Ryobi 40V Battery 21″ Lawn Mower Review
Ryobi battery lawn mower review is sponsored by Ryobi Tools. I have been provided with product. All ideas and opinions are my own. This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
It is finally starting to look like spring around here in Utah. Sometimes we get teased with warm weather, and then a snow storm will hit the next day. Ha ha mother nature keeps us hopping.
As Spring brings in the good weather, it brings lots of yard work with it!
I don’t know about you, but when I do yard work, I just want my equipment to work so I can get it done. I hate messing around with pull strings, carburetors, mixed gas and regular gas. When I was a kid, I would wait until Dad came back for lunch to start the weed eater…I could never start that thing on my own. Oh and the tiller, well that was always a challenge.
As battery powered lawn equipment has evolved, I’ve always been drawn to it. No messing around with engines, just plug in the battery and get to work!
Ryobi 40V battery powered 21″ self propelled Lawn Mower
This lawn mower is awesome. It runs better than all of our previous gas mowers, plus it is so much quieter.
This mower is so easy to use, but first things first…charge the battery.
Once the battery is charged, just open the lid and slide the battery into place. There is also an on-board storage spot for a second battery.
To start the mower, pull back the black bar.
Then push the center green button on the handle. That’s it, now the engine is purring and the clippings bag fills up with air.
You can choose to push the mower, but if you would like assistance (and why wouldn’t you), there are green handles to engage self propelled mode. The self propelled speed is adjusted with a slider in the center of the push handle.
Min is a nice leisurely walking speed, and well Max is for someone with much longer legs than I have ;-).
And just like that the lawn mower and I are ready to get to work!
Additional Adjustments
The blade height is super convenient to adjust, pull the trigger and lift or lower the handle on the left side of the mower.
The height of the lawn mower arm/pushing handle can be adjusted for the operators height. The lower setting is perfect for me, I’m 5’5″ish.
Storage
One of my most favorite features about this lawn mower is the fact that it can be stored UP RIGHT!
We are always tight on garage space, and the fact that this Ryobi lawn mower can be stored so compactly is amazing!
Testing the Mower
- As I mentioned before, the Ryobi brushless 40V lawn mower has plenty of power. There was no bogging down of the engine, it really seems to run as well as a gas mower.
- Battery life – my yard is just under 0.4 acre acre and having the mower blade height on the second lowest setting. I can get over half of my yard done with the 7.5 Ah battery. Having 2 batteries would be perfect for me. If I set the blade higher, I could get a longer run time.
- I wouldn’t hesitate for a minute to recommend this lawn mower to a friend.
- It has all the power needed to cut thick grass.
- The mower has many thoughtful features, easy blade/mower height adjustment, easy start, easy self propel adjustment, ergonomic adjustment of the handle, etc.
- It is quieter than a gas powered mower.
- The clippings bag is a generous size and is easily removed and replaced.
- This mowers icing on the cake is the compact storage, man I love that feature!
Have more landscaping projects, check out other Ryobi Outdoor Tools here.
Design:
Setting the mowing height is also easy. It’s one handle that has 7 positions between 1.5″ and 3.75″ One handle moves the adjuster on all four wheels.
The batteries each have a 4 light power meter and they update/blink as they are being charged which is helpful so you don’t have to check them. The charger diagnoses the battery every charge letting you know if it is good or bad, and if it can or can’t charge it. The charger won’t charge a battery that is too hot or too cold. The important part is, you don’t have to think about it, the charger does it for you. In all the mowing I did with the mower the battery never failed to charge after being totally drained, they didn’t seem to get hot with continual use.
Best part of the design? All the “Nos”. No gas. No oil. No cords. No loud noise. Seriously. I can mow the lawn and not smell like I mowed a lawn. Electric plug-in mowers are very powerful, but cords get in the way.
