Finding The Best Electric Mower At Home Depot: My Search

toro mower

Electric mowers at Home Depot are a dime a dozen. If you’ve ever been to the store (which I don’t recommend) then you may have noticed there is a whole aisle with electric mowers side-by-side.

Look familiar?

Walking down this aisle is dizzying and extremely unhelpful. It seems like the only things that differentiates the mowers is the price tag and colors.

How on planet Earth are you supposed to pick one? Well – we did the hard work and figured it out by buying basically all of them. Home Depot does have some of the best-selling mower brands.

Here are our favorite electric mowers at Home Depot:

  1. Milwaukee M18 Mower
  2. Ryobi 40V Mower
  3. Toro 60V Recycler Battery Mower
  4. Makita LXT 18V Electric Mower
  5. Dewalt 20V Max 21.5in Mower

My experience buying and testing electric mowers

The reason I started reviewing mowers in the first place is because I was standing in Home Depot, just like you. I was walking the aisles with my wife trying to figure out what kind of mower we needed for our first home (about 5 years ago). 

We had no clue. The only thing that drove us to end up getting a gas-powered mower (my Troy Bilt mower) was because it was so dang cheap. While it wasn’t a total mistake, I wish I would have gone electric at the time.

Since then, I’ve bought and used over a dozen electric mowers. Yes – it has been insane and expensive but it has also been a LOT of fun.

5 Electric Mowers at Home Depot That Absolutely Slap

We took the time to review a bunch of these battery powered mowers from Home Depot. It was NOT cheap but it was pretty fun. Check out our Youtube channel if you want to see more mower reviews, including a ton of them in this article.

1. Milwaukee M18 Battery Powered Mower

Home Depot sells Milwaukee’s M18 FUEL lawn mower – almost exclusively. It is an interesting case because it stands alone as their sole mower offering for now. It’s as if they assembled a dedicated team of dorks and rednecks, brainstormed ideas to create the ultimate mower, and simply went for it without looking back.

Here are some of my favorite features:

  • It boasts serious power comparable to a 200cc lawn mower, surpassing even the classic Honda push mowers.
  • The mower features a robust steel deck, setting it apart from the more common plastic decks in the electric mower market
  • Rapid acceleration allows it to reach full throttle in less than a second – like a Lambo
  • The inclusion of a brushless motor is a must-have for being at the top of this list
  • The utilization of two 18V Milwaukee batteries offers compatibility with over 200 other M18 tools from Milwaukee.

The Milwaukee M18 FUEL outperforms many of the others that come in at a lower price point. However, it is worth noting that this superior performance comes with a higher price tag. With a retail price of over $1,000 at Home Depot (if you get it with the batteries), it might be considered one of the more expensive push mowers available. Nevertheless, for Milwaukee enthusiasts or those genuinely seeking peak battery-powered mower performance, this model unquestionably stands out as the best.

For a side-by-side comparison, one may find it insightful to evaluate how the M18 stacks up against the Ryobi 40V HP, another mower that also made it onto this list.

2. Ryobi 40V HP Whisper Series Mower

The Ryobi 40V HP whisper series mower is good for a few reasons. Back in the day, the Ryobi 40V HP Brushless battery-powered mower was my favorite electric mower from Ryobi! Yeah, it was my first-ever try with electric, and I thought it rocked. But you know how it goes, my taste got more sophisticated, and now I’ve become considerably wiser after testing dozens of these things.

Anyway, it still earned a spot on this list, though I gotta say, it’s a bit too lightweight for my liking. One bump into thick grass or a pesky stick, and it goes off-track like, “Whoa, hold up!”. I don’t like how light it is because the weight helps hold it glued to the ground and keeps it even over any rough patch.

But let me tell you about the best part! You can totally use the same Ryobi 40V battery with a bunch of other tools they offer – and they are plentiful. They have a ton of blowers and string trimmers that rock and can use the same system as this mower.

Oh, and don’t sleep on the mower itself. It’s got a brushless motor, sweet 6.0 Ah batteries, its super easy to start and maintain, and even a self-propelled mode. Seriously, it’s got all the fancy stuff that the Milwaukee one above has.

Even though it isn’t number one, the Ryobi 40V is still an absolute beast of a mower! If you’re into Ryobi, which I know a ton of folks are, this is a great option.

Oh, and heads up – you can snag this bad boy for a sweet deal at Home Depot.

3. Toro 60V Recycler Battery Mower

Toro’s battery-powered mowers are a real beauty, no doubt about it. But, being completely honest – they can be a bit pricey. Still, if you’ve been spotting these vibrant red mowers in your neighborhood or garage, you’re definitely not alone. Toro is super popular and has amazing brand recognition. Basically the Kennedy of lawn mowers.

Not Bad!

