Tag: Battery powered mower

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Ranking the Best Electric Lawn Mower Brands of 2024

toro mowers

The best electric mower brands in 2024 are EGO, Greenworks, and Milwaukee – in that order. I have spent the last three years testing out battery powered and electric mowers, including walking each mower on the street until the battery died (this took hours). 

If you are looking for a new electric mower – make sure you include brand quality in your search. It is so easy to buy a cheap electric mower and think you got a deal, until approximately 3 months later when it just stops working.

But this is why we created The Lawn Review in the first place – to put lawn tools to the test. 

Best Electric Lawn Mower Brands in 2024

If you want to see why I’ve chosen these brands and the testing I have personally put into dozens of electric lawn mowers, check out my YouTube channel. 

EGO is the best electric lawn mower brand

EGO’s electric mowers are the best on the market. I say this as someone who has done extensive testing comparing EGO to every other major lawn tool brand. When I first made a Ryobi vs EGO electric mower video back in 2022, I thought the comparison would be dead even. 

After the first time I turned on the self-propelled function of the EGO electric mower, I knew the battle was over. The noticeable difference in weight, sturdiness, and raw power puts the EGO in a class of its own. We have also heard some major rumblings that EGO is releasing an electric mower with a metal cutting deck.

EGO has many electric mowers that you can use that all have different features. Check out some of the posts below that highlight various comparisons or breakdowns of EGO mowers:

Overall, I love the simplicity that EGO provides by having one battery voltage lineup. It means that you can use your EGO battery with any EGO product without fail, which allows you to buy the tool-only version of lawn tools.

Greenworks is an almost equally amazing electric mower brand

Greenworks is a lesser known but nearly equally great electric mower brand. I’ve had the opportunity to use a TON of different Greenworks tools and really liked their 80V electric mower. When it comes to electric mowers, the Greenworks 80V mower checks all the boxes: a brushless motor, a wide metal cutting deck, a nice battery system, self-propelled functions, and a long run-time. 

I really can’t complain. I put Greenworks as the second best electric mower brand because they sell TOO MANY mowers. For example, right now when I go to their website and search for push lawn mowers I get 56 products. As a consumer, these many choices are overwhelming and it’s part of the reason we created the Lawn Review in the first place.

While most of these mowers are amazing, they range so broadly in application type, voltage, corded and cordless, that it is almost impossible to sort through the noise. I love the simplicity of EGO and Milwaukee keeping a consistent battery line.

Either way, Greenworks is an amazing electric mower brand. Here are a few of my posts related to Greenworks electric mowers:

Milwaukee has the best electric mower but not enough options

Milwaukee made the best electric mower on the market when they made their M18 mower. But then they stopped – exhausting all resources to make this pristine and beautiful beast of an electric mower.

For some reason, Milwaukee just has ONE electric mower across their entire brand. Don’t get me wrong, it is the greatest mower ever, but I’m scratching my head as to why they wouldn’t make one at a lower price point. The Milwaukee M18 is an expensive battery powered mower. 

Something tells me Milwaukee will change this up, although it is unlikely that anything bigger and badder from them is going to be any cheaper. For now, it is tough to call them the best electric mower brand when they really only have one mower – but boy is the Milwaukee M18 a great mower. 

Here are some posts where I talk about my experience with the Milwaukee M18 mower:

What to look for in an electric mower brand

When looking to purchase an electric lawn mower, you need to make sure you understand what things matter. You will get hit with a lot of technical specifications and marketing tactics. Totally forget them and focus on the things that impact you. Below are my recommendations:

Battery powered mower brand quality

Quality is going to be super important here. Just about everyone is in the electric mower game these days and there are a ton of junky mowers out there. Avoid anything from a weird brand on Amazon that takes 9 years to ship. It is probably being 3D printed in a Laotian bathroom. Go for brands that have consistent quality and focus on the details, not just flashy colors.

Some brands I trust off the top of my head are: Greenworks, Milwaukee, Makita, Toro, EGO, and Kobalt. SOME Ryobi mowers, although myself and others have had some problems with reliability. Brand quality matters, but it’s also important to look at the specs on each. For example, Greenworks sells like 60 mowers, only a handful of them would I ever consider for this list. EGO also sells a bunch of mowers, and only a few are within an acceptable price range to be on this list.

