Greenworks lawn mower troubleshooting. Greenworks Pro 60V Cordless 21″ Self-Propelled…

3rd August 2023

Greenworks Pro 60V Cordless 21″ Self-Propelled Brushless Lawn Mower W/ 5.0 AH Battery review – Say goodbye to gas

REVIEW – One of the newest innovations in yard work is the switch from gas-powered tools to battery-powered. The benefits are numerous: No fumes, no maintenance, no gas, no power. Wait, scratch that last item—battery-powered tools finally have all the power of gas making them a viable replacement to those smelly gas monsters in your garage or shed. One of the better-known brands of battery-powered tools is Greenworks—who sent me their Pro 60V Cordless 21″ Self-Propelled Brushless Lawn Mower W/ 5.0 AH Battery. The name may be a mouthful, but the mower can handle almost anything thrown at it.

What is it?

The lime-green GreenWorks Pro 60V Cordless 21″ is a self-propelled brushless lawn mower best used for small to medium sized yards. It has variable speed, ergonomic design, one-step height adjustment, 3-way grass discharge, and other features I’ll go over in the review.

Design and features

When you unbox the GreenWorks Pro 60V Cordless 21″ mower, you’re greeted with some immediate good news. Except for two screws to attach the handle, there is no assembly. Once the handle is in place, you’re good to go. A note about the handle: Greeworks placed all the wiring inside the hollow handle, not zip-tied to the outside like so many other mowers. This protects the wiring from all kinds of hazards.

greenworks, lawn, mower, troubleshooting

There are three grass discharge choices: Side, bag, or mulch. With rare exception, I mulch when I mow, meaning there’s no bag or side discharge. Mulching chops up the grass more as it revolves inside the mower deck at incredible speed. I do bag about once a season to help keep any grass build-up in check. I have never used side-discharge, but it’s there for those who might prefer it.

If you decide to mulch, there’s a safety plug that goes where the bag catches grass at the rear of the deck. Bagging requires that this plug be removed and the bag be inserted under a large lift-up door—much like every other mower available today.

Speaking of the deck, the Greenworks mower has a 21-inch steel deck. 21 inches is a good size for a battery-powered mower (but it’s not even Greenwork’s largest). Also, the blade cuts up to the edge of the deck, making it easy to track your mowing. While the steel deck is strong, its weight may cut into battery life vs. a plastic-decked mower.

The wheels on the mower are plastic, but with good tread for digging into grass, especially since the rear wheels are 10 in. vs. 7 in. on the front.

The mower comes with a single battery and a charger. The battery takes about 45 min. – one hour to fully charge. That’s about average for batteries of this type.

Batteries go into the top of the mower motor under a lift-up lid. There are two battery compartments that can hold any Greenworks battery, no matter the size or power rating. There are two added features with Greenwork’s battery compartment: The lid is a soft-close design that doesn’t require any snapping into place. Just let it drop and it gently closes. Also, Greenworks supplies a safety key that must be inserted for the mower to work. That’s a huge safety feature if you need to change the blade without worrying about accidentally powering the mower. The downside is, “Do not lose that key if you want to use your mower!”

The one thing that bugs me about battery-powered tools, is that there are no generic one-design-fits-all batteries. Each company has its own proprietary battery designs, so once you buy that first tool, you are locked into that brand if you wish to swap batteries.

Note: The mower only ships with one 60V 5.0 Ah battery. This can be misleading when comparing this mower to other mowers such as the EGO 21″ Self-Propelled Peak Power electric lawnmower, which ships with two 56V 5.0 Ah batteries. The EGO mower sells for 750 vs the Greenworks 500 price. The price difference is substantial, but a single Greenworks 60V 5.0 Ah battery goes for 200, so the price discrepancy is only 50 if a second battery is added.

Start-up of the mower is so, so simple. Many battery-powered mowers require a two-step process of pressing the on button followed by the blade starter handle—in that order. The GreenWorks setup is also two-step, but it doesn’t matter in what order it’s done. It’s not a big thing, but it is one less thing to think about.

