These threads have piqued my interest in going cordless. Primarily the quietness of electric but then it occurred to me that without gas and oil they could be stored vertically and that would free up a lot of storage space.
I'm going to the home despot this morning to check out the ryobi 40v system.
I would encourage anyone thinking about going electric to STRONGLY consider their own personal power tool ecosystem. In other words, look at offerings from the companies that you own a majority of power tools FROM.
As I mentioned, I'm HEAVILY invested in Dewalt tools, so upgrading to the FlexVolt batteries (backwards-compatible) that also works in my 20V tools works for ME.
You WILL want more batteries than are offered with whatever mower you buy. If they are only usable for THAT specific platform, you're putting yourself in a corner if you can ONLY use those batteries on that specific tool.
Because I own a RIDICULOUS number of DeWalt tools, I'm constantly cycling the batteries ACROSS the entire platform, not just using specific batteries for specific tools.
The batteries are where the main cost are. I'm self-employed, which means I'm ultimately responsible for my investment, use and life-cycle costs AS A BUSINESS. What works for a business may not actually make financial sense for an individual, regardless of bandwagon, curiosity, or green envy.
My grandmother bought some old B&D electric tools...she thinks they're worth "something" but when I explain to her that you can't even find batteries for the platform, she doesn't understand. She's a pretty sharp cookie for 82 years old, but her brain can't comprehend that the tools she bought in the early 00's are completely, totally, woefully obsolete.
Don't put yourself in the corner, unless you can actually absorb the approximately 65% increase going from gas to electric...as I mentioned above, the BATTERIES are the heaviest cost of the purchase, and you WILL want MORE.
In reply to Gingerbeardman :
While I don't entirely disagree, putting on blinders with regards to one battery brand or type can get you painted into a corner. The simple fact is some brands do some tools better than others. While I once had a "one battery to rule them all" mentality, I've since given up and just accepted that I'll have a shelf full of chargers of various types. For home use, this hasn't been a problem.
Is it my imagination or is this like the 3rd thread on battery mowers?
I really like mine, but I have a small yard. I think I've posted more detail in the other threads.
Here are some earlier threads on battery mowers. Might be something in these of interest.
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/-topic-discussion/lawnmower-electric-or-gas/100657/page1/
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/battery-mowers/139008/page1/
In reply to Ian F :
It's different for a home-gamer vs. a pro.
I can't be bothered to keep multiple chargers, multiple batteries and multiple platforms. For me, time & convenience is money. Forgetting the one battery you need when you're on the job and having to go back for it can easily burn an hour or more. That's time I'm not working (getting E36 M3 done) so that's time I'm not making money (or keeping the client happy).
I bought the DeWalt mower for E36 M3s & giggles, because I already had all the other tools. Otherwise I wouldn't have bothered.
Electric tools, like electric cars, have their perks. They also have their downsides. Just trying to provide a balanced approach and offering an opinion based on experience in the field.
FYI...the only battery powered tool that I own that isn't DeWalt is a Milwaukee rivet gun. I about cried when I bought a backup battery...it was only slightly less than the bare tool. But DeWalt refuses to make one and that Milwaukee is SWEET when you're driving rivets while standing on a ladder!
In reply to Gingerbeardman :
Professionals definitely have a different set of needs. But few of us on this site are subject to those concerns. My Kobalt trimmer came with one battery. A charge will generally last for at least one mowing session (trimming and then using a blower attachment to sweep the sidewalk). I usually try to trim before mowing and if it looks like the battery is low, I'll charge it while I'm mowing. By the time I'm done mowing, the battery will be fully recharged. Because of this relatively simple work-around, I haven't felt the need to buy a second battery. I want a cordless chainsaw, but the Kobalt version got terrible reviews and is now difficult to find. So while I'm not thrilled with the idea of adding yet another battery to the charging shelf, I'll probably go with an Echo.
As far as a mower, my gas model still manages to keep working, but when it finally dies I'll get a battery version. Which brand will depend on what is the best value I can find when that time comes. If one thing has become apparent with battery powered equipment, the technology keeps improving - almost every year. So while it may be somewhat silly to revisit these discussions every year or two, it's also not necessarily a bad thing. A lot can change in a year.
