How good are battery powered lawnmowers these days?
June 15, 2023 2:23 PM Subscribe
A friend had a battery powered lawn mower about 10 years ago which was a nightmare to use: underpowered and low battery life. I see that battery mowers are really taking over the market. I have about a 3,000 square foot area to mow. it's not tidy lawn, it is clumpy and rough, and on different terraces so maneuverability is desirable. I don't mind a corded one but they are becoming scarce as well. Do you have experience with recent battery mowers?
Best answer: I have a similar sized lot, and use the Ego self propelled and it's great. It's great compared to gas because it's lighter, smells better and appreciably quieter... which may be a plus/minus since I now often forget my hearing protection. But the fact that it's lighter makes it a lot easier to handle steep or unsteady terrain.
I've heard a rumor that Honda was coming out with a new model in the next year or two, but if you gotta buy now and you have the extra dough for the ego... then I recommend it.
posted by midmarch snowman at 2:37 PM on June 15, 2023 [1 favorite]
I've heard a rumor that Honda was coming out with a new model in the next year or two, but if you gotta buy now and you have the extra dough for the ego... then I recommend it.
posted by midmarch snowman at 2:37 PM on June 15, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I have a Ryobi with a 5ah battery and if I keep the grass short I have no trouble mowing my 4k lawn on a single charge. I chose Ryobi because i can use my battery with my weed trimmer, leaf blower and snowblower (it takes a 6ah, so now I have 2 batteries). All of the tools are lighter and quieter than their ice equivalents.
posted by OHenryPacey at 3:06 PM on June 15, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by OHenryPacey at 3:06 PM on June 15, 2023 [2 favorites]
Best answer: We've had an eGo self-propelled model for a few years and have been pretty happy with it. It's much better than the electric Toro that we ran into the ground over nearly a decade, which had a very heavy built-in battery. The swappable lithium battery models are lightweight and plenty powerful for a typical lawn, even when it gets a bit long or weedy.
Do give some consideration to the battery system, though, in case you want a weed trimmer etc. Some of the systems use smaller batteries for the unit, with larger devices such as mowers taking two batteries simultaneously. This makes the batteries more reasonably sized for smaller devices. Other systems use a larger single battery, with the advantage that you need fewer chargers.
The noise, smell, and maintenance benefits of going electric are tremendous.
posted by jedicus at 3:12 PM on June 15, 2023
Do give some consideration to the battery system, though, in case you want a weed trimmer etc. Some of the systems use smaller batteries for the unit, with larger devices such as mowers taking two batteries simultaneously. This makes the batteries more reasonably sized for smaller devices. Other systems use a larger single battery, with the advantage that you need fewer chargers.
The noise, smell, and maintenance benefits of going electric are tremendous.
posted by jedicus at 3:12 PM on June 15, 2023
Best answer: I have an Ego battery push mower that I bought six years ago that I use on a 1/3 acre-ish lawn and it works great. I unabashedly love it. My lawn is not consistently mowed, includes a wide diversity of grass-like substances, and many uneven areas. The mower works great on long grass, over weird bumpy areas, on weedy areas. I have two batteries for it and although I generally can't get the whole yard done on one, I can swap out to finish.
posted by jeoc at 3:17 PM on June 15, 2023
posted by jeoc at 3:17 PM on June 15, 2023
Best answer: I had a Kobalt Mower with a 40 V battery. The battery died after one summer, but I returned it for a full refund as Lowes and Kobalt could not offer any other batteries in stock. I went with a Greenworks mower with an 80 V battery. It cuts my 0.11 acre lawn well. It has lasted for 3 summers now. I'm thinking of getting a Greenwork snowblower in the winter as I'm getting tired of shoveling my driveway by hand.