Metal where it matters: the deck 

Most electric mowers are plastic-y. Probably to reduce the weight of the mower so that the battery can get you further, but it feels cheap. Make sure to get metal where it matters – namely the deck. The deck is the part that covers the blades. Don’t get plastic here – a rock can rip through it.

Battery interoperability.

 A ten dollar word used here, but really just make sure to buy a mower with a battery that is compatible with other electric tools. You’ll see a bunch of these brands that have battery lines that work with a ton of tools. Milwaukee, Makita, and Dewalt are all great options because you can use them for all lawn tools AND power tools – saving you a ton of money on extra batteries.

If you have more questions, check out our guide to electric lawn mowers, where we break this down into a lot more detail.

Self-propelled or not

Self-propelled mowers are lawn mowers that slowly crawl forward when mowing the lawn. They propel forward the mower, taking off a lot of the “pushing power” required by traditional push mowers.

Self-propelled mowers are ALWAYS more expensive because they have the additional power and functionality that makes life easier. They have their place, but because of the cost can often seem not totally worth it

Have bermuda? Check out our best mower ranking for bermudagrass.

Frequently Asked Questions about electric mower brands

Here are some of the common questions we get about electric mower brands.

Where are EGO electric lawn mowers made?

EGO electric lawn mowers are manufactured in China. EGO is owned by Chervon, which also owns SKIL and FLEX.

Where are Greenworks electric lawn mowers made?

Most Greenworks electric mowers are made in China but recently they opened a manufacturing facility for heavy equipment in Morristown, TN.

Where are Milwaukee electric lawn mowers made?

Most of Milwaukee’s products are made in China, however they do have some operations in Mississippi and other places across the US.

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5 Lawn Mowers Designed for Bermudagrass: Ranked

The Toro Recycler SmartStow is the best lawn mower for Bermudagrass because it has super adjustable cutting heights that let you cut bermudagrass down to its appropriate low height plus a super wide deck.

Personally, I hate Bermuda grass. I have some nice tall fescue and live in a transitional zone.  My neighbor has Bermuda so that they can be “different”. Okay.

Anyways, I consider Bermuda grass a weed. But my friends just south of me and one of my The Lawn Review colleagues live in Texas – which is home to a lot of Bermuda. And he gave me his list of the best mowers for Bermuda grass.

So, let’s add some background on why this is important and get right to it.

Here are the best lawn mowers for Bermudagrass:

  1. Toro Recycler SmartStow Battery Mower
  2. Milwaukee M18 Fuel Mower
  3. Dewalt 20V Max 21.5 inch Battery Mower
  4. Toro TimeMaster 30 inch Mower
  5. EGO Power+ LM2021 Mower

Honorable mention but a tad pricy: Stihl’s new RMA 510 V electric mower.

5 Lawn Mowers for Bermudagrass

As you can see – with Bermuda grass, you have to be a little bit more selective about what you want in a mower. This is exactly why we spent dozens of hours researching and testing the mowers that are going to be super tailored to Bermuda lawns. Let’s check it out.

Toro Recycler SmartStow 22 inch Battery Powered Mower

We ranked the Toro Recycler SmartStow 22 inch battery powered mower as the best mower for Bermuda grass for a few reasons. First of all, Toro is a well-known name that makes some freakishly popular and powerful mowers. 

This one is flat out sweet – and a good price.

But there are many more reasons than just the fancy name. As we referenced earlier in this article, this one has everything you could want in a mower for bermudagrass. Like these key features:

  • A slightly wider deck at 22 inches (the standard is usually 18-21 for push mowers)
  • Bagging ability (most have this, though)
  • I like that it is battery powered because you won’t have to run to get gas if you are mowing more than once per week.
  • It can cut between 1 to 4 inches, getting you great results for your 1.5 inch bermuda grass
  • Toro created this airflow technology that pulls the air up on grass, allowing it to be more evenly cut – this mower has that.
  • It stores super easily, folding in half and being placed in a tight spot in the garage to get you through the dead season of bermudagrass, which seems to last forever

Toro nailed it with this mower. You know they had bermuda grass folks in mind when they created it – which makes sense given how popular these are in the South. 

You can grab this one from Home Depot for a great price – check the most recent price here.

Check out our top mowers at Home Depot.

Milwaukee M18 Fuel Brushless Mower

What can we say? We are obsessed with this mower and have featured it on all of our favorite battery powered mower posts. 