Just bought a house on a quarter acre lot and needed a mower. Decided to give the top of the line (steel deck) walk behind Ryobi 40V a try since it was on sale for $500. This evening was my test run with it and a fully charged battery only made it 40mins before calling it quits. Maybe I walk too fast? Maybe I got a bad battery like Robbie? Maybe my grass was too long? There's a huge area that is uncut. Will have to finish it tomorrow morning. I hope I can get at least the whole yard mowed on one charge.
My steel deck Kobalt 80V with a charger and 2 batteries was $500.
With a ~9200 sq ft lot + 1815 sq ft of and driveway deep enough for 2 cars + garage space, no problem getting the entire yard on one charge.
But if the grass is extra deep we always have a back up battery.
In reply to z31maniac :
Ah. Well the grass was probably too long then.
my 40v kobalt is still going good. This week was hard though, I couldn't cut it last week due to a lack of days off and weather. Made for extra long and thick grass, but it still got through it
My mower is EGO, trimmer and blower B&D, impact gun Dewalt and socket wrench Milwaukee. Yes there is a row of chargers and multiple batteries. But the space and an extension strip for the plugs is worth it. I buy based on features and price. But enough of that.
The mower is three years old and can't cut the whole yard on one charge. I just pull out the trimmer, which needs all three batteries to trim, or have a beer and then the mower battery is ready to finish the job. Still loving the battery powered stuff, don't miss the noise and such of gas powered yard tools. And having a self propelled mower with variable speed is awesome.
clutchsmoke said:In reply to z31maniac :
Ah. Well the grass was probably too long then.
Surprisingly, the 80V Kobalt string trimmer on the "fast" setting seems to chew through the battery more quickly than the mower does. But it will rip some stuff up!
We've had to use it a few times this year because of all the rain. So many days of consecutive we wouldn't be able to mow, so when I got home after a few dry days, I'd go hit the yard with the trimmer to knock down the grass to a reasonable height or low, then my girlfriend would go back over and mulch it up.
z31maniac said:Surprisingly, the 80V Kobalt string trimmer on the "fast" setting seems to chew through the battery more quickly than the mower does. But it will rip some stuff up!
That's odd. I have the 40v stuff and after the mower stops at low charge, I can still run the trimmer on that battery.
clutchsmoke said:Just bought a house on a quarter acre lot and needed a mower. Decided to give the top of the line (steel deck) walk behind Ryobi 40V a try since it was on sale for $500. This evening was my test run with it and a fully charged battery only made it 40mins before calling it quits. Maybe I walk too fast? Maybe I got a bad battery like Robbie? Maybe my grass was too long? There's a huge area that is uncut. Will have to finish it tomorrow morning. I hope I can get at least the whole yard mowed on one charge.
Call Ryobi. Worst case they do nothing. They might send you another battery.
Do you have the 5 ah one? Any better since this first post?
I have two important updates that folks here might like to know.
#1 - recently I was complimented on my Ryobi 40v mower, absolutely unprompted, by a member of the opposite sex with whom I was 100% not familiar. She was walking on the sidewalk and I was mowing right there and she stopped me and said, "I really like your mower, it's the quietest one I've ever heard!" The incredible part is that she didn't have to yell for me to hear her. These are quiet compared to gas. And, I can count on one hand the number of *vehicles* I've been complimented on unprompted like that, but this is getting a complimented on a lawn mower...
#2 - Tonight I had some trouble with the Ryobi not wanting to continue "running" while I was mowing. Plenty of battery. I've had issues similar in the past going around trees and on steep side slopes so I thought there might be some sort of tipover safety switch or something. Literally 30seconds on YouTube later and I learned there is a safety switch, but it is simply to check if the handle is in the mowing (and not storage) position. The pivots get loose and then the handle doesn't push the button fully. 30 more seconds with a t35 on a rachet and I was back in business. So, sort of a failure, but definitely an easy fix.
Only thing that I have found that I dislike about the electric mower is that it won’t pick up leaves for some strange reason. Grass yes but leaves even just 5 leaves does not even get cut or picked up by the mower. I had to pick up some by hand or do a quick sweep with a rake. It’s ridiculous.
