The Best Electric Lawn Mowers That Are Powerful, Convenient And Quiet
The best electric lawn mowers are specially designed to make lawn maintenance as easy as possible without the added annoyance of extra trips to the gas station. While early electric models struggled with pitfalls like a short battery life and easily tangled cords, today’s best models have largely taken care of those issues. Now, many battery-powered electric lawn mowers can go for up to two hours on one charge, while plug-in models have specially designed elements to keep cords contained. Our top pick for the best electric lawn mower is the Kobalt 80-Volt Max 21-Inch Push Cordless Lawn Mower. It offers an hour of runtime on one charge with a cutting width that’s ideal for most lawns.
The best electric lawn mowers are easy to operate, convenient to use and don’t spew nasty fumes.
Electric lawn mowers tend to be easier to use and maintain than their gas-powered counterparts, says professional landscaper Chris Lambton of HGTV’s Going Yard. “They don’t need gas, which means less maintenance both during the season and when it comes time to winterize them,” he says. “You won’t have to check or change its oil, worry about storing or getting gas and taking the gas out for winter storage.” Electric mowers also “run quieter, do not give off emissions and are easier to start,” Lambton says, noting that “you will not have to hurt out your shoulder pulling the starting chord.”
When shopping for an electric lawn mower, you need to first decide if you want a corded or cordless version. Among those who prefer a battery, it’s also important to weigh the pros and cons of a push mower or riding lawn mower. From there, “homeowners should look for a mower that provides value, ease of use and fits the application of the user,” says professional landscaper Marty Grunder of Grunder Landscaping in Miamisburg, Ohio. The size of your yard needs to be factored in, along with access to a plug (if you prefer to go that route) and, of course, how much you’re willing to spend.
While the lawn care needs of every homeowner are different, these are the best electric lawn mowers you can buy right now.
Best Electric Lawn Mower Overall
Kobalt 80-Volt Max 21-Inch Push Cordless Lawn Mower
Cutting width: 21 inches | Weight: 66 pounds | Power source: Battery | Cutting options: 7 height adjustments
This Kobalt mower has plenty of features that make it an ideal fit for most lawns. It boasts a powerful 80-volt battery that can plow through lawns up to an acre in size, with a charge that lasts up to an hour. Enjoy seven height adjustments for that just-right trim and three handle adjustments to keep you comfortable while you mow. An on-board indicator lets you know when your battery is low—no getting caught surprised while you’re working. There’s even auto-sensing technology that automatically adjusts your motor performance for more power based on the terrain. It even has mulching capabilities. When your work is done, the battery will be fully charged again in a little more than an hour.
Best Self-Propelled Electric Lawn Mower
Ego Power 21-Inch Self-Propelled Cordless Electric Lawn Mower
Cutting width: 21 inches | Weight: 55 pounds | Power source: Battery | Cutting options: 7 height adjustments
The Ego Power boasts a 56-volt battery that can run for about an hour on a single charge. It’s also self-propelled, with variable speed control between 0.9 and 3.1 miles per hour. A lever allows you to quickly adjust the speed as needed. LED headlights allow you to mow in dim or even dark conditions while this powerhouse transitions from mulching, bagging and discharge with one lever. Flip between deck heights of 1.25 to 4 inches with a single lever. A nice added perk? The battery works on other Ego products, too.
Best Electric Lawn Mower For Small Yards
Greenworks 40V 20-Inch Cordless Push Lawn Mower
Cutting width: 20 inches | Weight: 42.5 pounds | Power source: Battery | Cutting options: 5 height adjustments
If you have a smaller lawn, it doesn’t make sense to invest in a massive mower. This Greenworks version has a 20-inch deck that’s slightly smaller than average, but plenty large enough to mow neat rows around your lawn. The 40-volt battery can tackle up to 1/3 acre with an impressive run time of about 70 minutes. You’ll enjoy a dual battery port that automatically switches to your backup when you’re running low on juice, along with mulching and bagging capabilities.
Best Electric Lawn Mower For Large Yards
Ryobi 54-Inch Electric Riding Zero Turn Mower
Cutting width: 54 inches | Weight: 796 pounds | Power source: Battery | Cutting options: 12 height adjustments
Got a lot of ground to cover? This Ryobi is a total beast. It can handle up to 3.5 acres in one mow—a truly impressive feat for an electric model. You’ll enjoy the power of five motors and three blades that deliver a professional-grade trim. This mower is zero-turn, meaning it can quickly pivot around trees and flower beds and offers 12 cutting positions, ranging from 1.4 to 4.5 inches. Perks like LED headlights, reversible mowing capabilities and even a USB charging port to keep your phone going while you work make this model almost fun to use.
