Bosch battery powered lawnmowers. Best Riding Lawn Mower Reviews 2023

Best Riding Lawn Mower Reviews 2023

Tired of spending the best part of your Saturday walking behind a lawn mower? You’re not alone and our team has pulled together our recommendations for the best riding lawn mower in 2023. Whether you’re a homeowner or commercial Pro, or you’re on the hunt for a lawn tractor or zero-turn mower, we have you covered. Thinking about making the switch to battery power? We have thoughts on electric riding lawnmowers as well.

Considering walk-behind mowers? Check out our Best Lawn Mower main page.

• Best Commercial Riding Mower (Find a Dealer)
• Best Residential Riding Lawn Mower (Buy at Tractor Supply)
• Best Zero-Turn Riding Lawn Mower (Buy at Acme Tools)
• Best Lawn Tractor (Buy at Tractor Supply)
• Best Consumer Electric Riding Lawn Mower (available at Lowes or Home Depot)
• Best Riding Lawn Mower For Small Lawns (Buy at Lowes)
• Best Riding Lawn Mower For Medium Lawns
• Best Riding Lawn Mower For Large Properties
• Best Riding Lawn Mower For Hills
• Best Riding Lawn Mower For The Money (Buy at Tractor Supply)
• What We Look For In The Best Riding Lawn Mower
• Why You Can Trust Pro Tool Reviews

Best Commercial Riding Lawn Mower

Hustler Hyperdrive Series Zero Turn Lawn Mowers

Professional lawn care crews who FOCUS on residential lawns (affectionately known aa “mow and blow” crews) have to hit a lot of lawns every day during the mowing season and they’re tough on their equipment. Exmark, Hustler, and Scag all come up frequently in conversations about the best commercial mower, and our top choice is the Hustler Hyperdrive series.

While the Super Z series is likely more popular, the Hyperdrive series adds additional durability to the transmission system, keeping your downtime to a minimum.

Deck sizes range from 60 to 72 inches and there are 35 to 40 HP engine options from Kawasaki and Vanguard. For those of you who like to mow at speed, you can run up to 16 MPH on this model. No matter what your mowing style is, Hustler has a 3,000-hour warranty on the hydraulic system and a 5-year/1200-hour warranty on the full mower.

Price: Contact your local dealer

Best Residential Riding Lawn Mower

Toro Timecutter Series Zero-Turn Lawn Mowers

For residential use, we recommend Toro’s TimeCutter as the best residential riding lawn mower for a variety of reasons. What it boils down to is that you get an excellent balance of performance, comfort, and reliability for the price.

The line currently includes 17 models (including CARB-friendly options). Deck sizes start at 34 inches for small lawns and run up to 60 inches for those of you with acreage to maintain. The base-level models are an excellent value for most people, but if comfort is a high priority, step up to the MyDrive models to get an upgraded suspension and easier ride.

Best Zero-Turn Riding Lawn Mower

Cub Cadet Ultima ZTX6 Series Zero-Turn Lawn Mower

While Toro earns our pick as the best overall riding mower for residential use, Cub Cadet’s Ultima ZTX6 series is the creme de la creme for those of you with a bigger budget. Earning our choice as the best residential zero-turn riding lawn mower, the ZTX6 is at the top of Cub Cadet’s residential-focuses Ultima line.

These mowers bridge the gap between residential and Pro needs, giving you a ride and performance that feels more professional while keeping the overall price down from premium professional mowers. The ZTX6 comes with a 25HP Kawasaki commercial-grade engine and either a 54 or 60-inch deck size. If you prefer a steering wheel over lap bars, there’s now a ZTXS6 option that has you covered.

Price: 8999.00 – 9299.00 (10299.00 for the 60-inch ZTXS6)

Best Lawn Tractor

Cub Cadet XT1 Enduro FAB Series Lawn Tractor

Cub Cadet lawn tractors are very popular and consistently earn high ratings from owners. If you’re looking for the best lawn tractor among them, we recommend the XT1 Enduro FAB series. They’re a bit more expensive than others in the XT1 line, but they upgrade from a 13-gauge stamped steel deck to an 11-gauge fabricated steel one, improving the long-term durability.