Weight Size:
It’s 44.7lbs pushing weight and that isn’t as heavy as it sounds. My Scott’s mower weighted in at 25lbs, but when you push a reel mower you put extra effort into it to turn the gears and blade. I found this to be about the same or less effort than the reel mower. Busted Wallet Recently reviewed the Toro 30” Timemaster and that weighs in at 132lbs! On Rich’s lawn Rich and I took turns going back and forth with the mower, pushing up and down some hills. He has a self-propelled gas mower so I wanted his opinion on the missing self-propulsion. He said it was no better, but no worse than his self-propelled. That the decrease in weight made it just as easy to move over his lawn.
How often have you been asked to help mow a lawn for a parent or friend? My Scotts’ reel mower doesn’t fold to fit in my van and a self-propelled gas mower isn’t an easy lift for 1 person at 130 pounds. That and a gas mower is going to make your vehicle smell like a gas mower. Gas and oil. Oh, and don’t forget to bring your dirty gas can and try not to spill any with your heavy mower.
The Ryobi battery powered mower folds for easy storage, it is fairly easy lift (I had back surgery in 2012 so I pay attention to this detail) when folded, and didn’t make my van smell like anything.
Power:
Do you need 800 HP to mow a lawn? Nope. But even still, I didn’t find any grass that I couldn’t cut. I didn’t find any weeds I couldn’t cut. I did find a few sticks and rocks unfortunately. I did mow through some really tall weeds at a slower pace to make sure it was bagging it all. When the mower hits a patch that is tougher it adds more power. You can actually hear the motor rev up.
Efficiency:
I mowed my lawn several times but to give this mower a fair shake I had to find lawns to mow other than my own. I found Lisa’s mom’s lawn which is larger than mine, my sister-in-law Laura’s lawn a little smaller than mine, Marshall’s lawn which is about the size of a postage stamp, and a Rich’s lawn the largest lawn of the ones I mowed.
On my lawn it met every expectation I had of a mower, not just of a battery powered mower. It takes about half to ¾ of one battery to do my lawn (bagging or mulching). I used both full batteries to do the Lisa’s lawn and filled 2 full trash cans with clippings. At Laura’s house I filled a lawn bag fully on less than 1 battery. Marshall’s lawn it took less than a quarter charge (really small lawn). The variable power of the motor (automatically adjusting to the heaviness of the cut) keeps battery usage to as low as possible while still cutting everything.
Before mowing Lisa’s lawn:
The real test turned out to be my buddy Rich’s lawn and this is where I really learned something about the mower. Not just because of size, but because of the grass. We set the height of the Ryobi Lawn Mower to the same height as Rich’s gas mower and must have cut enough grass to fill 6 lawn bags (his wife kept emptying them and taking them to a nearby garden). It had only been growing for a week, but he had fertilized and it had been getting plenty of water.
It was thick. And not just thick, it was grass, not weeds. It is a lawn that I hope my lawn becomes someday. Still, all in all, the mower performed well. It used both full batteries, one for 23 minutes of use (including time to stop and empty the bag) and the second battery for 32 minutes of use. By the time we were done with the second battery the first one had about 7 minutes of charge in it (they have a 90 minute charge time). At the end of that we mowed the back lawn and finished most of the sides. We had been at it for about 62 minutes and finished about 3/4 of the work. He normally does his lawn in about 45-50 minutes. My lawn which used half a battery takes me 45 minutes with any mower I use. That should give you some idea of what I’m talking about. It’s not just the area you are cutting, you have to take into account what you are cutting. Lush lawns take more energy.
His gas mower is wider, and doesn’t run out of power because he can refill it with gas. His lawn is of such a size that he is considering getting a riding lawn mower like his neighbor. If you’ve stayed with me this long I want you to understand, this isn’t the lawn this mower was meant for but I wanted to challenge it.
