Tag: electric mowers

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4 Electric Riding Mowers That Made Me Rethink Everything

best electric riding mower

Electric riding lawn mowers are an excellent way to stay on top of yard work without having to pay for gasoline. You’ll also love not dealing with the headache-inducing maintenance that some gas-powered lawn mowers require. 

As the shift to all things electric grows, so does the supply of electric riding lawn mowers on the market. If you’re dead set on buying an electric lawn mower or even still on the fence, read on to see the best electric riding lawn mowers – I bet we can do some convincing.

We tried our best to stick with just pure electric lawn tractors, but couldn’t resist throwing in a zero-turn in our top picks.

Best Electric Riding Mowers, Ranked:

  1. Greenworks CrossoverT Riding Lawn Mower
  2. EGO Power+ Zero-Turn Lawn Mower
  3. Club Cadet XT1 LT42E Electric Riding Lawn Mower
  4. Ryobi 100 AH Electric Riding Mower

The Best Electric Riding Lawn Mowers: 2023 Ranking

Finding the best electric riding mowers wasn’t too tall of an order. A few of these we’ve used personally and frankly, the market still isn’t very large. The bold companies that have put these out there are making a big bet on the future – and I think they’ll be right.

1.) Greenworks CrossoverT Electric Riding Lawn Mower

Greenworks dubs itself the “final evolution of lawnmowers.” When you see the specs and features of the CrossoverT Riding Lawn Mower, you’ll see why. My favorite thing about this mower is that it cuts up to 2.5 acres on a single charge and only takes 90 minutes to recharge. 

Holy smokes, those are some great numbers. 

Not only that, but this electric riding mower comes with six 8.0 Ah batteries and three dual-port turbochargers. Again, you can use these same batteries on any of your Greenworks 60V products. 

Aside from its quick recharge time, the CrossoverT is super comfortable, with padded seats, foldable armrests, and advanced back support. Moreover, you won’t waste any energy thanks to innovative microchips that monitor the grass quality in real time. The mower boasts high-torque rear-wheel drive that lets you climb 15-degree inclines – basically better than my car. 

I also love that there’s built-in theft protection – the perfect way to protect your precious investment. To add the cherry on top, the CrossoverT requires absolutely no maintenance other than recharging and sharpening the blades as needed.

It is truly a beast.

Why this mower made our list:

  • Runs for up to 60 minutes with the included 8.0Ah batteries
  • 90 min charge time (!)
  • Cut like a professional with SmartCut Technology that auto-adjusts and senses grass thickness
  • Features a high-padded seat and armrests
  • Designed with an integrated cargo bed that can hold up to 200 lbs. of yard supplies, like big bags of mulch

The folks at Greenworks absolutely crushed it with this riding mower. While it isn’t a zero-turn, it’s a great, affordable electric lawn tractor that absolutely slaps. They sell these at Tractor Supply Co (we have no affiliation) for $4,500 MSRP. 

2.) EGO Power+ Electric Zero-Turn Lawn Mower

Delivering all-electric power comparable to a 22 HP engine (like the one on this Toro zero-turn mower), the EGO Power + Zero-Turn Lawn Mower never fails to deliver. Compared to other electric mowers on the market, this EGO product stands out because it holds six batteries – four of which are included. It also has swanky features like premium LED lights, a USB charging port, and Bluetooth technology. Not bad.

Pretty sophisticated control panel.

It still delivers some serious cutting width, up to 42 inches (about twice the average push mower). This is on the lower end of zero-turn mowers and about average for regular riding mowers. 

Looks pretty dang sweet.

With an adjustable hydraulic seat (WITH ARMRESTS!), you can rest assured knowing you’ll stay comfortable as you accelerate up 7 MPH (or 8 MPH in travel mode). The EGO zero-turn mower can cover up to two acres on a single charge, and recharging only takes a few hours. Given its premium features and three driving modes (Control, Standard, and Sport), some might call this product the Bugatti of electric mowers, and rightfully so. 

Summarizing what we loved about the EGO Power+ Zero-Turn Mower:

  • Supports up to six batteries for longer run time
  • It boasts the electric equivalent of a gas-powered engine with 22 HP
  • Can cut up to two acres of lawn without a recharge
  • Comes with three different driving modes: Sport, Standard, and Control 
  • Features a premium LED interface that gives you complete control over the mower
  • It has a separate charging cord that allows you to charge all the batteries at once
  • You can pop a battery off and straight into your EGO blower or EGO weed eater

These things are absolutely sick, but they come at a cost. If you’re dedicated to electric riding mowers, then you’re going to have to show it at the cash register. You can grab this one from Lowe’s (we have no affiliation) for $5,500. This is on the higher end for a zero-turn mower, especially one with limited run-time, but it’s still great for a homeowner with less than 2 acres.

3.) Cub Cadet XT1 LT42E Electric Riding Lawn Mower

You may have seen the LT42E posted up outside of Home Depot next to its gas counterpart, the Cub Cadet XT1 LT42. The Cub Cadet XT1 LT42E might not seem like the most innovative electric mower, but it provides great bang for your buck. This all-electric mower can mow two acres (roughly 1 ½ hours) on a single charge. It also doesn’t fade as the battery power starts to decline, meaning you won’t have to re-mow areas of grass – most lithium Ion batteries operate this way. 

More expensive but really snazzy.

Recharging the battery takes around four hours, so it’s not as fast as the Greenworks CrossoverT, but still reasonable. When it comes time to recharging the battery, you can use a standard 110-volt outlet. 

There are two brushless motors that fuel the mower’s steel direct drive and twin-blade cutting deck. And since the mower is completely electric, you’ll never need to shift between gears – just push a button and get ready to rumble. You’ll also enjoy a comfortable ride with a premium adjustable cut-and-sew seat. Since this mower isn’t the cheapest product on the market, you’ll be glad to know you get a three-year limited residential and four-year limited battery warranty.

The highlights:

  • Mow up to two acres without recharging the 3000Wh lithium-ion battery
  • Comes with a (somewhat) fast charger that only takes four hours to recharge the battery
  • Features four-gauge wheels for anti-scalping and a 1” – 4” cutting range
  • Forward speed of 5.5 MPH and reverse speed of 3 MPH
  • Comes with a three-year limited residential warranty and a four-year warranty on the battery

This mower is great for a mid-size homeowner’s lawn. I wouldn’t let it do anything super heavy duty, but it is definitely well constructed. 

One downside of this mower is that Cub Cadet doesn’t have a ton of battery-powered items, so you won’t gain any economies of scale with this battery.

You can check out the price of this one exclusively at Home Depot – where they seem to be selling a lot of them.

4.) Ryobi 100 AH Electric Riding Mower

Ryobi turns it up a notch with its 100 AH Electric Riding Mower. This low-maintenance mower has no filters, spark plugs, or belts. It can run up to 2 ½ hours per charge (approximately 2 ½ acres). It has a sleek black and yellow design paired with a comfortable, well-adjusted seat. 

This one made our list of the crazy Ryobi mowers, coming in at #7 and being the only riding mower.

Minimalistic but still great!

If you want to mow at seven in the morning without waking up your kids, this Ryobi mower will do the trick with its quiet cutting and cruise control. The mower features three cutting options – bagging, side discharge, and mulching. It comes with a three-year warranty, and if you ever run into issues, you can take the mower to one of 300+ service centers nationwide. 

This is definitely the lightest-duty mower on this list, only able to boast a 38 inch cutting deck, but still with an impressive run time. It also is  the lowest price, so is actually one of pound-for-pound strongest electric riding mowers on the market.

Summary of why we liked this mower:

  • Get up to 2 ½ hours (2 ½ acres) per charge despite having a smaller cutting deck
  • Quiet cutting keeps you from waking up your neighbors (this is a negative if you don’t like them)
  • 12-position manual deck adjustment – wish this was electric but still nice
  • Get the job done quickly with a maximum speed of 7 MPH
  • Comes with a three-year limited warranty for extra protection

All-in-all, this one is a really good value if you are more price sensitive. It isn’t quite as comfortable as the others, but will definitely get the job done. 