Available with a 50 or 54-inch deck, these mowers are suitable for covering larger lawns than lawn tractors in the 30 – 48-inch range. Thanks to a Kohler 24HP engine, they have better overall performance than most of its competition as well. While they don’t turn as tight as a zero-turn, they do have a 16-inch turning radius that gives them a tighter turn than others.

Best Electric Riding Lawn Mower

Try as we may, we couldn’t pick just one electric ride-on lawn mower as the best. However, we do have three that stand out from the rest.

Commercial: Greenworks Commercial 82V OptimusZ Series Zero-Turn Lawn Mowers

Greenworks was one of the first to push into the commercial electric zero-turn lawn mower market and they have learned a lot over the years. The culmination of that experience and the best of today’s technology come together in the Greenworks OptimusZ zero-turn and earns our recommendation as the best electric commercial riding lawn mower.

The line includes both ride-on and stand-on models, and we even got to see an operational prototype of a fully-autonomous version. Focusing on the ride-on models, there are 48 – 60-inch deck sizes with either 18KWh or 24KWh battery packages. On the 60-inch mower, the larger battery bank can run up to 8 hours on a charge.

The top speed is impressive, reaching up to 16 MPH with the blades on. Security is already onboard thanks to the combination of 4G and GPS connections. If all that sounds great, but you’re still not sure it can hold up, keep in mind that Greenworks backs these mowers with a 5-year/2,000-hour warranty.

Residential: EGO 56V E-Steer Zero-Turn Lawn Mower

EGO is making it easier to transition from gas to battery power and into the zero-turn market with the 56V E-Steer riding lawn mower. It takes the lap bars and exchanges them for a steering wheel, making for a much more approachable mower if you’re not used to traditional ZT steering. Beyond that, the design team shifted the controls/info screen onto the steering wheel where they’re easy to keep an eye on while you’re mowing.

The mower sports a 42-inch deck with cutting speeds between 4 and 8 MPH and matches the power of a 22HP gas engine. For the power source, EGO uses the same 556V batteries that power its other mowers and handheld tools. With a full load of six 12.0Ah batteries, expect to cut nearly four acres on a charge. With the four batteries that come with the mower, there’s enough juice to cover 2.5 acres.

Price: 5999.00 with four 12.0Ah batteries and onboard charger (scheduled for May 2023 launch)

Residential: Ryobi 80V iDrive Series Zero Turn Lawn Mowers

Ryobi’s iDrive zero-turn lawn mowers break the mold of lap bars, but not with a steering wheel. It uses joystick controls, making you feel a bit more like a lawn-cutting fighter pilot (without the missiles, of course). While it certainly breaks the norm, our crew was able to adjust to the steering quickly.

There are three deck sizes covering 30 to 54 inches and they primarily use 80V suitcase-style batteries for power. These mowers also have slots to use Ryobi’s 40V batteries if you need to extend your runtime beyond what the 80V packs offer.

The power ranges from a 28HP – 42HP gas equivalent with runtime covering 1 – 4 acres, depending on which model you go with. Plus, this mower uses the CrossCut stacked blade system to give you better cut quality than you’d get with single blades.

Price: 5999.00 – 7999.00 ready to mow

Take a look through our full list of Best Electric Lawn Mower recommendations!

Best Riding Lawn Mower For Small Lawns

John Deere S130 Lawn Tractor

Lawn tractors are great for small to medium-sized lawns and the John Deere S130 lawn tractor is our choice as the best riding lawn mower for small lawns. The S100 comes in at a lower price, but moving up to the S130 is worth it in our opinion.

Both feature a 42-inch mowing deck, but the S130 has a significantly stronger 22HP V-twin engine and it has John Deere’s super-easy 30-Second Oil Change system. The S130 also upgrades with cruise control and an electronic PTO system. Overall, it balances ease of ownership and performance well while keeping a safe distance away from the price of zero-turn mowers.

Best Riding Lawn Mower For Medium Lawns 1 Acre to 5 Acres

Husqvarna Xcite Zero-Turn Lawn Mowers

The best riding lawn mower for medium-sized lawns is the Husqvarna Xcite. There are two models available featuring a 54-inch 10-gauge deck that’s a great size for those 1 – 5–acre properties.

What’s exciting about the Xcite is a combination of innovative features and a design that feels more Pro even though these target residential users. Starting from the top, your start/stop and blade engagement controls are on the lap bar ends where you can easily reach them with your thumbs. Then there’s the suspension system. 4 bar links and 10 adjustment settings let you customize the setup based on your size, weight, and preferences to dial in a comfortable ride.

