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You have $500 and a lawn that eats a Saturday morning — the question is whether that money buys you a mower that pushes itself or one you push. At this price the difference is not the brand on the deck. It is the drive system, the batteries in the box, and whether the battery lasts to the far fence.
How to Read the $500 Line
Five hundred dollars is a real threshold in mowers. Below it, you can buy a self-propelled cordless mower with a 21-inch deck and real batteries — but only just, and only in a few configurations. Above it sit the big-name self-propelled kits with two batteries. EGO’s Select Cut bundle with two batteries, for instance, has been seen around $650 on sale, and its list price is higher still.
The mowers below are the ones that clear the line with a complete kit — mower, batteries, charger — for under $500. Prices move, sometimes weekly. The figures in the table are what each mower was listed at on Amazon when this roundup was written. Check the current price before you buy. A sale can shuffle the order, and a mower that slips over $500 stops belonging in this roundup.
| Mower | Deck | Drive | Batteries | Price at last check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenworks Pro 60V 21″ Self-Propelled (2 x 4.0Ah) | 21 in. | Self-propelled | 2 x 4.0Ah, 60V | $449.98 |
| Greenworks 40V 21″ Self-Propelled (5.0Ah) | 21 in. | Self-propelled | 1 x 5.0Ah, 40V | $465.99 |
| Greenworks 40V 20″ Push (4.0Ah) | 20 in. | Push | 1 x 4.0Ah, 40V | $479.99 |
Best Overall: Greenworks Pro 60V 21-Inch Self-Propelled Mower (2 x 4.0Ah Batteries)
The best mower under $500 right now is the one that gives you the most mower for the least money, and that is the Greenworks Pro 60V. Two 4.0Ah batteries come in the box, the deck is 21 inches of stamped steel, and the brushless motor runs on the 60V platform — a step up in power from the 40V mowers at the same price.
Two batteries change how a mow goes. One charges while the other cuts, and on a typical suburban lawn you finish without a recharge break. The dual-blade setup and LED headlights are the kind of details that matter at dusk, when the lawn still needs finishing and the light is going.
The trade-off is weight and platform. At 65 pounds it is the heaviest mower here, and its 60V batteries do not swap with Greenworks’ 40V tools. If you already own 40V batteries, that matters. If you are starting fresh, it does not.
- Pros: Two batteries in the box; 21-inch steel deck; self-propelled; listed around $450, the lowest price of the three.
- Cons: Heaviest mower here at 65 pounds; 60V batteries do not fit Greenworks 40V tools.
Greenworks Pro 60V 21-Inch Self-Propelled Mower (2 x 4.0Ah Batteries)
Two batteries, a 21-inch steel deck, and self-propel — the most mower under $500.
Runner-Up: Greenworks 40V 21-Inch Self-Propelled Mower (5.0Ah Battery)
The runner-up is the same shape of mower on the smaller battery platform: a 21-inch self-propelled deck with a single 5.0Ah battery and charger. It cuts the same width, it pushes itself, and it costs about the same as the winner — listed around $466 at last check.
Its advantage is the 40V platform. If your garage already holds 40V Greenworks tools, this mower shares their batteries, and that is worth real money over the life of the mower. The single 5.0Ah battery is the catch. On a bigger lawn, plan a recharge break, or keep a second battery charged.
Choose this one over the winner if you are already in the 40V system. Choose the winner if you are starting fresh — the second battery and the 60V motor are worth more than the platform match.
- Pros: Same 21-inch self-propelled cut; shares batteries with other 40V Greenworks tools; brushless motor with LED headlight.
- Cons: Single battery means a recharge break on bigger lawns; less power than the 60V winner in thick grass.
Greenworks 40V 21-Inch Self-Propelled Mower (5.0Ah Battery)
Same 21-inch self-propelled cut on the 40V platform — the right pick if you already own 40V batteries.
Not Recommended: Greenworks 40V 20-Inch Push Mower (4.0Ah Battery)
This mower clears the $500 line — listed around $480 at last check — and that is about all it has going for it. It is a push mower: no self-propel, a 20-inch deck instead of 21, and a single 4.0Ah battery. Greenworks rates it at up to 45 minutes of run time, which is fine for a small flat lawn, but the money buys less mower than either pick above.
The problem is the price, not the mower itself. At around $480 it costs more than the best overall pick while giving up the drive, the inch of deck, and the second battery. At $300 it would be a reasonable small-lawn mower. At $480 it is the worst value on this page. Skip it unless it drops well below the two self-propelled picks — and check the price before you assume it has.
What $500 Does Not Buy
It does not buy the top of any brand’s line. EGO’s self-propelled Select Cut kits with batteries run $650 and up even on sale, and the two-battery bundles list over $1,000. Ryobi’s 40V HP self-propelled kits list at $649. Those are better mowers in some ways — bigger batteries, fancier drive controls — but they are not $500 mowers, and stretching the budget for them is a different decision than this roundup is making.
Gas mowers at this price exist — the Toro Recycler 22-inch with Personal Pace lists at $499.99 at Tractor Supply — but they bring gas, oil, and pull cords with them. For most homeowners staying under $500, battery is the simpler buy.
How to Choose Between the Two Greenworks Picks
Yard size first. On a small lawn, either mower finishes on a charge. On a bigger lawn, the 60V’s second battery is the difference between finishing and waiting on a charger. Slopes second: self-propel earns its keep on any grade, and both picks have it. Batteries third: count what is already in your garage. A 40V household should take the 40V mower. A fresh start should take the 60V.
One more check before you buy: measure your gate and your storage. A 21-inch deck with the handle folded needs more room than the 20-inch mower it replaces, and a mower that lives outside under a tarp dies early whatever it cost.
And if your lawn is thick with thatch, a new mower will not fix it. Sort the thatch first — our power rake vs dethatcher comparison shows which machine your lawn actually needs.
Bottom Line
Buy the Greenworks Pro 60V 21-inch self-propelled mower with two 4.0Ah batteries. It is the most mower under $500: self-propelled, a 21-inch steel deck, and a second battery in the box, listed around $450. If your garage already runs on Greenworks 40V batteries, take the 40V 21-inch self-propelled instead and put the savings toward a spare battery.