posted by DetriusXii at 3:19 PM on June 15, 2023
posted by DetriusXii at 3:19 PM on June 15, 2023
Best answer: We have the dewalt self-propelled, since we're already invested in the dewalt battery ecosystem. A friend borrowed it when his gas-powered wasn't working. His yard is... Excitingly tropical. And he started talking about getting himself one, as he found it compared favorably to his gas-powered.
posted by DebetEsse at 4:00 PM on June 15, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by DebetEsse at 4:00 PM on June 15, 2023 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I bought an E-go mower just a few months ago. Not self-propelled. I'm on a ~5000 sqft lot and can get 4-5 mowing jobs out of one battery charge (the battery is massive). I previously had a shitty Black & Decker corded electric that I nursed along for about 15 years, which is probably 10 years past its design life.
The E-go is heavier, but not so much heavier that it's unmanageable, even for my petite wife. I don't have a long track record with the new one, obviously, but my guess is that it would be able to deal with tall grass much better than the old one. Getting rid of the cord is a hell of a lot more convenient, especially if you have obstacles like trees on your lawn. With a corded mower, you pretty much need to plan your path so that you start near your outlet and work your way away from it, which you can get used to.
posted by adamrice at 4:00 PM on June 15, 2023
The E-go is heavier, but not so much heavier that it's unmanageable, even for my petite wife. I don't have a long track record with the new one, obviously, but my guess is that it would be able to deal with tall grass much better than the old one. Getting rid of the cord is a hell of a lot more convenient, especially if you have obstacles like trees on your lawn. With a corded mower, you pretty much need to plan your path so that you start near your outlet and work your way away from it, which you can get used to.
posted by adamrice at 4:00 PM on June 15, 2023
Best answer: I got the Makita 18-inch push mower this spring and have been really pleased with it. It takes me a little under an hour to mow the full lawn, and the Makita can do it with one battery swap (it takes two; came with four so I don't have to wait for one set to charge to complete the job).
I can't speak to how it compares to other battery mowers, but just in general? I'm never going back to a gas mower. Even if I didn't care about the environment, it's just so much more pleasant and convenient to use.
My grass was absurdly tall and thick when I first mowed with it. It took a little longer to mow, but it handled it just fine.
My only complaint about it is that the tallest grass setting is still a little too short for my preference. My yard is very flat though, and I might have wanted a lighter or self-propelled mower if it wasn't. (The Makita has a metal deck.)
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 4:16 PM on June 15, 2023 [1 favorite]
I can't speak to how it compares to other battery mowers, but just in general? I'm never going back to a gas mower. Even if I didn't care about the environment, it's just so much more pleasant and convenient to use.
My grass was absurdly tall and thick when I first mowed with it. It took a little longer to mow, but it handled it just fine.
My only complaint about it is that the tallest grass setting is still a little too short for my preference. My yard is very flat though, and I might have wanted a lighter or self-propelled mower if it wasn't. (The Makita has a metal deck.)
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 4:16 PM on June 15, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Nth-ing the EGO recommendation, battery-powered is night and day compared to maintaining/operating/storing a gas mower. Ditto their leafblower and string trimmer. I'm sure the other major brands have caught up by now as well so consider this an endorsement of the category as well as specific brand.
posted by cyrusdogstar at 4:59 PM on June 15, 2023
posted by cyrusdogstar at 4:59 PM on June 15, 2023
Best answer: The Ryobi 40v family is amazing. Lots of self-propelled and push options. Not sure if they're still making their 18v mowers, but avoid them. Underpowered. The 40v models, though... chef's kiss. Ryobi also has a whole 40v ecosystem of other tools, including an attachment-capable weed trimmer that will also accept a pole saw, cultivator, blower, etc. so it really starts to make sense as a complimentary system based around a common battery. Same holds for any brand, really; if you're already invested in a particular tool system, see if they've got a 40v (or better) mower that uses your existing batteries.
posted by xedrik at 5:09 PM on June 15, 2023
posted by xedrik at 5:09 PM on June 15, 2023
Best answer: Another vote for eGo - our mower is fantastic. (...and our snow blower... and our chainsaw... and our mower... and our string trimmer...)