Best Push Electric Lawn Mower
Ryobi Brushless Battery Push Lawn Mower
Cutting width: 20 inches | Weight: 54 pounds | Power source: Battery | Cutting options: 7 height adjustments
This Ryobi mower has plenty of power to tackle up to a 1/2 acre of yard space, with a battery that’ll go for up to 48 minutes on a single charge. It’s also relatively lightweight at 54 pounds, making it easier to push than some heavier models. The mower seamlessly mulches or bags your grass clippings, and offers seven different height options to help you get the cut you want. An on-board battery storage compartment makes it easy to keep your gear in one space. A nice feature, if you’re limited on storage: The handles collapse to make this mower’s footprint a little smaller.
Things Bob Vila Thinks You Should Know Before Buying an Electric Lawn Mower
Bob Vila is the authority on lawn care. Even though electric lawn mowers were invented during the 1930s, we have only recently started taking them seriously. As such, electric motor and battery technology has improved a ton over the past decade. However, Bob Vila still thinks before spending your hard-earned cabbages; there are five things you should know before buying an electric mower.
) Will an electric lawn mower make my grass healthier than a gas mower?
According to Bob Vila, the myth is that grass health is the same no matter what kind of mower you use is one which needs dispelling. It is a known guideline in lawn maintenance: “The better the cut, the healthier the grass.” The truth is that gas-powered mowers tend to offer a better cut because of the blade’s design. Electric mower blades are different from gas mower blades to make the battery last longer. This sacrifices cut quality, and these blades can also get bogged down in thicker growth.
First of all, electric lawn mowers are only about 50 more expensive on average than gas lawn mowers. However, it isn’t quite so simple. Gas mowers require you to buy fuel and perform more maintenance. That being said, replacement batteries for electric mowers can get pricey too. So, the cost can be deceptive. I digress.
So, are electric mowers better than gas mowers? Not exactly. While electric mowers have cool benefits, they are more expensive. Not to mention, battery-powered mowers are nowhere near as long-lasting and durable as their gassy counterparts.
According to Bob Vila, “In terms of engine life, a gas mower will run for ten years or more, while a battery-powered mower will need to be replaced after about five years, on average.”
) Are gas lawn mowers hard to maintain?
Simply put, electric lawn mowers are probably, marginally better. However, it isn’t a simple equation. Sure, electric motors put off zero emissions. Emissions are only one part of the deal though. Charging these batteries uses a significant amount of electricity. Depending on where you live, this power could come from coal-burning power plants. The other side of it is the waste. Eventually, we will struggle to find where/how to dispose of defunct Lithium-Ion batteries.
Secondly, gas mowers aren’t nearly as bad as they used to be. Bob Villa says they have become 35 to 75 percent cleaner in the past 10 years.
Gas Vs Electric Mowers: Are You Ready to Go Green?
There are many factors to take into account when deciding whether to purchase an electric-powered lawn mower or a gas-powered lawn mower. Today there are more options than ever due to advances in technology in both gas motors and batteries. As you weigh your options you should consider the size of your lawn and how you wish to mow it.
Gas-powered mowers
Gas-powered motors have traditional gas engines that use gas tanks and oil reservoirs. When operating they produce carbon monoxide, also known as combustion exhaust, which is detrimental to the environment. Also, you have to make sure you have enough gas on hand and that it is the correct grade.
Electric mowers operate using the same concepts as gas mowers; however, their motors operate using batteries that are charged by connecting them to typical garage outlets, a process which is greener and cleaner. While this does give them many eco-friendly benefits, there are many other factors to consider.
Noise Pollution
Environmental pollution isn’t the only pollution to be considered when comparing gas-powered mowers to electric-powered mowers. There is also the matter of noise pollution to consider. Gas-powered lawn mowers are loud. Electric-powered mowers, on the other hand, purr like kittens by comparison.
You might want to take into account how close you are to your neighbors; or you might want to consider whether you or your neighbors have small children or pets that might be frightened by the sounds of a loud gas-motor. Check out Sydney lawn mowing if you are looking for a reputed lawn care professional.