And yet, his wife liked it, why? Because it did it all quietly. I heard this same comment about how quiet it was from just about everyone that used it or watched me use it. Rich and I talked while we mowed. We didn’t have to shout, we didn’t have to wear hearing protection, and we didn’t smell like gas. He and I figured if you have 4 fully charged batteries you could do his whole lawn on the worst day. That’s not bad.
Ease of Use:
The hardest part of using this mower is the unboxing. Its actual use is straight forward. You don’t have to warn another user about quirks or complicated starting procedures because your gas mower is on its last legs. When you bag a lawn with a gas mower you start it Every. Single. Time. You stop to take the bag off and put it back on. I’ll let you think about how that affects your back…got that in your mind? Now imagine not having to do that ever again. When you bag with this mower it simply starts up again with the press of a button and pull of the handle. It’s light weight makes it easy to maneuver around obstacles and up and down small hills.
The bag fills up great. It doesn’t seem to block up by the mower. Half the bag is mesh, and the other half is solid. I imagine that helps direct the clippings to filling up the bag. I didn’t feel like I had to stop too soon to empty it. When mulching it spreads out the clippings well. They didn’t clump up like other mowers I’ve used.
Removing the blade for sharpening is also easy. Pull the fuse for safety, tip the mower on its side, then loosen the nut and remove the blade. Sharpen and reverse the process to install it again. I sharpened the blade after I hit a few rocks I didn’t see in my lawn. The blade is thin. At first I was going to put this in the negatives, because it kinda feels like one. But ask yourself, how thick does a blade need to be to cut grass? The strength needs to be in the thin sharpened metal edge and on all rotary mowers like this I expect the sharp edge to be thin. I imagine that cutting down on the weight of the blade saves power. It sharpened easily enough and holds an edge, but like all mowers, avoid rocks.
Service Work:
I’m not 100% sure where I can take this to be serviced but I’m not that worried about it yet. It has a limited 5 year warranty and a full 3 year warranty on the mower AND batteries for personal use through Ryobi. See Page 13 of this PDF for more details.
The folding handle. First, let me say that I like the folding handle more than I don’t. Where it doesn’t function well is when you are taking the grass clipping bag off and putting it back on. The middle bar just seems to be in the completely wrong place every time.
Batteries aren’t free, if Rich really wanted to do his lawn without gas, we’d have to buy two more batteries at 99 each.
The mulch plug. Taking it out is easy. Maybe I haven’t found the trick yet, but putting it back in seems awkward. It feels like it always wants to point down. Once in, it is secure, but you have to take a minute to make sure it’s in all the way.
They really could use two handles built into the plastic housing on top for making a one person lift easier. It isn’t bad to pick it up, but it is awkward. If Ryobi wants to give me a call I can tell them where I’d like them put.
Value:
At 399 this mower is comparable to gas mowers. It has the power of a gas mower. It cuts as good as a gas mower (it is the same rotary style blade as a gas mower so it should). A quick search showed push gas mowers weighing in between 60 and 70 lbs. So it pushes as easy, or easier, than a push gas mower. It isn’t going to replace a riding lawn mower, but it will do the job for most city lawns and sub-divisions. You can get a gas mower for less money, but then you have to deal with gas.
I’ve harped on ‘gasless’ enough in this review, most people I know use a gas mower and don’t see it as a problem is. It wasn’t until I went gasless that I realized how nice it is. You do pay for it up front, but you don’t have to spend money on gas, or oil changes, or spark plugs or tune ups. Over all I believe it balances out, So don’t be scared off by the starting price point. Add up what you’ve spend on your gas mower over the last 5 years with proper maintenance and you should see this as a comparable purchase.
- I enjoy having a gas free lawn.
- I enjoy being able to mow without disturbing my neighbors.
- I enjoy being able to hear my kids play because I don’t have to wear hearing protection.
- I enjoy being able to put the mower away when I’m done with it, not having to wait for a gas mower to cool down.
