Battery powered lawn movers: pros and cons

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Old 07-07-2021, 06:39 AM
Songbird Songbird is offline
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I recently replaced my failing zoysia 5000 sq. ft. corner lot lawn with St. Augustine and was not confident my lawn service would mow it properly. I purchased a Toro 21" Recycler Smart Stow Brushless Motor (model 21356) mower for less than $400 with my vets 10% discount at Home Depot. It takes me about 25 minutes to mow the lawn using only half the battery charge. Really like this mower. One caution, for all your battery driven lawn tools, charge your batteries when cool in an A/C space, not in your hot garage. Heat is the big destroyer of rechargeable lithium batteries. BTW, I also love my electric street legal Par Car golf cart.
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Old 07-07-2021, 06:51 AM
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I have a greenworks pro. It takes me close to 40 minutes to mow my lawn. I can usually do that on one charge. I’ve had it for 2 years and it’s running fine. I enjoy mowing.
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Old 07-07-2021, 07:05 AM
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I currently mow my lawn with my trusty old Honda gas mower. It works fine now, but is getting on a bit. My fear with electric mowers is their ability (or lack of) to plow through a lawn that should have been mowed 3 or 4 day earlier. I get lazy sometimes and it takes a "gentle" nudge from my wife to get me up off the couch.

Can electric mowers deal with cutting 2 or 3 inches of grass?

Thanks for any feedback.
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Old 07-07-2021, 07:52 AM
Jawskid6044 Jawskid6044 is offline
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I have a Kobalt 80v. Yard about 3500 sq feet. Cut twice on one charge. Very good mower.
  #20  
Old 07-07-2021, 07:54 AM
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We have an EGO self propelled. Mower will mulch, bag, or side discharge. Is does a great job I am very pleased with its performance. It’s a 56v, ours came with a 7.5 AH battery. We our yard isn’t terribly large due to the pool. Battery lasts for 2 mowings easily. The EGO comes in several battery sizes 5 AH, 7.5 AH, or 10 AH. Never an issue, I strongly recommend it!
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Old 07-07-2021, 08:05 AM
IamTJS IamTJS is offline
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Default Electric mower

How much do you want for it?
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Old 07-07-2021, 08:22 AM
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Default Electric powered lawn mowers

I own a Ryobi... 40V lithium.... highly recommend it.
  #23  
Old 07-07-2021, 08:36 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BoSox49 View Post
I have used a Kobalt battery powered mower for 2 years now to mow 5000 sq ft. I only use one of the 2 batteries that came with it. I haven't had any need to use the 2nd battery; 1 battery does the whole yard. Highly recommend this mower.
The batteries are expensive. They do have a time life, likely around seven years. Also, there is stand by losses. Simple solution is to number the batteries and rotate them.
Assuming they are lithium ion it will say expected recharge cycles. No one counts them but, you get far more charge cycles if you do not drain the battery far down. You should recharge them after each use not wait till the next time you want to use the tool.
Heat, as in your garage is also bad for batteries.
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Old 07-07-2021, 08:44 AM
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I’ll take it.
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Old 07-07-2021, 08:45 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DAVES View Post
The batteries are expensive. They do have a time life, likely around seven years. Also, there is stand by losses. Simple solution is to number the batteries and rotate them.
Assuming they are lithium ion it will say expected recharge cycles. No one counts them but, you get far more charge cycles if you do not drain the battery far down. You should recharge them after each use not wait till the next time you want to use the tool.
Heat, as in your garage is also bad for batteries.
Charging to less than a full charge (4.1v) will also prolong Li-ion life. (more charge cycles)
BU-808: How to Prolong Lithium-based Batteries - Battery University
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Old 07-07-2021, 08:57 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Toymeister View Post
There are two main factors that you need to consider.

- Do you currently have any battery powered tools? If so use that brand of mower as you already have extra batteries on hand.

-Do you want better quality of cut/better battery life/longer usable life of tool/bigger budget? If so you want a brushless mover.

Most comments on this thread will probably be useless as they will be something along the lines of buy the one I did, at a local store, as it works for me.

