Youve got mulching, bagging, and side discharge and a top cutting height of 4 inches. 2022 Cable News Network. We noticed the mower would move while adjusting it unless you held it in place. Backups help see you through the wide variety of cutting conditions that occur in a growing season, and they also help spread out the wear and tear on the batteries, instead of quickly working them to death. To go faster, you just push the handle down farther, resting easy in the knowledge it will never get away from you. Its also set up like a traditional gas mower: You insert a key, pull the bail to the handle and push the start button. When the mower encounters tall grass, the motor speed increases automatically, also ramping up the blade speed. Battery runtime will differ based on how long your grass is, moisture, density and other factors, but on average it lived up to its promise of about 60 minutes of run time on a single charge. Conversely, just release the levers to stop it. Now, as far as cutting our grass went, every mower we tested did a great job both when mulching and bagging and required very little assembly, and all had many similar features (mulch, bag and side discharge options, adjustable cutting heights and rechargeable batteries with enough juice to mow our standard-size lawn on one charge). We mulch, bag, and side discharge. We liked its mulch-bag door lever. When the grass is tall, youll be glad you have that much height adjustment. We mow tall grass and weeds. You get 10-inch rear tires to help it better roll over washboard surfaces, dual batteries, and three-function capability: mulch, side discharge, and bag. Use this low-power setting at the height of summer when the grass is dry and brittle; it may need only a light trim. It also gets bonus points for front and rear handles on the body (at 55.3 pounds, it, along with the Ego Power+, was the lightest of the bunch) that make moving it extra easy. 1. Release the bail lever. Toro has, wisely, not altered some of the previous features that make this mower work: rear wheel drive, a one-piece deck thats all steel (no plastic nose), rear-wheel drive, 11-inch wheels to help it roll over roots and crevices, and the same fold-forward handle that was an industry breakthrough when it was introduced some years ago. Adjust its deck height with one lever. All the electric mowers required one or two batteries to operate and were very easy to use, although some were more comfortable and required fewer steps to start mowing. Its other ease-of-use features include an easily installed or removed bag that mounts and dismounts straight up and down through the handle; deck adjustment is quick and easy thanks to a single-level deck height adjustment. The straight edge deck is polypropylene; it will never rust and needs very little care other than basic cleaning. This model comes with four 18-volt batteries (charge time is about 45 minutes) and the machine requires two of them to operate, with a run time of up to 40 minutes when you use up all four batteries, so theyll likely need to be switched out during a single mow. Discovery Company. All included grass bag catchers, and most of those needed to be assembled, but again with no tools necessary. Besides, most cool-season turf grasses are healthier and do a better job of blocking weeds when they are cut tall, in the 2.5- to 4-inch range. Early spring testing and inconsistent grass height didnt allow us to come up with a reliable square footage assessment of this mower. People have diverse mowing needs, from tidy little patches of grass to rough-and-tumble rural properties. If that isnt an issue for you, the Sun Joe will neatly, easily, and inexpensively get the job done. Its bag was about 34 full after almost 500 linear feet of mowing. To stop the mower, just release the bail switch and the automatic braking mechanism stops the blade from spinning within three seconds. At 40 volts and weighing under 40 pounds, plastic-deck mowers like this may be the future for people who have tiny yards. We also check for a neatly mowed surface. That makes it completely out of its element in tall thick grass, but thats not what the mower is designed for. The Ego Power+ Select Cut and the Ryobi were the only mowers we tested that included a mulching blade in addition to the standard cutting blade. Nothing to it. The Ego Power+s battery compartment is easy to access, and the mower gives you clear feedback on how much battery life you have left. That said, this mower was one of our favorites in terms of performance and if self-propulsion isnt important to you, its just right for cutting grass in smaller yards. Easy to use with little to no assembly right out of the box, the latest cordless electric lawn mowers run on rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, are far quieter than gas-powered models and, with no risk of fuel leaking or going bad, can be stored away vertically, saving precious garage or shed space and requiring no off-season