Best Electric Lawn Mower 2023 – Battery-Powered Mower Reviews. Smallest cordless lawn mower

Worx WG779 Review

The Worx WG779 40V Cordless Lawn Mower is a lightweight mower that is best suited for smaller yards that are regularly maintained and under 5,550 square feet. When fully charged, expect a maximum runtime of about 40 minutes. The mower comes with 2 x 20V (40V) batteries, a mulcher and grass collection bag. The WG779 has been awarded Best Cordless Lawn Mower for SMALL YARDS 2021

The Worx WG779 is a US model Date of review July 2021 by Richard Cutts

Our Verdict

WHAT WE LIKE WHAT WE DON’T LIKE
– Good battery run time (about 40 mins) – Build quality could be better
– Four cutting heights – Struggles in very long \ wet grass
– Folds up for easy storage
– Lightweight (35.3 lb)
– Mulching Grass collection bag

Worx are a big name in the cordless lawn mower world. They have been making cordless mowers for many years and generally they’re pretty good at it. The Worx WG779 is a very popular model and offers all the essential features that most customers look for in a cordless mower and at a very reasonable price. If you have a small yard (no bigger than two single tennis courts) this mower should be on your short list. Read our full review of the WG779 below to help you decide if this the right mower for you.

Best for Small Yards

Worx WG779 has been awarded BEST CORDLESS LAWN MOWER FOR SMALL YARDS

WG779 Features

Video clip of the Worx WG779 in action

Worx Intellicut

This feature provides you with extra torque, which can make it easier to cut grass when there is greater resistance due to thick grass or other reasons. This can also help cut down on energy usage, allowing you to mow longer without unnecessarily burning out the battery sooner. The system can sense when you are mowing in a low-intensity situation (that is, flat land with mild grassy build up) and reduce the power accordingly, or else amp it up to tackle more difficult situations (inclines with thicker grass).

Battery Powershare

This unit is a Worx Powershare product which means its battery is compatible with all Worx 20V and 40V power tools. This is great feature, as it means you don’t have to spend a fortune on different batteries for your Worx power tools. One battery works with them all. As you only have one battery type you also only need one charger.

The Worx WG799 comes with a Smart dual charger so you can charge both batteries at the same time. A full charge of both batteries will take about 2 hours and typically give up to 40 minutes runtime in the ECO mode. This is better than most mowers of this size and price point.

Because the charger supplied with the mower is a ‘Smart’ charger, it will not overcharge the batteries. Once a battery is fully charged, a red light will be displayed and the charger will automatically stop charging. This is good for the health of the batteries and is also good from a safety point of view, as batteries can potentially overheat and occasionally catch fire!

Indicators

An onboard battery charge indicator shows you exactly how much power you have left, which is easily accessible when the batteries are loaded in the mower. The batteries themselves also have power indicators on them.

The grass collection bag also has an indicator, alerting you to when the grass bag is full. The bag capacity, which has a.85 bushel capacity, which is about 30 litres. The bag is a standard size for a lawn mower of this size

Handling

If you have ever purchased a gas-powered lawn mower before, chances are you know how heavy it can be. By contrast, the lightweight nature of this model from Worx is one of its biggest assets. This is aided in part by the fact that, instead of a heavy metal deck, the model makes use of plastic that is lightweight yet very durable.

The mower handles are padded which gives a comfortable grip and greater control, as the grips prevent your hands from sliding about. Although, vibration from the mower is minimal, the padded grips also help absorb vibrations.

Storage

Another benefit of the lightweight build is that this model is a lot easier to store than other models. Once the handle bars have been folded up it can easily be stored on a shelf or hung on a wall hook. As the mower doesn’t use petrol or oil it can be stored at any angle, even upside down if you really wanted to.

Noise Level

The mower is also on the quiet side, so you don’t have to worry about giving yourself or your neighbors a headache with a loud roaring engine. Cordless mowers make roughly half the noise of an equivalent gas mower. Also compared to corded electric lawn mowers they a significantly quieter.

The noise produced by the mower can also be controlled by using the ‘ECO’ mode, rather than ‘TURBO’. However ‘ECO’ mode is not suitable for long grass conditions.

Cutting

The blades on this mower are metal, which is big plus. Sometimes smaller cordless mowers have plastic blades which tend to wear quicker, break and not give the same quality cut as a metal blade.

The design of the mower means that it cuts very close to the edge. For most lawns you won’t need to use an edge cutter, like a weed whacker or strimmer.

The height of the blade can be adjusted up and down to suit your requirements. The highest level is ideal for cutting grass that has got long or if the grass is wet. It should be noted that the WG779 is not really suited to cutting long grass. If you do cut long grass \ wet grass expect the battery runtime to be dramatically reduced.

The cutting width is 13 inches, which is geared more towards smaller yards. If you have an area larger than two tennis courts to mow, we would recommend you look at getting a lawn mower with a larger cutting width. The largest cordless mowers have a cutting width of 25 inches

10 Best Battery Powered Lawn Mowers 2023

Safety

A fairly unique safety feature of the Worx Wg779 is a key that has to be inserted into a plug for the mower to have power. The key is attached to the mower with a cord so it can’t be lost. This is a great safety feature as it means the mower can’t be accidentally be started, especially useful is you have children.

Other than the safety key, all the other safety features are the standard things you get on most cordless mowers.