This battery powered technology has been a long time coming and I think with the Ryobi battery mower line up, it is finally here. This isn’t some pipe dream, it is reality. These mowers will only improve and I think they will become the standard over the next 10 years for home and personal use.
Update: The model reviewed above is now available without batteries or a charger. The replacement for the mower we reviewed is now available here and comes with one battery that has the same capacity as the two batteries in our review.
The Bottom Line: If you are replacing your aging gas mower, or are looking to go gas free, give this mower a serious look. You’ve got 90 days to take it home and try it and I think the first time you do you’ll be sold on it.
- Inserting the mulch plug is tricky
- Handle in the way removing the bag
- Upfront cost might frighten people, but i think it is a value
About The Author
I’m a family man and the fourth generation to work at my family’s printing and advertising shop. A graduate of Grand Valley State University and Eagle Scout, I’m an amateur photographer who likes to build computers, work with tools, camp, and spend time with family. I’m a scoutmaster of a Boy Scout troop and have 30 years of scouting experience. I’m an “idea guy” at work and home and am always on the lookout for the next thing or newest technology to improve my work or home life.
110 Responses
John May 26, 2015 I bought the previous model of the Ryobi 40v mower last year. I love it. I’ll never go back to a gas powered. My yard is just over a quarter acre, partially hilled and all thick grass. It takes me about an hour or so to mow. The mower takes about 3.5 battery charges to do the whole thing. However, I have the other 40v tools like the trimmer and hedger. So I have enough batters and chargers that as I work, the other two can charge up. I’ve found the mower to work just as well as my old gas one. Any places my gas mower had difficulty, my electric did also. So it’s not any better in terms of power. However, the things you stressed, the quietness and the less fumes is spot on. I can talk to my wife as I mow. And not smelling like gasoline when I get done is great. I would suggest everyone who has a manageable yard to get this mower. Reply
heather den Boer May 10, 2019 I’ve had this mower for 3 years. It spent 6 weeks at a service centre last spring only to come home with a new battery. I have suggested and suggested and suggested that it’s not the battery, it’s the connection between the battery and the mower!! It cuts out every 8’ or so. Every time. Ryobi will not replace the mower. I don’t know what to do. 400 is a lot of money for a lemon. I can’t even sell it because it doesn’t work. Reply
Jay July 11, 2019 See “You Tube” for a possible fix for you. I’ve got the same problem. And apparently so do MANY people!
Mike Ver Duin September 10, 2019 I can’t reply to Jay who suggested it, but here’s a YouTube video that describes a fix for what might be happening. https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=iX3tM6hhf24 Obviously, use care, and you are responsible for your own work and safety. I haven’t had this problem on mine, it is still going strong.
Logan Škrtić April 30, 2020 I have had this mower for awhile, and after about 18 months, mine was doing the same thing. What fixed mine? Get yourself a set of torx screwdriver bits that fit into each of the various sized all over its chassis. Make sure to tighten every screw on the mower. Especially the ones that attach the handlebar to to rear right and left sides of the mower. There is a pressure button sensor that when the pressure is relieved from it by folding the handlebar for storage, that cuts off the power to prevent the mower from starting. There, and the plastic crossbar that has the plastic clips that allow the handlebar to collapse for storage also has sensors in it to cut power to the mower if the handlebar is not fully extended and the clips are able to completely grasp around the metal tubes. This started happening after two year of year round use, and also through Phoenix desert temps that swing 35-40 degrees sometimes in a day which causes the plastics on the mower to expand and contract with the temperature changes. Add That to normal usage is well enough that you can’t blame the mower. I got This idea from owning four different German cars over the years. Their warranty service tune-ups make it a point to tighten all exposed chassis bolts on a regular schedule and is most likely a good reason they last so much longer. When stuff comes loose, it misaligns parts, and damage is done from it. So, now I just make myself an reminder on my iPhone to tuneup (or tighten up) the mower every 6 months. Problem solved!
