Battery/Electric Lawn mowers

[Slothead56]

We have a second home at the Jersey shore. It has a very small front and rear yard. Because we’re not there all the time I pay a landscaping company to cut the yard and do the trimming. In the Spring they come on average about every 5 days and once a week during the Summer. I haven’t counted it up but, from Spring to Fall, it’s probably 40 -45 cuts. I’ve been there when they do it....takes two guys less than 10 minutes.

As I get ready to wind into retirement I’m considering letting these guys go and taking it on myself. I actually like to cut grass; I still walk behind my mower at home.

Looking at options I’ve been considering an electric, battery based mower. I have no experience with them at all. My rationale is less storage space, lighter weight, easier maneuverability, no gas can in the garage.

Anyone here have experience with them? What are the pluses and minuses? Any particular brand I should avoid or consider? Again, small yard...

Thanks!

[fazool]

I had a corded electric mower "back in the day". Worked fine but I cut the cord countless times - so battery would be great.

I have a tiny front yard (and huge back yard) and often thought Id like one of those old fashion reel mowers - they cut grass better and its super quick.

Modern ones are apparently very high quality, they are ultra inexpensive and a good form of exercise and for a ten minute job they need no fuel and no charging

[birdsong]

I have two. A 20+ year old Black & Decker CMM 1200, and a small-size Sun Joe (I forgot to write down the model number; I think it's the 14" version).

The B&D gets about 45 min of runtime on a full charge. Over the years, I have had to replace the battery several times. What was odd to me is that each time, they did so "under warranty". We have a B&D authorized facility nearby and they have always replaced the battery free of charge. But it now needs another. I think this is the result of being one of the first electric mowers to hit the market, so long ago. I'm sure they're better-made.

The cutting in thicker grass is inconsistent but that never bothered me. I tend to convert most of my grass to native plant garden plots. I only mow the grass that remains to stay within city/legal limits. Again I expect the cut was not always perfect because this was one of the first of its type.........

This is a larger unit and it's heavy (the battery). But I can't complain about 45 min and when it's charged, I can do the much heavier/wetter grass first, and it does pretty well at that. Again this is very old tech and I suspect newer models are "new and improved".

Sun Joe: I love that little thing! It's so light, so easy to maneuver, and it cuts grass. I bought it for one of our rentals (my wife and I rent out a few houses). That property has a very small yard downtown. I decided to try the Sun Joe when one popped up on Craigslist, and I'm so glad. I was disappointed to have to leave it behind (the renters are mowing the lawn) - I just loved using that mower for the few weeks I did.

When I used it on our own yards, I got a good 30 minutes out of it. We can mow the downtown rental yard in about 10-15 minutes so it's perfect there.

John

[MrDB]

The newer models are much better than before and with as small a yard as you have one should work well. Just make sure you get an extra battery.

I bought a battery powered Cobalt with an extra battery and matching edge trimmer from Lowes a few years ago. One of the smartest moves I ever made. I do not have a huge yard.

[Bob in Alberta]

I have a Ego battery powered mower after having a Black and Decker for years. The Ego is great. The old mower was good and was passed down to my son when he bought his first house.

[David Eastwood]

I have an Ego battery-powered, self-propelled mower which will be heading into its fourth season this year. I’m still using the original 56v 7.5Ah battery.

Total runtime is about an hour; my grass takes about 45-50 minutes to mow. This machine is a pleasure to use; it always starts , doesn’t smell, it’s very light, and is very quiet.

I bought it to replace a 20-year old Honda whose control mechanisms disintegrated into a pile of bits. I gave it to a neighbour who cobbled it back together and uses it still - I’m really glad I have the Ego instead. If I’m completely honest, I don’t think it cuts quite as well as the Honda, but I’ll gladly put up with that for the convenience. The newer models have a redesigned mulching blade which has received good reviews.

I also have an Ego snowblower which is a marvel. It runs on two 56v 5Ah batteries, which are usable in the mower too - all the Ego tools run off all the batteries.

Toro has a battery powered mower which I’d take a look at if I were in the market now, just based on Toro’s reputation - otherwise I can’t comment on other brands.

