Width, engine, and whether the wheels drive themselves
A petrol mower is the machine you buy when the lawn is too big for a cable and too big for one battery charge, and the shelf splits on three things. The cutting width comes first, because it is the only figure that changes how long the job takes in a way that is not an assumption: 42, 46, 51, 53 and 55 cm are the sizes this catalogue found, and every ten centimetres is roughly one pass fewer across a lawn. The engine is quoted three ways on the same shelf — in horsepower, in kilowatts, or in cubic centimetres of displacement — and the three are not interchangeable: 3,3 PS, 5,2 kW and 196 ccm all appear in titles here, describing machines that are not comparable on the number alone. What matters more than the figure is whether the mower is self-propelled. A 53 cm machine with a full catcher weighs enough that pushing it up a slope is the whole difficulty of the afternoon, and « mit Antrieb » in a German title is the word that decides it. Then the ordinary things that decide whether the mower is pleasant: the cutting heights, usually a single central lever with five to seven steps; the catcher volume, 45 to 60 litres, which sets how often you stop; and the functions, sold as 3-in-1 or 5-in-1 — mow, collect, mulch, side-discharge, and sometimes a rear discharge. A petrol mower also publishes a guaranteed noise figure, because the European noise directive requires it to be marked on the machine, and it is the one number on this shelf that has a legal definition behind it. We compare cutting width, engine, displacement, cutting heights, catcher volume, drive, functions, guaranteed noise and weight.
42 cm, 3.4 PS four-stroke, 45 L catcher, 25–75 mm
A 42 cm push mower with a seven-step central height adjustment and a wash-out port — the cheapest engine on this shelf, and the least of a machine.
Best for: A small to medium lawn where an engine is wanted for the grass rather than for the area
55 cm, 224 cm³, 5.2 kW, rear drive, 60 L, 30–80 mm, 35.1 kg
The widest deck and the only published weight in this family: 224 cm³, 55 cm, 35.1 kg, with assembled dimensions and both wheel sizes given.
Best for: A large open lawn where width and engine matter more than the machine being easy to put away
144 cm³, 2.9 kW, self-propelled at 3.6 km/h, 4-in-1
A 144 cm³ self-propelled machine with a stated drive speed and four discharge modes — and no cutting width anywhere in the listing.
Best for: A larger lawn where the drive matters more than knowing the deck width in advance
51 cm, 196 cm³, 6 PS, rear drive, 60 L, 25–75 mm
A 196 cm³ rear-wheel-drive machine at 51 cm, with a 60-litre box and a central height range — the most completely specified listing in this family.
Best for: A large lawn where the width is wanted and the specification needs to be readable before buying
46 cm, 170 cm³, 2.9 kW at 2 800 rpm, 65 L, 25–75 mm
A 170 cm³ machine with the rated speed stated alongside the power, a powder-coated metal deck and a 65-litre box.
Best for: A medium to large lawn, for a buyer who wants a metal deck and figures with their conditions attached
51 cm steel deck, 166 cm³, self-propelled 3.7 km/h, 60 L
A 51 cm steel deck on a 166 cm³ engine, self-propelled at a stated 3.7 km/h, with a 60-litre hybrid box — and a price in five markets.
Best for: A medium to large lawn, and the one machine here whose price can be checked against another country
One-piece metal deck, disengageable rear drive, 80 L, 6 steps
A one-piece metal deck, a disengageable rear drive and an 80-litre box with two emptying handles — the largest catcher in this family.
Best for: A large lawn, for a buyer who already knows this maker’s range and does not need the listing to describe it