RYOBI 40-Volt Brushless RY40180 review
Top Ten Reviews Verdict
The RYOBI cordless lawn mower is a versatile machine that can handle tall grass and its batteries can be used to power other RYOBI lawn equipment.
Pros
- Its rechargeable lithium-ion battery can be used to power your other compatible RYOBI cordless lawn equipment
- The battery lasts up to 40 minutes
Cons
Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
The RYOBI 20-inch 40-Volt Brushless Lawn Mower is lightweight and maneuverable, and it is better for the environment than a gas lawn mower that releases harmful emissions. Besides mowing, you most likely need to edge your grass, trim bushes and cut tree branches.
For other models we’ve reviewed, check out our full round up of all the best electric lawn mowers, or if you don’t want an electric model, head to the best gas lawn mowers.
In addition to being compatible with other RYOBI machines, this mower’s lithium-ion battery lasts up to 40 minutes on a full charge. If your lawn is well-maintained, this gives you plenty of time to mow your yard before you need to recharge the battery. The mower can house up to two batteries. This allows you to mow for an extended period, especially handy if you have a larger lawn. You may find the batteries drain more quickly when you mow long or thick grass. Fortunately, RYOBI’s batteries recharge faster than others – you can charge a battery to full capacity in 90 minutes.
RYOBI 40-Volt Brushless RY40180: What you need to know
The RYOBI 40-Volt mower is best for lawns that are half an acre in size or less. The mower has a 20-inch cutting path and seven cutting-height positions, ranging from 1.5 to 3.75 inches. You can easily adjust the height with a lever located on the left side of the mower deck.
When you finish mowing, the handle folds down, which makes the mower easy to store. This is extremely helpful if you have limited space in your garage or shed.
RYOBI 40-Volt Brushless RY40180: Features performance
Unlike gas-powered mowers, the RYOBI 40-Volt starts instantly with the press of a button and runs quietly without disturbing your neighbors or emitting noxious fumes. It isn’t self-propelled though, so you need to put some work into moving it around.
This is a good electric lawn mower if your goal is to be environmentally friendly. It comes with a mulching option that grinds down grass clippings so you can reuse them for gardening instead of throwing them away. It also frees you from the yearly maintenance and fuel and oil that traditional mowers require.
This mower weighs just 55 pounds with the battery installed. Because it’s lightweight, it’s somewhat easier on your back and knees. Still, it may be difficult for some to maneuver on hills or steep grades because it isn’t self-propelled. This RYOBI also does not have a side discharge. It comes with a rear bag that collects grass clippings as you mow.
RYOBI 40V Cordless Mower
So, I have a confession to make. I have never mowed the grass in my entire life. I’m not really sure why, I just never did it growing up. When I first got married we lived in a townhome with a nonexistent yard, and at our last house (a rental) our landlord covered the lawn care. When we moved into our new home this year, we realized we’ve never even owned a real lawnmower! That all changed when we received the RYOBI 40V Cordless Mower. And yes, I tried it out (little baby bump and all)!
I’m not going to lie, mowing is a chore that my husband has the privilege of taking on, but I did have fun trying it out. I was really intrigued when I found out that RYOBI makes a cordless battery-powered mower. I didn’t even know that such a thing existed. It runs on a 40-Volt lithium ion battery and doesn’t require gasoline or oil. It runs clean and is eco-friendly which was a major selling point for both of us, and it’s much quieter than a regular mower so I’m sure our neighbors appreciate that.
The height adjusts easily, the mower is lightweight, and it folds up to a really small compact size which is great for storage.
It’s super easy to operate too, even for someone like me who has never mowed before. There is a 2-in-1 system for mulching and bagging which we use occasionally. We definitely like having the option. This mower is best for smaller yards (under an acre for sure) since it is pretty small in size, but we use it on our yard which I guesstimate is maybe 3/4 of a acre. We have two batteries that we keep charged and switch them out as needed, but it gets the job done no problem.
