What Are Some Of The Cautionary Measures To Take When Using An Electric Lawnmower
There are several factors to put in mind when using an electric lawnmower. The key cautionary measure is to ensure that the electric lawnmower is used for the sole purpose for which it is supposed to be used.
Using the electric lawnmower in the open, especially when it is raining, is also like courting a disaster and must be avoided. To cap it all, the user needs to ensure that he mows away from the electric power cord to avoid intertwining cases while mowing and making small but consistent movements.
How To Maintain Your Electric Mower
Electric lawn mowers dont need oil, spark plugs, air filters or petrol, but they do need a little maintenance to stay in perfect condition.
- Cleaning Remove the battery and/or safety key and use a soft, damp cloth to remove any dirt and debris in the undercarriage and blade. Wear protective gloves to prevent injury from the blade or use a blower/air compressor to blow out the debris. Do not use a pressure washer or lots of water, as this can force moisture into the motor and cause corrosion.
- Battery and cord Check the battery and cord for wear and damage before you use your mower. There should be no exposed wires on your mower cord. Always store your battery and mower in a dry location to extend the lifespan. With proper care, a battery should last 5 years.
How Long Do Electric Lawn Mowers Last?
This depends on the quality of the machine, as well as how you use and maintain it. Generally, you can expect an electric lawn mower to last 10 years with normal use. The best battery lawn mowers will usually last around 5 years before you need to purchase replacement batteries.
Are Electric Lawn Mowers Reliable?
Yes, they are very reliable especially when you buy a quality machine and maintain it well. Fortunately, electric mowers require very little maintenance! All you need to do is clean it after using it.
Is it Safe to Cut Wet Grass with an Electric Mower?
Are Electric Mowers Powerful Enough?
Electric Lawn Mower Vs Gas Lawn Mower
You might be wondering what the point of all this is. Gas mowers are powerful and dependable they have been around for decades so why switch to an electric lawn mower? There are a few good reasons.
For starters, electric lawn mowers require a lot less maintenance than their gas counterparts. Electric engines dont need oil changes, and you wont have to store fuel to run them.
Electric lawn mowers also are much quieter than gas engines, too, so an electric mower is a great choice if you live in a neighborhood with noise restrictions for power tools.
Of course, electric mowers are also better for the environment because they produce zero emissions.
What are the benefits of gas mowers? While electric mowers require less maintenance, gas mowers are more powerful and run longer than battery-powered ones.
If you have a large yard with wild terrain, you will either have to spring for an expensive electric mower with a powerful battery or bite the bullet and go with gas.
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Crs Picks For The Best Electric Self
And if youd prefer an electric self-propelled lawn mower instead? CR reports that the 21-inch Ego LM2156SP is one of the best electric self-propelled lawn mowers to buy. While it is on the pricier side and will have you spending about $750, CR gave this mower Excellent scores in nearly every category. This mower runs for about 60 minutes, too, and reportedly takes less time to charge than other mowers.
The 21-inch Ryobi RY401140US is also one of the best electric self-propelled lawn mowers to buy. Its not only a CR Best Buy, but it also earned Excellent ratings in almost all categories. It also runs for roughly 60 minutes on a single charge. Perhaps the only downside to this electric lawn mower is that it is reportedly noisier than other battery-powered mowers.
Top Best Electric Reel Lawn Mower
Who doesn’t like owning the best electric reel lawn mower and making their life easier? However, which is the best electric reel lawn mower to buy? Good news for you!We’ve researched and tested hundreds of models on the market and prepared a list of the best electric reel lawn mower. Our Editor’s Choices come from top brands worldwide, such as Wild Edge, GreenWorks, Sun Joe, GREAT STATES, American Lawn Mower Company, Fiskars, Earthwise, Scotts Outdoor Power Tools, PowerSmart. Check them and get one now!
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How To Choose The Best Lawn Mower For You
Does it matter how big or overgrown my lawn is?
It really does not every lawn mower will cope with longer grass or larger lawns. The first and most important thing to consider before buying any lawn mower is the area youre going to use it in and the type and length of grass youre intending to cut.
Think of your lawn as a standard tennis court if its roughly that size, its considered a medium-sized lawn. Any smaller, its a small lawn any bigger, its a large lawn. And if youre the kind of person who cant be bothered to mow your lawn once a week, it pays to buy a lawn mower that will cope with longer grass which we’ll discuss below.
What different types of lawn mower are there?
There are generally three different types of lawn mower, and each has their plus and minus points:
Cylinder mowers have cylindrical blades that rotate vertically at the front of the mower they work by cutting against a bottom blade, which is fixed. These can give a great, close-cut finish, but they rely on a perfectly level lawn to give good results theyre useless for bumpy lawns or longer grass.