Maintenance
While the battery used to operate an electric mower is a quieter and cleaner source of power, it does need maintenance. The battery’s posts need to be cleaned from time to time and the battery itself needs to be charged regularly, regardless of how often it is used.
Still, this is much less than the maintenance required for a gas-powered mower that needs to have spark plugs, filters, oil and other components regularly replaced.
Battery life vs Gas-power
How long will an electric-powered mower’s battery hold a charge if it is well maintained? For about an hour, which should be more than enough time to mow a small or mid-sized lawn. If you have a lawn that is larger than an acre, you might want to consider purchasing a riding lawn mower. At this time an electric-powered lawn mower will cost around twenty percent more than a gas-powered lawn mower of similar size, so for an electric-powered riding lawn mower you may be looking at several hundred dollars more than its gas-powered equivalent.
It is up to you, based on the size of your lawn and how often it needs mowed and the current price of gasoline, to do the math in order to determine whether an electric riding lawn mower is cost-effective.
Raw Power
Another point to take into account when considering gas vs electric mowers is that a battery’s charge will drain and so will the mowers power right along with it. In other words, a mower with a fully charged battery will be able to cut thicker grass than it will at a half or a quarter charge; whereas, a gas-powered mower will cut grass with consistent force whether it is fully gassed or it is running on fumes.
If the weight of the machine is an issue, you should know that electric powered mowers are much lighter than their gas-powered counterparts. This is due to the fact that gas-powered engines need metallic parts in order to function properly; while electrical engines can work just as well if certain metal parts are replaced with plastic parts. A lighter mower will be easier to push through well maintained lawns, yet harder to push through overgrown lawns.
Safety
Finally, there is the issue of safety. It takes a great amount of force to bust open a battery. All batteries, from the AAA you use in your television’s remote control to the car battery that can withstand a head-on collision, are designed to stay intact. As long as they do, they are completely safe.
Gas-powered engines, however, require gasoline and oil which are both flammable and combustible, not to mention toxic if inhaled or swallowed (again thinking of small children and pets).
Bottom Line
In conclusion, there are pros and cons to switching to electric and it is up to you to evaluate your individual needs and their requirements as to whether or not the switch is warranted. Remember, for smaller or mid-sized lawns electric mowers are an eco-friendly option; while commercial lawn mowing may benefit more from the power of a gas-powered mower. Whichever you choose, keep in mind that, due to technological advancements, both options offer an efficiency and an ease of use that surpasses mowers of yesterday.
Is a Gas or Electric Lawn Mower Better?
Purely on cutting performance, gas walk-behind mowers slightly outmatch electrics. And pricewise, you’re more apt to find a great gas machine for a lower upfront cost.
But when it comes to factors including noise, smell, maneuverability, and ease of maintenance, electric mowers have the advantage. Over the long term, models at lower and average also can be more cost-effective than gas, even more so if fuel rise and batteries continue getting better and cheaper. And if the environment is important to you, this type of mower is the only way to go.
Best Gas Mowers
These two Honda mowers, a push and a self-propelled model, are recommended by Consumer Reports for their solid overall performance.
Both of these battery-powered mowers have earned the CR Green Choice designation. That means they have a lower environmental impact than other battery mowers and tractors based on their energy usage, rechargeability, deck size, noise production, and other factors.
Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2023, Consumer Reports, Inc.
Murray MNA152703 Gas-Engine Lawn Mower
We like what we see in this relatively low-cost Murray mower powered by a Briggs Stratton engine. It exhibits good workmanship, with neatly stamped and formed parts. The mower has just two points of deck adjustment, one for the front wheels and one for the rear.
We also like its 11-inch rear wheels, which help it to roll smoothly over bumpy terrain. The mower weighs a relatively light 52 pounds, which is certainly a help, given that it’s not self-propelled.
Key Specs
This Craftsman M110 push mower is very similar to the Murray mower listed in this article. They share the same basic deck design (they’re both built by MTD), and this one can also bag, mulch, or side discharge.
Part of the reason it costs less is because it lacks the Murray’s large-diameter rear wheels, which means it won’t roll as smoothly over bumps.
The two are fairly close in price when not on sale, but if you can do without the large rear wheels, this is a solid, quality mower if you’re looking to not break the bank.
Key Specs
The Honda HRN is the brand’s entry-level mower, but there is little that’s entry-level about it. This mower features rear-wheel drive self-propel and a powerful 170 cc engine. Height adjustment is performed with two levers, one for the front wheels and one for the rear. It can bag, mulch, or discharge through the rear door, which has an air gap in its lowered position to allow clippings to exit.
