The first step in choosing the best rental lawn mower is to decide what your needs are for the mower you intend to rent. If you are renting for a larger yard, you will need to consider a riding mower or a larger commercial mower. Smaller yards will require a smaller rental lawn mower that will get into the tight corners of the yard; a zero-radius riding mower may work, or a simple consumer model may do the job. If you plan on hauling a small trailer to hold yard waste, consider a riding mower that will be able to haul some weight.
Once you have determined what size rental lawn mower you need, be sure to consider the different types of mower available and make sure you know how to operate them or you can learn quickly. Commercial walk-behind mowers, for example, often feature drive systems that will help propel the extremely heavy units forward. Such rental lawn mower units can be tricky to use at first if you have no experience with them, so be sure you can get some practice with it before renting. Riding lawn mowers are generally easy to use, but they too will require some knowledge on the operation procedures.
If a riding rental lawn mower is your choice, choose between conventional, tractor-style mowers and zero-radius mowers. A zero-radius mower is one that can turn quickly in tight spots without needing a wide turning radius. Such a rental lawn mower is useful for tight, small yards or larger yards that feature several obstacles. They are usually more expensive to rent, but they make mowing much easier on lawns with tight areas or obstacles. For wide open lawns that are quite large, a tractor-style mower should be just fine and renting one will save you money over renting a zero-radius model.
Small lawns may only require a consumer model walk-behind rental lawn mower. When choosing one of these smaller mowers, make sure to choose one that is simple to operate and one that features an adjustable deck. An adjustable deck will allow you to change the height of the mower blade so you can determine to what length your grass should be cut. Adjusting the deck is usually quite easy and will help prevent lawn scalping, which occurs when the blade cuts too low and begins to hit the soil beneath the grass. Look for a mower that is in good condition, easy to start and stop, and affordably priced for your purposes.