Depending on the model, you get either a 24HP or 26HP Kohler engine with a top speed of either 7 or 9 MPH. On the business end, Husqvarna puts stock blades that can go up to 5 years without needing to be sharpened. Husqvarna targeted a Pro feel with the convenience and ease of ownership homeowners crave with the Xcite and they nailed it.

Best Riding Lawn Mower For Large Properties

Exmark Lazer Z Series Deisel Zero Turn Lawn Mowers

When it comes to maintaining large areas where you need a cleaner cut than a bush hog leaves behind, there are a few large-deck options. Leading the pack in size and with a robust professional resume’, the Exmark Lazer Z Deisel is our choice as the best riding lawn mower for large properties.

When we say large, we mean it. The Lazer Z diesel line includes 60, 72, and 96-inch options along with a monstrous 144-inch model. Ang get this—Exmark rates the largest mower’s cutting rate at up to 11.5 acres per hour! In terms of productivity, that’s going to be tough to beat.

These mowers aren’t cheap, though. They start at just over 27,000 and the 144-inch model is over 35,000.

Price: Starting at 27,099.00

Best Riding Lawn Mower For Hills

Cub Cadet Pro Z 972 Zero-Turn Lawn Mower

If you have hills, you need both power and traction to mow effectively. In our team’s opinion, the best riding lawn mower for hills is the Cub Cadet Pro Z 972 series SD/SDL models. What sets these mowers apart is a combination of their dually rear wheel and steering wheel designs.

Four rear wheels help prevent the back end from slipping, even in wet conditions. The steering wheel makes it easier to manage on slopes and there’s an option for a pivoting seat that keeps you more upright on those hills. As part of Cub Cadet’s commercial mower lineup, you can expect a commercial-level build and high-end comfort features as part of the package.

Best Riding Lawn Mower For The Money

Toro Timecutter 42-Inch Zero-Turn Lawn Mower

What’s the best riding lawn mower for the money? For that, we return to the Toro TimeCutter series. Specifically, it’s the 42-inch 75746. This isn’t the least expensive 42-inch in the line, and it’s not the most expensive, either. By upgrading from the entry-level version (3299), you’re moving from a 15.5 HP Briggs Stratton engine to a much stronger 22HP Kohler engine. up to a more durable 10-gauge fabricated steel deck.

If your lawn is 2 acres or less, this model offers the best balance of performance, durability, comfort, and price. But what if you have more then 2 acres? Stick with the Toro TimeCutter and move up in deck size to match your lawn.

What We Look For In The Best Riding Lawn Mower

Lawn Tractor or Zero Turn?

When you’re choosing the best riding lawn mower for your lawn, the first thing to decide is which style you want.

Lawn tractors have several advantages. They tend to be a smaller overall size, are less expensive, and are easy to use with their steering wheel/pedal control systems. The downsides are that they tend to be slower and don’t reach larger deck sizes. They also aren’t as efficient in your mowing pattern because they require a larger turning radius.

Zero-turn lawn mowers make it easier to efficiently mow straight lines. While they’re more expensive, larger, and can take some time to get used to lap bar controls, you can get larger deck sizes, they have higher speeds, and they’re better for large properties. If comfort is a high priority for you, you’ll find better options with ZTs and lawn tractors.

Gas or Battery?

Now that battery-powered riding lawn mowers are at a point where they really can replace gas, the conversation is shifting away from just power and runtime.

Gas mowers tend to be less expensive and you can usually find someone to service/repair them within a reasonable drive of your home. The trade-off is the noise, emissions, managing fuel and oil, and more required maintenance.

Battery-powered mowers have a push-button start system that’s ready when you are, assuming you charged the batteries. They’re remarkably quiet compared to gas, have no emissions, and your HOA isn’t going to suddenly rewrite the rules to eliminate them. Maintenance primarily boils down to blowing off the deck and maybe rinsing under the deck. The primary downsides at this stage are that you don’t have as wide of a selection as gas, they’re more expensive, the batteries need replacing every 3 – 5 years, and there aren’t nearly as many service centers close by.

Durability and Reliability

As you go up in price from entry-level riding lawn mowers to mid-range and high-end models, there are significant changes. A more powerful engine is only part of it. The design of the engine and its quality typically improves as you move up the line, giving you a more reliable engine to go along with the higher performance of more horsepower.