This one is available for just over $3,000 at Home Depot , which is a crazy good value.

The Bottom Line on electric riding mowers

If you’re considering investing in an electric riding lawn mower in 2023, you can’t go wrong with the EGO, Greenworks, Cub Cadet, and Ryobi brands. These companies offer some of the most inventive electric riding lawn mowers that make mowing fun – not a chore.

And that’s what it’s all about, right?

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. 

Our testing methods are…unique.

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.

What We Look for in Electric Riding Lawn Mowers

There are various things we consider when looking at electric lawn mowers that make or break their performance. Before pulling the trigger on one of these, make sure you’ve done your research (or just keep reading our recommendations).

Battery life on electric riding mowers

The ideal electric lawn mower should have a good runtime (ideally two hours or more). It shouldn’t take more than four hours to recharge the battery. If an electric mower has a low runtime and high recharge time, cutting your lawn will become a much more difficult feat.

Further, you should be able to pop off one of the batteries and use it with a blower, trimmer, or other lawn tool. This is how you can save some serious money – buying the tool-only version of other tools in the same battery line.

Comfort

Additionally, an electric riding lawn mower should have a comfortable and adjustable seat. After all, you’ll ride it for at least an hour a week – you don’t want dreaded back pain. It sounds ridiculous to make this a sticking point, but it HAS to be comfortable if you are sitting on this bad boy for a while.

Easy to use and control

Moreover, we look at the different cutting options the lawn mower offers. The electric riding lawn mowers we hand-selected have multiple cutting options – bagging, side discharge, and mulching. Lastly, the riding mower should be easy-to-use and relatively maintenance-free.

It’s also really cool that riding mowers can double as little ATVs that pull trailers around your yard.

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Greenworks vs Ryobi Electric Mowers Comparison Guide

Greenworks vs Ryobi is like asking to compare Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. Two young studs taking the field and destined for greatness. I like the Greenworks mowers better because they have metal cutting decks and generally come in at a lower price.

Both Greenworks and Ryobi have become masters in the battery-powered lawn mower game – and for good reason. They make high quality lawn mowers and have a TON of different types.

We have even reviewed the some great Ryobi mowers and our favorite Greenworks mowers – that’s a LOT of lawn mowers.

Today, we are going to put two of their best mowers head-to-head. We’ve done a ton of research and found that two of their mowers are extremely similar. Let’s figure out which one is best.

Let’s put the Greenworks 48V push mower up against the Ryobi 40V HP mower in a battle for the ages.

Jump ahead:

Ryobi 40V vs Greenworks 48V Mower: Comparison Guide

Greenworks vs Ryobi – the ultimate head-to-head challenge to see what the top dogs can bring to the table. Let’s assess each of these for power, durability, ease of use, and price. Here we go!

Power: Ryobi’s 40V HP vs Greenworks’ 48V (2×24)

To properly evaluate power, there’s a bit of science that goes into it but also other considerations beyond formulas. For starters, typically higher voltages mean more power if you are operating in a vacuum. But we aren’t operating  in a vacuum, we are operating in the real world. Scientifically, the combined 48Vs in the Greenworks mower would impute a higher power output than the 40V of the Ryobi mower.

They’ve always been good.

But let’s take a deeper dive. The Greenworks 48V mower and the Ryobi 40V HP mower both have about 45 minutes of run-time and up to ½ acre of coverage on a single charge. 

Ryobi has a function called HP, which basically means that the motor and battery are designed to work together to produce optimal power output. Greenworks is really combining two 24V batteries, which doesn’t seem to have the same level of connection to the motor that Ryobi is describing. 

I have to give a slight edge to Ryobi in the power game, solely because they have thoughtfully approached the connection between their brushless motor and their batteries – to deliver maximum output. 

Greenworks is still a great choice, but didn’t “feel” as powerful when we ran them side by side.

Winner: Ryobi 40V HP

Durability: Metal vs Plastic deck on Greenworks and Ryobi

Next up after reviewing power is the necessary focus on durability. I’ll be the first to admit that battery-powered mowers aren’t perceived as anywhere near as durable as gas-powered mowers. 

But that doesn’t mean there are more durable battery powered mowers than others. Ryobi and Greenworks are a really great example here because they have one major difference: the composition of their decks.

Metal > Plastic.

The cutting deck is what houses the blades and what the motor sits on top of. In the Ryobi mower, there is a plastic cutting deck which allows it to be lightweight, but more susceptible to cracking, scraping, and chipping. The Greenworks 48V mower has a metal deck, which is exactly what every gas mower carries. It makes the mower heavier, but actually gives it some momentum, keeps the mower on a straight path, and protects it from breakage. 

Another key thing to notice here is that both mowers have brushless motors. Brushless motors can be contrasted with traditional brushed motors in that they have less friction, provide more torque, and a longer life. They are the superior key to motor durability and a non-negotiable when buying any electric lawn tool. 

Because of the metal deck, I have to give this category to Greenworks.

Winner: Greenworks 48V Mower

Ease of use: Greenworks compared to Ryobi

There are a lot of things to consider when evaluating a mower for ease of use, but none that are as important as how the mower feels. Feel is so important because despite all the bells and whistles and performance highlights that a mower might have, if it feels off you are going to have a bad time. 

One thing that is often overlooked is the weight of the mower. Believe it or not, lighter isn’t always better. When I was mowing with the Ryobi 40V HP mower for the first time, it felt like every little bump in the grass would throw off my trajectory. It felt like I didn’t have great control because it was too light. 

Kinda got tossed around by grass.

On the other hand, the Greenworks 48V mower weighs about 20 lbs more. Not super noticeable when you are using the mower, but it feels like you handle rough patches better. It can push through things, not around things, which makes a huge difference.

I also like how both of these mowers have easy push-to-start functions, grass collections bags, and are foldable for easy storage. 

Battery-powered mowers are super easy to use, but the feel of the Greenworks mower was much more comfortable and straightforward (literally).

Winner: Greenworks 48V mower.

Price and warranty comparison on Greenworks and Ryobi

The Greenworks 48V mower has a 3 year tool and battery warranty. Not bad! But Ryobi has a  5 year tool warranty and a 3 year battery warranty. It’s going to win the warranty challenge

As far as price is concerned, you can get the Ryobi mower from Home Depot for about $399.

The Greenworks mower is available on the Greenworks website and often goes on sale on Amazon for a really good price.

Ryobi wins the warranty competition, but it’s a tie on price.

So which is better? Ryobi or Greenworks mowers?

It is a tough call, but someone has to make it. While I like Ryobi’s HP series and their effort to optimize performance with their 40V battery and brushless motor, but favor Greenworks when it comes to reliability and ease of use.

If I had to boil it down to an absolute winner, it would be the Greenworks 48V mower by a hair. 

You really can’t go wrong with either. In fact, if you already own Ryobi’s 40V products, then you’re better served buying the tool-only version of the mower and saving a ton of money. 

You can grab the Greenworks on Amazon today – check to see if it’s still on sale.

Oh – and one of these made our top battery powered mower ranking. The Greenworks is actually also made our list of the premier mowers at Walmart.

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. 

We spend our days analyzing mowers.

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. 

What we look for in battery-powered lawn mowers

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:

Looking for more power? Check out the Greenworks 80V mower review.

Ryobi vs Greenworks 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 other Ryobi products we’ve reviewed.

Ryobi and Greenworks both have TONS of different tools. In my experience, when Greenworks puts out a higher-end product, it’s a beast. Extremely well designed to be durable, easy to use, and powerful. Ryobi also has a ton of products across several different industries and seems to be more focused on quantity than quality. 

But that doesn’t mean Ryobi doesn’t have some bangers. There are some great Ryobi weed eaters and Ryobi pressure washers, but there are equally as good Greenworks pressure washers.

Metal where it matters: the decks

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. Luckily with Ryobi and Greenworks, they have batteries that can be used across a TON of ther products – both indoor and outdoor.