Toro earned their reputation for making some of the most popular mowers out there, and what’s even more impressive is that these bad boys last for ages. But when they finally joined the battery game, they went all out and created the 60V Recycler mower. This one is built for the modern homeowner that has a small to mid-sized yard. If you want to really amp it up (pun intended), then you should check out their super recycler.

Let me drop some factoids on the cool stuff we liked about this new battery-powered beast:

  • It packs a punch similar to a 175cc gas mower. It  is for really-real.
  • That shiny red metal deck is not only recognizable, but way tougher than those plastic ones you see everywhere else.
  • The Recycler cutting system works magic, shredding the grass into tiny bits that your lawn will thank you for. They call them “Lawn Vitamins” and literally patented the term.
  • And check this out – they added a slick air intake valve on top that sucks in air, making the grass stand tall and giving you the smoothest cut ever. The downside is that when I put it to the test, it didn’t really do anything. Pure fiction!

Toro made a reliable mower that provides a good cut. While I definitely prefer other mowers, this one is not a bad option.

But hey, no worries! You can still grab this bad boy (currently $80 off!) at Home Depot, either online or in-store. Don’t miss out on this gem!

4. Makita LXT 18V Electric Mower

The Makita LXT mower was a bit of a head scratcher for me. Assembly-wise, the Makita LXT mower took a bit longer than I’d like, with a few tools required whereas others kind of just snap in place or have some hand screws. Starting it up was a little complex too, but I can appreciate the safety features required to stop a kid from chopping his hand off.

The real nuance provided by the Makita mower that turned this one into a “luxury mower” is the little dashboard near the handles. It’s got a battery indicator that’s super handy, unlike some others that make you remove the battery to check or go down near the blades and press a button. Plus, there’s a lever for controlling the self-propelled speed, ranging from turtle to rabbit mode. But that “quiet mode” button sticks out, I’m not entirely sold on its purpose. Not sure of many, if any, use cases for having an extra quiet feature on an already quiet electric mower.

Here’s what sets this mower apart – the steel deck. I’m not a fan of plastic decks, so this was a big win for me. The single height adjustment is a game-changer, saving me from the hassle of adjusting each wheel separately. This is low-key a really nice function to have. Oh, and those six-inch wheels are solid and don’t feel flimsy like others I’ve tried.

When it comes to battery power, I put it to the test. With two batteries, I got about 38 minutes and 29 seconds of mowing, enough for my front yard and part of the back. But with four batteries, you can expect a full 80 minutes of mowing.

Now, the charge time was a bit longer than what they claimed – took about an hour and five minutes instead of 45 minutes. C’mon people!

Pricing-wise, it ranges from $689 to $789 depending on the size and batteries included. You can grab it at Home Depot, and they sometimes have sales, so keep an eye out for savings! It looks like it is $200 off right now, which is huge.

5. Dewalt 20V Max 21.5 inch battery powered mower

Dewalt’s 20V Max mower is one I was intrigued by, especially since Dewalt transitioned from 40V to 20V batteries for their outdoor equipment. I’ve tested various 20V Dewalt products, and they usually deliver. So, let’s break down the benefits and features:

  • Longest run-time among battery-powered mowers (75 minutes).
  • Lightweight and easy to use with a push-to-start button and self-propelled function.
  • Durable with a wide steel deck, backed by a three-year warranty and a money-back guarantee.
  • Compatible with other Dewalt tools, offering over 200 products that use the same 20V battery.
  • Made in the USA, supporting American-made products
  • Easy storage with a foldable design that saves space.

Overall, the Dewalt Self-Propelled Mower impressed me a lot, and its compatibility with other Dewalt tools sweetened the deal. 

If you have a smaller yard, it’s highly recommended, but for larger lots, keeping spare batteries around might be necessary. You can find it at Home Depot’s website for online purchase or in-store pickup.

Common questions about electric mowers at Home Depot

Here are some common questions we get from folks who are searching for a new electric mower from Home Depot:

What are the disadvantages of an electric lawn mower?

Electric lawn mowers require recharging the batteries and can often be less powerful than their gas-powered counterparts. But that is quickly evolving and changing.

How long do electric lawn mowers last?

Most electric lawn mowers last for 7–10 years. They can run for around 45-50 minutes on a single charge.

What is the average price for an electric lawn mower?

The average electric lawn mower price is around $400 in 2023.

Do electric mowers cut better than gas?

Electric mowers can often cut just as well as gas mowers for small yards.

What to look for when buying a battery-powered lawn mower at Home Depot

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

Mulch Sale at Home Depot: 2024 Sale Dates (5 for $10)

The Mulch sale at Home Depot is the best time of year to go pick up some bagged mulch. They have massive racks of mulch all over the place in their garden facility, plus an entire parking lot out front with pallets full of mulch. 