You also see the strength of the build improve. Some of it is the thickness of the metal or moving from stamped steel to fabricated steel on the deck. Other components come into play as well, with higher quality transmissions and electronics packages improving.

Generally speaking, if you’re looking at an entry-level model, see if your budget has room to move up into the middle or even high end of the line. The durability and reliability you gain are worth it in the long run.

Deck Size

The deck size you need depends on the property you’re mowing. 42-inch riding lawn mowers are a good starting point for lawns up to an acre or where you need to squeeze through a narrow gate. If you have more than an acre, go ahead and look at models up to 60 inches.

Realistically, it’s a matter of finding the right balance between how much lawn you have to cut, how much storage space you have available, and what your budget is.

Speed

Speed is primarily a concern for professional lawn crews who need to move from one property to the next quickly or on campuses with significant travel distance between the shop and where they’re mowing. They usually want a mower with a top speed over 10 MPH.

Even homeowners can make their mowing chores more efficient with some decent top-end speed, though. 7 MPH or more is a good benchmark for those models. If you tend to take your mowing more casually, 5 – 6 MPH is just fine.

Comfort

The larger your lawn, the more time you need to spend in the driver’s seat of your riding lawn mower, and the more comfort comes into play. Entry-level mowers are going to bounce you around more than mid-range and high-end models. Look for a seat with plenty of cushioning, an adjustable tension knob, and enough travel for you to sit without having to scrunch up.

Why You Can Trust Pro Tool Reviews

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We’ve been in business since 2008 covering tools, writing reviews, and reporting on industry news in the construction and lawn care industries. Our Pro reviewers work in the trades and have the skills and experience to know whether tools can perform well in the field.

Each year, we bring in and review more than 350 individual products. Our team will put our hands on hundreds of additional tools at media events and trade shows throughout the year.

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The end result is information you can trust because of the editorial, scientific, and real-world professional experience we collectively utilize each and every time we pick up and test a tool.

Bosch CityMower 18 lawn mower review

Don’t let the CityMower 18’s toy-like appearance put you off, this compact machine powers over lawns up to 300 square metres with ease. It folds down seriously small and is light enough to carry one-handed, making it perfect for stashing away in space-starved urban gardens.

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Not every garden requires a souped-up beast of a mower with a million volts of power and blades that could propel a helicopter. In a small home, with a small lawn, a simple mower that does the job quickly, without fuss, is just the ticket. Low tech and lightweight, the Bosch CityMower 18 is exactly what you need if your lawn coverage falls under 300 sq m in fact.

For this review I tested the Bosch CityMower 18 on our bigger (approximately 1,200 square metres) lawn in the country but, to play fair, I measured out and mowed a 300 square metre area. In fact, the first time I used this mower was the first cut of the season and the grass was very long, bordering on wild, and more than a little damp. Just to be thorough, I did a further two full cuts of the same area, each a week apart.

Bosch CityMower 18 lawn mower: first impressions

‘Wow, that’s small’ was the first thing I thought when the box was delivered. ‘Handy’, was my second thought, as I tucked it under the stairs to wait until the grass was dry(ish).

Upon opening, I was relieved to note only a few parts required assembling but wasn’t terribly impressed by the feel of the components. There’s an overall thin plastic vibe, especially the battery lid, which is very flimsy and the wheels are far from robust.

On the plus side, this contributes to weightlessness – I can easily lift and carry the CityMower18 with one hand. If you live in an apartment with garden access but no shed, this mower would be perfect for carrying upstairs and through doorways.

Bosch CityMower 18 lawn mower: getting started

The instructions were short and sweet, and construction (popping the handle on and making the grass box) demonstrated using pictures, in a familiar Ikea self-assembly style (but without any missing parts!).

I didn’t manage to get a couple screws in the whole way when fitting the handles, but it felt secure enough. Clipping the grass box together would definitely have been easier if I’d had a helper. The battery is supplied partially charged, and only took about 30 minutes to reach full charge so I recommend getting the charger powered up first.

What it’s like to use the Bosch CityMower 18 lawn mower?

Once I worked out to press the central button on the handle and then the handgrip button (not vice-versa as the instructions dictate), the Bosch CityMower 18 powered to life with a promising roar.