My yard is a quarter acre and I have plenty of battery life left after cutting the Bermuda grass. It does not even reach half.
I have a Neuton CE6 battery mower, which I’ve had for 10 years, and I’m extremely happy with it. No expensive lithium batteries, as it runs on an AGM battery, which is well established, reliable technology. I can do 1/4 acre no problem, more if the grass isn’t stupid long. It’s a small New England company so parts an accessories are close at hand. Neuton Power
If I was looking for a mower today, I’d buy another in a heartbeat.
Sine_Qua_Non said:Only thing that I have found that I dislike about the electric mower is that it won’t pick up leaves for some strange reason. Grass yes but leaves even just 5 leaves does not even get cut or picked up by the mower. I had to pick up some by hand or do a quick sweep with a rake. It’s ridiculous.
I suspect that is a function of your particular mower (or blade) rather than battery power. Mine picks up leaves just fine.
well, I have gone the whole summer on my 40v kobalt mower. Aside from a few scratches on the clear door over the battery, I have nothing negative to report. The only little niggle is that once the blade bogs and starts to stall, the computer kills the motor. With a gas mower, if you feel it start to bog, you can stop or even lift the front wheels to keep it going. Thankfully it is only push the button and pull the handle back to restart.
I did read that a common complaint is that the battery doesn't stay seated due to the clip that holds it in wearing out prematurely. I begin to think the people that have that issue probably ram the battery home rather than gently pushing it in till the clip clicks.
So, after lawn mower failure while cutting today (hopefully the last time until next spring...), I'm looking to replace my nearly dead gas mower and planning to go battery powered. I have read all of the posts in the several threads on GRM and looked at reviews etc. from other places. Think I have narrowed my choice down to either the Kobalt 80v or the Ryobi 40v. Would also get a string trimmer of the same system. The Kobalt 40v mower had a significant number of reviews hammering the battery life both related to operating time and degradation over time so I have decided to skip it. My only other battery tools are Rigid and so I'm stuck having one system for hand tools and one for yard tools and I'm OK with that.
I currently cut a bit under 1/3 of an acre (say 0.3 acres) and 2/3 of that is basically flat with 1/3 being a hill that I cut going across instead of up & down. My lawn is well established with centipede grass that is thick and I normally cut it to a height of somewhere around 2.5". I have to cut it every week with a gas push mower and it takes me about 80 minutes with no breaks. So I am guessing neither of the systems I'm considering will do the job on a single charge and my hope would be to use the battery from the other tools to supplement the mower battery so that I can finish with one brief break to do a battery swap. It's always hot & humid and I don't want to have to spend 2 evenings a week cutting the grass...I could weedeat first and plug that battery into the charger while I start mowing.
So, the Kobalt 80v is expensive...I could buy the Ryobi 40v push mower + battery & charger, string trimmer with interchangeable tool capability + battery & charger, and more than half of the edger tool for the cost of the Kobalt 80v push mower + battery & charger. My normal inclination would be to buy the Ryobi 40v based on price and the reviews from users here on GRM, but I'm not sure that is the correct decision. Anybody got direct experience with both systems that they care to share?
I’ve got no experience with either ( I’m using a Kobalt 40V), but I am getting concerned about buying anything Kobalt branded, because it seems like every time I go to Lowe’s, there’s less Kobalt stuff and more Craftsman stuff.
In reply to eastsideTim :
Thanks for that info. I haven't been in Lowes much the past few years to notice that change. Thinking back on my visit earlier today though, there was a lot more Craftsman branded lawn equipment compared to Kobalt.
If I can dogpile on this thread, I'm looking for a battery powered backpack leafblower.
Any suggestions? Thanks, and sorry for the threadjack.
My mom uses the 40v Ryobi stuff and really likes it. She has some 18v too but the push mower and trimmer are 40.
I use a 18v ryobi trimmer and it's great for cutting, it does stuff that made the 4 cycle husqvarna bog down and die. Only complaint I have is that the motor does overheat and stop because they decided to put a heat vent where my arm likes to sit on the top of the trimmer. When it's balls hot in the summer I just take my shop blower out and blast the motor with it and the problem is solved.
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