Electric (battery-powered) Lawn Mowing Equipment

[DBoon]

I'm interested in hearing other's thoughts on battery-powered lawn mowers.

I'm looking at this one: https://egopowerplus.com/22-inch-peak-power-select-cut-self-propelled-lawn-mower-lm2244sp-2/ I like the fact that it comes with two 6 Ah batteries as I can use those with my other Ego tools (i.e., leaf blower, string trimmer) that get a lot of usage far from the house. I also would consider waiting a little for the 30" model https://egopowerplus.com/power-mower-30-inch-super-composite-deck-dual-motor-lm3004sp-2/. I like being able to fold them up and store them in my basement during the winter to keep mice from wrecking them (as they do my gas mower every winter, it seems).

I had considered one of the EGO zero-turn mowers, but I'm still young enough and healthy enough to use a push mower to mow half of half an acre every week (or maybe less frequently - I like to let my grass get long before I mow and am usually on a 3-week mowing schedule, or longer if it is dry). Maybe in 10-15 years I'll need a riding mower again, and by then I bet the prices are much lower and I'm ready to replace a push mower anyways. Plus, those mowers are $5-6k - a little too much for what I need to do.

 

[Wisco Shepherd]

My dad has a postmark sized city lot but he loves his electric push mower. It always starts and its quiet so he can mow whenever. I mow 3-4 acres and hit my wifes dog training fields every 4 to 5 days. I would not do well with electric for now.

 

[EbS-P]

My dad has the ego self propelled. It’s really quite good. His has one really big battery. I think the mounting would it allow it on my leaf blower but I wouldn’t won’t that much weight.

Keep the blades sharp. Don’t let the grass get too long. He’s 73 quite active. So when it’s 90 plus out and the battery is done so is he. It recharges faster than he does. His lot is 1 acre. He can do the entire front in one charge. It’s bigger than the back and has a bit of a hill. I like the ego products.

 

[EbS-P]

My dad has a postmark sized city lot but he loves his electric push mower. It always starts and it’s quiet so he can mow whenever. I mow 3-4 acres and hit my wifes dog training fields every 4 to 5 days. I would not do well with electric for now.

You just need a bigger electric mower! They sell them. But unless you’re cutting 3 acres 5 days a week gasoline will be way cheaper. But if you’re up for spending $5k on a new mower you should at least consider it.

 

[Wisco Shepherd]

You just need a bigger electric mower! They sell them. But unless you’re cutting 3 acres 5 days a week gasoline will be way cheaper. But if you’re up for spending $5k on a new mower you should at least consider it.

My toro is pretty new. I think a comparable electric in terms of deck size was 3-5k more than gas. I think in 15 years when the toro is dead electric will be the way to go.

 

[woodgeek]

My GF got an electric mower (don't recall the brand, but it was a name brand she researched) for her small (25x80') full sun yard. She has dogs so the grass grows like crazy.

It took two packs, and I advised her to get 4 to swap out as needed. Lasted almost a season before the motor burnt out on a hot day with VERY long and wet grass.

 

[DBoon]

His has one really big battery. I think the mounting would it allow it on my leaf blower but I wouldn’t won’t that much weight.

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. I have a 4 Ah battery I use on my leaf blower and string trigger now and that is not crazy heavy so I think I could deal with a 6 Ah on the leaf blower or string trimmer, but not the 10 Ah. That's the attraction of the model with the two 6 Ah batteries.

 

[EbS-P]

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. I have a 4 Ah battery I use on my leaf blower and string trigger now and that is not crazy heavy so I think I could deal with a 6 Ah on the leaf blower or string trimmer, but not the 10 Ah. That's the attraction of the model with the two 6 Ah batteries.

What is the power rating of the charger and can it charge both at once ?

 

[begreen]

If you already have matching EGO equipment and batteries, then continuing with their mower makes good sense. I borrowed an EGO and it was ok, but didn't appear to have the most robust construction. This was about 5 yrs ago so they may have improved them.

In the end I instead invested in the 82v Greenworks Commercial mower. I already had their commercial line trimmer. Both have done well but I have only used them for 2-3 yrs. I'm about to try it out on some wet grass. And yes, we have been so warm this winter that the grass is still growing in some areas.

 

[DBoon]

What is the power rating of the charger and can it charge both at once ?

Not sure what the power rating is - I think it charges in about 1 hour, so if you do the math (6 Ah * 56 V = 336 Watts if it charges in an hour). Typically the EGO chargers just charge one at a time. I think their riding mower had a multi-battery charger.

 

[DBoon]

I instead invested in the 82v Greenworks Commercial mower.

Please let me know how this works on wet grass. I also find it amusing that someone has to mow their lawn in January.

Here in Central NY we have a lawnmower for mowing wet grass in January. We call it a snowblower.

 

[begreen]

If I mow this week it will be the earliest I have ever mowed. December 2025 was the warmest December in Seattle on record. The previous record was 2023. Not a good trend. I am getting the feeling we are going to have a very warm summer too. December temperatures across all of Washington state were between 3 and 6 degrees Fahrenheit above normal which is a very large monthly anomaly.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

I cannot speak specifically to the EGO brand referenced above, but I will say that I love our 80v Greenworks push mower. My in-laws used it for years on about a half an acre, and we inherited it about a year ago. I have trouble starting gasoline engines and have to get my husband to do that for me, so it's much easier for me to use an electric and stop and start as necessary when I need to move something or open a gate or something like that. I don't make a habit of cutting wet grass, but it cuts very tall grass and weeds quite well. I took it up to a neighbor's property at the end of last summer after she had discontinued her cutting service, and her lawn was quite overgrown with Japanese stilt grass, and it had no problem powering through it all with quiet a bit of charge remaining. Ours uses two batteries, and that runs a good long time on flat ground.