To switch between the three cut modes there is a clip director handle that operates flap at the rear of the mower. Close the door when you want to mulch, or open it for rear discharging or, with the bag attached, collecting the clippings.
The HRN’s self propel is operated with a thumb paddle on the top of the handle. It’s a different design than the typical lever you’ll find on other mowers or Toro’s Personal Pace system, but it is effective and may be more intuitive for some users.
It’s worth noting that Honda will cease building lawn mowers at the end of the 2023 season. If you’ve thought about getting one, now is the time before it’s too late.
Key Specs
This is one of Ryobi’s top-of-the-line mowers, and it’s something we wish we saw more of: U.S.-built tools. The RY401150 delivers a tremendous cut area with its two (6-Ah) batteries, and its X-shaped blade leaves a pristine surface in its wake.
Ryobi estimates this mower should provide 70 minutes of run time. We didn’t time our cut, but it strikes as plausible. Its rear-wheel drive and reasonably aggressive tread pattern provide good hill climbing and sidehill cutting performance. And its bagging on all surfaces (level, sidehill, and uphill) is also commendable.
Its other ease-of-use features include an easily installed or removed bag that mounts and dismounts easily. Adjusting deck height is simple with the single lever. The straight-edge deck is made of polypropylene and will never rust, needing very little care other than basic cleaning.
Key Specs
We found that this mower is nicely designed and equipped with features you hardly see in this class and price of product. You get 10-inch rear tires to help it better roll over washboard surfaces, dual batteries, and three-function capability (mulch, side discharge, and bag).
Icing on the cake includes its steel deck with seven positions from 1- 1⁄8 to 3 inches, all controlled by a single spring-loaded lift mechanism. The deck is continuous from the rear wheels to the front, and a hatch at the back provides access to the bag.
It’s worth noting that it’s cutting width, at just 19-inches, is among the smallest you’ll find on the market, so this mower truly is best suited for small yards or as a trimming mower.
The research
Over the past nine mowing seasons, we’ve spent more than 120 hours researching nearly 250 mowers, interviewing experts, and extensively testing some of our top picks.
An invaluable source has been Roy Berendsohn, a Popular Mechanics lawn mower guru who has more than 20 years of experience testing and writing about mowers. If Berendsohn isn’t writing about mowers, he’s often being interviewed about them (see here and here).
We’ve interviewed landscapers, including Chad Crosby of West Michigan Lawn Services and Paul Koehler of Koehler Landscape Construction Services. We’ve called people at lawn mower retail/service outlets, like Nick Ortiz at Kellam Lawn Mower in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, and Boston Lawnmower Company’s David (who asked that his last name be withheld). We’ve talked to product managers at Honda, Toro, Troy-Bilt, Ego, Cub Cadet, and other manufacturers.
Personally, I maintain a rural property in New Hampshire that is far too large for a push mower to cover but that does provide ample room to test our recommendations. This guide’s editor, Harry Sawyers, assists with testing mowers on his LA property and draws from his previous experience as a professional landscaper.
Who this is for
If you want to be able to stand the sight of your yard this summer, you’re going to need a lawn mower. Anything larger than a half-acre gets into riding-mower territory, but a self-propelled push mower is perfect for a half-acre or less. Going at a pace of about 3 mph (roughly average walking speed), it will take about an hour to cut this amount of grass. (If you have a particularly small lawn, a reel mower is an option—but it’s quite hard work.)
If you already own a gas mower that’s less than a decade old, you will probably not notice a tremendous difference by upgrading to a newer gas mower. Upgrading to a cordless model is a more noticeable change you could immediately appreciate.
The Best Reel Mower for Your (Small) Lawn
After 30 hours researching and testing reel mowers, we think the Scotts 2000-20 20-Inch Classic Push Reel Lawn Mower is the best pick for manual lawncare.
How we picked and tested
As a result of our years of lawn mower evaluation, we’re sure that most people will be happiest with a self-propelled, electric cordless option. Honestly, it all comes down to convenience. Every single element of a gas mower that is considered a nuisance—from the fiddly start-up to the annual maintenance schedule—is gone. Cordless mowers start with the push of a button, are easier to maneuver, and don’t need oil changes, gas, spark plugs, or air filters. They’re much quieter, they don’t smell, they don’t produce emissions, and they’re easier to store in the off-season. The run time has limitations, and charge times can be slow, but the latest models close the performance gaps between cordless and gas.