While simple, the starting process has both good and not-so-good features. There are left and right blade and self-propelled levers on both sides of the handle. This is good for both left or right-handed people, but if one side lever is squeezed, the other lever also moves. If the other hand is just holding onto the handle under the lever (easy to do), it will be squeezed by the handle. It doesn’t hurt when that happens, but it is a bit awkward.

The handle houses a “Turbo-Mode” button, self-propelled drive-speed lever, and a battery life indicator so you’ll always know how much battery life is left. If you’re using two batteries, the mower will completely deplete one and then automatically switch to the other rather than use both simultaneously.

The drive-speed lever goes from turtle (slow) to hare (fast). I had the lever moved about 3/4 the way to hare and the self-propelled walking speed was too slow for me—and I’m a leisurely mower. Yet the full-on hare setting was too fast resulting in a small selection range between too slow and too fast. Keep in mind that mowing speed is a personal thing, so YMMV.

Turbo-Mode speeds up the blade motor for a faster, more substantial cut—at the expense of battery life—and should be reserved for tall, thick grass areas only. Despite the Turbo-Mode, the motor is geared to use energy savings when it detects an easier to cut grass area potentially extending battery life. For the record, battery life with the 60V 5.0 Ah for me was exactly 36 minutes on a full charge. That’s with a normal cut using self-propelled for the entire mowing. This makes the mower good for smaller to medium-sized lawns. Two batteries will yield over an hour of mowing—perfect for medium to larger yards. My backyard is almost an acre (with many trees) and I was able to cut half of it before the battery died.

While mowing, I noticed a bothersome (for me) trait while using self-propelled. If you need to back up, you have to wait for a second or two fully stopped before self-propelled mode will turn itself off. Otherwise, the wheels lock up and you find yourself having to drag the mower backward. I’m impatient, so giving the mower that extra second or two is something I am still dealing with.

I really appreciate the battery-life indicator on the handle. Many yard tool batteries have the power rating on the battery itself. With my eyesight (and closer handle), it’s much easier to see how much power remains.

The mower can be set to 7 mowing heights—all using one easy-grip handle. After years of futzing around with separate wheel adjustments with my gas Honda, I’ve grown spoiled by these easy-to-use improvements.

Greenworks was thoughtful enough to include headlights on the Pro 60V Lawn Mower—headlights! The LED lights are bright and can allow extra minutes at dusk to finish mowing a lawn. The lights are bright enough (and the mower is quiet enough) to mow in the dark if you want without disturbing anyone. But that’s not recommended in bug-infested Florida, so I don’t. Note that the lights are always on—there is no on/off switch.

So, how does it cut? My backyard is mostly St. Augustine grass—popular in Florida. It’s deep green, thick, and grows fast, requiring weekly mowing. The mower breezed through the grass with the motor increasing in speed (and noise) only where the grass was thicker. But it never stalled—even in the damp parts. Keep in mind that the still new blade helps.

Due to its larger rear wheels, easy start and quiet motor, the Greenworks Pro 60V Cordless 21″ Self-Propelled Brushless Lawn Mower is a joy to use, despite a couple of quirks mentioned earlier. I expect the steel deck to hold up under punishing use for years. Now I just have to purchase an extra battery to handle my large backyard.

What I’d change

Final Thoughts

Once you begin investing in battery-powered tools, you begin to accumulate batteries which can greatly extend the use time of any tool. The worst mistake you can make is buying different brands of battery-powered tools. It’s important to choose what brand you will use before buying that first tool to get the benefit of switching batteries among all the tools.

Think of charged batteries as refilling the tank after the tool runs out of fuel. Except there’s no fuel or fumes or maintenance or practically anything else to worry about. It’s a new world regarding yard work and I’m all in.

Price: 499.99 US Where to buy: Lowes Source: The sample of this product was provided by Greenworks.

Lawn Mower Grass Catcher Troubleshooting

Stopping every 5 minutes to clear the underside of the mower isn’t much fun! Grass catcher problems can be so annoying.

Troubleshooting a lawn mower grass catcher? Common grass catcher problems like clumping, clogging, uncut grass, and a grass bag that won’t fill are caused by:

In this guide, I will cover all the most common grass catcher problems and their solutions.