Rotary mowers have a single blade that rotates horizontally underneath the main body of the mower. These will cope with longer grass and bumpier lawns, but theyre not capable of giving a consistent, super-short cut like cylinder mowers. These are the best option for most people.
Petrol, electric, cordless or push: which is best?
What other features should I look out for?
Cordless Riding Zero Turn Mowers
Recently both Ryobi and Ego have released cordless zero turn mowers. These are large ride-on mowers that have the capability of cutting two or more acres. Ryobi has a number of models available and Ego has one, but looking at the largest and most capable, they come with a price tag between $4000 and $7000.
The Ego ZT4204L 42-inch Z6 Zero Turn Riding Mower uses the same style of battery that is in all of their lawn equipment. The mower comes with four 10.0 Ah batteries, but the machine has ports for six, so there is some scalability, especially if you have additional Ego batteries from other tools. The mower also acts as a charger and, according to Ego, once plugged in, can fill all of the batteries in only two hours. Just using the four included batteries, the Ego can cut about 2 acres.
Ego followed the 42-inch zero turn with a larger ZT5207L 52-inch Z6 Zero Turn Riding Mower, which can cut up to 4 acres, according to the company.
The Ryobi RY48140 Zero Turn Electric Riding Mower has a single internal battery, which can power the mower to cut up to 3½-acres. Like the larger Ego, it has a 54-inch cut and amenities like the USB port and cup holders. The downside of this model is that charging is an overnight process, so you would want to make sure it could handle your lawn in a single mow. They have two 42-inch models as well.
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Residential Pick: Ryobi 40v Hp Brushless Crosscut 21
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 EGOs Select Cut XP, its 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 weve tested. Plus, Ryobi builds this mower in the US using global materials and the kit is $200 less than the Select Cut XPs.
Price: $599.00 with two 6.0Ah batteries and a rapid charger
Sun Joe Mj400e Electric Lawn Mower
BEST UNDER $100
Yes, even now there are still good deals to be had. Like RYOBI and Black+Decker, Sun Joe makes budget-friendly tools for homeowners who dont need the best electric lawn mower in the world, but rather a machine thats affordable and gets the job done. This Sun Joe Electric Lawn Mower is the right fit for all small yards. It has a powerful-enough 12-amp motor, a 13-inch deck, three adjustable heights and a 9.2-gallon grass bag. And the best part is its under $100 and super lightweight.
Specs:
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How Did We Choose These Electric Mowers
We chose both push and rider lawn mowers to suit a variety of different yard sizes and terrains. We also chose different sized cutting decks to allow you to maximize your efficiency and take full advantage of each model’s run time.
We avoided electric mowers that require an extension cord, since they can be a hassle to set up — and you run the risk of running over the electrical cable, which can cause injuries and even death.
Can I Cut Wet Grass With An Electric Mower
Absolutely not. Just like with gas-powered models, cutting wet grass can damage your blades and cutting deck by making the drive belts work harder, resulting in dulling, jammed discharge chutes, broken belts, and stripped gears. Mowing wet grass also makes your yard look terrible, since the blades can’t make a clean cut and clippings tend to bunch up in huge clumps, which can lead to dead spots.
With electric mowers, you also run the risk of electric shock and shortages. Water can work its way into the motor and electronics housings, which may lead to damage to the electrical components or electrocuting yourself .
So make sure your yard is as dry as possible to avoid ruining your new mower or getting injured.
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Commercial: Mean Green 74
Mean Green is pushing the envelope further with a 74-inch deck on its flagship EVO ZTR. It delivers an impressive cutting width and day-long 8-hour max runtime. Combined with a 13 MPH top speed and 37 HP equivalent power, this is the electric riding mower to get when you have a lot of property to cut.
There are a lot of accessories to choose fromincluding a solar canopy! Mean Green certainly lets you customize the mower to suit your particular commercial needs.
All of this electric innovation comes at a cost, though. Youre looking at a minimum of $28,500 to get in and closing in on $35,000 if you want the most runtime. Thats before you add accessories.
Price: $28,500 $34,499
Other Lawn Mowers We Tested
After testing both the Honda and Toro lawn mowers, we found it hard to name our favorite gas-powered model. It was that close. In the end, it all came down to how the mower felt during operation. Both mowers performed flawlessly through the tests, but the Honda maintained the edge.
The Toro has the largest cutting area at 22 inches, and is powerful and comfortable to use, thanks to its Personal Pace self-propel system. To engage the self-propel, simply push the lever forward a bit and the mower begins to move forward, push it a little more and the mower moves faster. After a couple of rows of cutting, you will see how easy it is to regulate speed. This system is not as intuitive as the Hondas, but it still works quite well.
Another great feature: The Toro has Briggs and Strattons check-dont-change oil system that never requires an oil change. Storage is also a snap as the handle folds down and the mower can be stored vertically.
Pros
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Best Husqvarna Electric Battery
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 doesnt fit as cleanly as Makitas 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.