[Birdbrain]

Well, not the best at cutting evenly. My twin blade Honda left everything neater, but it was twice the weight. My Kobalt never chokes, floods or fails to start. It's reliable. And clean- small gas engines lack the pollution controls of our cars, and can produce more pollution than a V8. I never want to own a small gas engine again. Due to their intermittent use, with six month of complete inactivity, their maintenance is confounding. From now on, my mower, chain saw and whatever else will be juicers, not gassers.

FYI, my lawn is over a half acre, with slopes. I've never wanted a rider, because I enjoy the walk. Self-propelled is a godsend, though.

[Busdriver63]

I’ve had an EGO lawnmower for three years. No problems at all. Bought two batteries, keep one charged. It’s quiet, starts, light. I also have a hedge trimmer and a chain saw for light cleanup. Having worked with gas powered tools, it’s a pleasure to just press a button and have something engage.

[Earl49]

I had a corded electric with my mid-sized yard in NorCal (grass did not grow very fast or thick in that dry climate) but got tired of running over the 100 foot cord or being so careful about it. I had to start mowing near the outlet and work away from there, which forced an unnatural and inefficient pattern to the mowing, doubling the time spent.

When we escaped to Alaska, I bought the battery operated Black & Decker model mentioned above, which worked fine for a subdivision sized yard. If I missed a week, it could not handle the thick tall grass in one cutting, so I would cut it at about 5" then recharge overnight and cut again set at 3". Grass grows amazingly well during Anchorage summers. I could mow one day and then cut 1" new growth the next. Finally I just paid the neighbor kid to do it with his gas mower every week. We still have the B&D but with a one-acre yard, it cannot even begin to keep up. (It has been used for trim purposes in a few tight corners). I've gone with a John Deere riding mower and that takes an hour each time.

[KevinH]

Another fan of the EGO battery powered mower. I've had one for 5 or so years. Plenty of power and it picks up the cuttings better than my old Toro. My yard isn't large - maybe 20-30 min to cut. I can get 3 cuts done on one battery, with a little use of my EGO blower off the same battery. If you're short on space, one of it's advantages (over my old gas-powered mowers) is that it collapses easily to a smaller volume. I've gotten rid of all my gas-powered stuff - mower, blower, string trimmer, hedge trimmer - and replaced them with EGO versions. Nice not having to worry about having gas around.

[sayheyjeff]

Had my EGO mower for 4 years and it’s been great. Takes me about 35-40 minutes to mow. No problem. Can probably mow twice on a charge, but there is really no near to try. It’s so easy to take the battery out of the mower and put it on the charger that I do it before I put the mower away. It only seems to take 20 minutes to charge the battery. I never use the catch bag. The grass is cut so nicely I just let it mulch away. The mower folds up easily so it doesn’t take a lot of space. It’s light and easy to use and even to pick up and throw in the back of our little hatchback to take in for blade sharpening. Had an early version from Black and Decker. Had it 10 yrs. they kept recalling and rebuilding it for me so it lasted way beyond expectations. I loved that mower too, but it was nothing like this newer generation of mowers. Less cutting power, the battery only lasted 30 minutes, and it took 12 hours to charge. I highly recommend the EGO.

Jeff

[CodeBlueEMT]

I have a Kobalt 80 volt max that's hard to beat. Mulches, bags, whatever you need. Battery is powerful and lasts forever. In fact, I own several Kobart 80 volt max tools. Won't ever go back to gas power.

[hubcapsc]

I have 20 acres of fields and woods, so I do most of my cutting with
a 1950 Ford 8N tractor and a bush hog.

But I have some EGO equipment too, including a lawn mower. A
Friend gave me the lawn mower when he moved to a place where
he needed a riding mower... he knew I had some EGO batteries.
Anywho... I like it, I run it on a little patch of grass-like stuff out
by the front door. I even gave my Husqvarna chain saw away to
a friend and get by with everything I have any business doing anyway
with my EGO electric chain saw.

The big plus for me on electric stuff... when you haven't turned it on since
last fall, you mash the button, and that sucker turns on! No messing
with old gas, gummed up carburetors, won't idle...

-Mike

[Dotneck]

Cub Cadet recently brought out a battery operated riding mower. I’d like to try one of them...