How Battery Mowers Work
Several features have enabled the improved capability of battery mowers. First is the lithium-ion battery, which has grown in size and sophistication, with the ability to better manage the heat and electrical strain that it experiences. And that equals better durability and run time. Next, brushless motors have fewer parts and increased reliability, compared to motors equipped with brushes that slowly wear away. This is especially important given that a mower operates in harsh conditions and high temperatures.
Another factor that has enabled the success of these motors is their electronically controlled output. When the mower encounters tall grass, the motor speed increases automatically, also ramping up the blade speed. The reverse occurs when the load on the mower eases, such as when it enters low or thin grass. Other battery mowers are equipped with a manual switch that conserves battery charge by running the motor at lower rpm . Use this low-power setting at the height of summer when the grass is dry and brittle it may need only a light trim.
Battery mowers are also quieter than their gas-engine counterparts, and since they dont burn fuel, they dont have hot surfaces like an engine or muffler that can burn you.
Getting Lost In The Weeds
During this first testing, we subjected this mower to conditions it may not have been designed to routinely undertake. Our test patch was on the other end of the spectrum from a finely manicured lawn and may have been better suited for a brush hog than a mower. We estimated that the grass was approximately 9 average height as gauged by the height when compared against a 5-gallon construction bucket.
When we used the side rear discharge chute, the mower resembled a hay bailer with the debris shooting out the side. Surprisingly, the mower did not bog down even when we cut down small bush-like growth and dense iron grass clumps.
The mower senses when the speed drops and almost instantly provides more power to compensate for the additional load. The user can hear the change in pitch when this happens. The mower recovery time to increase the speed is almost instantaneous.
First Cut
We started the test patch with the mower deck at 6 ½ high. That way, we could go through the highest grass and weeds and frankly miss anything that was concealed in the grass. We used the mulching plug for this cut to see if the mower would choke on the amount of material it was chewing up. It did not and cut through the materials with no trouble at a relatively high speed. Our typical speed on the first cut was between 3 ½ and 4. The first cut lasted ½ an hour and used one unit of power out of four
Second Cut
Final Cut
What You Should Know About Buying Lawn Mowers
Self-propelled lawn mowers can take some of the effort out of walk-behind mowing.
There are two basic types of walk-behind mowers: push and self-propelled.
The push type of mower is usually smaller, lighter, and easier to store. They are used primarily for smaller, more level lawns. They are perfect for cleaning up areas that larger riding lawn mowers may miss. They may be run by gasoline, cords, or battery.
Self-propelled lawn mowers usually have a larger cutting diameter and can move on their own through operator controls. These mowers can also be powered by gasoline, cords, or battery. Since they take the brunt of the pushing away, self-propelled mowers are perfect for larger lawns up to a half-acre, and they can easily handle hills and sloped lawns.
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Ego 56v Select Cut Self
- Overall Rating9.4
We tested the new Gen 3 EGO Select Cut lawn mower against its predecessor, the dual-battery Peak Power model, and some of the top performers from our recent best self-propelled lawn mower head-to-head review. If you want a great mix of cut quality and run-timethis might be your new favorite mower.
Impressed by both the original EGO 56V cordless lawn mower and the new EGO Peak Power lawn mower, news of a third-generation mower quickly caught our attention. When we found ourselves able to test it on a nearby sod farm, we jumped at the chance. The EGO Select Cut lawn mower features an improved 1000W brushless motor and all-new blade design. EGO pulled out all the stops on this mower, designing it to cut powerfully, bag efficiently, and mulch effectively. After testing it over two days on literally acres of pristine Floratam grass, this mower seems to be the new top performer.
Best Stihl Electric Battery
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 with a tougher build than the 460 series and its 3.9-inch top cutting height is appropriate to taller grass species. The one downside is that this model runs through batteries quickly compared to other self-propelled mowers.
Price: $459.99 bare, $699.99 with AP 300 battery and charger
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Pros And Cons Of Self
If youre currently in the process of shopping for a new lawn mower, self-propel is maybe one of the features you had in mind. But now youre not sure if its must-have or a luxury that you dont really need. In this article, Im going to run through the main pros and cons of self-propelled lawn mowers so that you can look at what a self-propelled lawn mower can offer you and whether it really aligns well with your needs, or whether its an expensive add-on that wont really make much of a difference to your mowing experience.
Battery Mowers Come Into Their Own
Battery mowers are a good choice for lawns of less than 12 acre, which now make up the bulk of newly developed residential properties. Because theyre electric, battery mowers also are more eco-friendly than gas machines. And Consumer Reports tests show theyre quieter.