We live on my mother's property which is an old family farm with pasture land remaining. It's not a large farm, but it's entirely too much solely for a push mower. My mom has a tractor which she uses to mow, but this past year it spent more time in the shop than out, especially in the spring. Once one of our children got lyme disease, my husband and I knew that we had to keep the grass under control more than I could do with a push mower. We had been impressed enough with the Greenworks we already owned, that we bought a Greenworks zero turn when one was on sale at Costco. It was more expensive than a gasoline mower, but we are very happy with how quiet it is, and we do indeed store it in our unfinished basement.

I have been happy to have a break from mowing the lawn in the winter. We also have a Greenworks snowblower that we were able to get used, but the couple little clippers that came through last month didn't require us to get that out.

I don't know how much that helps since my brand is different from the one you've been looking at, but I will say that while we still do use some gasoline powered tools and probably always will on this place, there are some good electrics out there. I really enjoy having a fairly quiet lawn mower.

 

[semipro]

I've operated and maintained an Arien Amp rider, Cub Cadet RZT-S rider, a commercial Mean Green CXR-60 rider, and a Makita 36VDC push mower. We still use the latter 3. I'm committed to electric mowers, but they do have their drawbacks. Given that you like to let your grass get long, I think you'll be surprised how fast the batteries will drain, especially on a self-propelled unit. Be prepared to use the extra batteries you have on hand. Wet grass and/or mulching blades will eat up even more amp-hours.
On the other hand, the reliability, ease of maintenance, and quiet operation are fantastic. The latter really makes mowing much less of a chore, and your neighbors won't miss the noise and smell.
I think you'll be happy if you go for it.

 

[DBoon]

Given that you like to let your grass get long, I think you'll be surprised how fast the batteries will drain, especially on a self-propelled unit. Be prepared to use the extra batteries you have on hand. Wet grass and/or mulching blades will eat up even more amp-hours.

I realize that how I mow is quite a bit different from most. I can mostly avoid "wet" grass by mowing in late afternoon, but if the summer is rainy and mild the grass holds a lot of moisture and, while there is not dew on it, the grass has a whole lot of moisture resident in it. So I fully expect "my mileage to vary" based on how I mow - probably half the mowing time or acreage that is described in the manuals.

I do want to mulch my clippings - the current riding mower is just horrible at this and throws them everywhere. With my perennial and garden beds, it is hard to keep grass clippings (and seeds) out of my perennial beds. I know a walk-behind mower will do a better job of keeping mulched clippings under the mower deck.

 

[salecker]

Just buy some goats
When you don't need them anymore to deal with the grass, eat them or rent them out.That is the best cordless lawn care system you can get.
Two things that waste the most time for humans that accomplishes almost nothing
Mowing grass, as humans keep watering it so you end up having to mow it again...
Shoveling snow, it will all melt in the spring requiring zero effort.
I have never mowed grass
And only move snow when i can't drive through it anymore

 

[Wisco Shepherd]

Just buy some goats
When you don't need them anymore to deal with the grass, eat them or rent them out.That is the best cordless lawn care system you can get.
Two things that waste the most time for humans that accomplishes almost nothing
Mowing grass, as humans keep watering it so you end up having to mow it again...
Shoveling snow, it will all melt in the spring requiring zero effort.
I have never mowed grass
And only move snow when i can't drive through it anymore

I prefer sheep. Not as good on brush but better on grass and weeds.

 

[begreen]

I realize that how I mow is quite a bit different from most. I can mostly avoid "wet" grass by mowing in late afternoon, but if the summer is rainy and mild the grass holds a lot of moisture and, while there is not dew on it, the grass has a whole lot of moisture resident in it. So I fully expect "my mileage to vary" based on how I mow - probably half the mowing time or acreage that is described in the manuals.

I do want to mulch my clippings - the current riding mower is just horrible at this and throws them everywhere. With my perennial and garden beds, it is hard to keep grass clippings (and seeds) out of my perennial beds. I know a walk-behind mower will do a better job of keeping mulched clippings under the mower deck.

Sometimes mowing wet grass is unavoidable. It's a PITA but weather and life schedules sometimes collide. I don't try to mulch, just the opposite. The last place I want wet clippings pile up is under the mower deck.
For the riding mower, have you tried switching to blades specifically designed for mulching? They are different from blades designed to eject clippings forcefully out the chute or into a bagger.

 

[DBoon]

Just buy some goats

Creative but I don't want to have to deal with animals, plus goats eat everything and I have too many perennial beds I'd have to fence off, leaving me little ability to enjoy them. I've gone from 2 acres to a 1/2 acre of mowable area - if I had huge areas to maintain or clear I'd consider animals.

 

[DBoon]

For the riding mower, have you tried switching to blades specifically designed for mulching?

To the best of my knowledge - yes (I had the maintenance shop install them when the lawn tractor was in there for maintenance at one time). I can't get the mulching plug for the side-discharge chute (discontinued for that deck) and it tends to clog up underneath the deck anyways and then burn out the belt if clippings are held in there too long.

Honestly, I'm just sick of that mower - it's 25 years old, it's loud, it's hard to maneuver in the current yard with the perennial beds, it throws clippings everywhere, and it is 10x the mower I need for what I now have. Plus, it is a mouse house every other winter no matter what I do. One day it will just need another $1500 of repairs and for that money I can buy what I really need in advance of needing it.