New Battery-powered Lawnmower - Misleading Marketing

[Number_35]

A friend recently bought a new electric (battery, not corded) lawnmower - WORX brand, 40 V, 14", advertised as having with two batteries. It was on sale for around C$300.

I thought, good, that way you can have one battery charging while you cut with the other.

As it turns out, the mower runs the two 20 V batteries in series to make the nominal 40 V. It's not possible to run the mower on one battery only.

I thought the advertising was a bit misleading.

However, it's a good unit for his purposes - light and compact, and the small deck is sufficient for his small yard and better for storage.

The only thing is, the battery capacity is limited - we cut only part of his front lawn, perhaps 15 minutes of operation, and the battery strength had dropped to 3 bars out of 5.

He could pick up other tools that use the same 20 V battery, and that would solve the spare battery issue.

 

[Astro14]

I would shy away from brands like Worx - and stick with name brands, like Makita, or Stihl, or Husqvarna. Makita pioneered battery tech, and Stihl and Husky have extensive dealer networks and good support.

My Makita mower requires two batteries to run. 18V Li-ion. Standard batteries with over 300 tools running the same batteries, which helps if you have already bought into the 'ecosystem".

The mower comes standard with 4 - so that you can mow while charging the other set.

No deception.

 

[Number_35]

I would shy away from brands like Worx - and stick with name brands, like Makita, or Stihl, or Husqvarna. Makita pioneered battery tech, and Stihl and Husky have extensive dealer networks and good support.

My Makita mower requires two batteries to run. 18V Li-ion. Standard batteries with over 300 tools running the same batteries, which helps if you have already bought into the 'ecosystem".

The mower comes standard with 4 - so that you can mow while charging the other set.

No deception.

That would have been my preference, but the owner tends to buy on the basis of initial cost.

Time will tell whether it works out for him.

 

[Pablo]

Greeworks 80V is the way to go. A few more dollars, but solid battery tech and good very powerful tools.

 

[zzyzzx]

I would shy away from brands like Worx

I agree. The OP's friend will need to replace the battery on an annual basis as in you will own nothing and be happy. Yes, this is based on personal experience (with a WORX branded item) and why I only use corded stuff now.

 

[nbpt100]

Toro makes a good battery lawn mower as well. They understand grass cutting technology better than anyone. Their mulchers do a better job of mulching than the competition. They bag better too. Battery powered mowers typically do not mulch or bag real well. In order to advertise a longer run time they use a blade designed for that purpose which compromises on it's ability to bag or mulch. To some people this will not matter. To some it will. The OP thought they were deceptive in their product description. I do not doubt it at all.

 

[Silverado12]

Toro makes a good battery lawn mower as well. They understand grass cutting technology better than anyone. Their mulchers do a better job of mulching than the competition. They bag better too. Battery powered mowers typically do not mulch or bag real well. In order to advertise a longer run time they use a blade designed for that purpose which compromises on it's ability to bag or mulch. To some people this will not matter. To some it will. The OP thought they were deceptive in their product description. I do not doubt it at all.

Blades make a huge difference in fuel consumption. For example, I took a Briggs motor off my FWD Snapper to use on my Snapper with the Hi-Vac blade and it uses about 1/3 more fuel with the high lift blade being the only difference.

 

[Number_35]

Blades make a huge difference in fuel consumption. For example, I took a Briggs motor off my FWD Snapper to use on my Snapper with the Hi-Vac blade and it uses about 1/3 more fuel with the high lift blade being the only difference.

When I saw how small my friend's mower was, I figured that a lot less energy would be required to turn the short blade.

 

[dwendt44]

After market batteries are available and would extend the mowing time.

 

[Cujet]

Toro makes a good battery lawn mower as well.

Mine is stunningly good. Gets plenty of use and abuse. I call it a 'finishing mower' because it finishes up around the house, into the canal, down the swale and around the rocks n stumps I can't drive the tractor over.

Plus, the two stroke generator does a great job charging up the battery.

 

[oil pan 4]

Mine is stunningly good. Gets plenty of use and abuse. I call it a 'finishing mower' because it finishes up around the house, into the canal, down the swale and around the rocks n stumps I can't drive the tractor over.

Plus, the two stroke generator does a great job charging up the battery.

I had a 2 stroke mower into the 1990s, it was light as a feather for something made in the 80s and had plenty of power.
A 70cc 2 stroke had about as much power as my "modern" Briggs 190cc flathead.

 

[oil pan 4]

I tried to warn people not to buy these 40v mowers.

Thread 'Kobalt 40v electric lawnmower, junk?'

Aug 11, 2024

I repaired a kobalt 40v electric lawnmower that had its wires chewed off by a dog. If it was a gas mower it could have just as easily have been the brake and shutdown cable. Not a failure "because it was electric".
So I repaired the wires with some of those marine shrink connectors not wanting to break inside the mowers internals.
I noticed the blade was beaten blunt from small rocks and such. I half arse sharpened the blade like I do for a gas and 120v plug in mowers, sharp enough to cut grass very efficiently but not removing a bunch of steel and grinding away life of the blade.
Well I...

• oil pan 4
• Replies: 6
• Forum: Lawn Mower and Small Engine

• 

It would probably be fine if you had a postage stamp size yard and could mow it everytime the grass started to get a bit long.

 

[nbpt100]

I had a 2 stroke mower into the 1990s, it was light as a feather for something made in the 80s and had plenty of power.
A 70cc 2 stroke had about as much power as my "modern" Briggs 190cc flathead.

Landscapers loved them to mow on hills. Light, powerful and the incline did not effect the engine lubrication.

 

[MCompact]

In addition to my Stihl gas powered equipment I have an EGO push mower, leaf blower, and chainsaw. All 3 have been very reliable and I like the fact that they all can share the same battery.

 

[BrendanC]

not to hijack this too far…

does anyone have expirence with the Milwaukee mower? thinking about getting rid of my two honda powered mowers and go to an electric

 

[CKN]

A friend recently bought a new electric (battery, not corded) lawnmower - WORX brand, 40 V, 14", advertised as having with two batteries. It was on sale for around C$300.

I thought, good, that way you can have one battery charging while you cut with the other.

As it turns out, the mower runs the two 20 V batteries in series to make the nominal 40 V. It's not possible to run the mower on one battery only.

I thought the advertising was a bit misleading.

However, it's a good unit for his purposes - light and compact, and the small deck is sufficient for his small yard and better for storage.

The only thing is, the battery capacity is limited - we cut only part of his front lawn, perhaps 15 minutes of operation, and the battery strength had dropped to 3 bars out of 5.

He could pick up other tools that use the same 20 V battery, and that would solve the spare battery issue.

Can he cut ALL OF HIS LAWN using the capacity of the battery?

 

[melk]

Buy once, cry once.

Or not. There’s nothing as expensive as being cheap.

 

[Zee09]

I think @KCJeep went with a Worx too because my GPS couldn't find his house

 

[Jetronic]

the tools I went with use 20/40V batteries. 20V tools use the 2 in 1 batteries in parallel, 40V tools in series I can also get lighter 20V only batteries.

 

[Number_35]

Can he cut ALL OF HIS LAWN using the capacity of the battery?

Maybe - the grass would have to be fairly dry and not overgrown. In my opinion it's marginal.

The owner finds it a big upgrade over his retired corded electric mower, even with having to recharge.