The same battery used in this Greenworks mower is the same one that can be used to power their cordless shop-vac.

They’ve got great tools!

If you have more questions, check out our guide to electric lawn mowers.

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EGO Select Cut vs Select Cut XP Mowers: Compared

EGO Select Cut and Select Cut XP mowers carry many features that are honestly really confusing. EGO has 13 push mowers on their website. They are all roughly the same size, the same battery voltage, and look the same.

So what’s the difference? Why is one $900 and the other $350? These are the questions we are here to figure out today.

Bottom Line: EGO Select Cut differs from EGO Select Cut XP in that the XP version has more torque.

It’s no secret that EGO mowers absolutely crush the battery powered lawn mower game. They are some of the most powerful, longest lasting, and convenient tools on the market. So deciphering how to know what you’re buying and making the right decision is important.

Let’s get it figured out, together.

Jump ahead:

Breaking down EGO’s mower lingo

If you are like me and were at one point staring at all the different mowers that look the same, then you may wonder what the words EGO uses actually mean. 

One of the classics from EGO.

We spent some time reading through what all of these actually mean and which ones we think you should buy. Here is our quick dictionary for reference when reading through each of the mower’s names.

Power+ naming

Power+ just references EGO’s battery powered line of tools. Basically everything of theirs is Power+. It’s their standard naming convention and basically EGO’s last name. 

Self-propelled function

The self-propelled function is an optional function you can use to move the mower forward using a trigger on the handle. It is really nice for moving the mower over banks and hills or for adding some additional power to a thick cut of grass. The downside is that it can drain your battery – use carefully!

EGO Touch Drive Explained

Touch Drive is a function that allows you to more easily control the self-propelled function. Whereas self-propelled EGO mowers without touch drive use a squeeze trigger, Touch Drive mowers have a trigger inside the handle that allows you to use your palm to initiate the self-propelled function, then a speed dial to adjust how quickly it moves.

EGO Peak Power Explained

Peak power allows you to combine any two EGO batteries to operate the mower (saving you money if you already own one).

EGO Select Cut Definition

Select Cut refers to more than one mower blade on the bottom of the mower.

EGO Select Cut XP Definition

Select Cut XP is a designation given to the highest torque Select Cut option that EGO offers.

EGO Speed IQ

Speed IQ is a tool that automatically adjusts the speed of the self-propelled function based off of the terrain. It will slow down to make sure thicker areas get fully cut and speed up over areas that you may have already passed or aren’t as resistant. 

EGO Select Cut vs Select Cut XP vs Regular Mowers Explained

EGO’s mowers come in Select Cut, Select Cut XP and Regular variations. The main difference among all of these is the amount of torque the motor puts out.

Select Cut as a term refers to the multi-blade system used by the mower. Select Cut XP simply refers to the additional torque offered by XP motors. The EGO Select Cut motors put out about 7 pounds of torque whereas the Select Cut XP puts out about 8.3 pounds. 

EGO Select Cut XP is definitely more powerful than Select Cut and their regular mowers. If you have thick grass or just like dominating the grass when you mow, Select Cut XP is a really great option.

The regular option or non-Select Cut XP and non-Select Cut has a single blade on the bottom – which is also true of many traditional gas-powered mowers.

The 3 Best EGO Mowers: Ranked

Now that we have broken down all the complex lingo related to EGO mowers, let’s use them to formulate and rank the best ones. One thing we want to make sure to take into account is VALUE. 

Sure, the best EGO mower will probably be the most expensive, so we try to really break it down to assess which is the best EGO mower for the money.

Buckle up.

1.) EGO Power+ LM2021 20-Inch Walk Behind Mower

This is not a popular opinion. If you read other folks’ reviews of EGO mowers, this one probably won’t make the list. But we are different here at The Lawn Review and are giving you the absolute insider’s take. 

We don’t just sort mowers by the best seller and then regurgitate the specifications to you. We are actually going to break down exactly why this one is our absolute favorite. 

Nothing beats a steel deck.

If I could draw up the perfect lawn mower in a lab, this one would be darn near close. It has all of my favorite things including:

  • The only EGO mower with a steel deck. Metal decks are way more durable, temperature resistant, and provide a little more weight to keep the mower balanced. 
  • Of course it has the brushless motor and 56V battery system.
  • Easy push button start
  • Folds in half for storing in the winter (or between mows)
  • One of the longer run times at over an hour

This one doesn’t have all the bells and whistles. It’s basically a super durable, not complicated, efficient battery powered mower that is the easiest comparison to gas-powered mowers.

We love this mower because it lacks some of the complexities that drain the other mowers’ batteries like self-propelled functions and multiple blades and variable speeds.

You just push the mower like you always have. But to put the cherry on top, this is one of the most affordable EGO mowers on the market. The price is always changing, but we’ve found it to be the lowest when you buy it off of Amazon.

2.) EGO Power+ LM2133 21-Inch Select Cut Lawn Mower

Next up on the list is the LM2133 mower from EGO. This one does have some bells and whistles, but doesn’t go too overboard. This has all of the standard beautiful features in an EGO mower (56V battery, 21 inch deck, brushless motor), but also has some nice extras.

This EGO mower has the Select Cut functionality, which if you reference our dictionary above, would know that it has multiple cutting blades. The multiple blades help work together to finely mulch the grass, allowing you to move faster and make fewer passes in your yard.

Multiple blades.

You can grab this one on Amazon as well for a great price. If you want to boost the run time from 45 minutes to 65 minutes, get the tool-only version and buy a separate 7.5 Ah battery. This one comes with a 5.0 Ah battery that may not fully get you where you need to go.

3.) EGO POWER+ 21″ Select Cut XP Mower with Touch Drive LM2156SP

This one is obviously the Cadillac of EGO mowers. It comes with every bell and whistle. The belle of the ball. But it comes with a price.

Here are some of the features that make this one unbeatable:

  • Select Cut XP functionality means that this is the highest torque EGO mower on the planet
  • Also has Touch Drive self-propelled functionality, making it the easiest to use and control
  • Longest run time at 75 minutes because it comes with 10.0 Ah batteries, basically double the Ah of their other mowers
Just a freaking beast.

So this is the most powerful, longest running, easiest to control EGO mower. It is truly probably the best battery powered mower available from a technical specification perspective. But it doesn’t have a steel deck, which makes me sad. 

You can buy this one at Ace Hardware for a pretty penny (anywhere between $800-900). We wrote about this one extensively – you can check out our full review of the EGO Select Cut XP LM2156 or LM2150 here.

EGO Mowers: Cutting Through The Noise

I hope this article has provided some clarity around all the different features EGO offers on their mowers. Frankly, they are all trademarked and difficult to understand. 

When you feel confused, take a step back and think through the most important questions: how does this mower perform? Will it last me a long time? How long is the run time? How much does it cost?

Those will steer you past any flashy slogans or popular products to the one you can rely on.

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. 

How we spend our time now.

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. 

What to look for in a battery-powered lawn mower

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:

EGO 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.

It’s true.

EGO is known for making seriously high quality, dense lawn tools. Yeah, we used the word dense here because when you pick up their tools they feel solid as a rock. We’ve reviewed a ton of EGO products and made YouTube videos covering EGO’s leaf blowers and EGO’s mowers.

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.

Most EGO mower’s have a plastic deck.

EGO sadly makes quite a few mowers with plastic decking, but a couple with metal decks. While I prefer metal decks, EGO’s reinforced plastic is actually quite durable. It won’t kill you to use a plastic deck, but it can help it last much longer.

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. Luckily with EGO, they only have a 56V battery line, which can be used across all of their products. The only difference you’ll see is in the amp-hours, which increases the amount of time you can spend doing the job. 

If you have more questions, check out our guide to electric lawn mowers

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PowerSmart 40V Battery Mower Review: 2024 Update

PowerSmart’s battery powered lawn mowers are lesser known in the electric world, but have gas alternatives that are super popular. According to our lawn mower expert Tyler, this is a really good cheap option for small yards.

PowerSmart is known for having extremely well-built, quality products. We reviewed their PowerSmart gas-powered snow blower and were….blown away.