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 5:20 PM on June 15, 2023
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 5:20 PM on June 15, 2023
Best answer: I have a Greenworks 40v battery mower that I’ve been using since 2019, and it’s awesome. It cuts not only my grass but also the stupid poplar suckers my neighbor’s tree keeps throwing up in my yard, and I can mow about 3/4 of my very hilly 7400-square-foot lot without recharging. A friend has an eGo one and likes hers even better than I like mine.
posted by centrifugal at 8:02 PM on June 15, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by centrifugal at 8:02 PM on June 15, 2023 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I have a kobalt corded mower. I got it because it was pretty cheap and I didn’t want to manage a battery. The volume of it reminds me of vacuuming the lawn. Cords can be a pain so I use s connector thing to hold two extension cords together. It’s plenty powerful. I think cord mgmt while using vs battery mgmt while not using it is a personal preference, each with upsides and downsides.
posted by The_Vegetables at 9:26 PM on June 15, 2023
posted by The_Vegetables at 9:26 PM on June 15, 2023
Best answer: Another ego since 2019 or 2018. We have one of the self-propelled ones not for the drive -- it's light enough not to care -- but because it came with a bigger battery and has an extra blade on top of the normal blade to cut more fancily. It does do a neater cut than the old craftsman it replaced.
Our old house had a 7500sf / 1/6 acre lot and it would do that on a little more than half a 7.5Ah battery unless I'd let the grass get unkempt. Our new place is a little over four times as big, .72 acres, and takes a little over 2 batteries to about 3 batteries. It depends on how long and wet it is, which also curiously enough is what she said. A rider is in my future but dropping ~5K on a battery rider is a tough pill to swallow.
I used a corded electric in the 90s on a treed lot and would rather spend eternity eating shards of broken glass than do that again.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 3:47 AM on June 16, 2023
Our old house had a 7500sf / 1/6 acre lot and it would do that on a little more than half a 7.5Ah battery unless I'd let the grass get unkempt. Our new place is a little over four times as big, .72 acres, and takes a little over 2 batteries to about 3 batteries. It depends on how long and wet it is, which also curiously enough is what she said. A rider is in my future but dropping ~5K on a battery rider is a tough pill to swallow.
I used a corded electric in the 90s on a treed lot and would rather spend eternity eating shards of broken glass than do that again.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 3:47 AM on June 16, 2023
Best answer: Our small condo building got an eGo snow blower last winter. We live on a corner lot so, 2 long stretches of sidewalk, plus the back yard path, plus the area behind the garages, and I always semi-clear the exit from the alley to the street to prevent huge ruts from icing up. The thing handled that much area with still half a charge or more left. The snow was not super deep, but was heavy and wet. Granted we had a weird-ass winter last year and only got about three significant snowfalls, and none of those was very deep. But we are really happy with the power and battery performance of the eGo so far. The build of the entire unit feels solid, too.
And like other brands, the eGo batteries can be swapped from one electric eGo device to another. We plan to get an electric mower when our ancient gas mower finally dies (though we have very little grass to cut).
posted by SoberHighland at 5:04 AM on June 16, 2023
And like other brands, the eGo batteries can be swapped from one electric eGo device to another. We plan to get an electric mower when our ancient gas mower finally dies (though we have very little grass to cut).
posted by SoberHighland at 5:04 AM on June 16, 2023
Best answer: Bought an EGO self-propelled mower in 2020, so entering our fourth season. We live on 2 acres of mostly wooded land, so, maybe 1/4 acre (10K sq ft) of mowable grass. The 7.5AH battery does would not last for the entire lawn but mowes 1/2 easily, I then recharge it, and me, before finishing. Does an excellent job if I keep on top of my mowing schedule, is able to mow thicker/taller/wetter grass but the discharge chute tends to clog up especially with thick grass. The yard is sloped in part & the self-propelled feature is nice for that.
