Not Ryobi, Not Kobalt: Consumer Reports Names The Top Battery Push Mower

With an overall score of 83, the Stihl RMA 510 has earned the top rating among battery push mowers in Consumer Reports' roundup of the best walk-behind lawn mowers of 2026. Considering their stringent evaluation criteria that take cut quality, performance, mulching, noise, and run time into account, this truly is a meaningful endorsement of the model. However, whether this type of lawnmower is worth buying for your yard requires more than just top laurels, which is why we decided to dig in deeper.

According to Consumer Reports, the area where RMA 510 truly shines is the cutting evenness and mulching prowess. Since it can maintain its speed even if the battery is running low, you get a uniform cut — just make sure the blades are sharp. Surprisingly, it holds its own even if you've let the turf go for a few days, though you may have to cut the grass incrementally if you've missed several mowing sessions. RMA 510 has multiple discharge options, allowing you to bag, mulch, or discharge the grass clippings to the side. Although it performs the first two well, it isn't that great at side discharge, as clippings can sometimes clog the equipment, especially in an overgrown yard.

One area where RMA 510 stands apart from the electric mower crowd is that it has a steel — not plastic — deck. This offers greater durability and can better handle rough debris, such as gravel or sugar sand. The flip side is that steel makes it heavier than plastic variants, though at over 59.5 pounds, it's still lighter than a gas-powered model. Moreover, if you delay cleaning your lawnmower after using it, you may have to deal with rust.

With most push models, the common complaint is that you have to run through multiple hoops to adjust the deck's settings. However, with RMA 510, you can set the height on all wheels by pulling a single lever, which makes it quite convenient to use. As its handle is adjustable, it arguably makes one of the best lawn mowers to use in a small yard. The reason? Small spaces require frequent turning, either around walls or hardscape elements. Also, if your shed storage is limited, you have the option to fold it over and store it vertically. Another selling point is that in a single battery charge, you can trim around ⅓ acre of grass. If you take advantage of the second battery slot, you can cover more than ½ acre until the battery is due for a recharge, which takes about an hour.

The biggest downside to Stihl RMA 510 is its price. While the mower alone retails for about $330, when you factor in the price of its proprietary battery, the total shoots up to $650. It will cost even more if you need a second battery. This is quite a hefty amount for an electric mower.

Compared to other brands where the same battery platform is shared across several tools (think EGO(56V)), Stihl's ecosystem is relatively limited and may not make much sense if you're already invested in another system. Users have also noted a decline in battery performance, though Stihl does offer a 3-year warranty.

It's also notable that, ultimately, it's a walk-behind model. So, while pushing it on flat terrain would be a breeze, it may require more effort if you're working on rough or sloped terrain. Under those circumstances, you may have to switch over to its self-propelled model, Stihl RMA 510 V, which is even more expensive.