But they’ve recently stepped into the electric lawn mower space. We were fortunate enough to get our hands on one of their brand new mowers, the PowerSmart 40V electric mower.

Here’s our thoughts:

PowerSmart 40V Battery Powered Lawn Mower: Features and benefits

Let’s check out some of the great features and benefits from the PowerSmart 40V Battery-powered lawn mower. Interested in other PowerSmart mowers?

Using the PowerSmart 40V mower

The most important thing about a lawn mower isn’t how well it cuts, it’s how the mower feels to use. If you are going to be walking a couple of miles in a straight line in your yard, then you want to make sure it is with an intuitive, easy to use mower. 

The PowerSmart battery powered mower has five different height settings for cutting the grass. This helps folks with grass like tall fescue, which requires a lifted cutting deck, but also someone with bermuda or zoysia, which requires a shorter cut.

This PowerSmart mower also comes with 3 discharge options: side discharge, mulching, and bagging. We always recommend mulching, which allows for the re-use of the grass clippings as a nice fertilizer for the soil.

Wheels with five height levels.

It easily breaks down and folds in half, which is nice for storage in your garage or shed.

This mower comes in at about 42 lbs, which I actually like in an electric mower. The metal deck on this mower means that it is going to be more durable and better downward force for stabilizing the mower. 

How to operate the PowerSmart 40V mower

The PowerSmart battery lawn mower comes with a safety key, which is actually really unusual for a lot of battery powered mowers. It only comes with one key, and without it you cannot operate the mower. 

Don’t lose that key!

After the key is in place, you simply press the start button, pull down the trigger, and engage the blades. 

One thing we also enjoyed about  this mower is that it has an indicator light for battery life and another for some sort of system fault (heaven forbid).

The handles are very sensitive.

The trigger is actually pretty sensitive and you’ll want to make sure that you have it pulled down all the way for the entirety of the mowing journey. Any let-up on the trigger at all will cut off the mower.

Bells and whistles on this electric mower

Overall, this mower is pretty basic. It doesn’t have many of the bells and whistles, isn’t self-propelled, and doesn’t have many parts that can break. We really like that it comes in a basic form because it allows the mower to come in at an extremely reasonable price.

Battery life and run-time of PowerSmart’s 40V series

PowerSmart claims that this battery can run for 42 minutes, which is usually under optimal conditions. We put this to the test (as seen in our video) and got 56 minutes.

Where the battery goes!

Wow. We really liked this as some of the competitors have been WAY below their advertised time. We almost cut an entire 1/2 acre yard with a single charge. Oh yeah.

We also put the battery recharge time to the test as well. The base has three different light indicators. Blinking red means that it’s charging, alternating red and green if it’s overheated, and solid green when it’s done charging.

Battery charge indicator.

It took about 3 hours to fully charge from dead.

Price and Warranty

The PowerSmart 40V Battery Powered mower comes in at about $280, including the charger and battery. It also comes with a nice 3-year warranty – which is really good.

Official Review: PowerSmart Battery Powered Lawn Mower 40V

The mower has some things to love and a few things not to love. If you have a smaller yard and are looking to get the job done, this is a really good value. It comes in at a great price point and will be good for at least three years. 

We did find it a little bit “bumpy” and noisier than we would have liked. With a few small modifications, it could become a lot more comfortable. 

If you have a larger yard, I’d probably check out some other mowers, especially some self-propelled ones, that will help tackle the job for you.

All-in-all, the PowerSmart 40V Battery Powered mower is a great value mower. You can pick it up straight from PowerSmart.

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. 

We take testing seriously.

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. 

What to look for in an electric lawn mower 

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:

  • Brand quality
    • Quality is going to be super important here. 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.
  • Metal where it matters. 
    • 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. Ryobi has this, so does Dewalt, and so do some of the Greenworks products. This will save you garage clutter and plug space.

If you have more questions, check out our guide to electric lawn mowers.

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Toro Recycler SmartStow Battery Mower: 2024 Update

The battery powered Toro Recycler SmartStow 60V mower was a bit of a let down. I expected this Toro mower to be perfect – and it was just okay.

I love it!

Toro mowers are one of the best selling gas mowers in the Milky Way galaxy (and beyond). Making the switch to battery is a huge task. Aren’t battery mowers weaker? And plastic? And can it break easily?

We did a full YouTube video review of this mower that you can check out here.

This Toro Recycler Battery mower is durable, solid as a rock, and has the foundations of a great mower. I do think it is a bit overpriced given some of the others on the market, but you can check if the price dropped at Home Depot here.

Read more by clicking the jump links below:

Toro Recycler SmartStow Battery Mower: Features and Benefits

Let’s hop into what might become the household staple of the future. The red Toro Lawn Mower that is in just about every garage, except battery-powered. This one even made our list of best mowers for bermudagrass.

#1!!

The Toro Recycler Battery Mower is as powerful as gas

Gauging power output on a battery-powered mower is always tough when compared to gas mowers. Gas mowers have cubic centimeter displacement, or ccs, that give you a good idea and are more widely recognized.

Battery mowers have voltage (V), which generally correlates to power. It also has Amp-hours (Ah) which correlates to run-time. The 60V Toro Recycler SmartStow battery mower is an above-average voltage for a walk-behind battery mower.

I would compare the Toro Recycler’s power output to somewhere around 175 cc on a gas mower.

In layman’s terms, this thing can keep up with and even exceed most gas walk-behind mowers. It will sound different, but the cutting power is really the same.

Same, same – but different.

One thing I will mention related to power is the motor type. This comes with a great Brushless motor, meaning more torque, a cooler running motor, and a durable long-lasting tool.

The Toro Recycler 60V battery run time

Battery life may be the biggest concern if you are switching to a Toro SmartStow battery mower for the first time. Up above, I mentioned Amp-hours as the measurement of how long the battery will run. You can get the Toro Recycler SmartStow in either a 5 or 6 Ah battery package. I recommend going with the 6 Ah for more run time.

In a normal yard, you will be able to cut for about 45 minutes, which is really pretty great for a battery powered mower. In terms of size, you will be able to cut about ⅓ of an acre with this on a  single charge.

Can be used with a ton of other Toro 60V tools.

The beauty of the 60V battery on the Toro Recycler SmartStow battery mower is that it can be used with the trimmer, blower, and chainsaw. One battery can give you several different tools. That’s why if you go with the Toro 60V, you should make sure to check out other products in the Toro 60V line to save some serious money by purchasing the “tool-only” versions.

Just as a forewarning, running your mower with the self-propelled function on will noticeably burn the battery as compared to just pushing it the old fashioned way.

Toro Recycler SmartStow battery mower has zero maintenance

My favorite part about battery mowers in general is that they require basically no maintenance. At all. And they start reliably every time without having to pull a cord a dozen times.

No spilling gas all over your garage, no oil changes or filter changes, and no smelling like gasoline (which I actually like). 

No pull-cord, just push to start.

You can simply press a button and get going. 

As you may have read at the beginning of this article, it’s also really important to have a mower with a metal decking. Thankfully, the Toro Recycler battery mower has a nice 21 inch or 22 inch steel deck, whichever size you buy.

The steel deck means that you get the reliability and durability you would expect from Toro. 

Bells and whistles on the Toro 60V mower

Some other features of the Toro Recycler Battery mower include the rear-drive self-propelled function. I’m a bit picky, but if I get a self-propelled mower, I actually prefer it to have front-wheel drive so that it can help pull the mower over certain spots. 

Oddly, the Toro Recycler has this top air-intake system that is supposed to pull air up through the bottom of the mower and make grass stand taller before it gets cut. This contraption is heavily marketed but doesn’t seem to work at all. In fact, it looks like the vent doesn’t actually connect to the bottom of the mower.

The Toro Recycler SmartStow has a 9-position cutting height range, which is almost excessive but nice that you have this many options. You’;’ll be able to cut all types of grass, from fescue to zoysia. 

