When Is the Best Time to Buy a Lawn Mower?

When figuring out the right time to buy one of the best lawn mowers, it’s good to bear in mind there’s a golden rule: whenever grass grows, mower prices grow.

That said, there are times of year when prices are especially low, often coinciding with seasonal sales. In this guide, we’ll take you through when it’s best to buy a mower, and what signs you can watch for that your current mower needs to be replaced.

To make sure our advice is right on the money, we spoke to industry insiders representing the retail giant Lowes and the robot mower brand Yarbo.

When is the best time to buy a lawn mower?

If you want to get a really good price on your chosen lawn mower, it’s advisable to wait for a seasonal sale or retailer-specific promotional event.

Many lawn mowers will be reduced in price at these times throughout the year:

Discounts on lawn mowers are common during most sales events, but the biggest discounts are often reserved for the end of the mowing season which, for most Americans, arrives in the fall.

“We find that the best time to purchase a lawn mower is typically during the late summer and early fall (August through October)”, says Brian Shaunfield, store manager at Lowe’s in North Carolina. “As the mowing season wraps up, you may see discounts on some items.”

Ken Kohlmann, co-founder and VP of the robotic mower brand Yarbo, agrees: “Typically, end-of-season sales offer the best deals on lawn mowers, including robotic models, as retailers aim to clear out their inventory.”

As well as the usual sale periods, many leading retailers of gardening supplies – including Lowe’s, Home Depot, Walmart, and Amazon – will drop their lawn mower prices for national holidays. And the same usually applies to yard tool brands that sell their own products directly.

As Ken adds: “You can also find significant discounts during major holidays like Memorial Day, Labor Day, and the Fourth of July, when there’s an increased focus on outdoor activities and maintenance.”

When is not a good time to buy a lawn mower?

If your main priority is to find the best price possible then the worst time of year to buy a lawn mower is early spring.

The start of the growing-and-mowing season is when most people take their mower out of storage for the first time since the previous fall, and many of those users will discover their mower no longer works like it used to. This creates a surge in demand for lawn mowers, which gives retailers the confidence to keep their prices close to the RRP. 

“It’s best to avoid purchasing a mower at the start of the spring season, as demand is high and prices are typically at their peak”, says Ken Kohlmann of Yarbo. “Fewer discounts makes early spring a less ideal time to buy. Meanwhile, waiting for end-of-season sales or holiday discounts will likely provide better deals and a wider range of options.”

Unfortunately, if spring is arriving and you don’t have a mower to cut your grass, you may have little choice but to buy one. Fortunately, this is the time of year that many brands launch their new models. So, you can have the pleasure of trying out the latest lawn mowers before anyone else in the neighborhood.

Another potential advantage to buying in the early spring is the widespread availability of high-performance mowers, particularly since these will sometimes sell out (at least temporarily) before the fall stock clearances.

“Despite more appealing discounts in the mowing off-season, there may be a lack of inventory during that period,” says Brian Shaunfield of Lowe’s. “You might find more cutting-edge, high-quality lawn mowers and a wide variety of options over the spring and summer months, which are considered peak mowing season.”

What are the signs that you need to upgrade or replace your mower?

Before you go and throw down a fat stack of cash on a new lawn mower, you should consider whether now is the right time and if you even need to replace your existing model at all.

With regular maintenance and good practices, a quality lawn mower can keep mowing your lawn for many years, maybe decades, so prematurely replacing a mower that still works could be a poor financial decision.

Brian Shaunfield, of Lowe’s, notes that the best way forward with a malfunctioning mower is sometimes maintenance, rather than replacement: “Just like with a car, individual lawn mower parts can malfunction or wear out over time”, he says. “Remember that the spark plug in a gas mower needs to be changed every season, or every 100 hours of use, to protect the longevity of the engine.”

Of course, if you’ve already been treating your mower right, you should still look out for signs that your existing mower might need to be replaced, including:

• Poor performance (perhaps this was your first mower, and you want to upgrade)
• A marked decline in performance
• Stops working mid-mow
• Frequently failing to start
• Often requiring repairs

On top of these factors, you might have moved home and found your lawn care requirements have changed, and now your old mower just isn’t suitable. Or you’ve experienced a change in your mobility and can’t handle your old mower, requiring something a little easier or accessible. Or maybe your mower is simply nearing the end of its expected lifespan.

“Frequent breakdowns and repeated repairs are key indicators that it’s time to replace your mower because, at that stage, it’s often more cost-effective to invest in a new one”, says Yarbo’s Ken Kohlmann. “Additionally, if your mower is nearing or exceeding its typical lifespan of 7-10 years and underperforming, it may be time for an upgrade.”

Once you’re sure that your mower needs to be replaced, it’s a good idea to check the seasonal sales calendar, above, to identify the next suitable event and buy your new lawn mower at the optimal price.