Ten years ago, only a few cordless lawnmowers existed in the market. Today, on the other hand, with a greater focus on eco-friendly lifestyles and an introduction of modern battery-based tech, there are loads to choose from.
Ranging between 14 and 19 inches in cutting width and costing between $240 and $600+, cordless lawnmowers have significantly impacted the gardening tools market.
This article will give you an overview of the cordless lawn mower’s advantages and features and provide two examples of great cordless lawn mowers that you can gauge your options against while for the best cordless lawn mower for yourself.
Can a cordless lawn mower take the place of a gas mower?
The primary benefits of getting a cordless mower are its quieter operation and convenience. You don’t have to fret over gas storage, oil changes, or having to tune its parts.
You also don’t have to struggle to get it running each time you need to trim the lawn or have to concern yourself over old gas sticking up in the carburetor.
And because they are much quieter than their gas counterparts, you can use cordless mowers in the morning or even late in the evening without waking up or disturbing your neighbors!
But if you’re wondering whether a cordless lawn mower can replace the gas mower in your particular scenario – the answer isn’t a definite yes. It all comes down to the size of your yard and the time you can devote to mowing it regularly.
According to manufacturers, cordless battery lawn mowers can run between 25 – 45 minutes and cut through a quarter to a third of an acre on a completely charged battery.
On average, a city lot is somewhere between a tenth and a quarter of an acre, so those who live in such properties can get their mowing done for a single charge.
However, if your lawn sprawls an expanse larger than a third of an acre, you’ll either have to keep a spare battery at hand or have to be patient as the battery recharges before you can finish up your mowing.
You must consider how high you will allow the grass to grow between the mowings. If you believe in only cutting your lawn when the grass is nearly as high as your waist, it is better to go for the standard gas-powered mower. (Read Curved vs. Straight Trimmer Differences)
Battery-powered mowers may be able to cut through thick grass, but this does put considerable strain on the electric motor and battery so that the battery won’t last as long, and the Li-Ion batteries may even heat up with excessive use – this could cause the circuitry to power off momentarily to protect itself.
To summarize, if you want a cordless mower, cut the grass punctually before it gets unreasonably tall.
Does the cordless mower save you cash?
Again, the answer isn’t a definite yes. A battery mower will undoubtedly save you money if you have to dole out cash annually to get your gas mower tuned up. How long the battery lasts is the unknown factor here.
If you observe the manufacturer’s battery charging and caring instructions, they should last between three and five years and may even survive more prolonged than that.
You’ll have to spend a few hundred bucks on a new battery, but how much exactly depends on your mower.
Because you’d also have to spend a hundred or so on fuel, oil, spark plugs, and conditioner if you owned a gas-powered mower, the fuel cost impact of both kinds of mowers is more or less level.
Top-Rated Cordless Lawn Mowers:
Stihl RMA 370 14-1/2 in. cordless lawn mower
Weight: 31 lbs.
Height range: 1.2 to 2.8 in.
Battery: 40V, 2 or 4 Ah lithium-ion
Stihl’s offering is both compact and lightweight and comes with a rigid plastic catch that can be easily used. It is the only mower we’ve reviewed that doesn’t come as a complete kit. The mower, charger, and battery each have to be separately purchased.
You can choose between a 2Ah or 4Ah battery and a regular or fast charger. The batteries can be used with several other of Stihl’s products – including a chain saw. This mower can be the right choice if you intend to buy other cordless tools from the manufacturer.
Worx WG782 14-in. cordless lawn mower
Weight: 33 lbs.
Height range: 2 to 3-1/2 in.
Battery: 24V, 5 Ah lead acid
This Worx model is the tiniest and most economically priced mower we’ve reviewed. It is ideal for those with small yards and limited garage room for storage. All of its features were quite likable except for the lack of a single lever height adjustment.
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Black & Decker MM2200 19-in. self-propelled cordless lawn mower
Weight: 90 lbs.
Height range: 1-1/2 to 3-1/2 in.
Battery: 36V, 12 Ah lead acid
This heavy self-propelled mower can stand up to gas mowers in size and with grass-cutting capability. You can now manually or use the self-propulsion feature at will.
Pulling back on bail will juice up the wheels. There is a slider that lets you also control the mower’s speed.
The only small issue we have with this electric mower is that its slowest speed isn’t that slow at all. Another nice feature of this mower is that it easily lets you raise/lower the handle’s height – ideal if you’re not the only person who will be using it.
Worx WG789 19 in. self-propelled cordless lawn mower
Weight: 91 lbs.
Height range: 1-1/2 to 3-1/2 in.
Battery: 36V, 11 Ah lead acid
This self-propelled Worx battery mower packs a neat little feature called Pacesetter that matches its speed to how fast you can walk.
Even though it caught us off guard initially, it won’t take much time to get used to it. The lawnmower itself is strong enough to beat a gas mower for most gardens and yards.
It also incorporates the IntelliCut feature, which lets you choose between quiet and power operating modes.
All in all, one of the best battery-powered lawnmowers we’ve used.
