FOR THE MILLIONS of Americans who love their lawn but not necessarily mowing it, there’s good news: We’re in the midst of a great lawn-mower renaissance. The same electric-craze that’s revolutionizing the auto industry is now trickling down to the suburban lawn. Just a few years ago, you couldn’t find a cordless electric mower with enough power or stamina to trim anything bigger than a townhouse backyard. But thanks to advances in lithium-ion battery chemistry, these quieter machines have muscled up and boosted their run time considerably. While cordless mowers once maxed out at about 24 volts, today’s versions have batteries packing over three times that, with some using multiple batteries to maximize run time. At last, electric is delivering performance on par with that of gas-guzzlers, with enough power to shear even expanses of tall wet grass.  Never having to refill a mower’s gas tank, change its oil or yank on a pull cord again has its appeal, but that doesn’t mean the gas-powered mower is dead. When it comes to tackling thick, overgrown grass—the sort you might find after returning from a summer vacation—the torque from a gas engine still can’t be beat. And even these tried-and-true mowers are evolving. Because of stricter emission regulations enacted by organizations like the California Air Resources Board, gas mowers are running cleaner than ever. And instead of pushing the limits of engine power, manufacturers are focusing on convenience, with designs that reduce common problems that have plagued mower owners for decades, including maintenance and storage issues.  So if you dedicate one morning each weekend to maintaining your patch of heaven, take a look below at the most innovative offerings available this season. We trimmed the list down to four models that are a cut above the rest.  This electric ride-on is the first of its kind. Powered by four 12-volt batteries (which recharge via a standard electrical outlet), this Tesla of the mower world provides up to an hour of run time and uses the latest brushless motors, which are more efficient and require less maintenance than traditional brushed motors. Like an electric car, this American-built mower is much quieter than a gas model: When zipping across a lawn (top speed is 6 mph), it sounds like one of those Power Wheels trucks for children. With the blades engaged, the noise reaches 82 decibels, which is about as loud as a blender. The RZT is a so-called “zero-turn” mower, which means it can pivot on a dime and pull off a 180-degree switchback. Every commercial mower with this feature relies on unintuitive lap bars for steering, but the RZT uses a carlike steering wheel. $4,000, cubcadetrztszero.com  In terms of raw power, a gas-engine mower is your best bet, but it is more of a pain to maintain than its electric cousin. The most cumbersome upkeep chore, by far: changing the oil. This task might require fussing with a hard-to-reach drain plug or tipping the machine over and praying that the oil ends up in the drain pan rather than on your garage floor. Thankfully, the Troy-Bilt TB230 makes this messy task a thing of the past. All you have to do is top off the initial 15 ounces of oil from time to time. The secret? A specially designed engine that keeps the oil cleaner and cooler. Instead of the small, square air filter found on most mowers, this one’s has more surface area to block particulates, while an internal fan and cylinder heads keep the oil about 10 degrees cooler than a typical mower. The TB230 also has you covered on the job: Front-wheel drive pulls the mower along at up to 3.25 mph. $300, troybilt.com  This self-propelled, walk-behind mower solves an outsize problem for homeowners with small garages or sheds: How to prevent your mower from hogging floor space during the six days a week that it isn’t in use. The SmartStow folds to store vertically. Simply fold the handle down by unlocking a pair of knobs at the base, then pivot the body of the mower up so it sits on its 11-inch rear wheels. In this position, the SmartStow takes up about a third less space than a conventional 22-inch mower. Thanks to its Briggs & Stratton-designed leakproof carburetor and taller oil-fill tube, gasoline and oil stay put instead of dripping onto the floor. The upright position also makes it easier to remove the blade for sharpening. The SmartStow is a star on the field, as well: It’s relatively high rear wheels enable easy pivoting when you reach the end of a strip. $369, toro.com  By using a slightly-shorter-than-normal 19-inch blade and a pair of 56-volt lithium-ion batteries, this cordless electric push-mower has a longer run time than similar models. Charge it up for two hours and you’ll have enough juice to cut about a quarter acre of lawn. But the superior handling and usability really put this model over the top. Caster wheels out front allow you to turn the deck with minimal effort, so you can breeze in and out of corners, weave around trees and trim the perimeter of curvy flower beds. The wheels lock in at any of seven cutting positions, from 1.25 to 4 inches high, making it possible to zero in on the perfect height grass. This mower is also especially easy to clean: The deck has a quick-connect port for a garden hose. Post mow, attach the hose, turn on the water and spin the blade for a few seconds to flush out any clippings that might still be clinging on. $500, worx.com  The Cub Cadet RZT S Zero is powered by 12-volt batteries. An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the batteries were 48 volts. The earlier version also incorrectly referred to the Toro Recycler with SmartStow as the Toro SmartStow Recycler. (May 1, 2015)
From cutting-edge cordless to classic gas models, the latest lawn mowers are putting the machine’s clunky image out to pasture. A look at the Cub Cadet RZT S Zero, Troy-Bilt TB230, Toro Recycler with SmartStow and Worx WG771.