About this guide
A genuinely new mower under $100 rules out gas and battery self-propelled models entirely — that price bracket is really manual reel mowers and a small number of basic corded electric mowers. Here are six real options that land under or right around that budget, all suited to small-to-medium lawns rather than anything over half an acre.
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The picks, in detail
American Lawn Mower Company 1204-14
A 14-inch, 4-blade push reel mower from a manufacturer that's built nothing but reel mowers since 1895 — the cheapest real mower in this list at several retailers.
- 14-inch cutting width
- 4-blade ball-bearing reel
- 8-inch polymer wheels
- Consistently the lowest price of any mower here
- No gas, battery, or cord to manage
- 14-inch width means more passes on a medium lawn
Sun Joe MJ503M Manual Reel Mower
A 14-inch reel mower with 9 height positions and 5 steel blades, giving finer height control than the American Lawn Mower Company's 4-position model.
- 14-inch cutting width
- 9-position height adjustment
- 5 steel blades
- More height-adjustment granularity than most reel mowers at this price
- Sun Joe’s wide retail availability
- Narrow width still means more passes than a self-propelled mower
Sun Joe MJ500M Manual Reel Mower
A wider 16-inch reel mower with a 6.6-gallon grass catcher, trading a bit of price for meaningfully less time spent mowing.
- 16-inch cutting width
- 6.6-gallon grass catcher included
- 4-position height adjustment
- Wider deck covers more ground per pass than the 14-inch models
- Grass catcher included at this price is uncommon
- Fewer height positions (4) than the MJ503M’s 9
Sun Joe MJ502M Reel Mower
A 20-inch reel mower with an 8.5-gallon catcher and 9-position height adjustment — the largest deck in this list, right at the edge of the $100 budget.
- 20-inch cutting width
- 8.5-gallon grass catcher
- 9-position height adjustment
- Widest deck of any option here, fewest passes needed
- Combines wide deck with fine height control
- Priced at the very top of a $100 budget or slightly over depending on retailer
Scotts Outdoor Power Tools 2000-20S
A 20-inch, 5-blade classic push reel mower from Scotts, a lawn-care brand better known for fertilizer than equipment, but a genuine long-running reel mower model.
- 20-inch cutting width
- 5 steel blades
- Classic push-reel design
- Wide deck at a competitive reel-mower price
- Recognizable Scotts brand
- Fewer height-adjustment positions than the Sun Joe lineup
BLACK+DECKER BEMW213 Corded Electric Mower
A 13-amp corded electric mower with a 20-inch steel deck and 6 height settings — real power (not manual reel blades) but tethered to an extension cord, and priced above $100 at most retailers.
- 13-amp corded motor
- 20-inch steel cutting deck
- 6-position height adjustment
- Actual motor-driven power instead of push-reel blades
- 6 height settings, more than any reel mower here
- Street price generally runs above $100 except on sale — check current price before assuming it fits the budget
What each one costs
Typical price, cheapest first. Tap a name to jump to that pick and its buy link.
Compare any three
| American Lawn Mower Company 1204-14 | Sun Joe MJ503M Manual Reel Mower | Sun Joe MJ500M Manual Reel Mower | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $85-$100 | $70-$95 | $90-$110 |
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What about a gas mower under $100?
It is the most common follow-up to this list, and the honest answer is that a new gas mower does not exist at $100. The cheapest one currently sold is the Murray 20-inch with a 125 cc Briggs & Stratton engine at roughly $179 (list $199); the next rung up, the Senix 21-inch with a 140 cc Briggs & Stratton, sits near $190, and well-reviewed budget picks like the Yardmax YG1650 start closer to $300. Below about $175 the gas category simply stops — an engine, fuel system and drive deck cost far more to build than the blade cylinder in a reel mower, which is exactly why every genuine sub-$100 machine on this page is manual or corded.
So if you specifically need gas, there are two real routes:
- Buy used. A serviceable older Briggs & Stratton push mower usually goes for $50–$100 on local marketplaces. Budget an afternoon for a carburettor clean and a fresh spark plug — a mower advertised as “won’t start” is most often stale fuel, and that is precisely why it is cheap.
- Stretch to about $180. If your grass gets tall between cuts, your ground is uneven, or you are mowing appreciably more than a small patch, a reel mower will frustrate you no matter how good the price is. A few more weeks of saving buys a tool that actually does the job.
If a manual or corded machine will work for your lawn, the picks above are the ones that genuinely land under $100.
Buying tips
- True sub-$100 new mowers are manual push reel mowers — if you want corded or battery power under that budget, you’ll need to catch the BLACK+DECKER BEMW213 or similar on a sale rather than at list price.
- Reel mowers need a level, debris-cleared lawn to cut evenly — they struggle with twigs, thick weeds, and very uneven ground that a rotary blade shrugs off.
- Wider decks (Sun Joe MJ502M, Scotts 2000-20S at 20 inches) cut mowing time roughly in half versus the 14-inch models, at a modest price premium — worth it if your lawn is closer to a quarter-acre than a tiny patch.
As an Amazon Associate and eBay Partner, toptenpick.com earns from qualifying purchases. Prices and availability are subject to change.