I also have an EGO chainsaw (!) , and a weed trimmer and hedge clipper with smaller batteries. The chainsaw works well on the 6 to 10" oaks on my property (as long as the chain is sharp), and I wouldn't be comfortable felling anything bigger anyway; the hedge clipper and weed trimmer are both great. Except for the mower these have all replaced 2 cycle powered tools that took more maintenance than they were worth & I love them. The mower is a less clear win IMHO but it is nice not to have to deal with winterizing it.
This year I've begun having some problems with the 7.5AH battery - it will sometimes say it's discharged but then when I go to recharge it the charger says it's still almost full. I've followed the advice I've found on the internet (power-off charger, use standard rather than fast charger) & the problem hasn't recurred yet. I guess my next step will be to draw on the blade with a green marker ...
posted by mr vino at 6:35 AM on June 16, 2023
I also have an EGO chainsaw (!) , and a weed trimmer and hedge clipper with smaller batteries. The chainsaw works well on the 6 to 10" oaks on my property (as long as the chain is sharp), and I wouldn't be comfortable felling anything bigger anyway; the hedge clipper and weed trimmer are both great. Except for the mower these have all replaced 2 cycle powered tools that took more maintenance than they were worth & I love them. The mower is a less clear win IMHO but it is nice not to have to deal with winterizing it.
This year I've begun having some problems with the 7.5AH battery - it will sometimes say it's discharged but then when I go to recharge it the charger says it's still almost full. I've followed the advice I've found on the internet (power-off charger, use standard rather than fast charger) & the problem hasn't recurred yet. I guess my next step will be to draw on the blade with a green marker ...
posted by mr vino at 6:35 AM on June 16, 2023
Best answer: We have this self propelled Toro 60V. We switched from a corded one and not managing a cord is a real dream. We chose this one because we have the snow blower in the same battery system. This also means we have two batteries, the 7.5 Ah one from the snow blower, and this still plenty big enough 5Ah one. We mow a similar sized lawn with the littler battery just fine. It's also lumpy and has some BS woody crap here and there. I don't see any drawback in getting one. I didn't think I really needed self propelled, but it was on sale for the same price as the base model. I really get done much faster and with much less effort, and I'm a fairly healthy person. Highly recommend.
Toro also makes string trimmers, leaf blowers, and chain saws on this system. They all use the same battery interface, but the hand held tools come with smaller batteries to keep them lighter and better balanced.
posted by advicepig at 6:35 AM on June 16, 2023
Toro also makes string trimmers, leaf blowers, and chain saws on this system. They all use the same battery interface, but the hand held tools come with smaller batteries to keep them lighter and better balanced.
posted by advicepig at 6:35 AM on June 16, 2023
Best answer: I went with the Greenworks 80V system. I have all of the yard tools they make. My lawn is about 3/4 acre, and mostly St. Augustine, so gives any mower a workout.
What's great about the battery powered mowers is they tend to be much lighter than their gas counterparts, so getting them up and down terraces is quite easy.
The only thing I don't like about the Greenworks mower is the self propelled gearing seems to get stuck if you disengage it just before you want to pull the mower back to change tack. I just have to remember to disengage a couple steps before the end of a row.
posted by tomierna at 8:37 AM on June 16, 2023
What's great about the battery powered mowers is they tend to be much lighter than their gas counterparts, so getting them up and down terraces is quite easy.
The only thing I don't like about the Greenworks mower is the self propelled gearing seems to get stuck if you disengage it just before you want to pull the mower back to change tack. I just have to remember to disengage a couple steps before the end of a row.
posted by tomierna at 8:37 AM on June 16, 2023
Best answer: I have a Ryobi 36V battery mower. It works great. Our section is around 700 square metres or roughly 7500 sq ft. In normal conditions, it takes half a charge to mow it all. I have noticed that if the grass is wet, or I have let it get really long, it may take closer to a full charge. But I've never ever run the battery out in a single mowing session at our place.
