Bermuda grass is a fan favorite of home builders and landscapers alike in the southern part of the country. It doesn’t require too much water and stays green even when temperatures are soaring. Mowing bermuda grass is essential for most of the year as it activates growth at only 65 degrees. So which option is the best lawn mower for bermuda grass? We’ve had many bermuda grass lawns and found one lawn mower that far outperforms the rest.
How Often Do You Need To Mow A Bermuda Grass Lawn?
When I bought my first home in Austin TX, I had bermuda grass. Being from the northeast, I was amazed at how fast the grass grew with small amounts of water and high 90 degree temperatures for months on end. I found myself cutting my bermuda grass lawn at least once every 2 weeks in the summer. Once temperatures calmed down to 60s and 70s in early Spring or late Fall, I started mowing every 3 weeks. You should always keep bermuda grass between an inch and an inch and a half to maintain grass health.
How I Found The Best Lawn Mower For Bermuda Grass
When I bought that Austin house with bermuda grass, I knew I needed a good lawn mower. At the time, I didn’t even know which grass type I had in my lawn. I emailed my home builder and they told me bermuda grass. Then I consulted a few retailers (Home Depot, Lowes) and was able to conclude that they recommended the RYOBI. I bought this lawn mower and let me say, after 3+ years, it has not failed me yet. This is certainly one of, if not the best lawn mower for bermuda grass.
Best Lawn Mower For Bermuda Grass: RYOBI Cordless Lawn Mower
Handling
The RYOBI is very easy to maneuver. For doing such a good job cutting grass, the lawn mower is very lightweight. Amazon says that it weighs 70 pounds, but it feels more like 40-50 lbs. Slightly lifting the machine to turn corners is not an issue.
Charging
The RYOBI lawn mower is electric, so no need to worry about getting gasoline before you mow your lawn. I had a tendency of plugging in the battery the night before I’d use it and letting it charge up over night. This is likely not the suggested battery use, but it always worked for me. I then was able to mow my front lawn, side strips and backyard in one charge. After a full lawn mowing session, the battery would be almost fully depleted.
One time I needed to charge the battery same-day and mow my lawn. I plugged the depleted battery in and after 3 hours, it was at full battery and I was able proceed.
Portability
After a year or so in Austin and having this lawn mower, I purchased an investment property on the other side of town. To keep initial costs low, I self-managed the property, which included mowing the bermuda grass lawn. I drive a Tesla Model 3, which is an average size car. What I loved about the RYOBI was that when I folded in the handles and took off the bag, I could easily fit it in my trunk or backseat.
Bag Size
If I had to complain about this lawn mower, it would be its bag size. Although this was not a major inconvenience, I would have to empty the grass clippings twice per lawn mow. Once I completed the front yard, I would take the bag off and dump the grass. The bag was nearly full from just my front yard. I would then mow my side yard strips and the backyard, and empty the bag once more. To play devil’s advocate, if the bag were larger, the RYOBI would be more difficult to steer and operate, so I don’t mind the bag size.
5 More Great Lawn Mowers For Bermuda Grass
Best Lawn Mower For Bermuda Grass Summary
Most backyard websites will suggest 5 – 10 lawn mowers for bermuda grass. Instead, we found one that is guaranteed to work and covered its features in depth. The RYOBI cordless lawn mower is exceptional at cutting bermuda grass. The RYOBI brand also has ride-on lawn mowers and manual versions available.
While the RYOBI is stellar for my backyard, it may not be the best for unlevel yards. You can level your backyard rather easily, but if you choose not to, you’ll need a manual lawn mower to really control those uphill sequences.