WG779 Specifications

Weight 29.1 lbs \ 13.1KG
Voltage 40V (2 x 20V)
Deck Width 14 inches
Cutting Width 13 inches
Maximum Cut Area 5,500 square feet
Cut Height Ranges 1.5 to 3.5 inches (6 positions)
Maximum Grass Bag Capacity 0.85 Bushels \ 30 Litres
Warranty 5 Years (not include batteries)

Verdict

Overall, the Worx WG779 Cordless Lawnmower is a solid lightweight unit that’s engineered toward eliminating many of the traditional hassles of heavier units. It is easy to assemble, easy to store, can maneuver and cut around corners with ease, starts at the push of a button and the battery and bag capacity indicator keep you apprised of your mower’s status at all times.

As long as you don’t mind the smaller size and the couple minor consequences that come with it, this mower will prove a solid long-term investment for your mowing and home maintenance needs.

The Worx WG779 is our BEST CORDLESS LAWN MOWER FOR SMALL LAWNS winner Note: The WG779 is the US model, The WG779E.2 is the UK \ European model

We hope you found our review of the Worx WG779 cordless lawn mower useful. If you have any questions then please get in contact

Best Electric Lawn Mower 2023 – Battery-Powered Mower Reviews

As the mowing season comes up on the horizon, it’s time to offer our recommendations for the best electric lawn mowers in 2023. Whether your top priorities are for large lawns, small lawns, high value, or something in between, our experts have weighed in on these best battery-powered lawn mower models.

The good news—there are a lot of quality battery-powered lawn mowers to choose from this year!

Don’t see what you’re looking for? Ask in the Комментарии и мнения владельцев below and we’ll let you know what our choice would be!

Considering gas models, too? Check out those in our best lawn mower recommendations!

Best Electric Battery-Powered Lawn Mower Overall

Commercial Pick: Milwaukee M18 Fuel 21-Inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower

Boasting a monstrous 10 ft-lbs of torque (more than a 200cc gas engine!), Milwaukee’s M18 Fuel self-propelled lawn mower is the strongest battery-powered walk-behind we’ve tested so far. Using a pair of 12.0Ah batteries, it can run up to an hour in light conditions and we ran it for more than 40 minutes when taking off 4 – 6 inches of growth. If there’s a downside, it’s that the drive thumb bar introduces some thumb fatigue, but we were able to adjust our grip to deal with it.

The mower also has a tough build designed to handle professional use while offering the convenience of single-point height adjustments and vertical storage. While there are larger options now available (such as Greenworks’ 82V 30-inch), Milwaukee’s price tag is much easier on your budget.

Price: 1099.00 with two 12.0Ah batteries and a dual-port Rapid charger

Residential Pick: EGO 56V Select Cut XP Self-Propelled Lawn Mower With Speed IQ

The EGO Select Cut mower became an instant favorite of ours with its stacked-blade system and solid performance level to go with its excellent cut quality. EGO stepped it up with the release of the Select Cut XP, taking everything we already loved and stepping up the torque to 8.3 ft-lbs. Now, it’s taking the next evolution by adding Speed IQ.

Speed IQ is a drive system that automatically adjusts with the pace you’re walking. Unlike Toro’s Personal Pace system, this doesn’t use springs and a sensor in the handle arms. In fact, there’s no physical movement we were able to detect at all. Yet EGO’s sensor perfectly adjusted in our tests. Is it magic? No, but there’s some crazy-good engineering in play.

Price: 599.00 bare, 999.00 with a 12.0Ah battery and a Turbo charger

Best Self-Propelled Electric Battery-Powered Lawn Mower

As self-propelled models, our recommendations from Milwaukee and EGO top the charts in this category, too. Here are two more outstanding options for you.

8 Steps To Choosing The Best Cordless Lawn Mower. UK

Commercial Pick: Greenworks Commercial 30-Inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower

At Equip Expo 2022 (formerly GIE), we got our hands on the Greenworks Commercial 30-inch lawn mower. As the first in the 30-inch class for the commercial market, it’s an eye-opener for Pros who have been skeptical of battery power.

As we saw from the 25-inch version, the mower uses two side-by-side blades to achieve its cutting width. Thanks to brushless technology, it cuts with 16,000 fpm blade tip speed, making for clean cuts and efficient bagging/mulching and exceeding the power of a 200cc gas engine.

It’s Smart, too, taking advantage of 4G coverage to provide GPS tracking. On the “why didn’t they do that sooner?” list, it has a reverse function for its independent hub wheel motors.

Price: 1999.00 bare tool, 2999.00 with three 8.0Ah batteries and dual port charger.

Ryobi 40V HP Brushless CrossCut AWD Self-Propelled Lawn Mower

Ryobi crushed it with the development of the 40V HP Brushless CrossCut self-propelled lawn mower, making huge strides over its previous generation of mowers. Matching up very well against EGO’s Select Cut XP, it’s a stacked blade design that offers excellent power and cut quality. Where it has a clear advantage over its competitors is on the side discharge. This mower distributes clippings far better than other battery-powered lawn mowers we’ve tested.

With the upgrade to an all-wheel-drive system, the design team made it selectable so you can run AWD when you need it and just the rear wheels when you don’t. Plus, Ryobi builds this mower in the US using global materials.

Price: 849.00 with two 6.0Ah batteries and a Rapid charger

Toro 60V Stripe Dual-Blade Self-Propelled Lawn Mower

Toro is introducing what is probably the most compelling battery-powered lawn mower for 2023. Using its 60V battery platform for power (there are also gas models), it’s making the jump to a stacked two-blade system similar to EGO’s Select Cut and Ryobi’s CrossCut models. What Toro is doing differently is adding a built-in striping feature, leaving your lawn not with just a clean cut, but also a professional finish.

