Yahoo Lifestyle The Best Electric Lawn Mowers That Deliver Plenty of Power Without the Noise or Fumes
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The Best Electric Lawn Mowers That Deliver Plenty of Power Without the Noise or Fumes
In just five years, battery-powered mowers have improved tremendously. Previously, they required you to swap multiple batteries in order to have enough juice to get even the smallest of jobs done. Now they are an excellent and incredibly useful alternative to their gas-guzzling counterparts, and may even be the better choice for many homeowners.
Best Electric Lawn Mowers
- Best Overall: RYOBI Self-Propelled Electric Lawn Mower
- Best for Small Yards: Greenworks 25302 Dual-Blade Electric Lawn Mower
- The Multi-Bladed Electric Mower: EGO Power+ LM2133 Select Cut Electric Lawn Mower
- Best Value: HART HLPM011VNM Electric Lawn Mower
- The Self-Propelled Pick: Toro 21356 Recycler Self-Propel 60-Volt Max Electric Lawn Mower
- Best for Medium-Sized Yards: Greenworks MO48L520 Electric Lawn Mower
- Best for Tall Grass: Snapper 1687914 Self-Propelled Electric Lawn Mower
- A Small But Mighty Mower: BLACK + DECKER CM1640 Electric Lawn Mower
What to Consider
Electric vs. Gas-Powered Mowers
Electric mowers are best for small and medium-sized lawns no larger than 10,000 square feet since their deck diameters are typically between 18 and 22 inches. Gas-powered mowers are better for folks who need the utmost power to cut tall, thick, damp, or wet gas.
- Weight: Electric lawn mowers are oftentimes lighter and easier to maneuver than gas-powered models. What we like most about them is how easy they are to store. Most electric mowers fold in half and can tuck in a tight corner in your garage.
- Power: Although runtime for electric mowers has significantly improved over the last couple of years, electric mowers still have shorter run times than gas-powered models. Runtimes average between 30 minutes and an hour, but many models include multiple batteries to double their running times. It's also worth mentioning that battery-powered mowers range from 36 to 120 volts. Smaller-voltage mowers are lighter and are best for small yards while high-voltage ones are better for tall grass.
- Noise: Electric mowers are significantly quieter than gas-powered ones — we’re talking as quiet as your washing machine. Since they don't burn fuel, they don't have any hot surfaces, which is another plus.
How We Tested
Our Test team has spent decades testing lawn mowers — both electric lawn mowers and gas — on every type of grass, lawn condition, yard size, footprint, and composition. We test every feature and every control for ease of use, comfort, power, and quality. We mow flats, washboard surfaces, uphill, downhill, and sidehill. We mow tall grass, weeds, and cut immaculate laws planted with bluegrass and fine fescue that require lots of detail work.
We mulch, bag, and test mowers’ side discharge functions and even check at if the tires have a tendency to pick up wet grass clippings. We’re so particular about mower testing that Roy, our lawn and tools expert, mows a small section of grass, and lays atop of it to evaluate the tactile sensation to get a better sense of the finished product.
We’re confident that within this guide will point you in the right direction toward your ideal lawn mower for your yard because of our extensive research and tests. So, shop one of our expert-approved picks below so you can get your yard looking its absolute best.
Greenworks - 2/9
1) RYOBI RY401140US Self-Propelled Electric Lawn Mower
RYOBI
homedepot.com
$499.00
Key Specs
• Cutting width: 21 inches
• Weight: 75 pounds
• Cut area per charge: 8,635 square feetThis outstanding battery-powered mower from RYOBI comes with two 6Ah batteries that’ll provide up to 70 minutes of runtime, making it a great mower for folks who have up to three-quarters of an acre of land. It’s a rear-wheel-drive model and is self-propelled which helps make it easier to maneuver.
The Ryobi uses a twin-blade cutting system to leave you with a smooth, well-manicured lawn. Its 21-inch deck will ensure you get the job done quickly, too. Even better, the deck is resistant to corrosion and is covered by a lifetime warranty. Like most walk-behind mowers, this one mulches, bags, and it offers a side-discharge function.
Compared to the RY401150US, this one isn't self-propelled and lacks the cross-cut multi-blade system, so it doesn't mulch your grass as finely. However, we think these two features aren't worth the extra cost and this one still lets you easily use a thumb switch to increase or decrease ground speed.
Overall, if you’re looking for an American-made mower that delivers stellar battery life, is self-propelled, and folds up for easy storage, you won’t be disappointed.
homedepot.com - 3/9
2) Greenworks 25223 Cordless Lawn Mower
Greenworks
amazon.com
$349.82
Key Specs
• Cutting width: 19 inches
• Weight: 53 pounds
• Cut area per charge: Estimated 4,500-5,000 square feetThis 19-inch steel blade mower, might have a smaller deck size than other electric mowers, but it still packs plenty of power, useful features, and a reasonable price point to make it worthy of your hard-earned dollars.