This is no hairdryer of a mower; it sounds properly meaty and powered through our lawn’s first cut of the year with surprising ease. No mean feat at the end of February when the skies were blue but the ground still incredibly wet, and the grass was bordering on wild.

Bosch CityMower 18 lawn mower: ease of use

I had it on the middle blade height setting – there are three to select – and it powered through with no problems at all. In the 300 square metre area, I emptied the grass box six times, which felt a little excessive, however that did reduce to three times on the following second and third cuts.

The battery lasted exactly 28 minutes from full charge and was sufficient to get the job done, just. Invest in a second battery if you have a bigger area to cover. The handle was easy to grip and comfortable.

I started by following each line using the wheel imprints of the line before it but soon noticed thin strips of grass were getting missed so started overlapped a little. Given how short the 32cm blade is already, this didn’t help the number of passes required to complete the lawn. However, I was able to move fairly briskly without the engine straining or faltering, which helped speed up the job.

Edging was especially impressive, and I was able to get close enough to the path and fence to avoid getting the strimmer out – always a bonus. The grass box was very easy to mount and dismount and also to empty, thanks to a handle grip on the top and bottom.

One thing I did miss was any kind of indicator that the grass box is full. I just guessed based on the time I had been cutting and got it wrong a couple of times, resulting in stopping the mower unnecessarily. Not a big deal, but timewasting all the same.

Additional features on the Bosch CityMower 18 lawn mower

The Power For All battery is interchangeable with other Bosch tools, including drilling, cleaning and other garden tools, which is a nice touch as it means fewer batteries and charging docks to store. The handle is height adjustable for personalized comfort and folds down with quick-release clips for snug storage.

How does the Bosch CityMower 18 lawn mower rate?

Online of the CityMower 18 are pretty favourable and mostly on or above the 90% or 4 Star mark (I checked Argos, Amazon and Ao.com). Most reviewers like that it is lightweight, making it a good buy for older generations, and that it’s pretty quiet so ideal for Sunday morning mowers.

There are a few grumblings that the grass isn’t cut short enough, so if you like to scalp your lawn perhaps give the CityMower 18 a miss. And someone warns the Power For All battery doesn’t fit with Bosch’s professional grade tools, so do check battery specifics before you buy if that’s one of the benefits that appeals.

Overall, I concur with a 4 Star rating. The CityMower 18 exceeded my expectations in terms of performance and easy use, which are surely the priorities if you’re only mowing for half an hour or less? I deducted a star because I didn’t like that there’s no battery power level indicator during use, so you can’t see how long you have left, and the lack of fullness indicator on the grass box was also a tad frustrating.

However, although it doesn’t look man enough for the job, the CityMower 18 gamely conquered our seriously wild, overgrown winter lawn with the ability of a model with twice the power. Once the first cut was complete, subsequent cuts were a breeze.

The 30-minute battery life did worry me but would only really be a problem if you’re cutting a lawn bigger than the recommended size. If you are hellbent on flouting the lawn size guidance rules, you can always recharge the battery – in just 1.5 hours – or, potentially, pinch the battery from your Bosch cordless drill. Don’t forget to recharge it afterwards though, or you’ll be cursing when you want to put up a shelf!

New Bosch Cordless Lawn Mower is Powered by One or Two 36V Battery Packs

Over in the UK, Bosch came out with a new cordless lawn mower that’s powered off of one or two 36V Li-ion battery packs. While it can be powered off of just one battery, equipping it with two will yield greater runtime (up to ~60 minutes).

Bosch boasts the following benefits over gas-engine mowers:

Funny, they don’t mention “less hassle,” although some could argue that filling a gas tank and maintaining the engine at the end of a season is less of a hassle than having to recharge and swap around a cordless mower’s battery packs.

They’re also claiming gas engine-like performance. We’ve heard this before, and for some reason I believe it more when Bosch says it.

Bosch actually came out with two new cordless mowers – the GRA 48 Professional, with a 48 cm cutting width (~19″), and the GRA 53 Professional, with a 53 cm cutting width (~20.1″). There’s not much different between the two mowers, except for the wider cutting with and slightly larger grass box capacity (collection bin) on the GRA 53 vs the 48. The GRA 48 is said to have a digital display, but maybe it’s only absent from the GRA 53 product description and not the actual mower.

