Last Updated on October 2, 2023 by Kyle Whitley
So you might be in the market for a new lawn mower, and you are wondering are battery powered lawn mowers any good? Well, the overall answer is yes, but it depends on what you are looking for. I personally made the switch to all electric equipment and haven’t looked back.
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What are my options in battery powered lawn mower?
A few years or even a decade ago there were only a few battery powered lawn mowers. Today is a different story. There are many manufacturers producing battery powered lawn mowers. Technology has jumped leaps and bounds in the battery powered outdoor equipment arena. This is making going all electric for your outdoor lawn equipment easier and easier.
Battery Powered Lawn Mower Manufacturers
Battery powered lawn mowers come in many different sizes and price ranges. They can range in mower deck diameter sizes from 13 inches to 25 inches. There are even some larger mowers by RYOBI that are in the 38 in. to 54 in. range. Cost also varies from $200 – $600 for push mowers and up to $5000 for the larger electric riding mowers.
Battery lawn mowers have the same features as a modern gas-powered mower. You can get a self-propelled mower just like you can with a gas-powered mower. Some of the self-propelled battery mowers even have a “cruise control” feature which speeds up and slows down based on your walking speed.
Cordless lawn mowers have multiple deck height ranges and multiple types of discharger capability. Deck height is usually controlled by a single lever that raises and lowers the mower deck. They can mulch, bag, or side discharge.
Weight is usually not an issue on a battery powered mower, due to most having plastic mower decks to keep the weight down, which in turn extends battery life. Most also have folding handles for easy storage.
Brushless motors have greatly increased the power of battery powered mowers in recent years, and the power actually rivals their gas power counterparts. A brushless motor creates more power and blade speed at the expense of some battery life.
Some even come with LED lights so can cut in the dark if it was ever needed. I don’t know of any gas powered lawn mowers with LED lights, though gas riding lawn mowers do often have lights.
Can a battery powered mower replace my gas mower?
You could be wondering if a battery powered mower could work for you. The answer really depends on what your situation is. How big is your yard and how much time do you want to spend mowing it.
Most modern battery powered push mowers will run between 30 minutes to an hour and cut a 1/4 to 1/2 acre on a single charge. They also generally come with a single lithium battery. Some of the newer mowers actually have room for multiple batteries, and if those batteries are a lithium-ion, they could run considerably longer.
Having an extra lithium battery or two around the house could help extend your run times. I have no problem with my current RYOBI mower cutting around my pool and trimming around my house, and never use more than 1/2 of the 40v battery charge.
Is your lawn large and have you cut it recently?
Larger yards could be broken up into separate cutting sessions. If you need extra runtime you could get some extra batteries to use. You should have no issue cutting medium sized average suburban lawns with any battery powered lawn mower.
If you have a larger lawn, bigger than 1 acre, you would have to go with the larger battery powered riding mowers that can cut up to 3 acres of lawn depending on the size of the mower.
One other thing to consider is the height of your grass. If you have thicker grass, or let your lawn grow too tall between mowings a battery powered mower might not be for you. Cutting thicker grass or wet grass can put a strain on the mowers batteries and motor.
Battery powered mowers are plenty capable of cutting thick grass or tall grass, you just might have to cut your grass a little more often to get better run times. When cutting tall grass it might be wise to raise the mower deck to make that first cut then lower the deck to make additional cuts if you want the grass shorter. Grass clippings are good for the lawn anyway so doing a few extra cuts won’t hurt anything.
Advantages of a battery powered lawn mower vs gas lawn mower
There are many advantages of owning a battery powered lawn mower over a gas lawn mower.
- Convenience
- Quiet operation
- Easy Starting
- Compact size
- Light Weight
Convenience
The primary benefits of owning a battery powered mower are the convenience and the quiet operation of a battery powered mower. You will no longer have to worry about storing gas, or changing the oil, or getting your gas mower tuned up every spring. Gas getting stale after sitting for a long period of time would be an issue of the past as well as adding additives to the gas to keep it usable.
Quiet Operation
Battery powered mowers and electric lawn mowers in general are quieter as well. You can mow in the early morning or later in the evening. A battery powered mower averages around 75 decibels when running, which the same noise level as a typical conversation. Gas mowers typically run at 90 decibels which means you should use ear protection. Electric and battery powered outdoor tools do help with decreasing noice pollution. I still use ear protection when operating my battery powered mowers too, just to be safe.
Easy Starting
Most battery powered lawn mowers use a combination of a key and push button, to start the mower. Generally, after inserting the key, you hold down a button and pull a handle to start the mower blades spinning. Once you let go of the handles the blades stop. Very easy indeed.
Light Weight and Compact Size
Since there is not a big heavy engine on the top of the mower, most battery powered lawn mowers are light weight. My RYOBI weighs in at small 40lbs and folds up the size of a large toolbox, which helps in the storage of the battery mower. It even has a handle on the top so it can be moved around more easily. Being able to store the mower on a lower shelf or in a corner helps out with space in my garage.
Can I save money using a battery powered mower?
Overall I think you can or at least break even with the money you spend on an electric mower. You know it only costs about $5 dollars a year of electricity to run a battery powered mower. This included the recharging of the batteries. Charge time can be anywhere from 30 minutes for fast chargers to several hours depending on the size of the battery
If you pay someone to tune up your gas powered mower or mowers in my case you will definitely save some cash buying an electric mower. Battery life depends on how you take care of the battery. If you follow the recommendations of the manufacturer, the battery can last 3 to 5 years or even longer. Battery life is definitely something you need to consider when purchasing a battery powered lawn mower.
A new battery could cost several hundred dollars depending on the model of mower you choose. The smaller the battery the smaller the cost of a replacement. If you spend several hundreds of dollars on gas, oil changes, air/gas filters, and spark plugs over that 3 to 5 year period you should come out ahead or at least break even from buying and using battery powered mower.
Are Battery Powered Lawn Mowers Any Good: Final thoughts
This why your cordless electric battery-powered lawn mower is good:
- They have plenty of power to cut thicker or tall grass
- You can mow early in the morning or late a night
- The smaller size makes storage easy
- Batteries last longer than you think
- Starts the first time every time
I would have to say for me and my experience battery powered lawn mowers are good, I switched to all electric lawn equipment recently and have been pleasantly surprised by the performance. Give a battery powered mower a chance I suspect you will be impressed as well.
Resources:
Electric Lawn Mower Reviews: Best Cordless Lawn Mower