Price: 629.00 bare, 729.00 with 7.5Ah battery and charger

Best Electric Ride-On Lawn Mower

Commercial Pick: Greenworks Commercial OptimusZ Zero-Turn Lawn Mower

At Equip Expo 2023, it was clear that Pros have more battery-powered ride-on lawn mowers than ever, and more are coming. Greenworks revealed its second generation as it moves from the LithiumZ mowers to the OptimusZ line and embraces a whole-system approach.

With several ride-on and stand-on ZT options up to 60 inches, there’s a wide range for professional crews to build from with the runtime to back up a full day of mowing. Greenworks also unveiled a trailer to support a 100% battery-powered crew, including up to three ride-on/stand-on mowers. Taking it another step further, the team is also working on a version of the OptimusZ that can run with an operator or fully autonomous. We got to see a working prototype at Equip Expo.

Residential Picks

If you’re looking for a residential battery-powered riding mower, there are several really good choices. Of those, two rise above the rest this year.

EGO E-Steer Residential Zero-Turn Lawn Mower

While some will argue EGO’s 54-inch zero-turn is the better option because of its wider deck, the EGO E-Steer is turning heads this year. It has a zero turning radius but uses a steering wheel rather than lap bars for turning. If the traditional lap bar steering system has been keeping you from going to a zero-turn model, it’s a big win.

Even if you’re comfortable with lap bars, there’s still a reason to consider the E-Steer system. EGO shifted the control panel from the side of the mower to the center of the wheel. Now they’re conveniently in front of you where it’s easier to keep an eye on your battery status and make quick adjustments.

Price: 5999.00 with four 12.0Ah batteries and onboard charger (scheduled for May 2023 launch)

Ryobi 80V iDrive Zero-Turn Lawn Mower

Ryobi is also joining the alternative control group this year. These 80V zero-turn lawn mowers feature the iDrive system that uses joystick control. Whether you want to think of it as playing a video game or flying a grass-maintaining fighter jet, it doesn’t take long to get used to.

For its first-generation iDrive models, you have three deck sizes to choose from: 30, 42, or 54 inches. They primarily use a suitcase-style 80V battery that can also be supplemented by 40V batteries to extend your runtime. With performance levels reaching up to that of a 42 HP gas engine, cutting power isn’t a problem.

Best Cordless Push Lawn Mower

EGO Select Cut Push Lawn Mower

EGO’s Select Cut mowers were the first to introduce a stacked two-blade system to battery-powered lawn mowers. By cutting high first and then following with a lower cut, you get a cleaner finish with finer clippings. EGO packs that performance and a host of convenient design features into an easy-rolling push mower for those of you who don’t want or need a self-propelled model.

Price: 379.00 bare, 649.00 kit with 7.5Ah battery and Rapid charger

Best Cordless Mower for Small Lawns

Skil PWRCore 20 18-Inch Lawn Mower

The joy of a small lawn is that it doesn’t take long to cut and you can go with a smaller mower that takes up less space. A 17 or 18-inch deck is great for that kind of lawn. The good news is, you don’t have to sacrifice all the features of larger mowers to get.

Our top pick is Skil’s PWRCore 20 18-inch lawn mower. It has the benefits of a brushless motor, folds up for vertical storage, and its 20V batteries are compatible with Skil’s entire line of PWRCore 20 lawn and power tools.

Price: 299.00 with two 4.0Ah batteries and a dual-port charger.

Best Electric Lawn Mower for Large Lawns

Ryobi 80V 30-Inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower

We knew it would take something special to displace Greenworks 60V 25-inch mower as our top choice for large lawns. It’s taken a couple of years, but Ryobi has an 80V 30-inch self-propelled model that’s taking over.

Like the iDrive ride-on mowers, the 30-inch walk-behind uses an 80V suitcase-style battery for power. The brushless motors turn two sets of stacked twin blades, making for a total of four. By going that route, Ryobi keeps the overall blade mass down while achieving the large cutting width, performance, and runtime it needs to make sure you get the job done well.

This one is slated for launch later in the Spring. Check Home Depot for availability.

Best Budget Cordless Lawn Mower

Skil PWRCore 40 20-Inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower

Here’s the challenge: find a brushless self-propelled lawn mower with a battery and charger for under 400. When it comes to the brands we trust, there aren’t many options.

Skil offers a lot of value with its 20-inch self-propelled lawn mower. Running on the stronger PWRCore 40 line, this brushless mower has excellent all-around performance and cut quality characteristics compared to others in the same price range. If you’re trying to make the switch to battery power on a budget, Skil offers the best value self-propelled lawn mower available.

Price: 399 with 5.0Ah battery and charger

Best Electric Battery-Powered Lawn Mower: Options From Brands We Trust

Best Echo Electric Battery-Powered Lawn Mower

Echo phased out its 58V battery lineup in favor of a completely new 56V eForce line (sorry, the old batteries are not compatible with the new tools) and that includes a new mower, the self-propelled DLM-2100SP. It’s a solid design that presses all the right buttons and makes for a well-rounded machine. It doesn’t challenge the power levels of the top performers, but it doesn’t have their price tags, either.

Price: 449.00 bare, 549.00 with a 5.0Ah battery and charger

Best Greenworks Electric Battery-Powered Lawn Mower

Greenworks has a couple of excellent CrossoverZ battery-powered ride-on lawn mowers to choose from. They use the same 60V batteries that power its other mowers and lawn care equipment (there are 80V versions, too). The design is a very easy transition if you’re switching from a gas mower and you can choose between a zero-turn or lawn tractor design.