Price: $1199.99 bare
Best Push: Dewalt Dcmwp233u2 215 In 20
Home Depot
If you dont mind manually pushing a mower around your yard, the DEWALT 21.5-Inch Battery Push Mower is a heavy-duty option that delivers big in terms of performance. This push mower has a durable 21.5-inch steel deck and a high-output brushless motor, and it can run for up to 60 minutes per charge with its two 20-volt batteries. It even offers auto-sensing technology that increases torque in overgrown grass for a cleaner cut.
This mower can be used to mulch, bag, or side-discharge grass clippings, and there are six different cutting heights, ranging from 1.5 to 4 inches. It features a push-button start thats easy for anyone to operate, but keep in mind that the mower weighs more than 70 pounds, so it can be a bit heavy to push, especially on hills.
Cutting Width: 21.5 inches | Weight: 72 pounds | Power Source: Battery | Cutting Options: Bag, mulch, side-discharge | Size of Yard: 0.25 to 0.5 acres
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Ryobi Designs 18v Hp 16
Having a large battery-powered mower that cuts large lawns with its high voltage battery might make sense for a lot of homeowners. However, for folks with smaller yards, perhaps less is more. The brushless Ryobi 18V HP 16-inch Mower operates on the brands 18V high-performance battery platform to mow up to 1/4 acre on a charge.
What We Like About The Greenworks Cordless Lawn Mower
One thing I really like about Greenworks is that you could buy this mower with a battery or pair of batteries and use those batteries for around 20 other power tools from the company, including their snowblower, chainsaw, hedge trimmer, and polesaw. This not only saves you money and time, it also keeps resource use to a minimum, saving you from having to purchase, store, charge, and recycle numerous batteries for your power tool collection.
The Greenworks PRO charger takes just 30 minutes to fully charge a 2 Ah battery and around 75 minutes to charge a fully discharged 4 Ah battery. It has a useful diagnostic LED fuel indicator so you can see the current charge in the battery. This rapid charger was Energy Star rated , has a compact design, and can be stored on a shelf or mounted on the wall. It is compatible with battery models GBA80200 and GBA400, but, and this is a big annoyance across the industry, this charger only works with Greenworks PRO 80 V batteries. It wont work with other brands 80 V batteries. The same is true of the Ego Power batteries, though, so this isnt an annoyance unique to Greenworks.
If you buy a Greenworks PRO lawn mower or other tool without the battery and charger, you can purchase their PRO 80V Lithium Ion Single Port Rapid Battery Charger GCH8040 for less than $100 . This charger has a built-in fan to enable rapid charge time without overheating.
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What Else We Considered
Ego Power+ LM2101 56-V 20-Inch Cordless Lawn Mower: This was our previous top pick. Although it is a great option, we ultimately decided that its replacement, the EGO LM2102SP 21-inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower and its self-propelled design, was a better fit. If a self-propelled option isn’t important to you, this Ego mower would be a great choice for anyone with a relatively high budget who is looking for a high-quality battery-powered mower.
Worx WR165 Landroid: The high price of this robotic lawnmower kept it off our list. But if the $950 price tag isn’t an issue, it could be a good fit for anyone looking to explore a unique mower option. Similar to a Roomba, this mower navigates entirely on its own and automatically adjusts the height of the blade to account for uneven terrain. It wouldn’t be practical for anything larger than 1/8-acre, though, so keep that in mind.
Greenworks Commercial 82v 25
The big deal for Greenworks Commercial is an improvement in power. The 25-inch mower now has the performance equivalent to a 160cc gas engine. Aside from that and a change in the color scheme, its still very similar to the previous version with side-by-side blades that overlap to cover a larger area without losing a ton of battery efficiency.
The entire Greenworks Commercial line got an overhaul coming into this year with tools that are lighter andhigher performing, making it one of the emerging systems to keep an eye on as more areas of the country shift to battery power.
Price: Starts at $649.99 bare
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What Types Of Electric Lawn Mower Are There
Rotary mowers: Rotary mowers are characterised by one very high speed rotating cutting blade, which slices the grass on impact. These types of mowers are very common as they allow medium to high cut grass to be quickly cut and deposited in a rear-mounted grass box. These mowers typically have four fixed wheels for maneuvering.
Cylinder mowers: Cylinder mowers have a series of blades which tend to be exposed in a cylindrical drum structure on the front of the machine. Unlike rotary mowers, these cut grass by slicing against a fixed bottom plate, with a series of smaller blades doing the work of one. These machines work best when cutting low to medium height grass.
Hover mowers: Hover mowers are similar to rotary mowers in that they cut grass with a rotating cutting blade or disc, they differ in that they donât have wheels for maneuvering. Instead the hover mowers create a downward firing cushion of air that allows them to move easily in any direction, like a hovercraft.
