Today, let’s take a look at the average lawn mower daily rental cost for a:
- Gas mowers – self propelled
- Commercial-duty gas self propelled
- Electric (battery powered and corded) self propelled lawn mower
- Riding tractor mower
- Zero turn mower
Over the last week we gathered lawnmower daily rental quotes from Home Depot and 10 other rental shops across the US.
Below you will find 5 different charts comparing the rental costs of the different mower styles from the different rental shops.
We’ll also take a look at the pros and cons of renting vs. buying the best lawn mower vs. hiring a lawn care company to do your lawn work.
Okay, let’s get started.
3 reasons to rent a lawn mower to use around your house or workplace:
- Cheaper to rent. If you have a large 2+ acre lawn and you can’t afford to buy a riding mower – you can rent one twice a year instead.
- Quality of product. Sure you can buy a $200 mower to use. But how long will it last? You can rent a Honda self propelled commercial-duty mower for $50 a day or even less for a 4 hour rental. It glide over any grass and be a joy to use.
- Zero maintenance. When you rent a lawn mower you are not responsible for maintenance.
The Pros of Renting are:
- Zero maintenance. You use for a couple hours then return to the rental shop. No fuss. No worries.
- It doesn’t take up room in your garage or shed.
- Costs less to rent than to buy – especially when it comes to how high quality the rental lawn mowers are.
The Cons of Renting are:
- You have to do the mowing yourself compared to hiring a lawn care company.
- You have to get rid of the grass clipping yourself.
- If you need to mow often then the cost of renting adds up quickly.
- You have to drive to rental shop each time you need to rent.
Lawn Mower Rental Costs
Here’s a chart of the 1-day lawn mower rental cost at different places around the US:
A few notes about the chart:
- The only place to offer an electric lawn mower for rent was Aurora Rents. It cost $50/day.
- Of the 11 rental shops we contacted zero turn riding mowers were more common to be available for rent than riding tractors mowers. 7 places had zero turns for rent and only 3 had garden tractors.
- The average cost to rent a gas self-propelled walk-behind mower is $46/day.
- The average cost to rent a commercial-duty large cut width gas self-propelled is $90/day.
- The average cost to rent a zero turn riding mower is $195/day.
- The average cost to rent a garden tractor is $205/day.
Here’s all the 11 rental shops we contacted:
- Home Depot – Found in all states.
- Sunbelt Rentals – Found in most states.
- Lowe’s – Found in all states.
- Badger Rental Services – Georgia locations.
- Aztec Rental – Multiple locations in Texas.
- Rental Yard – Multiple rental locations.
- Portland Rent All – Oregon locations.
- Crosslands Rental – Oklahoma locations.
- Highway 55 Rental – Multiple locations across Minnesota.
- Aurora Rents – Multiple locations across Washington State.
- United Rentals – Multiple locations in most states.
Now let’s take a look at each style of lawn mower in more detail.
Renting a Self-propelled Push Mower
All rental shops offered either a Honda or Toro brand used lawn mower in this category. It makes sense because they are often reviewed as the most durable and reliable.
You could often choose if you wanted to rent for 4-hours, per day, per week or per month.
Home Depot rental costs for their 22-inch cutting width self-propelled Toro:
- $29/4-hrs
- $41/day
- $164/week
- $492/month
If you’re doing a quick mow then $29 bucks to use a $1,000+ lawn mower for 4-hrs is a bargain.
Gas Powered Push Mower Rental Cost Chart
Below is a chart showing the daily rental cost for a self propelled gas lawn mower.
You might be thinking why is Aztec Rental half the cost of Aurora Rents. The only difference is Aztec is renting you a Toro brand and Aurora a Honda.
On average these gas powered self propelled models rented for $46 per day.
Electric Powered Push Mower Rental Cost Chart
Since only one rental shop offered an electric model for rent ($50 per day) there is no need to include a chart.
The reason you don’t find electric models for rent is 2 reasons:
- The battery models would need constant recharging.
- The corded models only cost $200 brand new and so could only be rented for $15/day max. Not worth it.
Renting a Riding Lawn Mower
A riding mower is what you’ll need if your lawn is more than 1/2 acre. With a push mower 1 acre will take at least 1.5 hrs to mow and that’s not including emptying the grass bag or taking any breaks.
With a riding mower you just have fun mowing your lawn.
Zero turn riding mower were common for rent. 7 of the 11 places had them whereas only 3 were renting tractor style riding mowers.
When you rent one it will either be delivered to your address or come with a trailer.
Zero Turn Lawn Mower Rental Cost Chart
Zero turn mowers are best suited for lawns where you need to turn and manoeuvre around things. It can turn on a dime and is fast moving.
Nothing stood out in terms of difference between the zero turn mower rentals. They were all similar style and cutting width. The difference in cost can only be attributed to location and company desire for profit (I guess?).
On average these zero turn riding lawn mowers rented for $195/day.
Garden Tractor Lawn Mower Rental Cost Chart
Three places had garden tractors for rent and they averaged more than the zero turns. Check out the rental cost chart:
On average these garden tractor riding lawn mowers rented for $205/day.
Renting For Commercial-Use vs. Home-Use
We could not find any difference in rental cost or deposit required whether you were using the lawn mower you rented for your business or your backyard.
In fact, not once were we asked anything about how we would use the mower.
Why would it matter?
You are renting a mower for a day. You use it for the day to mow. End of story.
Deposits and Damage?
All lawn mowers you rent will require a deposit. The cost of the deposit will vary on the lawn mower you rent. Expect to pay a deposit of at least the rental cost. So if the mower you rent costs $200/day the deposit will be at least $200/day.
You will also be required to show a valid drivers license and give all your other details.
In the event the lawn mower is damaged and deemed your fault (you run over it with your car, for example) you will likely be charged for a replacement lawn mower.
Return Condition Expectations
As with renting a car, it is expected you return the lawn mower in the same condition you received it:
- Full of gas
- Not covered in mud and grass clippings
- No major dents or scratches
You will not be required to give the thing a full detail and scrub down. Just return it how you received it.
Rent To Own or Lease Options
A few places offer payment plans for lawn mowers.
- You could call it ‘rent to own’ but really it is just a payment plan or a lease.
- You pay a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly rate and you own the lawn mower after 12 months.
- You end up paying a bit more (interest) but if you don’t have the money up front it can be a win-win.
The Lowe’s ‘rent to own’ program offers you flexible payments and gives you 12 months to pay it off. Over a year you end up paying about $100 more for a $1,000 lawn mower.
Cost To Hire A Lawn Care Company
Depending on your situation it may be the best option to hire a pro to come take care of your lawn on a regular basis.
Yes, the kid down your street may mow your lawn for $20 but a professional lawn care company that will fertilize, aerate, mow and return every 2 weeks will cost $50 – $100 per month.
If a mower costs $50/day to rent and you mow your lawn once a month then why not pay someone the same price and not do any of the work yourself.
Wrap Up
Overall Home Depot is the best option for renting a lawn mower. They have locations everywhere in the United States and the mowers on rent are great and rent for a good rate.