Features include a cast aluminum deck, self-driving wheels powered by a separate motor, a land driving wheel mode which eases movement across paved or ungrassed areas without blade rotation, variable speed wheel drive, optional mulching blade and collection bin attachment, and an adjustable grip height. From the product video, it looks like the controls are built into the handle.

Reach is said to be ~1500 m^2 per hour, depending on mowing conditions, which is about 16,145 ft^2. Maybe my math is wrong here, but if you consider that you can mow with a cutting width of ~1.6 feet, that would mean a lane 10,423 feet long, or nearly 2 miles. Square acreage will probably make more sense – 1500 square meters is ~0.37 acres. Or, if it helps, 1500 m^2 is about the size of 6 tennis courts or 2 professional baseball diamonds (just between the bases), or a little more than 1/4 of a football field.

Runtime is ~45 to 60 minutes, depending on operating conditions.

The new Bosch 36V battery packs are weatherproof, built with 6.0Ah of charge capacity, and they fully recharge in just 42 minutes. You can get an 80% charge in 30 minutes.

I thought that maybe the new Rapid charger discussed in context of their 18V 6.0Ah battery pack is involved here, but it’s not – there’s a new monster of a feature-packed charger that’s designed to work with these new batteries:

The charger has an active locking mechanism that holds the battery in place to prevent damage during transport.

One thing to note is that these batteries ARE compatible with other Bosch 36V cordless tools, although Bosch says that their power, weight, and waterproof capacity are in excess of normal power tool requirements. Additionally, the new charger will charge “any Bosch Blue 36V battery.”

Here’s a quick promo video:

There’s also a new duo of 36V string trimmers, or “brushcutters” as it seems they’re called in England.

A leaf blower and hedge cutters are also coming soon.

Looking for a cordless lawn mower and cannot wait for the Bosch 36V cordless mower to reach the states? Check out Clayton’s Ego cordless mower review here on ToolGuyd. He loved it, and gave it a 24/25 rating. He also reviewed Craftsman’s 40V mower, and we also previewed Ryobi’s cordless mower last year.

If you want more power, GreenWorks’ 80V Max lawn and garden tools will soon be available via Amazon. Kobalt is also offering what looks to be rebranded GreenWorks 80V Max tools over at Lowes.

Price: ~GBP 1000 for the GRA 48 Professional, GPB 1100 for the GRA 53 Professional. Given the current exchange rate (4/9/15), that’s 1486 and 1635 USD.

First Thoughts

Not only do I now want to run out with one of these looking for a lawn to mow, I find myself wishing that Bosch would come out with a weatherproof 18V battery charger as well. Not that I really need one, but it could be cool. Maybe their Power Box 360 radio counts? I also wish they built a similar dual 18V Li-ion mower, but there are reasons they went with a 36V battery form factor – mainly power and runtime.

I like how the mower can be powered by one or two battery packs, and it seems to run off the two battery packs in sequence and not at the same time. While running off of two battery packs at the same, similar to what Makita has done with their X2 tools, would provide a way to power heavier duty tools with smaller sized battery packs, issues could potentially arise when you use mismatched battery packs, or pair an older battery with a new one.

Sticking with the 36V form factor and doubling up for greater runtime seems to be a Smart move. Craftsman has done something similar with their mower, and so the idea is not unique to Bosch.

As a reminder, these mowers were announced in the UK and Europe. There’s no indication as to if or when they’ll be available in the USA.

25 Комментарии и мнения владельцев

Nice looking mower,ID love to have one of these. I remember seeing a release notice for these before I thought last year. Ive looked at the EGO but this Bosch just looks killer and I love Bosch stuff.

Pretty expensive, if you ask me. I do like the idea of cordless mowers simply due to the noise factor and oil changes. I am in the market now for cordless trimmer (any recommendations, anyone? Anyone tried the new Echo yet??) But I doubt it would have gas like performance, at least for me. We (my wife and I) mow a grass area around 16000 sq ft. That usually takes about 1.3 to 1.5 hours by the time we go around landscaping and obstacles, but most at full speed. During the height of growing season in late spring, sometimes the grass has to be mowed twice a week. Where the grass is tall, we have to run the mower at a much slower pace as well, so it can take 2-2.5 hours to complete. That’s all done with a 6.5HP mower. I imagine it would take at least 4 batteries to complete the job in those conditions. The cost would be just too high. I do applaud the effort put into these mowers and the continual development. My view is that you have to try and put product out there; which can only lead to better products in the future. But for now, I’ll stick with my 10-year old Honda mower, which still starts on the first pull, even the first time out in the spring.