The last part is the Recycler Cutting System, which is how this mower gets its name. One of my favorite things about Toro is that they patented the term LawnVitamins, or very finely trimmed grass clippings created from their Recycler series. 

Cost of the Toro Recycler SmartStow 60V mower

The Toro Recycler SmartStow comes in at about $500 depending on the size and the battery that you get. This is a pretty reasonable price considering that it is going to last you for quite some time. 

As is true with all brand-names, you are definitely paying a bit more for the “Toro” logo printed on the side.

Official Review: Toro Recycler SmartStow 60V Battery Mower

From Toro, this is exactly what I would expect. It is high-quality, well-made, durable, and reliable. I believe over the years we will see this mower become the dominant replacement for folks using gas mowers nowadays. 

You can grab yours at Home Depot for a great deal, but click here to see the ever-changing price.

Check out our ranking of the best Toro mowers! 

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. 

This is how we spend our days

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. 

What to look for in an electric lawn mower 

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:

  • Brand quality
    • Quality is going to be super important here. 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.
  • Metal where it matters.
    • 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. Ryobi has this, so does Dewalt, and so do some of the Greenworks products. This will save you garage clutter and plug space.

If you have more questions, check out our guide to electric lawn mowers.

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3 Mowers That Help You With Steep Banks and Hills

The best mower for hilly yards is the Greenworks Pro 80V Brushless Self-propelled mower because it has a strong self-propelled feature that does much of the heavy lifting. Lawn mowers and steep banks and hills don’t often get along. You end up hauling the dang mower straight up a hill, or try to do it sideways and end up missing a bunch of spots.

Today, I’ll break down my favorite mowers for mowing a hilly or sloped front yard:

  1. Greenworks Pro 80V Self-propelled mower
  2. Greenworks 40V 16” Cordless Electric Lawn Mower
  3. Makita XML03CM1 18” Brushless lawn mower

3 Lawn Mowers for Steep Lawns

It was hard to narrow down, but I was able to distill the list down to just three. I have to tell you, these three are titans in the electric lawn game. I am not bringing any bush league mowers to my recommendation list. These are not only top mowers for steep banks, but also top battery powered mowers in general. Let’s get started.

3. Makita XML03CM1 18” Brushless lawn mower

Makita mowers are pretty sweet. If you have owned any Makita products before, likely one of their power drills, you know that they have super high-quality products.

I put this mower at number three for a few reasons. For starters, it is heavier than the other two, coming in at over 80 lbs. It also does not have a self propelled function, meaning you are going to be pushing that 80 lbs, which is the average weight of a regular gas mower. 

Not bad!

I have this one at number three because it is a high quality mower that is extremely durable without being overkill on size. If you have a big property, this one is the type I would keep for steep banks and hills that my lawn tractor or zero turn couldn’t reach or were unsafe. It uses the same batteries that are found in the power drills, saving you a ton of money on a new set of batteries. 

This Makita mower is for sale on Amazon for a very reasonable price.

2. Greenworks 40V 16” Cordless Electric Lawn Mower

Greenworks is one of our favorite brands because they ONLY do battery powered lawn equipment. So they are the pros. 

Anyways, we love the 40V 16” cordless mower from Greenworks because it is small and light. This mower is perfect for effortlessly tackling the steep banks and hills. Many people are concerned about having to push a mower, when in reality the difficult part is holding onto the mower if you are fighting gravity downhill. This is true if you cut in a vertical pattern and are moving downwards with the mower. It is also tough when cutting horizontally and trying to keep the mower straight instead of toppling over.

Gets the job done and light as a feather.

Worry no more – this mower weighs less than 40 lbs, making it an extremely easy to use mower for steep banks and hills. At 16 inches, you don’t have to worry about it taking up a ton of space in your garage, either. 

In fact, this is one of the most popular mowers ever purchased on Amazon, with over 8,000 review comments left. You will probably see your neighbor with one.

Check it out on Amazon for a really great price.

1. Greenworks Pro 80V 21-inch Brushless Self-propelled Mower

Bring in the big dog. This mower is perfect in just about every way. 

Brushless motor. Self propelled. Steel cutting deck. Amazing brand. Battery line that works with all Greenworks 80V products.

It is really a dream mower. 

Thing of beauty!

I love it for hills because it can do a lot of the marching uphill for you. An underrated component of this mower is that it’s self-propelled function will help hold a steady and straight line when mowing horizontally on a hill. So basically you feel like you’re sideways, but the mower keeps marching forward.

This one is lighter than most gas mowers as well. You’ll be surprised at what it feels like to use on hills.

It is definitely worth the money and a great buy on Amazon.

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. 

Testing sometimes hurts.

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. 

What to look for in an electric lawn mower 

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:

  • Brand quality
    • Quality is going to be super important here. 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.
  • Metal where it matters. 
    • 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. Ryobi has this, so does Dewalt, and so do some of the Greenworks products. This will save you garage clutter and plug space.

If you have more questions, check out our guide to electric lawn mowers.

What you need to tackle hills with a lawn mower

Steep hills and embankments give every homeowner a fit. We all know the challenges they present, which is why we wrote this article.  Here’s what you need in a mower for steep hills:

  • Lightweight – it has to be able to be easily controlled and not topple over or get off track. 
  • Self-propelled – this not only helps push the mower for you, but will keep the wheels moving straight with its forward momentum
  • Battery-powered – if you have a really steep hill, you can definitely run into issues with gas not funneling into the engine. Battery powered mowers avoid that.
  • A walk-behind mower – even if you have a big property, I would separately purchase a walk-behind mower for the steepest part of the hills or steep banks. 

So here is what we recommend.

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5 Battery Powered Lawn Combo Kits For All-in-One Shopping

The best lawn mower and trimmer combo kit is the Greenworks 40V 21 inch mower and trimmer kit. Not only do you get a sweet mower and trimmer, but you can save a bunch of money on lawn tools from Greenworks in the future by using the same 40V battery across dozens of tools.

Gotta love it! This photo came from one of our giveaway winners!

Best Mower Trimmer Combo (all-around): Greenworks 40V 21 inch mower and trimmer

5 Best Electric Lawn Mower and Trimmer combo kits

Alright y’all – let’s get to it. After about 19 hours of research and testing, we decided to bring you the best of the best.

We cut out combinations that could be purchased individually because that isn’t super helpful or convenient if you are trying to bundle these. We also disqualified combos that were insanely expensive. No thanks!

5. Toro Flex Force 60V Cordless 2-Tool Combo Kit with mower and trimmer

The Toro Flex Force 60V Cordless 2-Tool Combo kit is the second most expensive set on this list. And there’s a reason why. It has a 22 inch walk-behind mower (meaning it is self-propelled) and a 16 inch trimmer. That’s pretty sweet. 16 inch trimmers are definitely in the commercial range and can be used by professional landscapers. The Toro Recycler mower has a brushless motor which means it is built to last and deliver more power than its brushed counterparts.

The mower can cut about ⅓ of an acre in 40 minutes. This is a little bit more than the average homeowner needs, but no complaints from me. 

Toro has high quality stuff, but doesn’t have quite the experience in the electric space yet. For commercial gas-powered equipment, I’ll take Toro all day. In the electric world, they are still newbies.

Toro’s mower that I used.

You can grab this kit from Home Depot for about $100 less than it was this time last year.

4. Ryobi 40V HP Brushless 21 in Mower and String Trimmer Kit

I love Ryobi products. They *mostly* have pretty high quality stuff, including their 40V HP Brushless mower and string trimmer kit.

Ryobi’s 40V series is really strong, especially since the 40V batteries can be used with an absurd amount of Ryobi products. The mower here has a cross-cut functionality, proving superior and thorough cuts to any lawn. It also has a self-propelled function and comes with two 40V batteries. At 21 inches, it’s the perfect width for medium yards, but can also fit smaller yards with ease.

This thing can crush large yards.

The string trimmer here is nice as well. I have owned this Ryobi string trimmer for a long time and have had absolutely zero issues with it. It cuts 13-15 inches which is above average for residential weed eaters and will absolutely crush the borders of your lawn (which I love).

