Walk-behind Rotary

• Walk-behind rotary mowers, where an operator on foot guides a machine with rotating blade, come in two main types: push mowers and self-propelled mowers. The operator provides all of the energy needed to guide the mower forward in the push mower type. A self-propelled mower has an engine that provides power to the front wheels, making the job of guiding the mower less arduous for the operator. Rotary mowers come in both gas-powered and electric-powered models.
  
  

Reel

• Unlike rotary mowers, reel mowers do not have a motor spinning the blade. Reel mowers consist of a set of curved blades that rotate between two wheels. The arrangement of the blades ensures that two blades always cut at the same time. Reel mowers do not cut as wide or as deep as powered motors, but usually cost less than other types of lawnmowers. Sharpening the blades is the primary maintenance task involved with reel mowers.
  
  

Riding

• Riding lawnmowers have a seat atop the chassis for the operator to sit as she guides the mower with a steering wheel. The largest type of riding mowers, lawn tractors, can handle jobs other than cutting grass, such as snowblowing, with the proper attachments. Riding mowers typically have about an 8 to 10 hp motor, while lawn tractors usually have a motor in the 12 to 18 hp range. Riding mowers have the engine in the front of the mower, while lawn tractors have the engine in the back.
  
  

Robot

• An interesting, though not yet widely used, type of lawnmower operates without a human pushing or driving it. The robotic mower, typically powered by batteries or solar power, runs inside of a wire that keeps the mower within the boundaries of the lawn. When the mower bumps into the wire it will reveres itself. Robotic mowers typically cost more than conventional walk-behind mowers. You should never let a robotic mower run unsupervised, say the Consumer Reports website.