When is Home Depot’s Mulch Sale in 2024? 5 for $10?

The Vigoro Mulch Sale usually happens on Easter Sunday weekend. I think we will get another sale on or around Easter from Home Depot in 2024, which is March 31st, 2024. This is one of the best times to grab Mulch – the Spring.

My favorite thing to do is place an online order for pick-up, then avoid having to go in and pay. Way easier that way.

There is also an EarthGro mulch sale that happens around the first of May every year – wait for 5/1/2024 for this mulch sale at Home Depot.

What about the 4th of July Mulch Sale at Home Depot?

There will likely be a Home Depot Mulch Sale on July 4th and again on Labor Day in 2024.

The July 4th Mulch Sale at Home Depot is for Vigoro Mulch and is $.60 off per bag, leaving them at about $2.98 per bag.

The Mulch Sale at Home Depot varies, but often has 5 bags of mulch for $10. 

Interested in Lowe’s mulch sale? Check out our Lowe’s mulch guide.

Which Mulch to buy at Home Depot

Why so many different types of mulch?

Which one should I get?

All that and more is explained below.

Mulch 101: Know before you Depot, Home Depot

In its most basic form, mulch is just anything you spread over the top of soil. It can be organic or synthetic matter, both can serve the same and different purposes. Some of the main reasons for applying is to spruce up the landscape, retain soil moisture, maintain and improve soil health and reduce weeds. There’s not much better than a freshly mulched landscape in my opinion. 

As mentioned earlier it can be organic or synthetic, though most people tend to go the organic route. Organic material usually comes in the form of shredded hardwood of some sort along with some manure, compost blend, and grass clippings. Inorganic can be rubber, plastic or some other weird thing the scientists have come up with this year. 

If you’re looking for a great guide for how to lay down mulch, check out this article.

For the purposes of this article, I’m not going to go over every possible mulch composition but will stick to the heavy hitters found at most Home Depot’s around the country.

Home Depot Mulch Buying Guide

Home Depot really only has a few specific brands of Mulch. Vigoro and EarthGro are darn near universal at Home Depot, so I will start with those, but my store carries Garden Logic so I will cover that, too. 

Vigoro Mulch reputation

Vigoro mulch is a do-it-all mulch that does its job. Basically, Vigoro comes in all different colors and even has a rubber form.

But let’s start with their shredded mulch. Most of you are here because you are buying a shredded mulch because that’s what normal people do.

Shredded mulch that comes in a bag is inexpensive and primarily serves to cover soil and prevent weed growth. 

When it comes to picking a color, do what matches your home the best. 

EarthGro Mulch reputation

EarthGro is a Scotts product, which means they mean business in the lawn care game.

I personally use EarthGro’s brown shredded mulch for my backyard and the black shredded mulch for my front yard (because I like to party). 

I chose EarthGro because I trust Scotts quality, the mulch is local (they pull it from in-state mulch providers), and because it was almost the same price as Vigoro. 

Check out our Scotts Turf Builder review here.

Garden Logic mulch reputation

Garden Logic is a newer brand of mulch that I haven’t seen at Home Depot until now. They have different mulch blends depending on the type of wood. 

They don’t seem to offer colored mulch at my Home Depot, but they do have all natural materials and you can select the type of mulch you want by the tree. 

If you are a gardening nerd, this is probably something you love.

I am a cheapo who just wants it to look okay, so I go with EarthGro :).

Vigoro 2 cu. Ft. Bagger Premium Brown, Black, and Red Wood Mulch at Home Depot

Vigoro mulch describes themselves as a 100% premium wood mulch. A benefit to this mulch is that it comes with a 12-month color guarantee, so you can rest assured that your lawn will continue to have its curb appeal for a year.

You can get this mulch in red, black or brown.

One benefit to Vigoro mulch is that it comes in 2 cu. Ft bags, making it the larger of the two between Vigoro and EarthGro.

Vigoro Premium Red Mulch

I typically see red mulch in commercial properties like outside of restaurants, shopping centers, parks, or alongside roads. For this reason, I don’t like to use red at my house.

For some people, red makes a lot of sense.

Not my cup of tea.

Vigoro Premium Black Mulch

I like black mulch because it ties the front of a house together very well. It generally more closely matches the soil, and can add a contrast to any garden bed. For me, this makes our shrubbery and flowers at the front of our house and by our mailbox pop. 

Gets the job done.

Vigoro Premium Brown Mulch

Brown mulch is also great for houses that have non-brick color. For example, a light blue or white wood-paneled house can look really good with brown mulch. 

I use brown mulch in my backyard because it fits in well with our deck coloring.

A bag that makes you wanna slap it.

Vigoro premium mulch cost

At its base price, Vigoro mulch is about $3.67 per bag, or $1.33 per cubic foot. 