At a little over $800, this is the most expensive set I recommend. But it truly does serve as an investment in all of their lawn tools because you can buy the tool-only versions of any of their other 40V products, saving a boat load of money in the process.

You can grab this one from Home Depot as well.

3. LawnMaster 20VMWGT 24V Max 12-inch mower and Trimmer combo

LawnMaster is a no-name brand on Amazon but man, they have some DIRT CHEAP products. Now I can’t say that these will be found in droves, but geez, it is almost worth buying a new set each year because they are so dang cheap.

Whatever, it’s cheap. Photo Cred: Amazon.

Let me get started by saying that this mower is not very big. It is a foot wide. This is going to be able to take care of most people’s smaller lawns, but is actually great for tiny yards. Having a foot-long mower can navigate really tight corners and has more sensitivity to garden borders. 

Unfortunately, I would not recommend this to anyone with a large lawn unless it is serving as a punishment. Or you can make it a part of your Subway diet – a footlong sub and a footlong mower exercise. 

Anyways, you can grab this one on Amazon for a great price with a 10-inch trimmer. The trimmer looks very foreign-factory made. It will get the job done, but again is only good for smaller yards.

2. Worx 40V Lawn Mower & Trimmer Power Share Combo WG934

The Worx 40V lawn  mower & trimmer power share combo (WG934) has over 21 THOUSAND  reviews on Amazon, rated at 4.5 stars. 

So people think it’s dang good. For a reason.

The Worx 40V mower here is cordless and covers 14 inches. Definitely better suited for smaller yards, or if you like a workout – some medium yards as well. It has something called “intellicut” which basically adjusts the output of the torque with the difficulty of mowing. It is similar to driving with cruise control where it will push on the gas if you’re going up a hill to keep the same speed. Cool.

The mower AND the GT revolution trimmer. Photo cred: Amazon.

The trimmer and edger combo here is also really nice. I’ve reviewed a ton of Worx trimmers and have always found them extremely intuitive to use. The power is nice, but another benefit of the WG934 combo kit is the ability for the trimmer to double as an edger. The GT Revolution is the name of the trimmer when its sold separately, and I think its the most popular trimmer on Amazon. Is this…3 tools in one? Is that cheating? 

You can grab this one for a really, really good price on Amazon.

1. Greenworks 40V 21 inch Mower and String Trimmer Kit

The Greenworks 40V 21 inch Brushless and Cordless mower is an absolute beast. The fact that it comes with a full-body, grown-man string trimmer is a huge plus. And it is a great price.

Gotta love it! This photo came from one of our giveaway winners!

We love the 40V Mower, blower, and trimmer because you can build your entire garage around it. The 40V line from Greenworks covers over 60 products. Once you get this set, you’re set. Snow blowers, hedge trimmers, chainsaws, pole saws – you name it, they’ve got it covered in this line. 

The mower has a steel deck, which makes it one of the most durable cordless mowers in the game. The brushless motor on this also gives it longevity and more torque. Between these two features, this mower is indestructible.

The TLR-favorite Greenworks has really great products. The 12 inch string trimmer that comes with this is perfect for small to medium yards and even includes a brush guard to keep it from tearing into garden beds.

I can’t say enough good things about this set. It is on sale for a great price on Amazon or you can grab it straight from Greenworks’ website.

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. 

We take tool testing seriously.

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. 

What to look for in an electric lawn mower 

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:

  • Brand quality
    • Quality is going to be super important here. 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.
  • Metal where it matters. 
    • 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. Ryobi has this, so does Dewalt, and so do some of the Greenworks products. This will save you garage clutter and plug space.
  • Self-propelled or not. 
    • I actually don’t like the self-propelled feature. It doesn’t help you that much and it drains battery – I would pass here. This is a marketing gimmick in my opinion.

If you have more questions, check out our guide to electric lawn mowers.

What to look for in a cordless string trimmer

Cordless weed eaters come in all shapes and sizes. They aren’t highly complicated pieces of equipment, but they do have a few nuances. Here is how I see it:

  • Feel – Obviously this is subjective, but feel is everything to me. I have had weed eaters in the past where the handle is off to the side, making me torque my shoulders and back. If you can, get as many adjustable pieces as possible to make this customizable. It doesn’t seem like you use a weed eater for a long time, but the work is precision work that requires a steady hand and focus.
  • Motor – brushless motors are king here. They are longer lasting and more durable. Regular brushed motors are fine, too. The key difference here is that brushless motors use magnets, instead of friction, to power the motor. This means less heat, more durability, and a longer life. Brushed motors will still do the job, however they tend to have a shorter life. Brushless motors are relatively new, so if you have had an electric tool back in the day, it was probably brushed.
  • Interchangeable batteries – Get a dang tool that has batteries that you can use with other batteries. C’mon people – save money by doing this! You don’t have to keep buying new battery sets. There are a lot of tool companies that have batteries that work with a ton of different tools. But some of these companies have a bunch of different battery types. Be careful!
  • Curved vs Straight shaft – I always, always, always prefer straight shafts. They are so much easier to use and control and are much longer than curved shafts. Curved shafts are good for clearing out a small piece of land unable to be mowed. But if you want to actually do some good trimming and edging, a straight shaft is much better. Curved shafts are difficult to maneuver and create a straight line for edging. 

You can also improve any weed eater to become a freaking beast with the right weed eater string. We developed our own after testing out dozens of strings and combining all the best elements.

How to instantly improve your weed eater

Upgrade your weed eating game with the ultimate GrassKicker Weed Eater String! While weed eaters and lawn edgers are great tools, it’s not complete without the right string. Our specially crafted line is designed to enhance your weed eater’s performance and give you flawless edges around your yard and garden.

Don’t settle for subpar string that breaks easily and leaves ragged edges. Our team has scoured the market and combined the best colors, shapes, thicknesses, and materials to create a superior line that cuts more cleanly and lasts longer.

With GrassKicker, you can take pride in your perfectly manicured lawn and make a lasting impression on your friends and family. And who knows, your envious neighbors might just start dropping by more often! Don’t wait, elevate your weed eating game with GrassKicker Weed Eater String today! Click the link now to buy.

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Best Milwaukee M18 Lawn Mower Review: 2024 Update

The best (and currently only) Milwaukee lawn mower is their BEASTLY M18 series self-propelled mower. We bought it for over $1,000 and don’t regret it.

What was the result? Well, we went to Home Depot and bought this bad boy – straight up. Then we used it in our yard, my mother-in-laws yard, and my neighbors yard all in one day.

Well, unlike their peers who made 100 different battery-powered mowers, Milwaukee just made one.

For real? They just made one mower? 

Bottom line review of the Milwaukee M18 Mower: The Milwaukee M18 mower is absolutely worth the price. Because when you put in as much thought and focus into a single item, you get amazing results. You can watch our video review of this mower on our YouTube channel here.

So let’s check out the best (and only) Milwaukee lawn mower: the M18 FUEL Brushless Cordless 21 inch walk behind dual battery self-propelled mower. 

Best Milwaukee lawn mower: Milwaukee M18 FUEL self-propelled mower

It’s honestly hilarious because it is the only Milwaukee Lawn Mower. Therefore the best AND the worst. But who wants to read about the worst Milwaukee lawn mower? Not me. Anyways, let’s get started.

Isn’t it a beauty?

The Milwaukee M18 mower is more powerful than my Honda mower

If there’s anything you can be confident about when buying a Milwaukee lawn mower, it is going to be the power. Milwaukee is notorious for making powerful products that deliver without fail. 

So when it comes to lawn mowers, you have to know that the power is there. And it is. It’s always hard to evaluate power without measuring horsepower or cc displacement or whatever can be compared with gas mowers, so let’s get a little more qualitative.

After a few cuts it got some nice grass clippings.

The Milwaukee M18 Fuel mower is going to at least be as powerful as a 200cc lawn mower. For comparison sake, one of the most popular gas mowers, the GCV170 from Honda has 170ccs. So even more powerful.