maintenance. Mower Health = Lawn HealthHeres how to make the switch from a gas engine to a cordless mower and cut more grass per charge. All were quieter than traditional gas mowers, although certainly not silent. Thats a small complaint, though, for a fine mid-size battery mower. These can be quite pricey: A 56-volt Ego battery is $229 at Lowes, but many mowers include them in their price and, if you are loyal to a certain brand, the batteries are often interchangeable with the lines other cordless tools. Simply pull the lever on the handle crossbar, raise the handle up and lock it into place, choosing from two height options. All the models we tested featured standard 21-inch decks (save one that had a 22-inch deck), mulch, bag and side discharge and adjustable cutting heights and required at least one brand-specific rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Even though it didnt offer clear clicks like the Ego Power+ Select Cut, it was easy to operate and also goes up to 3 miles per hour. Unless your mowed area is very small, say 1,000 square feet or less, you almost always need a second battery or pair (for dual-battery mowers). In rear: Makita Self-Propelled, Ego Power+ LM2101, Toro Recycler Smart Stow, Ryobi Smart Trek, Greenworks Pro Cordless. Its a small, simple thing, but very convenient. Other like-able attributes: It has a good quality bag (and frame) that lifts straight up through the handle, and the mower switches automatically between its two batteries. Those are all features that weve come to expect on well-featured gas engine mowers, and youve got them here. Until the DCMWSP244U2, we had never tested a front-drive battery mower. The Toro Recycler SmartStow has nine cutting positions, from 14 inches; a durable 22-inch steel deck; bag, mulch and side-discharge functions and comes with a two-year full warranty on the mower and a three-year warranty on the battery. We cut a section and lie on the grass and sight along the top of the surface of the grass to get a better sense of the finished product. Remove the plug to bag. We cant verify that, but we can say our results indicate the design is successful. And that equals better durability and run time. A removable plug slides into the back of the deck to seal it for mulching. On the other hand, its lightweight, mid-fold handle, and 18-inch width allow you to pick the thing up and put it on a shelf when youre done, even laying it on its side, because the plastic deck is molded into a straight line on the left and right sides. However, there are built-in handles to help move it easily (it weighs about 60 pounds), and you can store it vertically, like all the models. Its a two-function machine (mulch and bag) that skips over fancy bells and whistles. But you dont have to operate in all-wheel drive. So in that respect, this is a nice little mower. Plus, lever-operated drive increases your control in all cutting situations, but especially in push-pull mowing and when driving the mower with one hand, as sometimes occurs moving laterally along a hill. We cut lawns that are immaculate and we mow the rim of a retention basin. Were confident our research will lead you to the right mower, regardless whether your lawn is like a putting green or more like our retention basin. It has outstanding cut quality, so much so that will it make a healthy lawn look like velvet when youre done. Its rear-wheel drive and reasonably aggressive tread pattern provide good hill climbing and sidehill cutting performance, and its bagging on all surfaces (level, sidehill, and uphill) is also commendable. Another notable feature unique to this model is that there is no need to insert a mulch plug for that task; with the Toro you simply turn a lever between mulching and bagging. Last year alone we cut grass from April to November. Squeeze its blue handles to make it move forward; release them to stop. Fully assembled, you need only put the included bag grass catcher together (an under-five-minute task) and charge the included 56-volt lithium-ion battery. Perhaps the biggest negative is the Makitas battery situation. Once thats all set, to start the mower, you press a button and engage the levers. When the battery is charged (it takes an hour), pop it into the battery hatch. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Over the course of our testing, we mowed grass of various lengths, both bagging and mulching. Content is created by CNN Underscoreds team of editors who work independently from the CNN newsroom. But we found the maximum speed slide clumsy to move and the self-propel paddle uncomfortable, as you must push it down to the handle using your thumbs. Fantastic for those with larger yards, or anyone who could use a little assistance, self-propelled mowers use a motorized drive system that, when engaged, moves the mower forward on its own so the user simply walks behind it, guiding it into place. Its a decent little machine for average-height grass under non-strenuous conditions. Since the mower is not self propelled, we appreciated its light weight. The Worx is a substantial, metal-deck mower with four 20-volt batteries, each with 5-Ah capacity. We also noted whether the electric motors were comfortable to use, how easy they were to assemble and store and disassemble and, for self-propelled models, how simple it was to change speeds while mowing. Were pretty sure when it comes to ranking household chores, mowing the lawn comes in close to the bottom of the list, right there with scrubbing the toilet and cleaning the gutters. Shudder. Every feature and accessory on every machine gets a thorough workout. The 60-volt battery, meanwhile, lasts up to 40 minutes on a single charge, but it does take about two and a half hours to charge, which is quite a bit longer than others. Read on for our reviews of the best electric lawn mowers, plus things to keep in mind when youre buying. One nitpick: You do have to assemble the handle and grass bag out of the box. Toro mowers have garnered more recommendations from us than any other brand for two reasons: build quality and cut quality. Its cut quality and bagging ability are both excellent, both on level ground and in operating in all wheel drive climbing a steep hill. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, The 9 Best Wood Splitters for Any Size Wood Pile, 9 Best Paint Rollers for a Perfect Paint Job, The Best Safety Glasses to Protect Your Peepers, How to Accurately Cut With a Circular Saw, The Best Paint Sprayers for Projects of Any Size, Repair Stripped Threads with Professional Results, The Best Lawn Mower Blades for Residential Mowers. This DeWalt is a great fit for anybody who mows, but particularly for somebody crossing over from a front-drive gas-engine mower to one thats battery powered. Receive product recommendations, reviews & deals several times a week. The mower senses your walking pace and automatically matches it, also noting inclines and boosting rear-wheel power. Go with a gas-engine mower if mowing speed and power are essential to you, if you have a tendency to let your grass get tall, if you occasionally or even weekly walk your mower into tall, non-turf grasses to keep border areas from overtaking your yard, or if you do regular shifts of volunteer work (its your turn to mow the playing field or to cut an elderly neighbors yard). Easier to operate than the competition, self-propelled and, best of all, great at cutting grass, the Ego Power+ Select Cut electric lawn mower packs plenty of power to get through mowing a standard lawn on a single charge and almost makes the chore fun. And the Ego was only the mower to include extra blades in the box: a high-lift bagging blade for extra suction when youre bagging grass and an extended runtime blade for longer battery use. And while the Select Cuts battery slides into place at an easy angle, this one goes in straight down and the lid doesnt stay open on its own, making it just a bit annoying. How we test gear. Below are the mowers we recommend, followed by buying advice to help you select the right one for your needs. A final benefit is its conveniently located single lever (on the left) to raise and lower the mower deck. Again, if you have a small yard and dont care about self-propulsion, this is a great model that will cut your grass evenly, perform well on mulching and barely leave any grass on your drive or sidewalks to clean up. Like Ryobis Smart Trek self-propulsion, Toros Personal Pace auto-drive feature takes all the guesswork out of making speed adjustments. We like that you can hold the bail lever and handle with one hand while using the other to adjust the speed and it was very easy to push when not in use. If your property is very small and flat, a battery mower is far superior to a gas-engine machine in helping you get the job done quickly and quietly. You can easily do better than that with a larger battery. We have long familiarity with Skil power tools, but this was the first time we tried the companys mowers. Ego equipped it with an all-plastic deck that will never rust out, and a tilt-forward handle that also easily adjusts to suit the users height. 4:13 PM EDT, Tue June 14, 2022. We love it. On the other hand, the Greenworks was the priciest model we tested, but also seemed the most bare-bones. In front: Ego Power+ Select Cut. If your taste in outdoor power equipment leans toward plain yet capable, this Makita fits the bill nicely. It also pushed easily when the self-propel was not engaged, which was not the case with some of the other self-propelled models tested. For anyone with a bigger or hillier yard, we think its worth stepping up to the self-propelled version. A sharp blade has less charge-robbing drag than a dull one and produces a healthier cut. Additionally, we appreciate that a power indicator flashes to show how much battery power remains. Its cut quality is quite good and, overall, the mower is extremely easy to use.
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