Best HART Electric Battery-Powered Lawn Mower

HART stepped up with its SUpercharge 40V brushless self-propelled mower, demonstrating that the brand can make a mower capable of cutting 3/4-acre lawns. The performance level is in the 160cc gas engine class thanks to two active battery ports and the two 6.0Ah batteries included in the kit. Compared to the mowers we’ve used from HART before, this is by far the most capable for those of you holding out for a mid-range gas replacement.

Price: 598.00 with two 6.0Ah batteries and a Rapid charger

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Best Husqvarna Electric Battery-Powered Lawn Mower

Husqvarna launched a 20-inch commercial-grade 3-in-1 battery-powered self-propelled lawn mower with an aluminum deck and front bar to protect the battery/motor housing. The W520i notably is compatible with a battery backpack. It doesn’t fit as cleanly as Makita’s ConnectX since you still need to run an adapter into the battery slots, but it does take the weight off of your back and keep you from being tethered. It also has a higher-than-normal cutting range that tops out at 4.5 inches.

Take a look at Husqvarna’s Lawn Xpert mower—a Lowe’s exclusive for 2023!

Best Kobalt Electric Battery-Powered Lawn Mower

Kobalt is quietly still making excellent electric lawn mowers and the 80V line is where its performance peaks. The most recent is a 21-inch rear-wheel-drive system with an upgrade to the handle system that makes folding it forward for vertical storage easier. In addition to its excellent cutting power, Kobalt also makes efficient use of its batteries, running up 60 minutes with a 6.0Ah battery. Plus, its high 4 1/8-inch top cutting height is great for tall grass species and reclaiming neglected areas.

Price: 699.00 with a 6.0Ah battery and charger, 749.00 with two 4.0Ah batteries and charger

Best Makita Electric Battery-Powered Lawn Mower

One of the biggest challenges with any battery-powered electric lawn mower is runtime. Makita put that problem squarely in its crosshairs and developed the ConnectX system. Unlike other designs, the 1200Wh power supply attaches directly to the top of the mower, offering more than 3x the capacity of most cordless mowers and running up to 3 hours continuously.

Similar to the 18V X2 (36V) XML08, the mower tops out at 2800 RPM with a 2300 RPM Quiet Mode and has a true 21-inch steel deck.

Price: 949.00 bare, 1399.00 power supply (2348.00 for both)

Best STIHL Electric Battery-Powered Lawn Mower

STIHL has been a little more cautious in entering the electric lawn mower market and upgraded the line with a couple of self-propelled models. Of the two available, the STIHL RMA 510 V is your top performer. It features a 21-inch steel deck (20-inch blade) with a tougher build than the 460 series and its 3.9-inch top cutting height is appropriate for taller grass species. The one downside is that this model runs through batteries quickly compared to other self-propelled mowers.

Price: 599.99 bare, 749.99 with AP 300 battery and charger

Best Electric Lawn Mower: What We Look For

Power

Brushless motors make testing power much more challenging because of their ability to sense and adjust to the load the blade is experiencing. To gauge it, we cut an overgrown section of grass to a manageable height and follow it up by seeing how short we can cut an even standard height section of grass.

The more effectively a battery-powered lawn mower can reclaim overgrowth and the shorter it can effectively cut a baseline height, the more working power it has.

Runtime

How much runtime an electric lawn mower has is only part of the equation. The best information is how much area you can cut on a charge. We start with a section of grass cut to a standard height and then see how long we can mow on one battery charge as we cut it down to 3 inches.

Once we know that, we calculate the maximum area you should be able to mow without having to stop and recharge.

Cut Quality

We test three basic areas of cut quality: evenness, bagging efficiency, and mulching efficiency.

Evenness is simple enough—we gauge how even the cut is by looking for blades that stick out and areas that may have been cut shorter than intended.

Bagging efficiency is a matter of seeing how much grass is left behind compared to the amount that is collected in the bag.

Mulching efficiency takes in consideration the size of the clippings the mower drops and whether it creates any clumping or trailing.

Build

We consider the quality of the build based on the materials and how well the mower is put together. We’re looking for solid components that will last well beyond the warranty period, a rigid construction, and protection for the electrical components and batteries.

Hills, Slopes, and Uneven Terrain

Sure, it’s Florida and we don’t have many legit hills. But we do have sloped lakesides and ditches to go along with plenty of uneven ground. We drive or push our mowers to see how well they hold wheel traction mowing uphill, downhill, side-to-side, and bumping along.

Features

In addition to any standout features, here’s a list of the standard items we look for:

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  • Brushless motor
  • Drive type and function
  • Deck size
  • Deck material
  • Height adjustment
  • Height range and number of levels
  • Handle positions
  • Discharge options
  • Battery ports

Value

For our team of experts, value is much more than just price. It’s about what you get for what you pay. An expensive model may very well be the best battery mower value if it’s performing far enough ahead of the budget brands to justify it.

Best Electric Lawn Mower Buying Guide

As you’re deciding on the best battery lawn mower for you in 2022, there’s a lot to consider. These electric mowers are a long way away from when we started with battery power.

What’s Your Budget?

While you can get a battery lawn mower for less than 300, plan on spending at least 500 for a quality model and more than 700 for the best electric lawn mowers.

That can cause a bit of a conflict. When you look at what you can get for the same price on a gas mower, you get more power and features from that gas engine. It won’t have the noise, emission, and maintenance benefits, though.

Are Battery Riding Mowers Viable?