Overall, we are really happy with it and we love that we don’t have to mess with gasoline.
For more information, be sure to visit RYOBI online. Their products are available exclusively at The Home Depot. You can also connect with RYOBI Outdoor on and Instagram.
Disclosure: I received this product for free to review. All opinions are my own.
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Ryobi 40v Push Mower Upgrade
As we are jumping headlong into the joys of yard maintenance season, how is your trusty Push Mower holding up? Still using a gas mower eh? Almost two years ago I tried my best to bring you over to the battery operated mower contingent and you’re still holding out? Well I got my hands on the new Ryobi 40v Self Propelled Push Mower (RY401120) and stack it up against its predecessor.
This review has been sponsored by Ryobi Outdoor Products. Affiliate links are included.
Ryobi 40v vs Ryobi 40v
Similar to new car models or maybe even an iPhone, it can be tough to tell what upgrades you get with each iteration. For this comparison we’ll be looking at the new Ryobi RY401120 vs 2018’s RY40190. Both are 40 volt, 20″ self propelled mowers, but there are changes.
With only a battery to charge and swap out, maintenance on these mowers is ridiculously simple. No winterizing and no oil or fuel to change. With a push button start and a pull of an adjustment handle you’re on the go in seconds.
The stance on the new RY401120 is slightly different with a lower angle while the handles telescope in leaving about an inch or two longer than the RY40190. In my opinion, it makes the mower a little back loaded, which, when paired with a loaded clipping bag causes a slight wheelie effect. Especially with the self propelled function engaged.
Noticeable immediately is an update to the battery storage. Rather than a side by side compartment you have a jet fighter cockpit which gives a little more room for the included 6.0 Ah 40v battery. The telescoping handle lock is a much needed upgrade as well. With the RY40190, if the latch came unhooked (which occasionally happened with bumpy rides) the mower would shut off. The push down toggle locks securely in place and eliminates this issue altogether.
A Worthy Successor?
If you’ve been on the fence about ditching your gas mower and picking up a battery operated mower then now is a perfect time. Ryobi got a lot right with their last few models and continue to tweak the little things to make this model even better. With a run time on a single 6Ah battery lasting 45 minutes to an hour, for a small city yard like mine, it’s a perfect addition to city life lawn care. The self.propelled function, in my opinion, is too fast for me even set on “min”. But Ryobi has already solved that issue with the next model up, called “Smart Trek” technology that adjust the speed to how much pressure you push on the handles. I’ve used it at a tool event… and it’s amazing.
If you already own another Ryobi 40v mower, then there are a few upgrades that make life easier, but the gap isn’t so large that you need to upgrade immediately. Also… where did the handle on the front go? Granted the old handle had a very uncomfortable texture to grab on to… but it was useful!
Ryobi Outdoors continues to shine with the RY401120. The quietness, the convenience and the ease of use makes the switch from a gas powered mower an easy decision. Just remember to grab a few 4.0 and up batteries the next time Ryobi Days rolls around, because there’s nothing worse than running out a juice halfway through a job if you’re mowing and weed-eating with the same platform.
The Ryobi 40v RY401120 Self Propelled Push Mower is available at the Home Depot on sale at the time of this post for 379.
This post has been sponsored by Ryobi Outdoor Products. I have been provided with product in exchange for my opinion. My opinion is my own.
Ryobi 21″ 40-Volt Cordless Lawnmower Review
The newest Ryobi model #RY401130 21″ 40-Volt cordless lawnmower gained a lot of attention at the recent Tool Box Buzz Best Cordless Lawnmower Head to Head comparison test. Ryobi brings affordable cordless options to homeowners that are easy to find. Their cordless outdoor power equipment line continues to evolve and grow and the new 21″ 40-Volt cordless lawnmower is a great example of their progress.