At the end of the day, you just want to make sure it cuts every blade of grass without being weak. I’m here to tell you that it does.

The Milwaukee M18 mows smoothly and efficiently

Second most important thing in a Milwaukee lawn mower is the feel. If you’re going to be making a bunch of laps in your yard, you don’t want it to be too heavy to the point of becoming super difficult to push. You also don’t want it to be plastic-y and lightweight, unable to keep a straight line.

The M18 Fuel mower has a metal deck, which makes it a little heavier than most electric mowers. Bad thing, right? 

Well, it makes up for it by coming with a nice self-propelled function that helps push it along (if you need it). 

These knobs pull out and help you fold it down.

Whenever I use an electric mower, it still feels weird to me that it isn’t loud. The noise is always a little weird to me – like a blender at a smoothie shop. I’m still getting used to the noise, but am growing to like it because I can listen to music or a podcast while I mow. 

This Milwaukee mower is also extremely easy to maneuver and feels exactly like my first mower, the Troy Bilt TB160 did when I made turns. 

Milwaukee built a rugged steel deck and brushless motor that makes the M18 mower super durable

When I consider durability in lawn tools, there are a few things I keep in mind. One of the top considerations is the brand’s quality and reputation. Milwaukee is one of the few brands that does not put out any suspect tools. 

A nice big steel deck and large tires.

A lot of the other brands have lower-power tools that are relatively inexpensive to market to a different segment of customers. Milwaukee doesn’t have time for that. They only put out bangers.

Oneother thing I love about this mower is the steel deck. Steel cutting decks are way more durable than their plastic counterparts, with the ability to keep it together even under potentially harmful scenarios. This means no cracking, no chips, no breaking. The steel deck here is going to last you for a long time (forever).

The M18 lawn mower from Milwaukee has some nice bells and whistles

The Milwaukee M18 mower does not try to have all the bells and whistles – it’s just a rock-solid, heavy-duty push mower. 

But it does have some features that have serious utility. The first of which is three cut styles: mulch, bag, and side discharge. Go with what suits you, but I generally mulch my grass and leave it in the yard. This is controversial. Deal with it. 

Another cool thing about this mower is that it goes to full throttle in less than one second. Which means you can just crank it and roll. A nice little touch. 

The Milwaukee M18 mower is worth the hefty price tag

The Milwaukee M18 mower comes in at just over $1,000 for the mower with batteries and a charger. You can get it for a bit less if you get it without batteries in case you already have some. 

Nice battery indicator.

The M18 battery series serves over 200 tools and is an extremely reliable and intelligent battery.

I know what you’re thinking – a whole rack for a mower? Yeah, it is a little steep. But like I said, Milwaukee just has one mower and it is pretty dang good. 

If you want a more affordable mower of similar quality, I would check out some of Makita’s best mowers. 

The official review: Milwaukee M18 FUEL 21 inch mower

This Milwaukee mower not only comes with the power that you trust from all Milwaukee tools,  but is also extremely dependable. 

The price is a little steep, but this mower is exactly what you would expect from a Milwaukee product. Durable, consistent, and relentless about getting the job done.

You can grab it from Home Depot – check the price here – and a variety of other places. Check out our comparison post of the Ryobi 40V vs Milwaukee M18 mower.

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. 

We test a lot of tools

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. 

We also did a nice review of Milwaukee’s M18 weed eater.

What to look for in a battery powered lawn mower

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:

  • Brand quality
    • Quality is going to be super important here. 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.
    • Luckily – Milwaukee carries really good brand quality. They’re well known for making durable, powerful, trusted tools
  • Metal where it matters.
    • 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.
    • Again, Milwaukee has you covered ehre.
  • 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. Ryobi has this, so does Dewalt, and so do some of the Greenworks products. This will save you garage clutter and plug space.
  • Self-propelled or not.
    • Some people love it – I am indifferent. It’s a great feature for hills, uneven surfaces, or if you don’t like to push your push mower.

If you’re interested in learning more, check out our electric lawn mower buying guide.

About Milwaukee tools

Milwaukee tools have a long history of being tough and durable. Milwaukee is a brand that has been around for over 100 years, and it has a well-deserved reputation for making high-quality tools. Milwaukee tools are used by professionals all over the world, and they are known for being able to withstand heavy use. 

Milwaukee makes a wide variety of tools, from hand tools to power tools, and they are used in a variety of industries, from construction to automotive. Milwaukee is a brand that is trusted by professionals, and Milwaukee tools are built to last.

Favorite logo.

We noticed that Milwaukee was starting to make a splash in the lawn tool industry, so we have been trying to get our hands on any Milwaukee products that we can.

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Ryobi 20 in. 40V Self-Propelled Mower Review: 2024

The Ryobi 40V 20 inch brushless, cordless, self-propelled lawn mower is a great, inexpensive, lightweight option for the thrifty homeowner.

Pretty dang sleek.

One of, if not THE most popular electric lawn mowers is back. And sleek. And sexy.

Electric lawn mower? Sexy? Yes – it’s the Tesla of mowers. And we have loved using it. 

Despite what people say, these mowers actually have some decent power.

But I don’t want to spoil it yet.

Ryobi RY40190 cordless electric lawn mower: Benefits

Now that we have the basics out of the way, let’s check out the things that make this Ryobi cordless mower special.

The bag is a nice plus!

Brushless Ryobi Motor makes it super durable and efficient

The Brushless Ryobi Motor is going to allow for a few things. First, the brushless motor is going to cause less friction and heat inside of the engine. Instead of relying on friction to transfer electrons from the battery to the motor, brushless motors use magnets.

Less friction and less heat in this Ryobi 40V mower mean that the motor will last you much longer than other electric mowers. Brushless motors are also quieter – often included in Ryobi’s “Whisper” series. 

Ryobi 40V battery fits a ton of other tools

The 40V Battery on the Ryobi RY40190 cordless 20 inch mower can be used with a TON of other Ryobi products.

Works on your trimmer, too!

I also own a Ryobi 40V blower as well as a Ryobi 40V 3-in-1 trimmer and edger. I can pop the battery onto each of these tools. Heck yeah. This saves a ton of time and most importantly – precious wall outlet space in your garage. 

The battery is great and can generally last for about 45 minutes or so – but may decrease when the self-propelled function is active. I have a smaller yard so can quickly mow, blow and trim in under 45 minutes. If I add on something like the occasional edging, then it usually requires a recharge.

Ryobi 20 in 40v Mower’s Self-propelled function

I know I have been on the record as a big critic of the self-propelled function. I don’t like it mainly because it can drain the battery more quickly than without and because I don’t mind pushing.

But not everyone shares this feeling. Definitely more elderly folks, people with larger yards, and smaller-framed people can benefit from a self-propelled function. It can tremendously offload a portion of the pushing.

Self-propelled mowers are also great for those of us with hills, a slanted yard, or lots of small holes or divots. 

Also stores upright!

The self-propelled function on the Ryobi 20 inch 40 Volt brushless mower is front-wheel drive, pulling the mower over grass and uneven textures.

One complaint: The plastic deck

The only real complaint I have with this mower is that it has a plastic underbelly. Most heavy duty mowers have a metal deck that protects from extreme temperatures, rocks and sticks that could fly into the blades, and deterioration.

Didn’t even make the newer version metal.

I generally recommend looking for a mower that has a metal deck. These plastic decks are not going to snap in half or anything, I just always like knowing that the steel decks are more durable. 

Ryobi 20 in. 40V mower cost and value

The price has a huge range from what I can tell on Amazon.

Anywhere from $450 to $600 seems like a decent deal – just verify that you are getting the tool only version if you already have the battery, and the battery + charger if you don’t.

Nice little height adjuster.

This price range is about average. I do think the Ryobi series makes some good products and I doubt you will have any regrets – we didn’t!

We also reviewed another Ryobi 40V mower that is slightly larger here.

The official review: Ryobi 40V 20 in. 6 Ah lithium-ion brushless cordless battery

Pretty good! Has just about everything you would want in an electric mower, other than a steel deck.

It has it all.