Very often, a bad or blunt blade is the root cause of bagging issues. Sharpening or replacing a worn blade will improve bagging performance.

If you need more help, check out the “Blade sharpening video.”

The sharpening video covers safely sharpening the blade both on and off the mower. It also includes balancing the blade and torquing the blade bolt to specification.

What Is Mulching?

I live in Ireland, and it rains a lot; sometimes, it rains persistently, and if you need to cut grass, then you have to cut wet grass. Grass chute clogging is usually caused by cutting conditions but is also commonly caused by a worn cutting blade.

The blade is the business end, and it needs to be in tip-top condition.

Chute – A clogged chute can, of course, be a symptom of an underlying problem. So clearing the chute may not solve the problem. Check the chute for damage or old dry grass build-up.

Clean – Old grass on the deck can cause problems. Regular cleaning will prevent build-up and prolong the life of your mower.

Sharpening – A sharp blade will solve lots of cutting and collecting issues.

Wet Grass – It’s much heavier than dry grass, obviously, and won’t be thrown as far into the grass bag/box by the laboring engine. It also sticks to the underside of the mower, causing clogging and preventing the grass catcher from filling. Mowers don’t cut damp/wet grass very well, especially if it’s tall.

Height – How about the cutting height? It may be set too low. I know this sounds obvious, but try lifting the deck height, and if you want a tighter cut – drop the deck and cut again. Ideally, your mower shouldn’t be cutting more than an inch of grass; ask it to do more, and cut quality suffers.

Try cutting more regularly, and keep your mower deck clean and free from dry grass. Consider coating the underside of your deck with Teflon Non-Stick coating; it helps reduce grass clogging.

Tallgrass – Tallgrass is hard on a mower, especially if you’re asking it to cut the lawn tight with just one cut. Tallgrass will cause the mower to clog.

Option 1 – Quick fix is to spray the deck with WD40; it does help, but it won’t last.
Option 2 – Spray deck with DuPont Teflon coating.
Option 3 – Spray the deck with bed liner, my preferred option. Works on tractors, riders, and walk-behind mowers.

Mulching

As you know, mulching blades chop grass very finely and drop it back onto the lawn, where it helps feed the lawn. Mulching blades are designed specifically for this task, but they can cause lots of clogging problems, especially if the grass is long or damp.

Mulching blades just don’t move grass efficiently because they’re not designed to. They work best when the grass is cut dry, regularly and in small amounts.

Mulching Blades aren’t designed to collect.

Mulching tall wet grass won’t work; the blade is designed to cut just small amounts of grass at a time.

Hybrid Mulching Blade

As you know, a true mulching mower doesn’t collect; its function is to finely chop and drop the clippings. This type of cutting is convenient; it’s a lot less work than emptying a grass bag, which gave mower manufacturers an idea.

The Hybrid Blade (3 in 1) – a mower blade that does it all, collects, mulches, and discharges. Well, it does an OK job, but if conditions become challenging, the quality does suffer, especially if conditions are wet.

The complaint I hear most with the 3-in-1 mulching blades – won’t fill the grass catcher. The solution – remove the mulching blade and fit a lift blade.

If you don’t want to mulch, change your blade for a lift blade; you will eliminate lots of clogging, clumping, and half-filled grass bags.

3 in 1 – The Hybrid mulching blade is kind of ok at everything.

The lift blade is also known as the 2 in 1, so-called because it bags and discharges. The lift blade vacuums the grass upright before cutting and moving clippings to the bag.

They’re designed for collecting grass and are available in low, medium, and high lift. A higher lift blade will require a more powerful engine. The lift is created by curving upwards of the trailing edge of the blade. The higher the lift, the better the bagging. If you love bagging – You need a lift blade.

Honda 3 in 1 – The Honda Hybrid mulching blade is the best in the business. Unfortunately, it can’t be fitted to other mower makes. The reason the Honda is so good at mulching and collecting – twin cut blade setup. Twin stacked blades working together allow blades mulches and move the clippings. Smart!

