 used to be the go-to small zero turn lawn mower from Husqvarna, but the newer Z242F is even better, in our opinion.
This lawn mower has a very modest cutting width of just 107 cm, which translates to just over 42 inches.
While this won’t be the smallest cutting width on our list of small lawn mowers, it’s still very manageable and provides you with enough width to cover your lawn area in no time without being too heavy or clunky.
This strikes the perfect balance between efficiency and convenience.
Riding Lawn Mowers: The Smallest Options
Many people prefer riding lawn mowers to other types of mowers for a variety of reasons, but mainly because they allow you to sit down while you mow.
However, contrary to popular belief, riding lawn mowers don’t have to be especially large. In fact, some of the smallest riding lawn mowers are the best on the market.
Cub Cadet is a big name in lawn mower production, and if you want to sit back and catch your breath while mowing your lawn without having to fork out for a huge machine, the Mini Riding Mower is the perfect choice.
Despite being so small, there’s no question as to whether or not the CC30H is powerful. At 10.5 horsepower, this tiny lawn mower measures 30 inches across the deck and just 2 more inches across the body, so it can pass through small spaces without problems.
Length-wise, the Mini Riding Mower from Cub Cadet is just 64 inches long and in terms of height, you’re looking at 43 inches.
Altogether, it’s about the same size as your average dirt bike, so you should have space for it in your garage.
Another small Husqvarna mower, the R112C is a compact yet highly efficient lawn mower that allows the user to sit comfortably while getting this typically high-effort maintenance task done.
The cutting width for the Husqvarna R11SC is a mere 85 cm, but despite not being very wide, it has many exciting features that make it a powerful and effective lawn mower overall.
For example, it boasts automatic blade engagement, a combi cutting deck and a BioClip for mulching.
Even though this is a fuel-powered lawn mower, which some people avoid due to the hassle of refuelling, this mower model makes the refuelling process easy thanks to the external fuel cap and transparent fuel tank.
Small Fuel-Powered Lawn Mowers
Fuel-powered lawn mowers are some of the most popular lawn mowers on the market, but some are so large that they’re cumbersome and difficult to use.
Not so with these small models, which we have found transformative in terms of our lawn mowing experiences:
The Hand Push Petrol Lawn Mower from Yard Force is one of the smallest fuel-powered lawn mowers out there, but that doesn’t make it any less of a high-performing choice!
With a cutting width of 40 centimetres, this is one of the narrowest fuel lawn mowers you can buy, so if you have a lot of tight spaces on your lawn that you struggle to get into for the most part, you should consider investing in this compact mower.
It’s not just the small size that makes the Yard Force Hand Push Petrol Lawn Mower a good choice, though. Its design is very ergonomic, so it’s comfortable and not strenuous to work with.
Additionally, the mower has 5 different cutting heights, so you can easily adjust the cutting settings to get your lawn to look exactly how you want it.
One of our favourite fuel-powered lawn mowers is the Murray IQ18WM37 Cordless Lawn Mower.
In addition to being cordless, which is more convenient than a corded model for most people (especially people with large yards), this mower is small and compact, so it’s perfect for manoeuvring in and out of small spaces.
Although the model is lightweight, it’s powerful and can run for over half an hour at a time.
Despite the motor being powerful, the vibrations are minimised by the ergonomic, soft-grip handles.
If your lawn is more than 425 square metres, this is a lawn mower you should absolutely consider buying for your lawn care needs.
Electric Small Lawn Mowers
A lot of gardeners prefer to work with electric lawn mowers for the convenience of not having to add fuel on a regular basis.
Therefore, it makes sense to maximise that convenience with a smaller, more manoeuvrable build.
The best small, electric lawn mowers on the market at the moment are as follows:
Measuring just 34 centimeters in width, the WORX Cordless Lawn Mower is small and narrow, so it will never get stuck in corners and you won’t have a problem keeping it in storage while you wait for your lawn to grow out again.
If size isn’t your only priority, don’t worry because the WORX Cordless Lawn Mower has many great features that make it well worth the money.
For instance, this mower delivers an incredible cut thanks to the built-in intellicut technology, which allows for a powerful, consistent cutting speed.
The cutting height is adjustable and the machine features a cut to edge design which ensures that you won’t be left with long, untidy edges after you mow your lawn.
This 3-in-1 mower from BLACK+DECKER is a very special machine, and if you’re specifically looking for a versatile mower that is both small and powerful, we can’t recommend it enough.
You can use this small, compact model (the base measures 7 inches by 15 inches) as a regular mower, but you can also swap modes so that it becomes an edger or a trimmer.
Basically, this is multiple tools in one, ensuring that you can enjoy a beautifully maintained lawn without spending money on various tools.
Because this multipurpose tool is so small, it’s easy to fit into storage. It’s corded, which isn’t to everyone’s taste, but on the plus side, it does mean you’ll never have to charge it or replace the batteries.
Smallest Reel Lawn Mowers
Reel mowers are unique in the sense that they don’t require either electricity or fuel to run. Instead, the power comes from the user pushing it.
This is really convenient and can save time, money, and energy.
If you’re looking for a small reel lawn mower, you have plenty of great options to choose from.
American Lawn Mower company is a well-known mower manufacturer. The 1204-14 4-Blade Push Reel Lawn Mower is the best model from this company if you’re looking for something small and compact.
As long as you don’t let your grass get longer than 4 inches, this mower is easy to use, assuming that you’re able to push it for as long as it takes to cut your grass, which shouldn’t be too difficult given its light weight.
This mower has a width of 20 inches and a length of 24 inches. It’s 24 inches tall, so it’s easy to find space for it in most storage areas.
The last mower we’d like to talk about today is the Bosch AHM Manual Garden Lawn Mower, which measures 38 centimetres across for a good balance of cutting width and manoeuvrability.
This is a durable manual mower made of alloy steel, and thanks to the adjustable cutting height, it can be used to cut anywhere between 12 millimetres and 40 millimetres. Because the blades are curved, helical, and made of steel, the cut quality is superior to most push mowers (Also check out Push Mowers Or Self-Propelled Mowers).
Bear in mind that this mower has been designed for smaller lawns, so it might not be the best choice if you have large areas of grass to mow.
Final Thoughts
If you were worried about being able to find a lawn mower that is both compact and high-quality, we hope that the models listed in this article have set your mind at rest.
Many big-name lawn mower manufacturers have small models in their ranges which are suitable for small lawns with tight, hard-to-reach spaces.
Make sure to check what kind of lawn mower each model is listed as before you finalize your purchase so that you can be sure it will meet all your needs (You might also want to check out The Top Stand On Mower Models).
Hi, my name is Brian Freis and I have been a local gardener in my hometown for almost 20 years now. There’s nothing I’d rather do with my time than tend to a much-needed garden, whether that’s shaping hedges, planting flowers, weeding, mowing lawns, or more.
Anything that my clients want, I can accommodate. I make a plan with my client, do a great job on their garden, and still have enough time to come home and relax with my wife and our two Golden Retrievers.
Over the years, I like to think that I have gathered quite a respectable amount of knowledge through my gardening, and now I want to share that with any budding gardeners who will listen.
So, I hope that my website will give you enough information to be able to start your gardening journey off on the right foot.
Gardening can be very therapeutic and relaxing, and I want to make it as effective as possible. Good luck, and enjoy it!
