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PowerSmart 21 in 170cc Self-Propelled Mower review

A 21-inch rear-wheel-drive gas mower with 3-in-1 cutting and 10-inch rear wheels. Its 3.6-star rating is the lowest of the gas mowers here.

On paper

PowerSmart lists a 170cc OHV engine, a 21-inch steel deck and rear-wheel drive with 10-inch wheels. The 1.4-bushel bag is measured differently from the SENIX gallons, so the two bags cannot be compared directly from the listings.

The rating deserves weight

Most gas mowers on this shelf sit at 4.0 or above. This one sits at 3.6 with far more ratings than any other, so it is not a small-sample accident.

Gaps in the listing

There is no weight and no warranty term in the bullets or the details table. The other PowerSmart mowers here state two years.

Before servicing

Stop the engine and let the blade come to a complete stop before you clear the chute or reach under the deck. Fuel and oil handling is covered in the maker’s manual, and that manual outranks this page.

The two closest products on price

Same section, nearest cost — what else that money buys.

The declared figures, and the point they stop at

Strengths

  • Rear-wheel drive and 10 in rear wheels
  • 3-in-1 cutting on a steel deck
  • The most-rated gas mower here, with about 1,900 ratings

Compromises

  • 3.6 out of 5 is the weakest rating on this shelf
  • No weight or warranty on the listing
  • Stock was down to 2 units when we read it
  • Rear discharge, not side discharge, as the third mode

Specifications

Engine170cc OHV
Cutting width21 in
DriveRear-wheel, self-propelled
Cutting height1.5 to 3.9 in, 6 positions, single lever
Clipping optionsBagging, mulching, rear discharge
Bag1.4 bushel
Wheels10 in rear
WeightNot published
Amazon referenceB0GWPKFYCK

What this machine usually gets asked

What is rear discharge?

Clippings leave behind the mower rather than to the side. The listing names bagging, mulching and rear discharge as its three modes, so there is no side chute to fit.

Why is the rating low?

The listing shows 3.6 out of 5 across about 1,900 ratings but does not break down why. Read recent reviews on the listing before you order.

Our score

6.6/ 10

The spec is fine, the buyer rating is not. The SENIX self-propelled costs slightly less and offers a wider deck.

This one and its buyer, among lawn equipment

A medium yard with slopes where a buyer wants a known mower at a mid price and checks stock first.

The lawn equipment guides that feature it

Sources

Specifications: the Amazon.com listing, read from a US address. Live prices: Amazon.com, through Keepa. Every figure on this page names its source.

The way we judge this lawn equipment

The live figure beside a product went and asked the shop for it the moment this page opened; any amount written into the text has not moved since the sentence was drafted, and it is the first of the two that counts.