There are a few riding mowers available for both professional and homeowner use. Professional crews have options such as Greenworks’ Lithium Z zero turn (they also have a battery-powered UTV).

Homeowners have more choices with well-known brands Ryobi, Cub Cadet, and EGO (along with several others) providing a handful of zero turns and more traditional lawn tractors.

The models we’ve tested work well and do the job they’re designed for. However, there are two key trade-offs you need to keep in mind. One, there’s a big premium on the cost compared to a gas model. Two, at the moment, you need to plan for long charge times.

A third consideration is simply that this class of electric lawn mower is still relatively new. It’s possible to keep a gas model running for 10 years or more and repower it if necessary. With a full electric power plant, we simply don’t know what kind of service life to expect with proper maintenance.

As battery technology continues to move forward, keep your eyes open for the first graphene or silicon lithium batteries. They’re able to take a charge much faster than standard lithium-ion or lead-acid batteries and have the potential to get you back in the saddle quicker.

Residential or Commercial Quality?

On the surface, there’s not a huge difference between commercial-quality and residential-quality walk-behind battery lawn mowers.

At the high end, power doesn’t seem to vary much (though Milwaukee just changed that expectation). In fact, one of the most powerful we’ve tested—EGO’s Select Cut XP—is technically a residential model.

What commercial battery mowers have going for them is a design and feature set that’s much more tuned in to what professionals ask for. Some of that is merely the difference between what homeowners and professional crews prefer on a mower. But there are differences in the quality of the components that brands choose for their separate lines. Commercial mowers have to be ready for far more service hours each week.

Brands such as Greenworks Commercial, Husqvarna, and STIHL rely on their dealer networks rather than big box stores. You get additional support during and after the sale that you won’t find at other retailers.

Electric riding mowers are a completely different ballgame. With those, you’ll find a much greater difference in design and performance, along with a massive gap in cost.

Self-Propelled vs Push

Considering a self-propelled drive doesn’t have a huge effect on your runtime, it’s a feature you should get if it’s in your budget. Look for variable speed controls and try working it in the store before you bring it home. You can usually tell in just a few minutes if it’s comfortable and natural for your hands.

Look for a mower that disengages its drive easily when you want to pull the mower back. Some systems have a hard time letting go and force you to drag the drive wheels rather than allowing them to roll.

Let’s not completely rule out the classic push mower style, though. When you’re on a budget, you can easily save 100 or more without losing cutting performance if you’re willing to carry more of the workload.

If that’s the direction you’re heading, look for a poly deck to help reduce weight and wheels with bearings and low rolling resistance to make your job a little easier.

Self-Propel Drive Adjustment

Our testing team generally prefers a variable speed dial separate from the presence bar. Taking a different approach, Toro’s Personal Pace and Ryobi’s Smart Trek systems offer a self-adjusting speed that some folks like.

As you’re trying different adjustment styles, look for one that’s on the stiffer side or has positive stops. This will reduce the chances of accidentally knocking it to a different speed if your hand hits it or the terrain is bumpy.

Keep an eye on the location of the dial as well. Front and center is convenient to make adjustments on the fly. However, some people hit that position with their hand or hip as they turn. If that’s you, you might prefer your adjustment on the side so you don’t accidentally change your speed with each turn.

Steel vs Poly Deck

In the gas-powered world, there are really no poly decks—most are either steel or aluminum. The cordless lawn mower world is much different with poly decks in every direction.

Steel is more durable, but it’s very unlikely you’re going to wear through a poly deck over the life of your battery-powered lawn mower. Poly also has an advantage in design. It’s much easier to make subtle changes in the shape that optimizes airflow for better lift, mulching, and bagging than a steel deck.

As we said, steel is more durable. If you have a lot of small rocks you kick up when you’re mowing or perhaps your teenager doesn’t pay quite as much attention as you’d like, then a steel deck can extend your mower’s life. Plus, it just looks good.

Bag, Mulch, or Side Discharge?

You probably already know whether you prefer to mulch or bag. Here in central Florida, we usually mulch to return nutrients to the lawn and avoid stopping every 10 minutes (literally) to dump the bag.

Sometimes, however, you go on vacation or the weather prevents you from hitting your normal mowing day. That’s when side (or rear) discharge becomes helpful.

Instead of keeping the grass up in the deck for finer mulching, it kicks it out. You could bag it, of course, but you’d spend a lot of time emptying. For the sake of getting your cut back under control, side discharging can help keep you moving along when your grass gets long.

Look for a mower that gives you all three options and keep that side discharge chute somewhere handy just in case you need it.

Deck and Blade Size

Most of the best electric lawn mowers have 20 or 21-inch deck sizes with slightly smaller blades (Several brands list the actual blade diameter rather than the deck diameter).

There are smaller models appropriate for smaller lawns or areas with a lot of landscaping to work around.

There are also larger models. Greenworks Commercial and Greenworks 60V both have 25-inch models available. Battery-powered riding mowers run up to 52 inches or more on the residential side and 74 inches for commercial.

The larger deck sizes are most helpful on lawns over 1/4-acre where they offer more significant time savings. For lawns 1/4-acre or less, the standard 20 or 21-inch deck is usually fine.

Single Point vs Multi-Point Deck Height Adjustment

There’s no doubt that single-point height adjustments are more convenient than adjusting each wheel. The relatively lighter weight of cordless lawn mowers also makes it a more viable solution.

Don’t completely discount two or four-point adjustments, though. A four-point system typically has a more rigid construction over single point. Plus, you can kick your front wheels one notch higher than the rear to improve your bagging efficiency.