All references to voltage of batteries are meaningless. If it was true that more volts equals superior equipment then every European -220 volt- product would be superior to every US 120 volt product. Not to mention that every 20, 40, 60, and 80 volt cordless tool are stated at peak voltage and are in fact 18, 36, 54, and 72 nominal volt tools/mowers.

I bought a Makita. I chose the Makita system because Makita has the most cordless tools in the world and everyone uses the same battery (sometimes doubled up). Makita chargers fan cool the batteries during charging, extending battery life. Makita does not lie though marketing exaggerated claims. The 21" mower has a 21" blade not a 21" deck and 20" mower (I am looking at you Kobalt). Makita has three mowers to choose from and several weed trimmers, four blowers etc. The steel deck Makita models are made of a thicker gauge steel (25% more). The tires are rubber and not a black tinted slick plastic, and so forth.

All of this comes at a price. At this point I my life I simply want something that does what it claims to do and does not break, that is why Makita is the best choice for ME.
Toymeister, I may be wrong but my first battery operated tool was a Makita but not many stores sell Makita anymore. Besides I never saw a Makita mower before. Correct me if I’m wrong but tell me who sells Makita mowers? The biggest Hardware chains don’t, Lowe’s, Home Depot& Ace don’t. But you’re right Makita is the best. I have Milwaukee now but they use to be totally junk.
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Old 07-07-2021, 09:02 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jdulej View Post
I currently mow my lawn with my trusty old Honda gas mower. It works fine now, but is getting on a bit. My fear with electric mowers is their ability (or lack of) to plow through a lawn that should have been mowed 3 or 4 day earlier. I get lazy sometimes and it takes a "gentle" nudge from my wife to get me up off the couch.

Can electric mowers deal with cutting 2 or 3 inches of grass?

Thanks for any feedback.
A lawn it is a merciless slave driver. Insturctions supposed to cut off not more than 1/3 of its length at a time. The pros will not do it but there are times when it should be mowed twice a week. With all this rain you can probably watch your grass grow and still have time for meals and a nap.

Far as an old mower. If, you take care of it, change the oil. They last close to forever.
Gone are the points, new ones are electronic, it either works or it does not. If, it does not work it is a replacement part. It is an easy job to remove the shroud and clean all the dirt and dead grass out of the cooling fins.
  #28  
Old 07-07-2021, 09:07 AM
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Originally Posted by Petersweeney View Post
Funny - no one likes electric golf carts……
I think about 35% to 40% disagree with you. Depend on what you want it to do.

Last edited by Topspinmo; 07-07-2021 at 09:30 AM.
  #29  
Old 07-07-2021, 09:13 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DAVES View Post
The batteries are expensive. They do have a time life, likely around seven years. Also, there is stand by losses. Simple solution is to number the batteries and rotate them.
Assuming they are lithium ion it will say expected recharge cycles. No one counts them but, you get far more charge cycles if you do not drain the battery far down. You should recharge them after each use not wait till the next time you want to use the tool.
Heat, as in your garage is also bad for batteries.

Lithium batteries are computer controlled they stop long before the are close to dead. I have. 56V batteries and they stop at 41Vs. IMO problem with ion don’t over heat them. Rotate them so they have time to cool down before charging. Charging crates heat also.
  #30  
Old 07-07-2021, 09:19 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DAVES View Post
The batteries are expensive. They do have a time life, likely around seven years. Also, there is stand by losses. Simple solution is to number the batteries and rotate them.
Assuming they are lithium ion it will say expected recharge cycles. No one counts them but, you get far more charge cycles if you do not drain the battery far down. You should recharge them after each use not wait till the next time you want to use the tool.
Heat, as in your garage is also bad for batteries.
Mostly agree, except you can’t drain them dead. When one stops check volts, they have at least 30% left. At least the ones I use do.

Good luck getting 7 years out of big battery. Imo they have charging cycle limit. The more you overheat them The shorter the life will be.

Last edited by Topspinmo; 07-07-2021 at 03:12 PM.
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