In the mid-1980s I bought a used Sears Craftsman battery powered riding mower with a 36' mower deck for $60. the mower would run for about 5 hours of mowing and was heavy enough to run down a 2" thick tree. The charger was on board and plugged directly into my home 110 volt system. I determined that the reason it was so cheap to buy was because the batteries were no longer available. It did an excellent and very quiet mowing job for 4 years. I ended up replacing the 2 batteries that came with the mower with 4 deep cycle marine batteries(2 under the hood and 2 in a towed wagon) I finally retired it after 4 more years because the steering knuckle and axles were worn out. Not a bad investment.
Not read all the responses but my first observation is that, with equal volume collectors, the widest-cut machine will fill up more quickly (at the same ground speed).
@@Blueknight1960 Have you never heard of emojis? There are some (actually a lot) who are mathematically challenged people on these sites. You could be one of them, but a suitable emoji would separate you from them. Otherwise who knows?
I am on my third season with my EGO Z6. I swapped the tires to bar tread and that is the only thing I have had a complaint about the EGO. I replaced the blades this year and the process to get the deck off is exceptionally easy.
I owned a John Deere L120 for almost 10 years. When the engine finally blew, because the oil filter came loose and I didn't notice, I bought a Ryobi riding mower. The maintenance alone is reason to have an electric mower, soooo much easier when spring rolls around. No oil changes, no fuel or air filters, no smell, no noise. Nearly zero maintenance with EV mower. I've had the Ryobi now for 4+ years and still love it. (had to replace batteries once and next time that's required will buy lithium instead of SLA) Suffice it to say that I've had lots of experience with both and EV mowing is far superior. I get it that it would be a problem for a commercial operator that uses their mower constantly every day, but for homeowner, EV mowing is here and superior. (I have 2+ acres that I mow)
@@liv2fish21 I would be more concerned with gas cans in my garage than batteries. This Ryobi uses SLA batteries. Also, my Tesla is in the garage not the lawn mower. 😃 I’m an old guy but am fully enjoying the future that is electric.
Solarpunk Steve is a professional lawn service on youtube that uses all electric and they setup solar on their enclosed trailer to charge all of their stuff since they are in Florida.
I live where we have real winters. I wouldn't want to maintain the batteries. Also I mow 8 acres batteries wouldn't hold up to that and extra are always expensive.
Would like to see full tank of fuel vs full battery run time and how much time then back to full tank and full batteries to see which can get back to square one...think that makes sense lol😂
We also should throw into the test the amount of time it takes to recharge the batteries and refilling the tank on the gas mower. The maintenance on a battery mower is also something that should be kept up. You need to keep the vents and cooling fins clean on motors and batteries, you have to replace the batteries once in a while, keep air in the tires, checking electrical wiring for degradation or wear, replacing bearings in the motors, replacing the tires, you name it. Videos promoting battery mowers never take into consideration that they also need to be maintained or taking into consideration the degradation of the batteries as they degrade faster than an engine will and also the environmental impact of the disposal of the batteries at the end of life. Ultimately, you are spending the same if not more on batteries as you would be for the maintenance of a gas tractor and certainly more than say a Kubota GR2120 Diesel powered unit. (which anyone can do if they have the abiliity). Batteries, at the very least these Lithium batteries are not at all recyclable as 90% or more of the battery is financially unfeasible or downright too difficult to recycle. Lead acid batteries are actually more recyclable than these things are. Also, either way, we are exposing ourselves and our planet to hazardous materials mining for battery ingredients and fossil fuels and in this case, the Ego needs both. Petroleum is needed for the plastics on Ego as well as toxic elements like the Lithium, cobalt, and other substances as well as tearing apart forests needed to help with cleaning the air of carbon dioxide.
That argument seems only valid to me if you have to mow a really large field or if you mow as a service. And for that purpose, i would definately consider the John Deere to be better suited, just because it's solid, sturdy, and you have dealerships everywhere that can help you out with spare parts and repairs quickly. If you are a homowner that does not even use the full battery charge or fuel tank to cut all of the lawn you have, the charging/refuel time are really not adding any value to either system. What i would have liked to see is actual service work and how easy it is to do. Cleaning the deck, removing the deck, removing the blades for sharpening and normal service or even small repairs like change the drive belt on the deck. Stuff that you would probably do as an owner with a garage and a bit of a DIY spirit.
You could recycle the EGO and all it's batteries every 5 years and still be ahead on money...and by the 2nd or 3rd time you do that there will be even more efficient, powerful and environmentally friendly options that you should switch to. There's pretty much 0 reason to use ICEs in anything requiring less than ~30 horsepower. And then only if in select non-standard situations/scenarios
@@noelcahill6707 no the emissions and cost of running an ICE are terrible. 60-80% of the energy generated from them is wasted on unwanted heat and emissions. Check out the videos Engineering Explained has done on automotive emissions, it's even worse for small engines such as these. California isn't wrong to ban the sale of new ICE small equipment, they're nearly as bad as having leaded AV gas...
@@noelcahill6707 petrol is so last millennium, the future is electric. and where will your resale value be when petrol is either prohibitively expensive or not available at all?