All that said, there are many capable—and several excellent—gas mowers available. Whatever type of mower you need, here are the criteria we feel matter most in making a selection:
Rear-Wheel Self-propulsion: Self-propelled mowers make life easier. With the mower moving itself across the lawn, all you have to do is throttle and steer, rather than forcing the mower’s full weight up every incline and over every bump. Self-propelled cordless mowers are all rear-wheel drive (RWD), which is preferred over front-wheel drive (FWD), because the mower’s traction improves as the grass bag fills and adds weight over the rear wheels. A self-propulsion feature adds to a mower’s price, but it’s a feature we feel is well worth it, and this requirement doesn’t narrow the field by a whole lot. It does, however, weed out the most bare-bones machines.
Performance as a mower: We researched which mowers could perform the best from a lawn-care perspective—which could make cleaner cuts in grass or promote turf health. We’ve measured this performance firsthand over years of long-term testing and in tests of new contenders against our established recommendations.
User interface and features: In years of tests, we’ve found most midrange mowers perform at a comparable level; most can cut the grass just fine. That led us to place an emphasis on user interface features—how difficult is it to adjust the push-bar height, or to raise and lower the mowing deck? Can you intuitively control and adjust the self-propulsion? Is the bag a pain to put on and take off? Are there other design details that make startup smoother, reduce engine maintenance, or make storage easier?
Cost: We looked at cost in terms of long-term value. Gas mowers are cheaper up-front, generally, but they carry long-term costs that cordless mowers avoid. Those include supplies (like gas, oil, stabilizers, air filters, and spark plugs) and the time and labor of caring for one: getting gas, changing the oil, and emptying the tank at the end of the season. With cordless mowers, a large percentage of the price tag is the battery. Most companies offer a series of outdoor tools (leaf blowers, string trimmers, hedge trimmers, etc.), all compatible with the same battery. And they cost less if you buy them without a battery. So for a high cost up-front, a cordless investment may open the door for an affordable expansion into that manufacturer’s other tools.
Charge time and run time: For cordless candidates, we looked at these two primary factors, which determine whether a battery will be adequate or frustrating. Because these two elements are so important, we looked only at mowers that used at least a 40-volt battery.
and reputation: The best mowers out there have proved satisfying for the most number of people for the longest amount of time. That led us to closely consider the differences among a smaller group of about 50 established, well-regarded models from major brands, often covered by comparable warranties of about three to five years.
Best overall lawn mower
The best lawn mower
The self-propelled Ego LM2135SP’s battery runs for an hour and easily mows down overgrown grass—and it spares you the noise, emissions, and maintenance of a typical gas mower.
Buying Options
With Ace Rewards membership (free to join)
For the best in convenience, battery run time, cut quality, and value, we recommend the Ego Power Select Cut Mower LM2135SP. Compared with a gas mower, it’s quieter, doesn’t create exhaust, and requires almost no maintenance. Among other cordless models, the Ego LM2135SP has among the longest run time and shortest charge time. This Ego has a redesigned control interface that allows you to control the propulsion with either hand. It also cuts with two blades, making for a finer cut and better mulching. Rounding out the features are two forward-facing LED lights, an easy-to-use cutting-height adjustment, and a battery port that faces the battery gauge toward the operator. The battery, which is good for a solid hour of mowing, is compatible with Ego’s other lawn tools, such as the company’s leaf blower, chainsaw, and string trimmer.
Most people report getting roughly 60 minutes of run time from a full charge of the Ego’s 56-volt, 7.5 Ah battery, which is included with the purchase. We confirmed the run-time figures in tests of this pick and our runner-up in March 2019 and in 2020. In several hour-long sessions of strenuous cutting on tough grass in Los Angeles, running this mower across hills (some of which were steeper than its recommended 15-degree max), the battery never died before we expected it to. If anything, it exceeded the hour-long window by about 10 to 15 minutes. An added bonus: Once the battery was too low to power the mower blades, it still had enough juice to operate the self-propulsion function, letting us drive the mower back to the charger. Compared to older Ego batteries, this one has a ring of lights that give you an approximate gauge of the remaining charge (the previous generation communicated with a red light only when the battery got critically low). The battery regularly recharges in 60 minutes or less. (Recharge time is another advantage for Ego, as competitors’ charge times range from an hour and a half up to almost five and a half hours.)
