Ryobi 40V lawn mower review

Ian F said:

In reply to mtn :

Stihl has a battery power chainsaw line as well.  

I have a pole-saw attachment for my Kobalt trimmer and holy cow is it a useful tool. 

Yes, we got him one of those. Not sure which. My point was that the battery ecosystem took a distant second to the chainsaw itself in this decision. 

In reply to Ian F :

I *do* like the Ryobi pole-saw, though it, too has now been returned/replaced 3 times now as the chain inevitably falls off around the 100th cut. 

In reply to poopshovel again :

I have a universal version.  It seems to work fairly well.  I bought that, the blower attachment and a hedge trimmer attachment all at the same time when I bought the trimmer.  I use the blower nearly every time I mow to clear off the sidewalk. The pole saw has seen a few tree trimming jobs. Haven't used the trimmer yet.

Current gen battery powered lawn care products are awesome for home use.  They need no maintenance, never gum up, and even if they need a new battery every few years its still cheaper and better for the earth than the folks who buy and throw away a new mower every two years because new is $150 and a local guy to fix it is $100.  

That being said, since this board is all about rediculous overkill, I love my Toro TimeMaster 30" push mower with an 8.5HP motor and electric start.  Can mow my entire suburban yard in 15 minutes.  Only downside is it is thirsty.  That coupled with a Tanaka straight shaft trimmer, Takana edger, and an Echo blower keep my lawn looking good all year.  I really need to buy a power rake or aerator, a power rake would be the cat's meow.  

Question for those that have battery powered equipment. 

How do you charge? 

What I mean is do you charge them up right away and let them sit full until you need them again, or do you let them sit and charge them just before you need to use them again? 

I know they say to store them partially charged to maximize battery life but during the active growing season where I'm using it once it twice a week I wonder how much charge to leave in the battery. 

I think what I'll do from this point on is put about 50% charge back in it just after use then top it off just prior to using it. 

In reply to Nick Comstock :

I charge mine when it goes dead or gets to maybe one of the three bars on it's built-in charge indicator. The battery for the trimmer has been sitting in my living room since Fall and still shows two bars of charge.  I typically don't put it on the charger unless it needs it.

well, I finally used my 40v kobalt mower. I am deeply impressed with how quiet, light, and easy to use. I really do not miss pulling a string. I got all but the last 5 foot strip of my lawn cut on one battery, but as I also have the 40v trimmer, I popped that battery in, finished the lawn, then put it in the trimmer and cleaned everything up.

I am deeply impressed!

dculberson said:

I’m really curious about the bigger Ryobi electric zero turn riding mower. Claims to be good for 5 acres which seems impossible to me but would be amazing if so. It’s even cheaper than my current mower was. 

Holy crap, that thing is $4k: https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-42-in-100-Ah-Battery-Electric-Zero-Turn-Mower-RY48ZTR100/308040433

But then again, so are a lot of other zero turn mowers. No reviews yet though.

The problem with Stihl's battery powered chainsaws are the batteries are stupid priced. Like, they cost as much as the actual saw. When a battery dies or get lost or if you work in a way in which you'd like to have two batteries, you might as well just get a 2nd saw. 

So, thoughts on 40v vs 80v options? (Or other..)

In reply to slefain :

Seems cool though.

I wonder if you can get it to do a burnout since instant on torque

I've messed with the HD and Lowes battery powered stuff and the batteries simply don't last long enough before you're spending almost the price of a new unit just to replace the battery.

Now Troy Bilt battery powered stuff is completely different. It lasts & lasts plus their stuff packs a bigger punch than the others.

I've got the Kobalt 40v string trimmer from Lowes.  When I bought it, they had a promotion for a second battery free.  I have a normal size suburban yard, I get about three trims worth out of one charge.  I bought the Kobalt 40v blower bare tool and use the second battery in it.  Makes for a nice set up.  No messing with 2 cycle mix.  Only issue I have is the replacement trimmer spool line is expensive.  

My 40v Ryobi adventure: https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/i-gave-up-on-2-stroke-power-equipment-hello-40v-co/102423/page1/

Still going strong, I'll use it today. I bought the axial blower attachment and it kicks butt.

I just bought a 40v Ryobi over the weekend, mostly because of this thread.  I unboxed it and mowed my lawn yesterday.  Great cut, excellent power through too tall grass.  Lighter and easier to use than my old gas mower, much quieter too.   I am very happy so far.

Can any of these new generation of electric mowers handle St. Augustine grass like we have in here in Florida?

The Troy Bilt will for sure

I'd recommend speaking to any local [canoe paddlers] or landscapers in your area on the phone as they're ususally good to dish out area specific advice for [E36 M3]s.

In reply to Nick Comstock :

Hi Nick,   Just don't do as I did after my first few Ryobi 40v yard tools (mower and trimmer)  and go "all in" thinking I would just convert everything to battery powered (chainsaw, pole saw, roto tiller, driveway cleaner, hedge trimmer).  Well, long story short . . . my nice 6hr battery died after 1 year, the upgraded charger died, and this year my second 2.6 hr battery died.   

When my mower switch crapped out I rigged it to have it run using the lock out key to turn it off.

My biggest complaint is battery life is crappy and replacement batteries are as much as a replacement corded electric device.

So now I'm just sticking with the old tried and true corded electric devices.  Fortunately, my yard is level, urban, and power is cheap.   BTW, I found my used "Green Machine" electric mower cheap on Craigslist for $50 and it worked perfect all Summer.

I'll sell off my Ryobi inventory eventually and scrounge new batteries from alternate sources before I sell the lot.  But fair warning . . . don't get too excited and go whole hog like I did and don't be surprised when the batteries just fail eventually.

In reply to mtn :

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