Battery self-propelled models draw energy from the motor to power the wheels, which makes them easier to maneuver on a larger or sloped lot. Battery push mowers are generally less expensive, with fewer features than self-propelled typesideal if you have less than 14 acre of grass to cut.
Performance-wise, both types are making gains. In Consumer Reports lawn mower ratings, the top battery self-propelled mower, made by Greenworks, scores just a couple of points lower than the top-rated gas model, a Honda statistically, theyre even. Several other self-propelled battery mowers just below the Greenworks mower in the ratings perform comparably to their highly rated, self-propelled gas counterparts.
And two battery push mowersfrom Ego and Ryobireceive significantly higher overall scores than the top-rated gas push mower, also a Honda.
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Best Selling Greenworks: Mo40l4413 Dual 40 Volt Self
If youre looking for the best-selling battery-powered self-propelled mower, it would be the MO40L4413 mower from Greenworks.
Currently, based on value, this is the top-selling self-propelled mower on Amazon, and with great reviews, this mower is a great opportunity to ditch your gas-powered lawnmower.
And one of the reasons is the Auto-Switch battery feature, enabling the 2nd 40- Volt battery to kick in automatically once the first 40-Volt battery is depleted.
Another premium feature is the Smart Pace speed control, which adjusts to your preferred walking pace!
Boasting 4.0 Amp Lithium-Ion batteries, this mower offers an astounding 70 minutes of run time on a single charge. Thats nearly the run-time of our Editors choice the EGO mower. Unless you have a huge yard, youll rarely need to stop and recharge batteries to continue.
- 3-year Tool Warranty 3-year Battery Warranty
Greenworks vs. EGO Mower Comparison:
EGO mowers offer a 5-Year vs. Greenworks 3-Year Full warranty The EGO lawnmower here also includes LED headlights for low lighting conditions. Both EGO and Greenworks include a 3-Year Battery Warranty which is important because new a lithium-ion battery for lawnmowers is not cheap!
GREENWORKS BATTERY LAWN MOWER
Best Echo Electric Battery
ECHO is phasing out its 58V battery lineup in favor of a completely new 56V eForce line and that includes a new mower . We havent had a chance to test it out, but it is a 21-inch self-propelled model and looks like it will come in 2 x 2.5Ah and 2 x 5.0Ah battery configurations.
Price: $399.00 bare
For all the reasons we mentioned above and more, the Select Cut XP is EGOs best electric lawn mower.
Price: $549.00 bare, $799.00 with a 10.0Ah battery and rapid charger
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Redback Lawn Mower E146cv
This self-propelled lawn mower is battery powered. It is ideal for large sized lawns. It has a sturdy, yet beautiful design that looks catchy to the eyes. The cutting type is rotary.
The deck size measures about 46cm, meaning it can take up as much grass with one clean sweep. It weighs just about 23.6kg, making it lightweight, so you wont feel the impact of pushing it around.
This product can come with a 4.0 Ah or 6.0Ah 40V battery, depending on how much you are willing to pay at that time. This lawn mower can cover as much as 1000 square meter worth of grass.
Pros
- Cutting height can be adjusted in 5 positions from 20mm to 75mm.
- You can use its battery for any other Redback 40V product.
- 60 liter capacity grass collection is just enough for 1000m2 lawn.
- Grass can be managed either by mulching, side discharge or you simply cut and collect.
Cons
- Only ideal for large lawns.
What Is The Best Battery Powered Lawn Tool Brand
In our opinion, EGO Power+ is the best brand of battery-powered mower for a few reasons:
- One, the power source of all EGO battery tools is 56 Volts, which is on the Top-End of Lithium-Ion Battery Systems for all battery Lawn Tools.
- Second, the broad depth of battery tools made by EGO manufacturing, and lastly, the industry-leading EGO Power tool warranty of 5-Year duration.
Coming in as the best overall value for those on a tighter budget would be the Greenworks brand, with an equally large number of products in their extensive lineup of 40 Volt battery-powered equipment.
Lastly, Makita leads the way in premium battery tools and therefore has a perfect interchange between Makita premium battery-powered Lawn equipment and Makita battery-powered tools
I own and use an EGO self-propelled mower, EGO string trimmer, EGO Edger, and the EGO leaf blower for my yard.
I couldnt be more impressed by this outstanding Battery-powered system and its durability and dependability at our home. Its been worth every penny spent and then some!
Recently I added the EGO 16 chainsaw and EGO edger to our list of battery lawn tools, and each one of the EGO tools performs beyond what I had expected.
