PowerSmart 21 Inch Rear Wheel Review
The Lowest Rated Mower Here
The PowerSmart 21 inch 170cc self-propelled sells for $417.27 with 3.6 stars from 1,919 ratings, the lowest rating and the largest pooled count in the category. Buyers who want a 1.4 bushel bag and rear wheel drive may be tempted, and the catch is that the same brand sells a wider 22 inch mower for $57.28 less.
The verdict
The lowest rating, at the highest price in the range
PowerSmart sells this 21 inch 170cc self-propelled mower for $417.27. The same brand sells the EasyDrive Pro, which is 22 inches wide and also rear wheel drive, for $359.99.
The wider mower is $57.28 cheaper, rated 3.9 rather than 3.6, and its rating is not pooled across other products. Nothing on this listing explains the gap.
At 3.6 stars from 1,919 ratings, this is the lowest rated mower in our top ten and it carries the biggest rating count in the category. Volume is not quality.
Specs that cannot be true
Amazon shows the item weight as 40 pounds and the product dimensions as 32.9 inches deep by 16.5 inches wide by 22.6 inches high.
A 16.5 inch wide machine cannot hold a 21 inch cutting deck. Other PowerSmart gas mowers are listed at 58 to 75 lbs, and 40 lbs is roughly what a cordless push mower weighs. Both figures are wrong, and our weight field says the listing claims 40 rather than passing on a number we know to be false.
What the 1,919 ratings include
Four versions share the page: this 21 inch 170cc self-propelled, two 144cc 3-in-1 push mowers and a 140cc self-propelled.
On top of that, the pool carries untagged reviews dated 2020, 2021 and 2022, so some of the 1,919 verdicts describe products PowerSmart sold years ago on this same parent listing. A 1 star review from March 2021 describes a mower that died in 6 inch weeds and seized partway through a small yard, which is not the machine on sale today.
The best failure diagnosis in the category
Mark Weisbach gave this mower 3 stars on 11 Jul 2026 and updated his review five times across one summer. His write up is the most useful thing any owner has written about budget gas mowers.
The mower would start, smoke heavily, run about 30 seconds and die. He installed a fuel shutoff valve and drained the fuel from the carburetor. Still 30 seconds and dead. He replaced the carburetor, fitted a new fuel filter and put in fresh gas. Still 30 seconds, with heavy smoke that cleared just before it stopped. He ran it with the gas cap loose to check for blocked vent holes. Still 30 seconds. He noted the oil was at the fill level and super clean, and the air filter was clean, and that the mower had never smoked before the problem started.
Then he spotted the real clue. He filled the tank, and an hour later the level had dropped on its own. Gas was running through the carburetor into the cylinder and down into the crankcase. His final update: he drained all the oil and gas out of the crankcase and refilled with 20 oz of new oil, and it runs fine now.
His closing verdict is fair and brutal. $275 bought six weeks of mowing, and it would have been cheaper to hire a kid.
Running the tank dry at the end of every use prevents the whole sequence, as one SENIX owner points out, because fuel cannot leak past a float with no fuel above it.
What it does well
Two owners make a genuine case for the mower. anthony reabold, 5 stars on 22 Jul 2026, mows a 10 acre property and reports it tackled everything he threw at it, including four foot weeds, stalling only twice in two days of use, and that it mulches well. distilledknight, 4 stars on 5 Jul 2025, moved from a postage stamp lawn to a third of an acre of rolling hills and found his battery powered mower was not up to the job.
Who should buy it
Almost nobody, while PowerSmart sells a wider, better rated, cheaper mower on the next page. The 1.4 bushel bag is the one thing this listing states plainly that the EasyDrive Pro does not.
Buyers set on PowerSmart should take the EasyDrive Pro at $359.99 or the EasyCut 18 inch at $199.99, both of which are rated higher on counts that are not pooled across other products.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Prices and availability are accurate as of the date shown and change often.
What stands out
- 1.4 bushel bag capacity, stated plainly on the listing
- Rear wheel drive with 10 inch rear wheels for traction
- 6 cutting positions from 1.5 to 3.9 inches on a single lever
- One owner cleared four foot weeds on a 10 acre property
- Another chose it for a third of an acre of rolling hills after a battery mower failed
What to watch
- 3.6 stars, the lowest rating in our top ten
- The listing claims 40 lbs and a 16.5 inch width, both impossible
- The 1,919 ratings pool variants plus reviews dating back to 2020
- One owner spent a summer chasing fuel leaking into the crankcase
- $417.27, more than the wider 22 inch PowerSmart at $359.99
Full specification
| Cutting width, inches | 21 |
|---|---|
| Cutting heights | 1.5 to 3.9 inches, 6 positions, single lever |
| Drive | Self-propelled, rear wheel |
| Grass bag capacity | 1.4 bushel |
| Mulching | 3-in-1, bag, mulch or rear discharge |
| Suits lawns up to | Up to about a quarter acre |
| Warranty | Not stated on the listing |
Buy it if
You specifically need the 1.4 bushel bag on this model and the cheaper PowerSmart mowers are unavailable.
Skip it if
You want value. The PowerSmart EasyDrive Pro is 22 inches wide, rear wheel drive, rated higher on an unpooled count, and $57.28 cheaper.
Questions people ask
Why does the listing say the mower weighs 40 lbs?
Because the listing is wrong. A 21 inch self-propelled gas mower weighs roughly 60 to 90 lbs, and the other PowerSmart mowers on Amazon are listed at 58 to 75 lbs. The same spec block also gives a product width of 16.5 inches, which cannot physically hold a 21 inch cutting deck. Our weight field says the listing claims 40 rather than repeating a figure we know is false.
What do the 1,919 ratings actually cover?
Four versions share the listing: this 21 inch 170cc self-propelled, two 144cc 3-in-1 push mowers and a 140cc self-propelled. On top of that, the pool carries untagged reviews dated 2020, 2021 and 2022, so it includes verdicts on products sold years ago under the same parent page. The largest rating count in the category is also the least specific.
My gas mower starts then dies after 30 seconds. What causes it?
On a budget mower the likely cause is fuel leaking past the carburetor into the crankcase and diluting the oil. Mark Weisbach, 3 stars on 11 Jul 2026, documented exactly that over five updates on this mower. He fitted a fuel shutoff valve, drained the carburetor, replaced the carburetor, fitted a new fuel filter and fresh gas, and ran it with the gas cap loose to rule out a blocked vent. Nothing worked, and he noticed the tank level dropping on its own within an hour of filling. Draining all the oil and gas from the crankcase and refilling with 20 oz of fresh oil fixed it.
How do I stop it happening in the first place?
Run the tank dry at the end of every use. Amy, an owner of a SENIX push mower, does exactly that and says it keeps the carburetor clean and helps starting. With no fuel sitting above the float, nothing can leak past it while the mower stands in the shed.
Can it handle really heavy growth?
One owner says yes, on paper at least. anthony reabold, 5 stars on 22 Jul 2026, has a 10 acre property and reports the mower tackled everything he threw at it, including four foot weeds, stalling only twice in two days. Against that, a 1 star owner in March 2021 says it died constantly in 6 inch weeds and seized up three quarters of the way through a small yard.