During our tests, we found that the mower is an effective performer at mulching, cutting, and bagging grass. You get 10-inch rear tires that offer plenty of traction and oomph to get over obstacles, seven cutting heights (that are adjustable by an easy-to-use spring-loaded lift mechanism), and a hassle-free push-button start. This mower is backed by a 3-year warranty.
amazon.com - 4/9
3) EGO Power+ LM2133 Select Cut Electric Lawn Mower
EGO Power+
amazon.com
$549.99
Key Specs
• Cutting width: 21 inches
• Weight: 53 pounds
• Cut area per charge: 8,280 square feetThis electric mower is one of the first mowers to feature a multi-blade cutting system. The EGO comes with three interchangeable lower blades, including a mulching blade, a high-lift bagging blade, and an extended runtime blade. When the latter is installed and the Eco mode is engaged, you can expect just below an hour of run time from the included battery.
The EGO comes with a rapid charger to recharge its battery in just a half-hour, and it won’t require maintenance like a gas model would. It’s quieter, folds up for easy storage, and you don't have to worry about gas, oil, air filters, or harsh fumes.
Other convenient features include being able to adjust the mower’s height with a single lever, dual LED headlights, and a water-resistant design.
We think that if you have a lawn smaller than a quarter of an acre in size, this mower provides excellent handling, easy operation, and enough power to do the job.
amazon.com - 5/9
4) HART HLPM011VNM Electric Lawn Mower
HART
walmart.com
$269.00
Key Specs
• Cutting width: 20 inches
• Weight: 50 pounds
• Cut area per charge: 11,312 square feetWe recommend the HART for folks on a budget who have just under a half-acre of ground to cover. If your yard is bigger than that, the mower’s battery compartment is equipped with two bays, so you can double its 40-minute runtime. The mower also features a single-lever deck adjustment, a simple push-button start, and bright LED lights for mowing at dusk.
It’s worth mentioning that the included charger isn’t a rapid charger, so it isn’t as quick to recharge as other electric mowers we’ve tested. However, this one is significantly cheaper and is just as convenient to use. It’s an excellent, affordable mower that’ll come in handy for folks with a small front lawn. If your yard has hills consider the slightly more expensive self-propelled model, instead.
walmart.com - 6/9
5) Toro 21356 Recycler Self-Propel 60-Volt Max Electric Lawn Mower
Toro
homedepot.com
$499.00
Key Specs
• Cutting width: 21 inches
• Weight: 61 pounds
• Cut area per charge: 13,524 square feetThere hasn’t been a Toro mower we didn’t love. Toro’s lawn mowers have outstanding build quality and cut grass extremely well. This steel-deck mower is comfortable to mow with and is equipped with nine cutting positions. Thanks to its wide, 21-inch deck, you can finish your job in less time. You can expect to cut one-third of an acre of grass in just 40 minutes before needing to recharge its battery.
The Toro folds up easy for storage, provides excellent handling, an easy operation, and plenty of power to get your yard looking its best. Toro backs the mower with a 2-year full warranty, and its included battery gets an additional year of coverage. If you have a more flexible budget, we also recommend the Toro 21466 mower, which is a self-propelled model with a 3-phase brushless mower.
homedepot.com - 7/9
6) Greenworks MO48L4211 Electric Lawn Mower
Greenworks
amazon.com
$399.99
Key Specs
• Cutting width: 20 inches
• Weight: 72 pounds
• Cut area per charge: Estimated 14,000 square feet with both batteries (1/3 of an acre)Another Greenworks model worth considering, this 20-inch brushless mower comes with two 24-volt batteries and a dual charger, useful features, and a reasonable price point to make it worthy of your hard-earned dollars.
The mower is an effective performer at mulching, cutting, and bagging grass. You get self-propelled rear wheel drive
for plenty of traction and oomph to get over obstacles, multiple cutting heights, and a hassle-free push-button start. This mower and the batteries are backed by a 3-year warranty.amazon.com - 8/9
7) Snapper 1687914 Self-Propelled Electric Lawn Mower
Snapper
amazon.com
$479.99
Key Specs
• Cutting width: 21 inches
• Weight: 66 pounds
• Cut area per charge: 3,840If you’re the type of homeowner who occasionally neglects your lawn (no judgment here!) and you need to break out the big guns, the robust and reliable Snapper mower has your back. During our tests, the mower was more capable of cutting tall grass than other electric mowers. We also found its bagging performance to be impressive as well.
Since the Snapper comes with two batteries, this mower is an excellent option for larger-than-average size yards. It’s completely self-propelled, has variable speed control, has seven height adjustments, and of course, has a nifty push-button start and folds easily for storage.
amazon.com - 9/9
8) BLACK + DECKER CM1640 Electric Lawn Mower
BLACK+DECKER
amazon.com
$329.99
Key Specs
• Cutting width: 16 inches
• Weight: 38 pounds
• Cut area per charge: Estimated 3,000-5,000 square feetIf you have a tiny yard and want a lightweight and easy-to-maneuver mower this Black+Decker is a decent little mower that works well at cutting average-height grass. It weighs less than 40 pounds and has an 18-inch-wide plastic deck making it narrow enough to store in a small garage or storage shed, but not so small that it’ll make cutting the grass a timely affair.
Compared to the similar Sun Joe 24V-X2-17LM, this model offers a better set of wheels and an easier-to-use handle that isn’t fixed. The Black+Decker also features a conveniently located single lever to raise and lower its mowing deck. Despite its under-$350 price point, the mower includes two batteries, which should give you around 30 minutes of mow time.
amazon.com