This one is really about what your preference is. We find most people set their height once and leave it, so a four-point system may not be all that bad from a convenience standpoint.

Multiple Battery Ports

If you have a lawn that’s more than 1/3 of an acre, there’s a good chance you can benefit from multiple battery ports. There are three possibilities: a second storage port, a second active port with a manual switch, and a second active port with automatic switching.

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Automatic switching is the most convenient and usually comes on higher-priced mowers. Manual switching and simple storage take some extra effort, but not as much as going back to the garage or trailer for another battery.

Height Range

The majority of electric lawn mowers have all the height range you need to cover a wide variety of grass species. If you prefer to cut at heights over 3-1/2 inches or under 2 inches, just double check that the mower you’re looking at covers it.

Why Buy an Electric Lawn Mower?

The best electric lawn mower for you should get your lawn cut on one charge. No matter which model that is, they all share some common characteristics. There are no gas emissions and no gas engine to maintain. You still need to clean it off when you’re done, but the maintenance is much easier and takes less time.

They’re also quieter. The early bird gets the worm and if you want to start mowing at 7:00 on Saturday morning, your neighbors can probably sleep through it. of a night owl? Many battery-powered mowers have headlights, and you’re unlikely to disturb your neighbor’s Lord of the Rings marathon at 10:00 PM.

Those are some of the more obvious reasons, but one of our favorites is the ability to put the battery in and mow. There’s no cranking, no choke, and no fuel cut-off valve. As long as you have enough batteries to get the entire lawn cut, it’s an easier system to work with than gas.

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Introducing the World’s Smallest Lawn Mowers

A couple of the main reasons that some people go for the smallest lawn mowers available are because they don’t need the extra cutting width, and because storage space is often very limited. In any case, there is a big demand for lawn mowers that don’t take up a lot of room. When it comes down to size alone, reel mowers definitely have the smallest dimensions of any lawn mowers that you can buy. But, with that being said, some people require a different type of mower and just want to purchase the smallest model available. I’ve been doing some digging and have found a good selection of the smallest lawn mowers of each type.

Smallest Riding Lawn Mowers

While you might not think “small” when you think about riding lawn mowers, there is actually a pretty big variation in size across different models. Though there are quite a few good options when it comes to the smallest riding lawn mowers, I’ve identified two that take up the least amount of space.

Cub Cadet CC30H

First up, we’ve got this small but powerful 10.5 horsepower riding mower from Cub Cadet. It might be hard to believe, but this lawn mower is barely wider than a lot of push mowers. With a 30-inch mowing deck and 32-inch body, it’s surprisingly narrow while still covering plenty of ground with each pass.

As far as the other dimensions go, this mower is about one-third the length of your average car, and reaches about the same height as a car’s mirrors. To be exact, you’re looking at 64 inches in length, and 43 inches in height. With these proportions, you can expect this mower to take up about as much (or even slightly less) space as an average-sized dirt bike.

Husqvarna LTH18538

One of the next smallest riding mowers I came across is this compact model from Husqvarna. Like the Cub Cadet model above, this riding mower has a Briggs Stratton engine. However, we’re looking at a good deal more muscle with 18.5 horsepower. Of course with a larger engine, this mower is also slightly bigger in general.

If the Cub Cadet model I described above takes up as much space as a dirt bike would, this Husqvarna model would take up the same amount of room as a small street motorcycle. Though they are close in size, each of this Husqvarna mower’s dimensions is a few inches larger. The Husqvarna LTH18538 is 40.75 inches wide, 69.25 inches long, and 41.38 inches tall.

Smallest Zero Turn Lawn Mowers

Whether you’re in the market for an upgrade to your current lawn tractor, or looking to buy your first ride-on mower, zero turns are a great choice. Although zero turns are known to be made with some of the biggest cutting decks available, there are some great options when it comes to the smallest zero turn lawn mowers.

Husqvarna RZ3016

Coming in first place for smallest zero turn lawn mower is another one of Husqvarna’s machines. Here we’ve got a 30-inch cutting deck and a Briggs Stratton engine running at 16.5 horsepower.

What this means for the general size of the mower is that it doesn’t take up much more space than your average 21-inch push mower. The technical specifications of this mower are 66.5 inches in length, 34 inches in width, and 39.3 inches in height. I was very surprised to learn this since my own zero-turn mower has dimensions nearly twice that size.

Toro Timecutter ZS 3200S

My pick for second place is the TimeCutter ZS 3200S. The masterminds at Toro made a lot of people happy when they designed this version of their signature TimeCutter mower. This extra small model not only makes it possible to mow hard-to-reach places, but also easy to store.

To give you a point of reference, this zero-turn mower is small enough to fit in most truck beds. If you’ve seen many zero-turn mowers, you might have a hard time believing it but the dimensions don’t lie. The TimeCutter ZS 3200S has a width of 39 inches, a height of 37.2 inches, and is just under 6 feet long at 71.8 inches.

Smallest Gas Lawn Mowers

If ride-on mowers are a bit too much for the size of your lawn or the depth of your wallet, you’re probably looking for a push mower. Or, maybe you’re on the hunt for a small gas mower to squeeze into the tight spots that your riding mower can’t get to. Either way, here are a couple of the smallest gas lawn mowers.

Yard Machines 132cc 20-Inch

Without any added frills or unnecessary components, Yard Machines managed to put together the smallest gas mower on the market. Even with a 20-inch cutting deck, this mower takes up less total space than any of its competitors.