Grass Bag Won’t Fill

A grass bag/box that doesn’t fill has a few likely causes. The obvious ones: are clogged chute, thatched grass bag, damaged or worn blade, insufficient throttle, and poor engine performance.

Thatched – A thatched grass bag is a common problem. Mowers often get cleaned at the end of the season (well, some do), but bags rarely do. Examine your bag/box as a guide; when held to the light, you should be able to see through it. If the air can’t pass through the bag, then grass won’t be carried into the bag.

A stiff brush will remove the old thatched grass, or better, use a power washer. Cleaning – Stiff brush or a power washer does the job.

Chute Clogs – A clogged chute can be a symptom of an underlying problem. So clearing the chute may not resolve the issue. Check the chute for damage or old dry grass build-up. Grass build-up or damage to the underside of the deck can cause the grass to catch and clog.

Deck Coating – The underside of the deck should be smooth so that the grass moves freely around the deck, up the chute, and into the bag. DuPont makes a Teflon Non-Stick coating which helps reduce grass clogging.

Cleaning – Move your mower to a suitable location, as it leaves a bit of a mess. Just attach and turn on the garden hose. Start your mower to engage the blades.

Why The Grass Trailings?

Grass trailings are commonly caused by a poorly fitting or damaged grass catcher. If you find your grass catcher is damaged, consider buying a new one, they’re available to purchase with or without the metal frame.

Check if the bag/box sits correctly against the mower body. If it’s loose or damaged, the air and grass flow to the bag is compromised.

If all is well with the grass catcher, go ahead and replace your blade.

Trailings are really annoying; check the bagger is closing snugly.

Check For Blade Damage – A defective blade can cause vibration, uneven cutting, and poor grass collection. Examine your blade, checking for damage, misalignment, or bent or broken trailing/leading edges.

Sharpening

Blades need to be kept sharp. I recommend about twice per season or more, depending on the terrain. Obviously, if your blade is dull, it can cause all sorts of problems, including blocked chute and grass catcher issues. Check out blade maintenance tools here; they make the sharpening process a ton easier.

And if you need a video on the process, it covers it here, sharpening blade on and off the mower.

Impact – When blades hit something hard, well, you know! The damage causes vibration and all sorts of cutting issues.

Bent – Bent blades can’t be repaired; just go ahead and replace them.

What Is PTO Slip?

The blade clutch or PTO (Power take-off) won’t be fitted to all lawn tractors, but it’s easy to locate; it lives right under the engine. A clutch system isn’t common on walk-behind mowers, but Honda and Toro offer them on the higher-end models.

It may be manual or electric; either way, its job is to lock the engine crankshaft to the blade deck pulley when you engage the blades on a button or lever. The clutch, like a clutch in a car, will wear out, and when it does, it causes the connection between the engine and deck to slip.

Symptoms include poor grass collection, uncut grass, and sometimes a burning smell.

PTO – Check the PTO system. The manual version is engaged by a cable. It lives on the crankshaft, right under the engine. Check that the cable is pulling the PTO lever all the way.

Fitting – Replacing the PTO isn’t difficult, but air tools would make it really easy.

Check Deck Belt Condition

Belt wear is also a common reason for a chute to clog; check the deck-cutting belt for damage and general wear tear. A new belt will transfer more of the engine power to the cutting blades and will improve the cutting and bag filling performance.

Belt types and lengths will be specific. Some brands will only work well using OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) belts; check out “Mower belt replacement.”

If you need walk-behind or ride-on mower blades, bearings, sharpening tools, etc., check out the Amazon.com link below.

Worn – A cutting deck belt that’s slipping will be less efficient at collecting.

Check the belt for proper tension, cracking, glazing, or contamination.

Damaged – Damaged belts will cause vibration and poor general performance.

A typical deck belt might last 4 – 5 years.

Check Engine Performance

It’s also worth considering, is the throttle set correctly? It should be set to fast/run when cutting. Is the engine running as it should? If the engine power is reduced, the mower may still cut well but will be less efficient at collecting.

A small-engine tractor or walk-behind mower should have a tune-up at the beginning of every season, regardless of how well it might be running.