Best 16 Inch Lawn Mowers for Small Yards (2026)

The Greenworks is the mower to start with because it handles the basics well and plugs into a bigger system. A brushless motor means no carbon brushes to wear out, a quieter sound than a brushed motor and a longer service life. It runs on a 40V battery with a 4.0Ah pack and a charger included, and the maker quotes up to about 30 minutes of runtime and a roughly 120 minute charge.

The deck is a lightweight 16 inch design aimed at small to medium yards, and a single lever moves the cut through five positions from 1.25 to 3.375 inches. It mulches or bags to the rear, so you can leave clippings on the lawn or collect them. Compared with the Litheli, which ships two 5.0Ah batteries and quotes up to 40 minutes, the Greenworks has a shorter quoted runtime from one battery, but it also has a stronger platform story, since the same 40V battery fits more than 75 Greenworks tools.

The 3 year limited warranty covers the tool and the battery, which is longer than the 1 year battery warranty on the Litheli. Ownership is easy: rinse the underside of the deck after mowing wet grass, store the battery indoors away from extreme heat or cold, and charge it before the season starts. Anyone with a yard over about half an acre should plan for a second battery or a bigger mower.

The Litheli earns the value badge because it ships with the most battery capacity of any cordless pick here. Two 5.0Ah lithium ion batteries are included, quoted at up to 40 minutes of runtime, and the maker pitches the mower at lawns up to about a quarter acre. A brushless motor keeps the sound level low and removes the need for oil changes or spark plugs.

A one lever, six position height range runs from 0.98 to 2.95 inches, and the machine offers mulching or a 13.2 gallon rear bag. Compared with the Greenworks, the Litheli cuts a little lower at the bottom of the range but tops out at 2.95 inches instead of 3.375, so very tall grass is easier on the Greenworks. The Z-fold handle collapses flat for storage under a workbench, which helps if the garage is crowded.

It includes an extra blade, a bag, a charger and two quick assembly sets, and the batteries can double as a power bank for a phone. The warranty is 3 years on the tool but only 1 year on the batteries, a notable difference from the Greenworks. Ownership is routine: sharpen or swap the blade each season, rinse the deck, and keep the batteries out of a hot car or freezing shed. Treat the quarter acre claim as a ceiling, not a promise on thick grass.

The KOMASTY is a 40V brushless mower that ships with two 4.0Ah batteries and two chargers, so both packs can be recharged at once. The motor spins to as much as 3,400 RPM, and the dual batteries work together to supply power at the same time. A mulching plug and a 10.6 gallon bag let you pick between leaving clippings and collecting them.

The runtime claim deserves attention. The listing quotes up to 10 minutes of runtime, which is far below the 30 minutes quoted for the Greenworks and 40 for the Litheli. Treat that as a signal that this is a short-session mower, suited to a very small yard or a tidy-up pass, and check the figure on the product page before buying. The dual action start requires pressing a side safety button while pulling the lever, and an overheat protection will stop the mower if you push into thick, tall grass.

Assembly is described as easy, with a video guide, and a 5 position height adjustment sets the cut. Against the corded LawnMaster MEB1216K, it gives you freedom from a cord but at a shorter run time per charge. Ownership means giving the mower a break when overheat protection kicks in, keeping the batteries charged before the first cut of the season, and cleaning the deck after wet grass.

A corded mower has no battery to run down, so it runs as long as you have outlet and cord. The LawnMaster MEB1216K uses a 12 amp motor at 3,500 RPM, and that continuous power makes it a steady performer in damp or moderately tall grass where a small battery mower might protest. It weighs under 33 pounds, and the push handles fold for compact storage.

The tradeoff is the cord. Lawns with trees, beds and corners mean wrapping and re-routing a cable, and you need a heavy duty outdoor extension cord of an adequate gauge for the length you use. Compared with the Greenworks, it costs less to own because there are no batteries to replace, but it asks more of you in handling. Five cutting positions run from 1.4 to 3 inches, and the 8 gallon bag is smaller than the Litheli's 13.2 gallon bag.

The 8.86 inch rear wheels help on uneven ground. Ownership is minimal: no oil, no fuel, no battery to store. Inspect the cord for nicks each season, use a GFCI protected outlet and never mow over the cord. Move the cord behind you as you work, mow away from the outlet, and the cord becomes a minor nuisance instead of a hazard.

A reel mower is a different machine from the others here. There is no motor: as you push, the wheels spin a cylinder of blades that sweep grass against a fixed bedknife and shear it like scissors. That scissor cut is cleaner than a rotary blade's impact cut and leaves grass tips less frayed. It is silent apart from a light whirr, burns no fuel and has nothing to charge.

The limits come with the design. The LawnMaster is set to cut from 1 to 2.5 inches in four positions, so it needs grass kept short and not allowed to run to seed or to grow tall between mows. Reels struggle with thick, wet or unusually tall grass. Compared with the Earthwise 7 blade reel, the LawnMaster has fewer blades, so its cut is a little coarser, but it also pushes more easily. Neither bags the clippings.

Ownership is simple but not zero. The blades and the bedknife must stay in contact and sharp, and the reel needs periodic adjustment and cleaning, since twigs and stones can jam it. Mow often, before the grass gets long, and leave the clippings as free mulch. If you want a quiet, no emissions way to cut a small, even lawn and do not mind a little exercise, this is a good fit.

The Earthwise is a reel mower aimed at fine, low grasses. Seven alloy steel blades and a ball bearing reel give a finer cut than a 5 blade reel, because more blades make more shearing cuts per foot of travel. The cutting height goes down to 0.5 inches and up to 2.5, and the maker names bent grass, Bermuda, Zoysia, Centipede, St. Augustine and Seashore Paspalum as suitable grasses.

That makes it a better match than the LawnMaster reel for warm season turf kept short, where a low cut is the goal. It carries steel side plates and 10 inch composite wheels, and like every reel it has no motor, no fuel and no battery. Compared with the motorized picks, it is the quietest and has the smallest ownership list, but it needs the most discipline from you.

Expect more resistance when pushing, since a 7 blade reel has more blades to turn. Mow often so you only take a small amount off each time, and reduce the cut by no more than about a third of the blade height. Keep the blades sharp and in contact with the bedknife, clean the reel after mowing and store it dry. A reel is a poor fit for rough, uneven or weedy lawns.