It will stall on very tough long vegetation, it doesn't have quite the force of petrol mower at full noise. But it's perfectly good for us. And I love how it's quieter, doesn't stink, and starts with a button push not a pull cord starter.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 4:03 PM on June 16, 2023
It will stall on very tough long vegetation, it doesn't have quite the force of petrol mower at full noise. But it's perfectly good for us. And I love how it's quieter, doesn't stink, and starts with a button push not a pull cord starter.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 4:03 PM on June 16, 2023
Best answer: I’ve had an Ego mower (I think self-propelled? It’s not hard to push) for 5 or 6 years. I love it. My “lawn” has a ton of saplings all over it, and it just doesn’t care. I don’t mow frequently, and in the places I have lawn, that’s long, it just doesn’t care and mows. (I usually set it on 3 or 4, so I’m. It mowing it super short, but still.).
I mow probably half an acre, maybe not quite. I can make it through on one charge.
It also cuts down scrubby brush with no problems.
(Fwiw, I’m a small woman. No problem with maneuverability or getting it in and out of the storage shed. I love this lawn mower.)
Oh, and it’s quiet. It’s so great.
posted by leahwrenn at 5:16 AM on June 17, 2023
I mow probably half an acre, maybe not quite. I can make it through on one charge.
It also cuts down scrubby brush with no problems.
(Fwiw, I’m a small woman. No problem with maneuverability or getting it in and out of the storage shed. I love this lawn mower.)
Oh, and it’s quiet. It’s so great.
posted by leahwrenn at 5:16 AM on June 17, 2023
Response by poster: Thanks everyone! The EGO mowers sound great but are giving me some sticker shock. I see reasonably priced 4AH Makita which might be useful for future power tools (though my current cordless tools are Milwaukee, the price of their mowers is outlandish). Also a 4AH Greenworks, which comes with a compatible weedwhacker, though only one battery between them is a sale item right now. I definitely have less lawn than what most of you are describing so it might be ok. I'm more about will it get through tough clumps and can I manhandle it terrace to terrace than do I need to recharge it halfway through.
I'm used to a corded mower and they avoid battery replacement and usually have enough power but I do like the idea of not having to get around trees or do cord management. Being an old, I am a little nervous about the future proofing of batteries since I have seen so many generations of mutually incompatible types go by.
Anyway every answer so far has been very helpful, thank you.
posted by Rumple at 10:05 AM on June 17, 2023
I'm used to a corded mower and they avoid battery replacement and usually have enough power but I do like the idea of not having to get around trees or do cord management. Being an old, I am a little nervous about the future proofing of batteries since I have seen so many generations of mutually incompatible types go by.
Anyway every answer so far has been very helpful, thank you.
posted by Rumple at 10:05 AM on June 17, 2023
My Ryobi is pretty light, because the body is mostly plastic and I guess the motor isn't that heavy... in fact I suspect the battery is the single heaviest part. I find it very manoeuverable. The spec sheet says it weighs 18kg which is almost 40lb. Also, thinking about your terraces, one good feature is that to operate you must be holding down a lever attached to the handle, so if you lose control on a slope it will immediate cut out as you let go.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 3:56 PM on June 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 3:56 PM on June 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: jeez that brings back a memory of being about 15 and mowing my parents' lawn - one quite steep strip, you couldn't go cross-slope because the mower would tip up a little, so you'd do short little swaths up and down. One day I was doing this and pushing the mower up when I slipped, the mower flipped over, and my face hit the ground right beside the spinning blade. Yikes.
posted by Rumple at 4:15 PM on June 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Rumple at 4:15 PM on June 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
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Strong recommend (7300sf lot, 1300sf house, I only mow the front yard so it's probably roughly what yours is, and I do it on a single charge). YMMV, but I love it.
posted by aramaic at 2:31 PM on June 15, 2023 [2 favorites]