Electric Mowers: Do they work?

[bcjim]

Need a new lawn mower. I have several 40v Ryobi batteries so the Ryobi electric self propelled is a possible candidate. With the batteries that come with it and the ones I have, run time is not a concern. 

 

Does it cut grass well is the concern?   Lawn is flat maybe 1/4 acre of grass, probably less. Good amount of leaves often on the ground too so I bag at times.

 

Anyone with experience with Ryobi mowers specifically or battery powered mowers in general, please comment.  I have Ryobi battery powered blowers and a trimmer. They work fine and are sooo much less maintenance than the old gas ones..  Just not sure the time has come for electric mowers or not..

[klebs01]

Have a ryobi non-self propelled from my previous yard that was small. It was ok but needed a self propelled. I got a toro self propelled one and it’s a lot better. I could imagine going back to gas. Only downside is that I needed a second battery though my yard is more than 1/4 acre. My model is designed to be stored standing in the back with the handle folded which saves a lot of space. 

[DaveGoodrich]

I have a small front yard (~ 30' x 50'), and use a Ryobi non-self propelled mower.   It works great, although I only use it in the "mulching" mode.  Never tried to bag the cuttings with it, although I don't see why that would be a problem.  I only ever use 1/4 of the 40v battery life.   If my yard was bigger, I would use the same mower, but just buy another battery.  Light weight, easy to push, powerful enough for fairly long/thick grass, quiet, good cut quality, no messy fuel/oil etc.  

[Jraallen]

I’ve had the 13” Ryobi push mower that uses the 18v one+ batteries for about a month now and really like it. Folds up small and is light enough to lift over the 3ft fence we have for our dog with one hand no problem. &nbsp
I laughed at first when I saw how tiny the bag was but it’s actually perfect for emptying into a paper lawn/leaf bag. Mulch mode is still more convenient, but if the grass gets too long and I have to bag it’s really not bad. 
 

 

[Nickb333]

I own a lot of Ryobi stuff but no mower. Some of the older batteries seemed to have pooped out really fast, and the nail gun is finicky if you don’t have it lubed perfectly. Otherwise happy with everything. 
 

I did watch my daughter’s boyfriend mow his back yard with a 40v Ryobi. Roughly a 40’x80’ area that was pretty overgrown. No problems. The bagger seemed to do well also. 
 

That’s all I’ve got. 

[shindo107]

Had a Ryobi push 40V mower at my old house (small lawn) and never had any issues with it - bagging or mulching. Upgraded house with bigger yard and more hills, needed a self propelled so i "upgraded" to a Craftsman dual blade. The deck on the Craftsman gets clogged if there's even a suggestion of moisture in the grass...

 

The thing I've found with my Ryobi battery mower experience is the blades are light and thin. I was anal about keeping mine sharp, but there were a few times I ran over a larger stick or skimmed a rock and it required some heavy work on the blade. YMMV

[cardia10]

Green works has some new amazing mowers. Some of the technology is wild with them. Especially if you go up to the ride ons and zero turns, but the thing I like about electrics with them is that the blades don't slow down or bog in higher grass.

[Mych]

I have 2 Ryobi 21" 40V mowers, but neither is self-propelled. I mulch about 2/3 of my yard and bag about 1/3 to get rid of any dog poo smells. I have a relatively normal sized subdivision lot and can finish the whole yard on one 6ah battery if the grass is dry. If it's a little wet or long, I usually swap in a fresh 4ah battery for the bagging section. I picked up the 2nd mower cheap at a garage sale, so it's just a spare except for the rare occasion that one of my kids helps mow. 

 

The mowers both work well, but I definitely wish I had a self-propelled mower. I end up tightening the handle fastening bolts every couple months because my handle ends up loose from being pushed and yanked in different directions. I'm sure that being self-propelled would reduce the amount of tugging on the handle. I've been all-electric since I moved into my current house almost 4 years ago and they're still going strong. They do struggle a little in very wet grass unless I cut really slowly, so I usually mow in the evenings instead of early mornings. 

 

If you're near Houston, you're more than welcome to come mow my yard to test out the mowers. 😉

Edited June 18 by Mych

[mshills]

I have a Snapper electric mower, purchased in 2019 and still going strong. Have 3 batteries, which works out well to rotate in and out and have enough power to mow and use the line trimmer (also Snapper electric.)

 

The newer Ego equipment is much, much better than mine in terms of power and battery life. What I have is totally sufficient, but 6y is a long time and the newer stuff is really good. 

 

Unless I had a much larger property (0.55 acre here) I’d never go back to small gasoline engines. The electric mower is quieter, smooth, and the only smell is cut grass. No gas to buy / mix / store, no maintenance, no carburetor rebuild kits, nothing. It’s nice to mow without being assaulted by mower.  

[Triple Lindy]

I’m late to this party, but man, I’d never go back to a gas mower, or any other gas lawn equipment. I bought a Toro electric, non self-propelled, during the pandemic - so probably around 5 years ago. Granted, my lawn is small - just a normal residential lot. But not having to deal with the frustration of running out of gas while mowing only to realize the gas can is empty - truly priceless! And since there are no fluids, my mower stores vertically against the wall of the garage with the handle folded, with plenty of room to park the car.

 

But make the right choice with the whatever battery powered tools you start with because every manufacturer has their own battery technology. I now have a Toro weed eater, leaf blower and chain saw, all with interchangeable batteries.