Well it uses/drains 1 battery at a time, the other can be recharging. Recharge time is 40 min. So you should be able to keep rotating batteries. Might I suggest a miniature horse or other grass eating animal to help keep grass down, seems like a ridiculous waste of your time as well as energy to mow such a large area.

I’m always game to the idea of battery powered if they’re truly up to the task. This one really does look intriguing. With the better batteries in recent years, it’s probably time to start take these things more seriously. That said, an average of 1,500 bucks is a lot of money for the added convenience. While these are more affordable than many commercial walk behinds, you could buy 3 higher quality gas mowers for the cost of one. For not much more and even less in some cases, you could acquire a professional gas walk behind that would probably be superior. I understand the savings in fuel and other maintenance. At the same time, batteries ain’t cheap, and these wouldn’t be void of their own maintenance issues. While they’re intriguing, I don’t want one bad enough to fork over the expected funds.

Maybe in two more years I will switch. Not ready to be the early adopter for these systems. Plus not ready to be the early spotter for the Apple Watch. Lol Now that we have seen Bosch and DeWALT i this space, wonder if milwaukee is going to join with a fuel brand? Any ideas stu?

Those have been announced for France as well but i havent seen them yet, Blue Bosch is only available in professional shops and the two i have been this week that carry Bosch havent go them yet but i ll ask aroundmainly for pricing and availabilty. The GRA48 is apparently available in Germany for 1426€ (1518) and the GRA56 for 1605€ (1709), pretty pricey.

I may sound like an old curmudgeon but I’m still skeptical of battery powered mowers. This one definitely looks more convincing that many others though. I’m just not sure it would match performance of a higher-end consumer gas mower that is half the price (Honda HRX217HYA). Even in the context of their video, I wonder if you could finish that rural property without a re-charge cycle. A few years ago I agonized over spending the money on the Honda HRX217HYA. It turned out to be money well spent. I use quality ethanol-free gas with a stabilizer mixed in and it starts on the first pull. At the end of the season I run it dry. Next season I change the oil and put a new spark plug in (out of habit). It literally starts on the first pull after sitting all winter. Yes, there is more maintenance with gas but it’s really not that much. It would only cost 50-100 to hire someone to do maintenance each season. I wonder how much replacement batteries are after a few years for the Bosch? In all, I think this one is a viable option for those that don’t want the hassle of gas and have a smaller and well maintained yard. The stubborn, change refusing, side of me will stick to my gas mower for now.

I agree. I love Bosch, but that is quite a bit of coin for a mower with limited range. I have the step down HRR216 mower that Home Depot carries (with the blade brake, but metal deck) and love it. Very little maintenance as you note. Yes, gas fumes and all the mess it entails, but you can buy two, maybe three Hondas for the price of one Bosch battery model.

thats a whole lot of cheddar for a mower. You cant ussually make an easy leap from GBP to USD, but I think we could safely say it would be atleast 1000. ID be “slightly” more inclined to buy a mower that aligned with my cordless tools. Like… I have DeWALT 20v max. you want to sell a mower that takes 4 of those batteries or something? atleast I can start to justify some of the expense… probably not.

This is one way of addressing a major conundrum withing the Cordless outdoor power equipment market. The conundrum of course, is that some pieces of common outdoor power equipment require considerably more power than others. Gasoline power can be scaled up or down by minute increments to provide the precise optimum balance between power and weight/size for a given application. We see the results of that optimization in the common engine sizes used for certain applications:.String trimmers, hedge trimmers, small cultivators, and handheld leaf blowers are best equipped with motors in the 20-35cc rangeChainsaws, earth augers, and backpack blowers find their sweet spot in the 35-70cc rangeLawn mowers, snow throwers, air compressors, and pressure washers usually require 150-300cc’s worth of power. Unlike gas power, cordless power is necessarily modular and portioned in discrete voltages, due to the economy of scale that standardized battery systems create. This means that trying to fit a whole range of applications into a single battery system may leave some of the larger tools starved for power and run time, as is the case with most cordless mowers. By doubling (and perhaps even tripling) up on batteries for these applications, a tool company can roughly mimic the scalability of gasoline power. I feel that a single 36/40V battery is appropriate for applications that need 20-35cc powered gas engines, 72/80v is good for chainsaw sized applications, and 108/120v or higher would provide adequate power for push mower class applications. Hopefully, companies will start producing more multi-battery models like this Bosch mower.

