Lightweight lawn mower
August 14, 2024 8:16 AM Subscribe
I am looking for a lightweight, battery powered lawn mower for under $300 that I can use to mow my 1/8 acre lawn.
I am very short (under 5') and the manual mower we own just isn't working for me anymore. It is too difficult to use and you have to be vigilant about mowing every few days or the lawn gets too long to use the manual mower easily or at all. Unfortunately, our lawn is mostly crab grass (we just moved here) and I think that makes the manual more operation even more challenging.
I would prefer to spend closer to $200, but can justify $300 if need be. The only criteria I care about is that it is battery powered and lightweight. Searching for this information on Google or going into my local Lowe's we're both futile, so I hope someone here can recommend a good mower for me.
I have a Ryobi edge trimmer/weed whacker that I like just fine but I am not adamant about staying in the Ryobi "family" (I think the mowers use a bigger battery than what I already own for the trimmer anyhow).
I am very short (under 5') and the manual mower we own just isn't working for me anymore. It is too difficult to use and you have to be vigilant about mowing every few days or the lawn gets too long to use the manual mower easily or at all. Unfortunately, our lawn is mostly crab grass (we just moved here) and I think that makes the manual more operation even more challenging.
I would prefer to spend closer to $200, but can justify $300 if need be. The only criteria I care about is that it is battery powered and lightweight. Searching for this information on Google or going into my local Lowe's we're both futile, so I hope someone here can recommend a good mower for me.
I have a Ryobi edge trimmer/weed whacker that I like just fine but I am not adamant about staying in the Ryobi "family" (I think the mowers use a bigger battery than what I already own for the trimmer anyhow).
I have this Ryobi 40v self-propelled mower, and my sister-in-law has the similar push mower (not self-propelled). If you already have Ryobi 40V batteries, that un...self-propelled push mower is $249 for just the mower, or $329 with battery and charger.
I have a bit over 1/4 acre to mow, and I can usually get through it on one 6Ah battery (though I do have spares). I love this mower; it is so lightweight that in pushing it, I can tell the difference between having a 6Ah and 4Ah battery loaded. It's hassle-free, and it mows better and tackles shaggy, wet grass more effectively than my old Toro gas mower. The handle folds easily and it is very stable when stood on its end, to minimize storage footprint. I was very much in the camp of "yeah, but how good can it really be?" when it came to battery electric mowers, but this thing is so easy to use, so quiet, and works so well, I wish I would've bought one years ago (had it existed then.)
What really seems to make the most impact on how long the battery lasts is stops and restarts. In the dry summer, when the grass isn't really growing and I'm just cutting the heads off dandelions, I have to stop to empty the bag twice, maybe three times, in the course of mowing that 1/4 acre, and the 6Ah battery will be at 25% or better left when I'm done. In the wet spring, especially the first mow of the season, I need to dump the bag about 10-12 times, and it's pretty much guaranteed that I'll need to swap batteries for the last section of yard. I haven't scienced it out, but I do know that starting a heavy rotating mass from a dead stop takes quite a bit of energy, and I imagine that all the restarts are taking a toll on remaining battery charge.
posted by xedrik at 9:19 AM on August 14 [3 favorites]
I have a bit over 1/4 acre to mow, and I can usually get through it on one 6Ah battery (though I do have spares). I love this mower; it is so lightweight that in pushing it, I can tell the difference between having a 6Ah and 4Ah battery loaded. It's hassle-free, and it mows better and tackles shaggy, wet grass more effectively than my old Toro gas mower. The handle folds easily and it is very stable when stood on its end, to minimize storage footprint. I was very much in the camp of "yeah, but how good can it really be?" when it came to battery electric mowers, but this thing is so easy to use, so quiet, and works so well, I wish I would've bought one years ago (had it existed then.)
What really seems to make the most impact on how long the battery lasts is stops and restarts. In the dry summer, when the grass isn't really growing and I'm just cutting the heads off dandelions, I have to stop to empty the bag twice, maybe three times, in the course of mowing that 1/4 acre, and the 6Ah battery will be at 25% or better left when I'm done. In the wet spring, especially the first mow of the season, I need to dump the bag about 10-12 times, and it's pretty much guaranteed that I'll need to swap batteries for the last section of yard. I haven't scienced it out, but I do know that starting a heavy rotating mass from a dead stop takes quite a bit of energy, and I imagine that all the restarts are taking a toll on remaining battery charge.
posted by xedrik at 9:19 AM on August 14 [3 favorites]
One thing to note. I have a Toro self propelled 60v battery operated mower and the machine doesn't weigh all that much, the weight is all the battery to make it useful.
posted by advicepig at 1:00 PM on August 14
posted by advicepig at 1:00 PM on August 14
I have the smallest Ryobi mower (ONE+ 18V 13 in. Cordless Battery Walk Behind Push Lawn Mower with 4.0 Ah Battery and Charger) and it suits me just fine. The battery lasts for the entirety of my 1/4 yard, and it’s light enough for me to lift with one hand. The smaller width does mean you need to make more turns, but if you have a wiggly lawn with some narrow bits, like I do, it’s a feature.
posted by punchtothehead at 1:21 PM on August 14
posted by punchtothehead at 1:21 PM on August 14
I have a non-self-propelled Ryobi 40v mower and it works great. I haven't measured it or anything but I'd guess our yard is around that size and we use up maybe 1/3 of the capacity of one 6Ah battery to mow it.
posted by Aleyn at 1:27 PM on August 14
posted by Aleyn at 1:27 PM on August 14
I have a Greenworks 16" 40V push mower from Amazon. Very lightweight, haven't had a problem in four years.
posted by JoeZydeco at 9:05 PM on August 14
posted by JoeZydeco at 9:05 PM on August 14
I loved my SunJoe 16" electric mower. The battery it came with gave me about 40 minutes; I eventually bought a larger one to suit my needs.
posted by TwoStride at 1:47 PM on August 15
posted by TwoStride at 1:47 PM on August 15
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posted by demonic winged headgear at 8:25 AM on August 14 [1 favorite]