The reason?

It’s a freak of nature. And we also love that it is the only mower that Milwaukee makes. We frequently joke that they just decided to put all their chips on this hand and walked away from the table a winner.

Just an absolute unit.

The Milwaukee M18 Fuel mower is great for Bermuda grass and has a lot of the same features as the Toro one above, but also costs about twice as much. It has bagged discharge capabilities, 1 to 4 inch height adjustment (that is single point, by the way), a wonderful self-propelled function, an extremely efficient brushless motor that accelerates faster than any other mower, and more torque than most gas mowers.

Yes, it is the cream of the crop and the perfect mower for any of you that already own an M18 battery-powered tool. 

This one is quite expensive though. Milwaukee is definitely a premium brand and hands down has the best mower on this list – but the price is steep.

You can check the most recent price at Home Depot, where it is exclusively sold, right here.

Dewalt 20V Max 21.5 inch Battery Mower

The Dewalt 20V Max mower is one that definitely surprised me. I know Dewalt has been in the power tool business for a long, long time, but are relatively new to the lawn tool space. 

The reason this one isn’t higher up on the list is that Dewalt simply doesn’t have a massive line of lawn tools. They have this 20V brand but also have a 60V line. So you don’t get the same efficiency and battery savings that you do with other brands like Ryobi.

My son likes this one.

But there’s still a lot to like about the Dewalt battery-powered lawn mower, like:

  • 21.5 inch deck gives you a little more width for cutting Bermuda grass
  • 10 Ah batteries – which is INSANELY high
  • Self-propelled function
  • 1.5-4 inch cutting heights – so you’ll have to drop it way down for Bermuda
  • Sweet metal cutting deck
  • Reasonable price – even better if you already have a dewalt 20V Max battery

This really is a great mower, with one of the main downsides being that it’s really hard to find replacement blades because of the unique size. If they get dull, you can sharpen your mower blades instead of buying a new one.

This one is also available at Home Depot for a great price – even less if you get the tool-only version.

Toro TimeMaster 30 inch Mower

Some of you are getting super mad right now because I haven’t featured any gas-powered mowers….until now!

The Toro TimeMaster 30 is the Ray Lewis of mowers. It’s absolutely massive and packs a ridiculous punch. Yes – the 30 in TimeMaster 30 is how many inches wide it is. And if you’re thinking that the width is like a riding mower, then you’d be exactly right. It’s extremely wide.

The TimeMaster is a gas-powered masterpiece that’s amazing for Bermuda lawns. The cut height ranges from 1.25 to 4.25 inches and everything in between. This level of detail is unmatched. Here are some other bells and whistles on the TimeMaster that truly set it apart.

  • 223 CC Engine
  • Self-propel function with traction assist
  • Spin-Stop  function that means you can deactivate the blades but keep the engine running. Great if you have to move a rock out of the way without having to stop and restart the mower.
  • Two side-by-side cutting blades
  • A cool deck wash port that allows you to connect your hose to a tube and it will clean out the deck.
Yeah its massive.

The only downside to this mower is the price. It is the Cadillac of push mowers which means it carries a Cadillac price tag. It does occasionally go on sale so you can check the price here at Home Depot.

EGO Power+ LM2021 Mower

I had to put this EGO mower in here in the ranking of great mowers for Bermuda because we just love EGO products. And we recommend this mower the most because it has a steel cutting  deck whereas most other EGO mowers don’t.

We like this EGO mower for bermuda because it is a great battery-powered lawn system that can be used all across your bermuda lawn. From EGO’s weed eaters to their super powerful blowers, you’ll be covered once you get into this system.

EGO steel deck mower.

It’s also got a great run-time and charges quickly, so you can mow a larger area and do it more often without worrying about trips to the gas station. Great for bermuda grass. 

This one is available at Amazon for a super good price relative to most other EGO mowers.

Bottom line on mowers for Bermudagrass

It’s not hard to find a good mower for Bermudagrass – but since you are going to be mowing more often than most folks, want to collect grass clippings, and need a short cut, there are some mowers that are just flat out more suited for you.

Looking for a mower somewhere else? We were surprised to see some of these at Walmart.