I’m slightly curious why they didn’t wire the two packs for series instead of sequential operation. Sure it would take two packs to make the mower go but I bet the performance would be fantastic. FWIW, I think these sorts of products only make sense if you have a ‘postage stamp’ sized yard. I have an ‘extra large’ postage stamp yard. It takes me about 15-20min to mow with my 22″ Toro SuperRecycler at an efficient but fairly lazy walking pace. My neighbor has an electric mower AND a gas mower. He seems to usually precut with the gas and then finish cut with the electric but I’ve seen his electric run out of juice before he finishes his yard several times. If the price was closer to that of my ‘premium’ Toro and Bosch didn’t skimp on the quality, I would seriously consider recommending this mower to my friends and neighbors.

it would get half the runtime in series. depends if it needs more power though… I spent 150 bucks for my mower, its disposable, and I realize that if I skip 2 weeks, I might be screwed because it wont have the mustard to do the job. For this much money, I assume they tested it to have sufficient oomph that more power would be a waste.

if we’re talking pure ohm’s law it would get 1/2 the runtime in series, with active electronics that’s not necessarily the case.

My thoughts are that it can complicate things. Let’s say you use a string trimmer for a year and then buy the mower and mix up your batteries. If you don’t have two matched batteries on the mower, you might suffer from issues or inconsistent performance. Additionally, if you power the mower with 2 batteries in series, you’ll need a bigger motor. A motor designed to run at 36V or thereabouts is going to have a different power output and current draw than one designed to run at 72V. It’s not Smart design to take the same motor and double the voltage. There will be greater inefficiencies and energy losses, especially given the amperage involved here. Derpson – we can’t apply ohm’s law here at all. To be honest, I don’t see how you could apply ohm’s law to roughly figure runtime either. It’s not just about active electronics, but the whole design would change. Think of it this way. 18V (and 20V Max) and 12V Max tools don’t often share common components. A motor that’s best powered with a 12V Max battery pack won’t be suitable for an 18V battery pack. It can be done, but if it works it means that the motor was underpowered with the 12V battery, overpowered with the 18V battery, which would be worse, or there would be great losses from the 18V battery if stepped down to around 12V to feed the motor.

This looks like it means business, gonna have to give it a try. A dual battery pack definitely improves the appeal, but it’s a heavy old beast.

That’s the way to do it. Even if it’s not as loud as a gas engine mower, might still be loud enough to warrant hearing protection. It’s often better to show a model with more personal protection gear than less.

Hey Stuart, I know it’s a bit off topic but do you know if Milwaukee has any intention of entering the cordless lawn tool segment? As a new homeowner and a die hard Milwaukee fan with a lot of their 18V equipment already it would be very appealing to me.

Doing Landscape maintenance is my livelihood. I’ve demo a variety of different cordless equipment. Some pro’s: quietter, great for early morning starts without alienating or irritating current or potential clients. Rapid grab and go ~ great for clean up and blowing. Also a great feature when doing tree work with chainsaws as well as no / less Fire restrictions in dry area’s ( some area 2 hour waiting /watching period when you’ve used gas powered equipment. Savings on fuel cost ( I spend an extra 1.50-2.00 gallon on Ethanol free fuel) critical with 2 stroke equipment as 2-stroke oil is alot like oil/vinegar it doesnt mix like oil/gas does so when you prime a 2-stroke you can suck pure ethanol into the carb and run the first few seconds on Ethanol only). Cons: Equipment usage heats up battery and ambient air temp does as well. So charge time a dramatically longer than “cold battery in a cold room 45-90min recharge times

With DeWALT I do use my flexvolt batteries with my 20 v tools. I think it’s not good to have another tool platform and charger.

I have the 48cm Bosch for a few months now and I am loving it. It is extremely quiet and nimble for the size. I have about 1000m2 of bumpy grass and it does it with ease. Between 50 an 20% battery left when I am done depending on the highs of the grass. It is a lot of money but worth every penny. I am going to buy the bush cutter for sure.