Mulch does go on sale at Home Depot during a certain time of year, which I will get to later.

EarthGro Brown, Black and Red mulch at Home Depot

Again, I use Earthgro at home because they are locally made, albeit a little bit more expensive than Vigoro.

One thing I like about Earthgro and their black and brown mulch is that they don’t have any construction debris, the bags never seem to break, and they also come with a 12-month color advantage. 

Earthgro Brown Mulch

Earthgro’s brown mulch is definitely a deep shade of brown. The shredded mulch offering they have fits in well to my backyard, as about a third of our backyard is just mulch. 

Since I have a brownish-reddish deck color, the brown compliments the color. The black mulch would contrast too sharply. 

I buy between 30-40 of these bags each year to spread in my backyard and it always seems to do well despite my crazy dog’s efforts to trample around in it. 

What we use in our backyard.

Earthgro black mulch

The black mulch works great in my front yard because we have a lighter colored brick house. We also have a rolled brick walkway that leads to our front door. Because of this brick combination, I wanted a mulch that would contrast deeply with the lighter pink color of the brick.

Black mulch does a great job of contrasting our bushes and flowers with the rest of the house, making them stand out to passers by. 

We re-mulch our front yard every 18 months or so with Earthgro, so I think their 12 month color advantage can take you further than you imagine. 

Classic contrastic mulch.

EarthGro red mulch

I don’t have much experience with Earthgro’s red mulch, namely because I try to avoid red mulch in residential properties. 

A lot of folks use red mulch around their home and love it. I am just not one of those people and don’t live in one of those climates. 

Red is great for commercial spaces.

Earthgro mulch cost at Home Depot

Earthgro bags cost the same as Vigoro bags, at about $3.67 per bag. Earthgro does only come in a 1.5ft bag, so the price per cubic foot goes up to $2.44 per cubic foot. 

Vigoro Bagged Recycled Rubber Mulch

Vigoro also offers recycled rubber mulch in two colors: brown and red.

Now I know what you’re thinking, rubber mulch? But it does have its benefits.

Rubber mulch has the same weed-preventing benefits as regular shredded mulch, but it does not attract any bugs like ants or termites. 

Unlike traditional wooden products, Vigoro rubber mulch does not decay and can actually reduce the risk of allergies as well.

Rubber mulch goes great in places like playgrounds, swingsets, or other outdoor play places for kids, too. 

My favorite part, you don’t have to mulch annually. 

Rubber mulch comes in smaller bag, is much more expensive, but only requires one initial upfront investment to cover you for 12 years.

Vigoro rubber mulch cost at Home Depot

Vigoro rubber mulch comes in 0.8 cubic ft bags, costing $6.97 per bag. This comes to just over $8.71 per bag. Wow. It seems like a big investment, but you actually can save money over the course of a few years by not having to replace mulch annually.

Not bad!

Garden Logic and Gardener’s Pride Mulch at Home Depot

Garden Logic and Gardener’s Pride appear to be the same brand, but I have never seen them before so its hard to say. 

They have the same design on the package, but different names depending on the type of mulch.

Nevertheless, they have some good stuff – and it’s cheap!

Let’s review.

Garden Logic Pine Bark mini nuggets

Garden Logic’s Pine Bark mini nuggets are great for smaller areas, like a little garden bed. They tend to be lighter and more airy. These also work well for indoor plants and outdoor potted plants. 

Because they are light and airy, they don’t do as great of a job with weed control or locking in moisture, but tend to rot much less.

These are very aesthetically pleasing, but in larger beds can wash out pretty quickly because of their size.

2 cubic foot bags of these are selling for about $3.47 or $1.75 per foot.

Great for small spaces.

Garden Logic or Gardener’s Pride Hardwood Mulch

The Garden Logic Hardwood mulch is a typical shredded mulch blend, identical to what you would find in a Vigoro or EarthGro bag of mulch.

This is your standard bag of mulch that contains a mixture of wood and usually some sort of dye to give it a rich, brown color. 

This will spread easily and is great for larger yards or garden beds. 

At $3.67 per 2 cubic foot bag, it is pound-for-pound identical to Vigoro mulch. 

Standard classic.

Garden Logic or Gardener’s Pride Cypress Mulch Blend

Cypress blends are interesting to me because I don’t see them around where I live. But they do have a lot of benefits, namely their natural tendencies.

Cypress blends are pure shredded cypress wood and typically come without any coloring added. They can appear bland in some contexts.

If you’ve ever gone through a nature trail or any outdoor path, these are typically covered in this type of mulch. It is much cheaper and gets the job done, though without the deep coloring. 

At $2.97 per 2 cubic foot bag, these will only cost about $1.49 per cubic foot – making them one of the most affordable mulches on the market. 

All natural.

How much mulch do I need?

Check out this mulch calculator for more info.

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