In the mowing tests, the two-bladed Ego showed a superior cut-quality compared with our runner-up, and this is the primary reason we’d choose this model over the older version. We’ve put the mowers on some rough tufts of knotty crabgrass, knee-height rye grass, and thick purple stalks of weeds, and although the runner-up never bogged down, the LM2135SP did a better job of lifting overgrown grasses as it cut, mincing up fine mulch and effectively cutting through tall growth without pushing the grass flat. This second blade elevates the Ego into some territory that was formerly exclusive to mowers like the highly regarded Honda HRX series, making the case for cordless that much stronger.
A new-for-2020 speed-control system can be operated with your thumbs on either hand—a more versatile setup than the single, oversize, right-handed trigger on the 2019 version. Photo: Rozette Rago
With its onboard indicators displaying battery life and other troubleshooting diagnostics, the Ego is quite intuitive for anyone new to cordless mowers. Photo: Rozette Rago
A new-for-2020 speed-control system can be operated with your thumbs on either hand—a more versatile setup than the single, oversize, right-handed trigger on the 2019 version. Photo: Rozette Rago
Controlling the Ego is easy and intuitive. As with many mowers, the Ego has a metal bar (called a bail) that’s held against the handle to activate the blades. To activate the RWD self-propulsion, you press one of two buttons in the upper corners of the handle, and a central dial controls the mower’s speed. A couple of subtle changes set this mower apart from other models: The speed-control system can be operated with your thumbs on either hand—a more versatile setup than the single, oversize, right-handed trigger on the runner-up. Second, although the mower can move at a brisk pace if you want it to, the slowest speed setting available is unusually slow. This is quite handy if you’re backing in and out under a tree or in another tricky area, if you’re mowing across a hill and taking care not to let the mower slide or roll away, or if you just need to take it slow to make sure you’re not about to mow over an obstruction.
Random aside: Without the stink of gas engine exhaust in your face, the smell of mowing the grass while using Ego is entirely different and much more pleasant; unfortunately, the allergens are exactly the same.
The Ego has a number of other convenience features. The headlight, something not found on gas mowers, gives some illumination as the day starts to end. The single-adjust height control, a rarity on gas mowers, allows you to set the cutting height with a single lever. On most gas mowers, cutting height has to be adjusted at each individual wheel. The Ego has seven cutting heights, between 1½ to 4 inches—a wider range than on most cordless mowers, which top out at around 3½ to 3¾ inches.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
Although the two-handed self-propulsion control is a more convenient setup than the one-handed paddle design seen on competitors, it does make accidentally engaging the self-propulsion a little too easy. Usually this isn’t an issue, but often the moments when you’re grasping to get a better grip on the handle are the times you least want to engage the self-propulsion. For example, if you are mowing across a hill, there’s a brief moment during a turnaround when the mower is pointing up or down the hill. When adjusting your grip to make those turns, you may inadvertently tap the throttle, destabilizing your stance or your grip on the mower. If anyone from Ego’s reading this, they’ll probably say we’re mowing on too steep a hill, but hey, sometimes life throws a steep hill at you.
We think that the hour or so of run time is going to be enough for anyone keeping to about a half-acre, but if that’s not enough, additional batteries are available to extend run time infinitely. But batteries are costly. Depending on the Ah, they currently range in price from about 140 (2.5 Ah) to about 250 (5.0 Ah), and up to about 450 for a 7.5 Ah battery. They all fit, and with a second one on the charger while one is on the mower, you can really minimize or eliminate downtime.
Because the Ego is cordless and loaded with electrical components, the company does not recommend using a hose to wash out the underside of the mowing dome. Instead, the mower needs to be put on its side and the dome wiped off or scraped clean, using a plastic scraper. Because there is no gas or oil to leak out, this process is much easier than with a gas mower.
Finally, Wirecutter writer Kit Dillon, who loves his Ego mower, uncovered an issue with an older version of our pick, where the wires for the self-propulsion function run up the handle to the operating switch. “The wiring is super thin and where the arm bends over itself over time this wire breaks,” he explained. “The annoying thing is the wire is so thin it will sometimes break inside the sheath, which makes it difficult to diagnose or even find what section to repair.” Because of the large number of YouTube videos devoted to the problem, it’s clear that this isn’t an isolated incident. We’re not sure if this problem happens with this current version of the mower, but looking through the customer feedback at Lowe’s, we found a number of people saying that their mower won’t start, which makes us think the issue persists in newer models.