Price of gas upsetting you? Use your own fuel. No need to fill up or plug in. Just pull the push mower out of the garage and go.

Are these mowers up to the task?

Today's push mowers are more manoeuvrable, lighter and cut grass better. Four have comfortable padding on the handles -- no more blisters. Two have switched to four wheels instead of a back roller. Noisiness and handling vary, so take it for a spin in the store.

Testers gave five models a workout. Some of the testers have always used their own steam but others had to be convinced.

What size lawn do you have -- a postage stamp or a sprawling suburban lot? If large, make sure the mower is at least 18 inches wide. All except the Mark's Choice come in various widths. And, last, keep your lawn weed-free -- push mowers pass over weeds.

Here are the results.

Gardena Hand Cylinder Lawn mower 300

Cost: $198

Working width: 12 inches (also 15 inches/38 cm)

Cutting height adjustment: 1/2 inch to 1 3/4 inches

Weight: approx. 7.7 kg/17 lb

Warranty: Two years

This small mower, which came from Lowe's, is best for tiny lawns. The narrow width made it ideal for cutting areas beside garden perimeters. Gardena calls this "precision lawn mowing," which acts like shears. It may be pricier than the large ones, but everyone loved the Gardena.

One tester likened it to a sports car: "Fast, light, good cut, easy manoeuvrability. It was lightweight but a heavyweight when it came to high grass." Another noted, "Even after two weeks of heavy rainfall, the Gardena was able to destroy the tall blades of grass." One tester liked that he could cut the grass one handed and another had no problem lifting the mower over her back yard rock stream. Adjusting the mower height is easy with wing nuts but they slip from the new position. This mower is very quiet. The absence of padding was fine -- it's that easy to push.

Yardworks Reel Lawn Mower, 18

Cost: $129.99

Working width: 18 inches

Cutting height adjustment: 1 3/4 inches to 2 3/4 inches

Weight: 12.7 kg/28 lb

Warranty: Seven-day replacement warranty against defects in workmanship and materials and a two-year repair warranty.

One family loved the four wheels and how easy the mower was to push. The handle was the cushiest of the lot. One tester likened it to "a mini-combine. Very cool, I was impressed." It was another's favourite. "It has a great bite and covers a lot of ground, smooth and easy to push." But this mower, from Canadian Tire, elicited some negative responses. It didn't cut long grass well and it was the noisiest but another tester found it very quiet. One tester had problems lifting it over her stream but she liked the shelf near the blades because the "clippings don't jump everywhere."

Mark's Choice

Cost: $159.99

Working width: 20 inches

Cutting height adjustment: 1 3/4 inches to 3 inches

Weight: 15.8 kg/35 lb

Warranty: A lifetime warranty against original defects in materials and workmanship.

Extras: Grass catcher

Mark Cullen knows gardening and this mower, exclusive to Home Hardware, shows his commitment to lawn care. One tester summed it up best: "A bit large and bulky but got the job done. It's a solid mower, gave a good cut, was easiest to adjust cutting height, best in long grass and wide with a 20-inch path. The handle of this mower would stay straight upright when not in use, which is good for storage. Probably the safest of the group since the large front cover protects the spinning blades from pets, kids, miskicked soccer balls...."

Sears Craftsman 18" Reel Mower

Cost: $119.99

Working width: 18 inches

Cutting height adjustment: 1/2 inch to 2 1/2 inches

Weight: 10.8 kg/24 lb

Warranty: Two years

Two testers preferred the Craftsman over the Yardworks. They found it easy to manoeuvre and liked the cut. One liked the solid handle and found it the quietest of the group. The problems were adjusting the cutting height and cutting tall grass. It took two passes to cut one tester's grass. Another found it easy to manoeuvre and quiet. It cut close to the edges. It was very sharp but noisy and slightly harder to push than most.

Scotts 18" Supreme Reel Mower

Cost: $159

Working width: 18 inches

Cutting height adjustment: 1/2 inch to 2 1/2 inches

Weight: 10.4 kg/23 lb

Warranty: Two years

Scotts doesn't know how lucky it is. All testers trashed the Supreme Reel mower but two good friends raved about theirs. The one sent for testing (from Home Depot) must be slightly defective and, normally, that's the end of the review. However, one of those two friends bought his on June 8, mowed two very large suburban lawns and had none of the troubles my crew had. This is a warning to all consumers: If a product is inadequate, return it. And manufacturers: Don't make mistakes! We all liked how the mower cut grass but it required more force to use and it didn't manoeuvre well. Pulling it backward was a problem for us but my friend's mower was different. He could drag it up and down driveways, flagstones, bumps and hills. Physical effort wasn't a problem -- he believes his old gas mower required more.