March/April 2022 83THE BEST OF THE TEST
Read about all the mowers we tested at popularmechanics.com.PROFESSIONAL-GRADE
MAKITA XML08Price: $850 / Voltage: 36 / Batteries: 4,
18-volt, 5-Ah / Weight: 96.2 lb with
batteries / Noise: 73.9 dB / Cut area per
charge: 7, 4 4 9 s q f tMakita built the XML08 for contractors,
but it’s a good choice for anyone with a lot
of grass to mow and a need to mulch, bag,
and side discharge. Its credentials are solid:
21-inch steel deck, 9-inch tires, single-
lever deck-height adjustment, and out-
standing cut quality. Plus, it bags as well as
gas-engine mowers. There are tradeoffs
with the design emphasis on simplicity
and durability. First, the handle is bolted in
place, so it doesn’t fold for easy storage.
Second, you manually switch between bat-
tery banks, which is tedious but reminds
you you’re halfway through the batteries.MOST GRASS CUT
SKIL PWRCORE SM4910-00Price $450 / Voltage: 40 / Batteries: 1,
40-volt, 5-Ah / Weight: 52 lb with battery
/ Noise: 75.4 dB / Cut area per charge:
8,184 sq ftWe were pleased with two-function per-
formance of the PWRCORE (note that it
does not side discharge). Its cut quality was
very good, and bagging was also respect-
able. The handle folds forward for storage,
telescopes, and has three height settings;
the bag doesn’t lift up through the handle,
however. Our testers found the handle
was widely adaptable for people of differ-
ent heights. The deck has up to 4 inches of
clearance for when the grass gets tall.BEST VALUE
WEN 40441Price: $318 / Voltage: 40 / Batteries:
1, 40-volt, 4-Ah, and 1, 40-volt, 2-Ah /
Weight: 53.4 lb with batteries / Noise:
75.9 dB / Cut area per charge: 6,600 sq ftWen’s manual push mower is a journeyman
that mulches, bags, and side discharges,
leaving a quality cut swath behind. Its
bag was about three quarters full after
almost 500 feet of mowing—good bagging
performance, even if it’s not in the same
league as the Makita. Other nice attributes:
a well-built bag that lifts straight up
through the handle, automatic switching
between batteries, and a charge level
indicator on the motor housing.