But this Ryobi mower has all the bells and whistles. Grab yours today for a great price at Home Depot where it is exclusively sold.

If you are interested in other Ryobi mowers, check out the best Ryobi mowers guide we made (Spoiler: This is #1).

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. 

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. 

What to look for in an electric lawn mower 

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:

  • Brand quality
    • Quality is going to be super important here. 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.
  • Metal where it matters. 
    • 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. Ryobi has this, so does Dewalt, and so do some of the Greenworks products. This will save you garage clutter and plug space.
  • Self-propelled or not. 
    • I actually don’t like the self-propelled feature as much as others.. It doesn’t help you that much and it can drain the battery some. Older people and those with hills seem to love them, though.

We do a thorough dive into each of these topics in our electric lawn mower buying guide.

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5 Kobalt Mowers With Serious Power

Cordless Kobalt Lawn Mowers are super popular – especially at Lowe’s.

But let’s be honest. They have way too many models – which can be extremely confusing.

Lucky for you, I actually sat and tried to figure out the differences between each one and what it means for you. Then I wrote down my five favorite and listed them below.

Yes, this took about 19 hours to do. But it’s worth it (I tell myself). Because I wish someone would have done this for me.

So let’s get to it:

5 Best Cordless Kobalt Lawn Mowers

Here we go: these are meticulously ranked mowers that hit on all of the best things to look for in an electric mower (see above).

We were recently quoted in the Washington Post as experts on the topic – so you can trust us!

Check out how these mowers stack up against EGO’s 56V mower.

5. Kobalt 40V Max Brushless 19-inch Cordless Electric Lawn Mower

The Kobalt 40V Max Brushless 19-inch cordless electric mower is perfect for small yards. Actually may be one of the better mowers for small yards. This is a mower that will last you for a long time, is extremely efficient, and easy to store. 

Its not the size of the boat, its the motion of the ocean.

Here is what I like:

  • Brushless mower: Brushless mowers last much longer, are more durable, and much more efficient. 
  • Can run for 30 minutes on a single 40V charge, which can cover ¼ acre.
  • A metal deck! This is so important but an absolute must for a mower
  • Seven different positions for cutting the grass.
  • A 5 year warranty.
  • A decent price (Can get the tool only for under $250).

Here is what I don’t like:

  • Not much to dislike about this mower unless you have a larger yard.
  • Not many buying options outside of Lowe’s.

All-around, this is one of the best mowers I have seen for a small yard. In fact, it has almost everything I would look for. My only gripe is that there aren’t a ton of places to buy this. If you are a Lowe’s loyalist or already have the Kobalt 40V battery – then this is a perfect purchase if you have a smaller yard.

This one is for sale at Lowe’s but I couldn’t find a better price anywhere else.

4. Kobalt 24-Volt Brushless 20-inch cordless electric lawn mower

The Kobalt 24-Volt Brushless 20-inch cordless lawn mower has 2 24V batteries, which really make it a 48V beast. This mower runs for 60 minutes on a single charge, has a slightly wider steel deck, and also comes with a little self-propelled function (not bad!).

Folds like a dang lawn chair

I ranked this one slightly higher for a few reasons:

  • Self-propelled is a nice plus if you use it
  • 20 inch deck means it gets the job done quicker and is more versatile
  • Brushless – which is our favorite, longest-lasting, and most durable motor type for electric mowers
  • One-handed folding handle for great storage capabilities

Things that concern me:

This mower is great! I don’t have hardly any complaints with it and it has just about everything you would want in a smaller-to-medium sized yard.

I do get nervous about the 24V batteries because this is one of the only mowers Kobalt offers that battery voltage. If you already have these batteries, then this is a great mower. If not, I’d probably try to find one in their 40V series.

This is also a decently high price for a mower of this size, but its also really high quality. My suggestion here is that you get what you pay for!

The 24-volt brushless mower from Kobalt is only for sale at Lowe’s as far as I can tell.

3. Kobalt Gen4 40V 20 inch self-propelled cordless electric lawn mower

The Kobalt Gen4 40V 20 inch cordless electric lawn mower is sweet. While it isn’t a part of the 40V MAX series, it still uses some of the legacy 40V batteries. If you have had a Kobalt tool in the past with a 40V battery, you are still good to use this mower.

Still looks cool to me!

Here are some of my favorite things:

  • 20 inch deck is great for small to medium yards
  • 3-in-1 mulching and bagging system gives you versatility (we prefer letting the grass clippings fall onto the grass and not the bag)
  • A brushless motor just like the rest of the cordless mowers from Kobalt
  • Self-propelled if you’re into that
  • A great price

Here are some things I don’t love:

  • Not a part of the 40V MAX series

Basically, this is one of the highest value mowers in the Kobalt series. Huge fans over here.

This is another one that is sadly only for sale at Lowe’s.

2. Kobalt 40V MAX Brushless 20-inch cordless electric lawn mower

A slightly newer, sexier version of the Gen4 model, the Kobalt 40V MAX Brushless 20-inch cordless electric mower is my personal top choice. This is exactly what I would look for in an electric mower, but taken to the MAX.

The newer, cooler version of the 40V mower.


Seriously, most people like self-propelled mowers so I am the weird one, but this one has all the things that fit my checklist. You may like self-propelled, but I think it drains too much battery and don’t mind pushing (I’m jacked).

The things I look for in an electric mower that this mower has:

  • The Steel Deck:  durable, going to last you a long time
  • The 40V battery: this 40V MAX battery can be used with the huge line of Kobalt 40V MAX batteries
  • No self-propelled function: longer lasting battery
  • A high quality brand
  • Oh, and an insane price. Lowe’s is practically giving this thing away.

This puppy can mow up to ½ an acre. With a self-propelled function, it would probably get cut in half.

It also comes with a powerful 5 Ah battery and all the other bells and whistles that customize this mower to your grass style.

You can get this one at Lowe’s where we saw the best price (no affiliation).

1. Kobalt 80V 21 inch Brushless mower 6 Ah and 5 Ah (Tool only and regular)

The Mac-daddy Kobalt 80V 21 inch brushless mower is the king of them all. By far the biggest and baddest, it has all the bells and whistles.

The last thing you see before I steal your girl.

The Kobalt 80V 21 inch brushless mower series comes in both a 6 Ah and 5 Ah power battery set – which is why it looks like there are 10 of the same mower on any of the websites. They also come in tool-only or regular. Tool only is the version without the battery, assuming you already own them – this is a much better price.

If you are looking for serious power, the 6 Ah set is going to take you the furthest. 

Here’s what I love about the 80V series and why I ranked it number one:

  • The 80V batteries give you an hour of run-time
  • The 21 inch deck is the largest in class and also the standard for most gas mowers, so it can easily replace your gas mower
  • Self propelled with speed control. Whew. That is serious business
  • It can adjust its motor depending on grass conditions, great for those with mixed-grass yards (heathens)
  • A little dashboard on the handle that shows you remaining battery life
  • A dang 5 year warranty.

The Kobalt 80V MAX brushless self-propelled mower is quite literally a beast. 

You can grab it a number of places including Lowe’s, but the best price I have found is actually at Amazon, where it is $50 cheaper.

Our recommendation

Despite the 80V series being ranked #1, I actually like the #2 choice – the Kobalt 40V MAX 20 inch mower. It is just as durable, covers almost as much ground, is less expensive, and is a part of the 40V MAX series, which is what most of the new Kobalt products are working with.

Grab it at Lowe’s or Amazon – however I think Lowe’s currently has a lower price!

*We do not have an affiliate program with Lowe’s

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. 

How we spend our time now.

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. 

What to look for in an electric lawn mower 

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:

  • Brand quality
    • Quality is going to be super important here. 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.
  • Metal where it matters. 
    • 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. Ryobi has this, so does Dewalt, and so do some of the Greenworks products. This will save you garage clutter and plug space.
  • Self-propelled or not. 
    • I actually don’t like the self-propelled feature. It doesn’t help you that much and it drains battery – I would pass here. This is a marketing gimmick in my opinion.
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