Ryobi 21″ 40-Volt Cordless SelfPropelled Lawnmower
Manufacturer: Ryobi Model number: RY401130 Price: 449.00 Power source: 40-Volt Lithium-Ion Batery Weight: 79.2 Lbs.
Specifications and Features
- Drive Type: Rear Wheel Drive Self Propelled
- Battery System: 40-Volt 7.5 Ah Lithium Ion
- Deck Size: 21″
- Cutting Height: 1.5″-4″
- Deck Height Adjustments: 7 Point
- Starter Type: Push Button
- Cutting Options: Mulching, Bagging, and Side Discharge
- Warranty: 5 Year Limited Tool 3 Year Limited Battery
- Weight: 79.2 Lbs.
The Ryobi 21″ mower folds into a compact overall size for storage. Because it is electric and has no gas or oil it can be stood up and stored vertically.
First Impressions of the Ryobi 21″ Lawnmower
Last year I had the opportunity to review the 21″ Smart TREK self propelled lawnmower from Ryobi. I found this model to have several lacking areas. When I began evaluating the new 21″ 40-Volt cordless model, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this new 21″ 40-Volt model was greatly improved.
The overall construction of the mower has a very solid feel. The wheelbase is more compact than others at 65.15″. This gave the Ryobi mower excellent handling. The mower deck as well as the handle assembly are all metal which contribute to the solid feel. However, the mower is pretty heavy. At 79.2 Lbs. it was one of the heaviest mowers we tested. That weight was concentrated on the motor housing and centered on the deck which gave the mower good balance.
Ryobi’s Self Propelled System
One feature of the Smart TREK mower I absolutely did not care for was the self propelled drive system. The new 21″ 40-Volt lawnmower’s self propel system is intuitive, responsive, and above all else easy to use.
Ryobi’s spring loaded safety handle folds flat against the cushioned handle bar. Two green plastic levers are used to engage the self propel system. The blade deck turns on and off with by pushing of the center button. The speed is controlled by an easy to reach sliding control lever. This control system is more user friendly than the Smart TREK system which requires pushing down on the handle bar.
On Board Battery Storage
The Ryobi 21″ 40-Volt cordless lawnmower uses a single battery as a power source. The housing has a spring loaded smoked grey plastic cover that keeps dust and debris out. Inside the battery compartment area is an extra space where a second battery can be clicked in and stored. Having the second battery ready to go and on hand is a great idea feature for users cutting larger areas.
Ryobi Mower Deck Height Adjustment
My favorite feature of the Ryobi Model RY401130 is the deck height adjustment system. Ryobi incorporates a molded handle into the deck housing. The handle features a release switch and adjusts for height simply by pulling upwards or pushing down. The system features a total of 7 preset detents that allow adjustment from 1.5″-4″. I was not the only one impressed by this, in fact the Ryobi took first place overall for best/easiest deck height adjustment during the Head to Head.
Ryobi 40-Volt Power and Runtime
Ryobi offers a new 7.5 Ah high capacity 40-Volt battery with the new 21″ cordless lawnmower. This is the largest capacity battery pack Ryobi has ever made. One of these batteries is include with the mower, however you would need to purchase additional batteries separately.
By combining the 40-Volt system with a large (7.5 Ah) battery pack, the Ryobi 21″ mower produces a calculated 270 Watt Hours. During field testing, the mower accomplished 10,430 square feet of mowing on a single charge. That equates to about 1.1 miles traveled all together. That kind of coverage is exceptional for the average homeowner. Also, the cutting potential becomes almost endless if you are willing to purchase additional batteries.
Room For Improvement
As I previously mentioned, the Ryobi 40-Volt mower is heavy. It is also somewhat loud for a cordless lawnmower. At 89.2 decibels it registered as the loudest mower we tested. If Ryobi could find a way to shave some pounds and decibels this would be welcomed improvements. Especially considering that cordless lawnmowers are a sought out product for buyers in congested neighborhoods or noise restricted communities.