Lack of a feature to bag clippings actually results in an even smaller area required for storage of this mower. While there are mowers with smaller cutting decks, the shorter height and length of this mower seem to be the smallest available. Plus, an extra few inches of width help speed up the job of mowing. What you end up with is a mower that isn’t much larger than some toolboxes at 26 x 22 x 15.25 inches.

PowerSmart 127CC 17-Inch

When it comes down to the smallest gas-powered push mowers, you can’t get much more compact than this 3 in 1 model by PowerSmart. Even though it’s small, this mower gives you the option to bag, mulch, or discharge your clippings.

To lend a bit of perspective to the amount of space required to store this mower, you can imagine that it’s about as big as a 20-gallon storage bin when the handle is folded and the bag is disconnected. Though you will likely want to store the mower on the ground rather than on a shelf, it has a tiny profile. To be exact, this mower comes assembled at 30 x 20 x 16 inches.

Smallest Electric Lawn Mowers

Available in even smaller sizes than their gas counterparts, the smallest electric lawn mowers are pretty impressive. As an added benefit, you won’t need to store any gas cans if you go all-electric with your tools. When searching for the smallest sizes offered, I found a couple of great options, one cordless and one corded.

Worx WG779

Almost unbelievably small for a lawn mower with a motor, Worx has somehow put together a pretty sweet 40-volt cordless machine. Not only does it have a super small frame, but it offers options for bagging, mulching or discharging clippings from the side as well.

Though you will also need to store the batteries and battery charger, the body of this lawn mower takes up roughly the same amount of space as the average moving box. For people with smaller yards, this mower’s 14-inch cutting width is perfect. The wheels push the width out slightly further to 16.5 inches, but the machine is only 28.3 inches long and 13.1 inches tall.

BLACKDECKER 3-in-1 Corded Lawn Mower, String Trimmer Edger

This isn’t your average lawn mower, but it sure is small. With the ability to switch from mower, to trimmer/edger, and back again, this unique tool can handle all the tasks required to keep your lawn looking good.

The best part about its versatility is the ease of storage. Since this is a corded tool, there won’t be any additional space required for batteries or chargers. Additionally, since you can separate the handle from the base completely, it can be stored as if it was a rake or spade. The base is so small it would fit in many workbench drawers. Under ten pounds, and with a 15 by 7-inch base, you have a ton of storage options.

Smallest Reel Lawn Mowers

Well, it’s hard to deny the fact that all reel style lawn mowers are pretty small. However, when it comes down to the smallest reel lawn mowers there definitely are some that take up less space than others.

American Lawn Mower Company 1204-14

If you’re a fan of doing things the old-fashioned way, you’re going to like this mower. The American Lawn Mower Company offers this as their smallest reel mower and it packs a punch. Able to cut through grass up to four inches high, you won’t run into any problems as long as you have the energy to push it.

The best part about this mower is that it can be stored just like a snow shovel. Though the handle needs to be long enough to use, it can be broken down for very compact storage. Extended, the handle is 42 inches tall, but folded, the dimensions of this lawn mower are 20 inches wide by 24 inches long, by 20 inches tall.

Sun Joe MJ503M

Another reel mower with a 14-inch cutting width, Sun Joe’s MJ503M is the second smallest reel mower on the market. With many different cutting height options, and a rugged build, you can breeze through your lawn without an issue.

Similar to the American Lawn Mower Company model described above, this mower has a longer handle that can also be broken down for storage. Able to be stowed in any corner of your garage or shed, the main difference is that this mower is slightly longer. With a more stretched-out base, this mower is 31.9 inches long, 20.5 inches wide, and about 20 inches tall with a folded handle.

About Tom Greene

I’ve always had a keen interest in lawn care as long as I can remember. Friends used to call me the “lawn mower guru” (hence the site name), but I’m anything but. I just enjoy cutting my lawn and spending time outdoors. I also love the well-deserved doughnuts and coffee afterward!

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Ryobi 18V ONE Lawn Mower review – a great mower for small yards with not-so-great batteries

REVIEW – Battery-powered lawn mowers have several benefits over their gas-powered cousins: No more trips to the gas station, no need for oil, no worries about burning off all the gas before storing it away for the winter, less noise for your neighbors, and so on. Last year was the first time that I used a battery-powered lawn mower, and unfortunately that one was too small and quite underpowered. I’m back this year with another mower, this one from the well-known power tool maker, Ryobi. Will it have the power to mow my yard, which is a combination of weeds and Zoysia? Read on to find out more about Ryobi’s 18V ONE mower.

What is it?

The Ryobi 18V ONE Lawn Mower is the latest in a long line of power tools and yard equipment that are powered by Ryobi’s ONE system, which uses lithium-ion battery technology intended to maximize power. This is a brushless push mower with a 16-inch blade that is intended for smaller yards. The mower comes with attachments for mulching or bagging as well as a pair of 4.0 Ah batteries and a charger. Ryobi is a Japanese manufacturer that “specializes in making pro-featured power tools and outdoor products truly affordable.”