Why we started The Lawn Review

The reason we started this website in the first place was because we had so much trouble trying to find reasonable, understandable, honest reviews for lawn equipment. And it’s not cheap! After hours and hours of research, trying products and returning them, and messing up our yards – we started this site. 

Reviewing mowers is what we do.

As people who had to learn the hard way, we want you to know exactly what you are signing up for before you purchase a piece of equipment. That’s why we are committed to providing honest, easy-to-understand reviews that mean something. 

Why is Bermuda grass different for mowing?

Truth is, you can roll any old mower out there and it will get the job done. But if you want not only good-looking green grass but HEALTHY green Bermuda grass, then you should be careful how you cut it. Here’s what to look for:

Flexibility with cutting heights

Bermuda needs to be cut at a height of 1 to 1.5 inches. That’s short. For example, I cut my fescue lawn at about 3 inches. You’ll want to grab a mower that can cut that low but also has more intervals between 0-2 inches that let you customize it based on your needs. Getting a mower that has wide intervals may not allow you to mow with any real sensitivity.

Bagging capabilities

Most of the time, I don’t recommend bagging your grass while mowing. I let the clippings fall into the yard and provide nutrients to the soil. Bermudagrass grows like a weed (and I consider it one), meaning it grows really quickly. If you aren’t bagging the clippings, you’ll find that fungus will begin to thrive in your lawn. 

A wider deck

Bermuda grass grows really quickly. My neighbor is out there about 1.5x a week mowing his lawn (conveniently when my daughter is trying to take a nap). If you have a small mower, say 16-18 inches, then you are going to be out there making a LOT of passes. Getting a mower with a slightly wider deck will help make you a lot more efficient while mowing.

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5 Lawn Mowers fit for Townhouses and Tiny Homes

The best lawn mowers for townhouses are the ones that are easy to use, lightweight, and relatively low cost. The best mower for townhouses is the Black and Decker 3-in-1 mower, edger and trimmer because it is super light, cheap, and easy to store.

My small electric mower I tested as part of this review.

I wrote this post after doing HOURS of research for my parents. They recently downsized to a townhouse and got rid of everything (and I mean everything) when they made the move. This purge also included their lawn tractor and all their big gas-powered lawn tools.

Little did they know, they still had a small 20×20 yard in the back that needed to be mowed. Much to their (and my) dismay, they entered the lawn tool market once again.

I’ll summarize what we found:

The Top 5 Lawn Mowers for Townhouses

Now I know what you’re thinking – can’t you just do it all with a string trimmer? Well, maybe, but it will look like my 2-year old when he tried to cut his own hair. 

If you want it to look nice and respectable, then check out our list below:

5. Worx WG779 14 inch 40V Cordless Push Mower

I become a bigger and bigger Worx fan with each passing day. The Worx WG779 40V cordless mower is great for small yards. 14 inch mowers are almost perfect for townhouse backyards. I think this mower is a tad overkill for most townhouse yards, but a little too much is better than a little too little.

This mower has the bells and whistles you would expect from a normal lawn mower, with height adjustments, an intellicut torque system, a bag, and an onboard battery meter. 

This mower comes in at about 29 lbs, so not too heavy but also not the lightest. It is also super quiet and easy to use.

The mower comes in at anywhere between $200 and $300 and is often on sale on Amazon. We recommend checking the price to see if you are getting a good deal, which is anywhere under $275.  

Doesn’t look like a normal battery powered mower with its traditional black color.

4. Greenworks 10A 16-inch corded mower

The Greenworks 10A 16-inch corded mower is even larger than the Worx mower listed above and has a lot of the bells and whistles.

This mower also has a height adjustment, a bag, and easy storage options with foldable handles. This mower is definitely one of the bigger corded mowers on the market, with a 16-inch deck. The Greenworks 10A 16 inch mower is also slightly heavier and less “toy-like”. This is a great larger option for those looking to just use a traditional corded mower. 

I am a big fan of Greenworks’ products. They continually provide high quality tools and equipment that are just as powerful as their gas-powered counterparts. 

You can grab this mower on Amazon, where it is listed for less than it is on Greenworks’ own website. It is listed for a pretty ridiculous price right now – only $133. You get a lot of mower for not much money by grabbing this one today on Amazon.

Big and bad.

3. Sun Joe MJ401E Electric Lawn Mower

One thing I love about Amazon is that it has a renewed/refurbished store. If you are one of those who returns about 50% of your purchases to Amazon and wonder, “what happens to it?”, then here is your answer. It gets cleaned up and sold for a discount. 