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Self Propelled Lawn Mowers Buyers Guide
Since youre going to be spending a decent chunk of change on a self-propelled lawn mower, you dont want to just buy the first one you see on Amazon. So, were going to break down everything you need to know about self-propelled lawn mowers to help you decide on a product.
Best Upgrade Makita Xmlo7pt1 21 36 Volt Self
For all the Makita fans who only buy or use Makita tools, including Commercial contractors Here is the #1 Makita self-propelled lawn mower you can buy.
With a large 21mowing deck and incredible battery duration , the 36 Volt Makita XMLO7PT1 mower can mow for up to 2 miles. This Makita battery lawn mower also comes with a host of premium upgrades, including a Commercial grade steel mowing deck and Four of the super-long duration LXT 18 Volt 5.0 Ah Lithium-ion Batteries.
You can keep batteries charged for backup or insert all , and the mower will switch to fresh batteries automatically for longer run times. Approximately 90 120 minutes of run time.
The Makita also includes a rapid dual-port battery charger, Variable speed control, and three different mowing options Mulch, Side Discharge, or Rear Bagging . Simply choose the best method that suits your needs, and get moving.
Per our research on noise ratings, the Makita is rated as the quietest mower on the market.
- 2 Bushel Grass Clippings Bag included
- 5-year Tool Warranty 3-year Battery Warranty
As you can see above, this is a commercial-grade self-propelled battery mower. The durability of a steel deck is a big upgrade compared to other popular battery mowers. The steel deck makes it heavier, at 115 pounds, but with four large batteries, its especially well suited for any homeowner or contractor.
To find this mower online click on the link below:
MAKITA BATTERY LAWNMOWER
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Why You Should Trust Us
Over the past nine mowing seasons, weve spent more than 120 hours researching nearly 250 mowers, interviewing experts, and extensively testing some of our top picks.
An invaluable source has been Roy Berendsohn, a Popular Mechanics lawn mower guru who has more than 20 years of experience testing and writing about mowers. If Berendsohn isnt writing about mowers, hes often being interviewed about them .
Weve interviewed landscapers, including Chad Crosby of West Michigan Lawn Services and Paul Koehler of Koehler Landscape Construction Services. Weve called people at lawn mower retail/service outlets, like Nick Ortiz at Kellam Lawn Mower in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, and Boston Lawnmower Companys David . Weve talked to product managers at Honda, Toro, Troy-Bilt, Ego, Cub Cadet, and other manufacturers.
Personally, I maintain a rural property in New Hampshire that is far too large for a push mower to cover but that does provide ample room to test our recommendations. This guides editor, Harry Sawyers, assists with testing mowers on his LA property and draws from his previous experience as a professional landscaper.
$599 At The Home Depot
Theres a lot to like about Ryobis self-propelled Smart Trek model. For one, it was the easiest model to put to use right out of the box. Simply pull the lever on the handle crossbar, raise the handle up and lock it into place, choosing from two height options. When youre done, one pull of the lever folds the handle back down and you can tilt it vertical to store it. Nothing to it. It also has some nice features: dual blades for better mulching LED headlights a seven-position height adjustment, from 1.5 to 4 inches bagging, mulching or side discharge options and a lifetime warranty on the 21-inch deck and a five-year warranty on the rest of the tool.
The Ryobi comes with two 40-volt batteries and a dual battery port with up to 70 minutes of total run time, so you can switch from one to the other if one runs out of juice while youre still mowing. This relies on a start key inserted near the batteries. To change batteries, the key must be turned so its arrows point to the one in use. That, along with the battery lid that doesnt stay up on its own, creates a lot of rigamarole. Once thats all set, to start the mower, you press a button and engage the levers. Conversely, just release the levers to stop it.
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Residential Or Commercial Quality
On the surface, theres not a huge difference between commercial quality and residential quality walk-behind battery lawn mowers.
At the high end, power doesnt seem to vary much . In fact, one of the most powerful weve testedEGOs Select Cut XPis technically a residential model.
What commercial battery mowers have going for them is a design and feature set thats 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 wont find at other retailers.
Electric riding mowers are a completely different ballgame. With those, youll find a much greater difference in design and performance, along with a massive gap in cost.
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 .
Homeowners have more choices with well-known brands Ryobi, Cub Cadet, and EGO providing a handful of zero turns and more traditional lawn tractors.
The models weve tested work well and do the job theyre designed for. However, there are two key trade-offs you need to keep in mind. One, theres 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. Its 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 dont 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 silicone lithium batteries. Theyre 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.
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