Hardware specs

Design and features

The Ryobi 18V ONE Lawn Mower looks like every other battery-powered lawn mower. Nearly every visible part of the mower is plastic, except for the handle bars, the metal bars for the bagger, and the metal bars used to change the height of the mower. Its coloring is a mix of black and Ryobi’s signature bright yellow along with liberal doses of Ryobi and ONE branding. On top of the mower is a compartment for the safety key and the battery. The grass-catcher bag hangs off the back of the mower, and it can be replaced by a plug when mulching. Overall, there’s nothing new or interesting about this design, but as the old adage says, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Installation and setup

When the box arrived, I was a bit fearful for its contents. The box was quite thin, and it had clearly taken a beating during transport. In addition, the single strip of lightweight tape that held the box closed had mostly popped apart, leaving a good bit of the box top open. Ryobi has a lot to learn about protecting large pieces of lawn equipment while they are in transport. Thankfully, as far as I could tell, nothing was broken or missing; there was, however, one random screw in the bottom of the box, and I still have no idea where it came from.

Ryobi included three different manuals, one for the mower, one for the charger, and one for the batteries. The mower arrived partially assembled, so I started with the mower manual to see how to finish the assembly. I don’t like this manual at all. It’s got a 1980’s vibe to it, and the style is not very helpful. The pictures are small, the steps to take are unclear, multiple languages are mixed in the text and make it hard to read, and so on. I figured out how to assemble this mower, but it’s safe to say that I did so despite this manual, not because of it.

Using the charger is super simple, just plug it in and then insert the battery. It can only charge one at a time. The charger has no less than three LEDs:

  • Orange – indicates the battery is too hot or cold to charge
  • Red – indicates the battery is charging
  • Green – indicates the battery is charged

Once the batteries were charged—this takes about 90 minutes per battery—I inserted the safety key and a battery, and I was ready to go!

Performance

The Ryobi 18V ONE Lawn Mower can either mulch or bag. If you want to mulch, there’s a plastic plug that can be inserted into the hole in the back of the mower. As I want to add the grass clippings around my blackberry bushes, most of the time I choose to use the bagger instead. The bag is a typical nylon bag that allows air to flow through while blocking the grass. It’s attached to the mower using a pair of metal clips, which is a standard approach. The bag itself isn’t really that big. I found that on average it only took just over two minutes to fill up; that means I’m going to be doing a lot of stopping and emptying. At least it’s easy to detach the bag, empty it, and reattach.

The airflow out of the back of the mower isn’t very strong. When I mowed grass that was damp, the bagger didn’t work very well, as all the grass jammed at the back of the mower. As long as the grass was dry, however, it worked just fine.

Perhaps the coolest feature on this mower is its height adjusting mechanism. On my gas-powered mower, I literally have to use a wrench to remove the tires to change the height; it’s horrible. On this Ryobi mower, however, all I have to do is use a lever located on the side of the mower; it simultaneously lowers or raises all four wheels. I think this is really slick. It has seven different mowing heights, anywhere from 1.5 to 4 inches in height. I typically kept the mower on the third lowest setting, and that worked pretty well for my yard.

Starting the Ryobi 18V ONE Lawn Mower is easy. I hold down one of the handles and then press the button. I found that this mower starts up with one press every time.

Here’s most important question about the Ryobi 18V ONE Lawn Mower: How powerful is it? Can it mow my lawn without stalling and stopping all the time? Although this mower still doesn’t have as much power as my gas mower, it has enough to mow all but the thickest clumps of grass in my yard. Those still caused the mower to stall, but rarely did they cause it to stop. Whenever I hit thicker grass, the battery gave more power to the engine to power through. This push mower is very usable. I am super happy with the power Ryobi managed to get out this ONE system.

I created a short video to show some of the features of the mower and to show how it worked in my yard:

How big of a yard is this mower good for? As I’ve mentioned, the grass catcher is pretty small. The blade length is 16 inches, which is quite a bit smaller than most entry-level, gas-powered, push mowers that are usually 20 or 21 inches. Ryobi estimates that each battery will last 40 minutes, but what I found was that they averaged far, far less than that. I never got more than 20 minutes of runtime from a fully charged battery.

Ryobi says that the 18V ONE Lawn Mower is designed for yards that are a quarter acre or less. Given the size of the blade and bag catcher, that estimate seems about right, but with these batteries, I think a quarter acre is quite rather optimistic. Either I’ll need to buy two or (more likely) four additional batteries, or I’ll have to mow the lawn over three days instead of all at once. Ryobi does sell extra batteries at Home Depot.

They also sell mowers in this line with larger blades, but you’ll have to pay for the larger mowers. This 16-inch mower is only 280, and the 21-inch mowers start at 500. They also a have a battery-powered riding mower, which looks amazing (but costs 5600!).

Extra Features

There’s a sturdy handle on top for picking up the entire mower, and as the mower is made out of plastic, I can pick it up with one hand.

For those who have a smaller garage or shed, the Ryobi 18V ONE Lawn Mower can be stored in an upright position. To do this, I remove the bagger, loosen the four knobs, fold the handlebars out of the way, and then prop up the mower. It does save a bit of space.

Final thoughts

The Ryobi 18V ONE Lawn Mower is part of Ryobi’s ONE line of power tools and lawn equipment. At only 16 inches, the blade is intended for smaller lawns, but it makes up for that with a smaller price tag. In my testing, I found this mower to be powerful enough to handle all the but the thickest patches of grass in my yard. I’m particularly fond of the height adjustment mechanism and its ability to fold up when stored. I’m very disappointed, however, with the total run time of the batteries; Ryobi says they will last for 40 minutes, but the ones I have actually last for less than 20. I like a lot of things about this lawn mower; if the batteries lived up to Ryobi’s estimated numbers, then I would recommend it without any hesitation. Given their very short run time, however, I can’t really recommend it to you, unless you’re happy buying more batteries or are willing to take three days to mow your lawn.

Price: 299 Where to buy: The Home Depot Source: The sample for this review was provided by Ryobi.