That’s what is happening here with the MJ401E-RM. It is usually a little over our price point of $100, but can be purchased on the cheap if it is refurbished.

Although it has the appearance of a large tortoise, this is a nice electric mower that will be able to tackle a decent-sized job. Sun Joe is a great brand and this is a wonderful all-around mower. 

Things to love about the Sun Joe MJ401E-RM

Positives:

  • Easier to push than a manual mower
  • Comes with a nice little bag
  • Lightweight, easy storage
  • No gas fumes
  • Easy to start

Negatives:

  • Corded, so requires an extension cord
  • Plastic decking which is less durable

This is honestly a great, great deal and can be found on Amazon for super cheap right now.

Looks turtle-y.

Looks like a turtle but totally rocks.  

2. Greenworks RM1400 Reel Lawn Mower

The next best (in my opinion) manual mower is the Greenworks 14-inch Reel Lawn Mower RM1400.

Nice little nostalgic mower!

Some things I like about the Greenworks RM1400:

Positives:

  • Great company
  • Removable grass catching bag
  • Adjustable cutting height
  • Environmentally friendly

Negatives:

  • Plastic wheels
  • Not super sturdy handles
  • Narrower
  • Slightly more expensive than Sun Joe

Greenworks is a great brand and very well-trusted in this space. If you want to boogie outdoors and use this mower, you can find it on Amazon for a great price. 

1. Black + Decker 3-in-1 Corded Lawn mower, trimmer and edger (12-inch)

This has it all. I love the Black and Decker 3-in-1 because it just makes so much sense for townhouse owners. It was a total no-brainer when I showed it to my parents. 

The Black and Decker 3-in-1 has a 12-inch cutting deck, but behaves more like a trimmer than it does a mower. It has a string at the bottom, just like a trimmer, that is held flat to provide a consistent and clean cut, like a mower.

It is a weird hybrid that can easily convert to a nice string trimmer with edging capabilities.

Nice, easy tool for any sized townhouse.

This one checked the boxes for my parents. Super easy to store, lightweight (less than 10 lbs), has multiple functions, is the perfect size, requires only an extension cord and…..

I haven’t even mentioned the price. 

The Black and Decker 3-in-1 tool can be purchased on Amazon for a whopping $79. That is an insane deal considering what you are getting.

I recommend this product to anyone living in a townhouse with any sized yard. 

How we picked the perfect lawn mower for their townhouse

Well, we looked at a ton of lawn mowers. Most of them were too big, couldn’t be stored, and required gas. How are you supposed to transport a big ‘ole mower through your kitchen if you want to mow the backyard? 

We used the below criteria to find a good townhouse mower.

  1. Size
    • A few things we asked ourselves as we considered the appropriate size for a townhouse lawn mower. Is it light enough to carry? Is it narrow enough to allow for a close cut to the corners of our yard? Can it easily be stored in our garage, or better yet, our closet? Can we transport it home in our small car? 
    • All of these questions helped us narrow our focus and view it more as another household tool, like a vacuum. 
  2. Power source
    • We almost immediately crossed gas powered mowers off of our list and here is why. A gas can in the garage was another thing that needed storage. My parents’ townhouse also did not have backyard access from the road. So anything that  needs to go back there has to go through their kitchen. Did they really want gas to spill into their kitchen?
    • This left us with battery-powered and electric corded mowers. Two considerations for storage here as well. One requires an extension cord and the other requires a place to keep and charge the batteries. This is total personal preference, but an extension cord can also be used for other things that aren’t lawn-related.
  3. Cost
    • My parents were bummed enough to have to buy lawn equipment again, so cost was a big component to them. They wanted an inexpensive but reliable piece of equipment. 

Once I helped them walk through each of these components, we narrowed our list down to these five mowers.

Why we review lawn tools

The reason we started this website in the first place was because we had so much trouble trying to find reasonable, understandable, honest reviews for lawn equipment. And it’s not cheap! After hours and hours of research, trying products and returning them, and messing up our yards – we started this site. 

Unusual testing methods.

As people who had to learn the hard way, we want you to know exactly what you are signing up for before you purchase a piece of equipment. That’s why we are committed to providing honest, easy-to-understand reviews that mean something.

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