Find Out Why Consumer Reports Ranks This Walk-Behind Lawn Mower As One Of The Worst

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If you're in the market for a new lawn mower and don't want to break the bank, opting for a walk-behind model could save hundreds or even thousands of dollars compared to the price of riding models. You may be looking to stick with popular lawn mower brands and highly-reviewed models to make sure you're getting a reliable product for a good value. By that same token, it can be helpful to take note of which models and brands have poor reviews so you can steer clear of them. Consumer Reports recently put together a list of its best- and worst-rated walk-behind lawn mowers so buyers can make a more informed purchase.

Consumer Reports rated more than 100 different models of walk-behind lawn mowers, including those powered by gas and battery. The lowest-rated mower on the list was the Worx WG779 14-Inch Battery-Powered Push Lawn Mower ($299 for the mower, two batteries, and a charger). Although the Worx model is one of the cheapest battery-powered walk-behind mowers that Consumer Reports reviewed, its poor hands-on test results in multiple categories and lack of satisfaction from owners left it at the bottom of the list. Consumer Reports also reviewed three other Worx battery-powered lawn mowers, but those models ranked toward the middle of the list, leaving the WG779 alone at the bottom among all brands. If you're looking to mow your lawn more efficiently, you'll likely want to skip this mower.

When developing its product rankings, Consumer Reports uses a mix of laboratory testing results and member surveys. The Worx WG779 walk-behind mower earned poor rankings from both individual users and the Consumer Reports hands-on testing team. Among the WG779 owners who participated in the survey, the Worx lawn mower received below-average scores in owner satisfaction, where owners were asked whether they would recommend purchasing the product. Battery-powered push mowers from Ego and Stihl received far higher owner satisfaction scores than the Worx model. It also had a below-average brand reliability score, ranking well behind push models from Ego and Greenworks.

In the lab testing of the Worx WG779, the mower had poor results in how evenly its mulching feature spread the clippings, as well as the size of the mulched clippings. It also received poor results in how successfully it bagged the cut grass without generating clogs. However, some of its worst test results came from its battery performance. Its batteries charged very slowly in tests, and the available battery capacity resulted in a lower-than-average run time compared to other battery-powered mowers. Its overall battery performance ranked as the worst among all 73 battery-powered walk-behind mowers on the Consumer Reports list. One Amazon reviewer said it took three days to cut 1,500 square feet of grass because of poor battery performance and slow charging. On the positive side, the Worx WG779 did receive good lab testing ratings in areas of handling and limited noise generation.

Although Consumer Reports ranks the Worx WG779 very poorly, other reviewers aren't quite as down on this model. It has a 4.1-star rating on Amazon with about 3,800 customer reviews listed. Lowe's customer reviewers give it only a 3.8-star rating, though. Several customer reviewers who gave it a positive rating said that it's best used on a smaller yard, or by those who would struggle to control anything heavier or larger.

The Worx WG779 is an extremely small mower with only a 14-inch deck width. In comparison, most walk-behind mowers made for residential yardwork have an 18-to-24-inch deck. If you're cutting with a 21-inch mower deck, you can cut roughly the same amount of grass in two passes that would require three passes from the Worx mower. Using a smaller deck could add to how often you need to mow your lawn. Considering the WG779 is not a self-propelled lawn mower, walking behind and pushing it for several extra passes on even a small yard could be physically tiring. However, an advantage of using the Worx model is that it's not as heavy as most battery-powered mowers, which typically weigh within the range of 40 to 90 pounds. The WG779 weighs only 29.1 pounds, which may contribute to its higher Consumer Reports rating for ease of handling.