I have a neighbor behind my house with a n EGO rider VERY loud with the blades running. Neighbor to the side has a John Deere not even half as loud. Definitely needs hearing protection with the Ego!
LOL, the John Deere will still be running 15 years down the road, will you even be able to buy parts and batteries for your electric mower? Likely not.
Why do these review channels never tell you how long the batteries last and how long they take to charge in the real world? That is what buyers want to know.
@@terry987654 the charge time should be in the EGO battery manual or an estimate. my milwaukee batteries do charge in the rough time mentioned on their chargers, and my batteries are 2-5 years old. the total run time would have been great to know within the video for 6 of the largest batteries.
@@terry987654 Well, I can honestly say that they take quite a bit more time to charge than it would take to fill the gas tank on that Deere 6 times. The discharge time would also be about half to three quarters of that Deere tank as well. At least, that's if the tank is as large as the one on my Cub Cadet tractor with a similar engine.
I got a JD425 and will likely continue down the x700 range due to the ability to have attachments and lifts. And that's really where I think EGO and Greenworks. etc. are missing out. It would be comparatively simple to create attachments and a lift that don't need a separate hydraulic system like on a petrol garden tractor. Put an electric motor on the accessories and run a cable to it. Simpler than a PTO. I think the winner would be whomever does this first but that's just me. So many accessories they could sell.
Nothing wrong with the JD, it is the company. JD corp. is gready and corrupt. JD had a electric mower 50 years ago , It was good on lead acid batteries. Really JD should by now be the leader in electric yard equipment .
This decreases each year as well. So, like you can mow an acre to start on a full charge. That drops considerably as time goes using batteries vs fuel. Gas equipment, if properly maintained will continue to mow that hectare on a full tank for more than ten or twenty years. You also have to maintain electric equipment too. Checking the condition of electrical wiring harnesses, keeping the motors clean extends the life. You get the idea.
@@WJCTechyman You know you do not need to chime in on every comment, right? Of course there is maintenance. Everyone knows that current battery tech is not perfect and degrades over time. That does not mean that there isn't a place for an electric mower nor consumers for whom it would be the better choice.
@@bruceritchie7613 No, not everyone "knows that current battery tech is not perfect." In fact we have massive numbers of people who run around spewing crap every day about how great battery powered anything is and how there is never a need for anything with a normal combustion engine anymore and how all electric is the way of the future and that future is now. Can electric stuff work for some people, sure. But the amount of absolute bullcrap that surrounds electric anything that makes it out to be the best thing is the universe is directly contrary to your statement that everyone is already aware of the realities of battery tech.
@@ram89572Well the reality is that the limitations are fairly slim nowadays and shrinking every year. The lifespan on good-quality battery cells exceeds 15-20 years nowadays.
@@mrxmry3264 I would say go for a Honda (if you have them in your area) as Husqvarna is expensive crap. Either that or go for a corded mower, no hazardous material disposal to worry about. Also the reduction of the potential of a Lithium battery fire.
One point that seems to have been overlooked was obstruction mitigation and recovery. If a gas engine encounters a rock or unseen obstruction there is the possibility of bending drive shafts, bent pulleys, damaged belts. With the electric they have depending on the deck width either 2 or 3 independent electric motors. At worse they will stop spinning until the obstruction has been cleared. In addition to the clear price difference. The electric wins hands down. No oil, gas. No carburetor, air filter, starter, spark plug replacement. Electric is cleaner and quieter to operate. An ICE has a series of controlled explosions going on to drive the mower. I've seen some mowers that have been ill maintained actually catch fire. I think the odds of such an occurrence with an electric mower is far lower then with ICE.
Like others said what happens after the warranty runs out on the EGO one? Won't be able to fix it easely. No part. That's what we don't know as of today.
@@thibault5484You absolutely can fix it pretty easily, you just need some basic skills working with electricity. These things are *very* simple, essentially just wires going from the battery to a controller to the motors. If something fails you can usually just chuck in another motor or controller with a similar power and voltage and it will immediately start working again, and the chances of something failing is a lot lower than a gas engine to begin with.
Thanks for the video and info. I will be buying a 54" Ego zero turn hopefully this year as I will help my pops cut his half acre yard, cut my yard, and trim for 9 acres and the rest he will get with his tractor and brush mower. It comes with (6) 12amp hour batteries and since I get all Ego tools with a 5amp hour battery I have their chainsaw, blower, weed eater, pole saw, and soon their backpack sprayer so I will have 5 extra batteries to do a full day of cutting.
@@RossMalagarie I’m guessing You didn’t watch the whole video? We do exactly that about 3/4 way through. We also have another video on run times with the zero turn 👍🏼
@@MachineryNation thanks yeah I commented too early and after I finished watching the whole video I deleted that part of my comment. Thanks again for all the info and video.
My 2001 23 years old John Deere L110 is still alive and cutting. Nothing runs like a Deere for sure. Saying that I drive a Tesla Model X for the last 2 years. Electric revolution might as well get into agricultural equipment.
I'd like to see the same test run on the same mowers in ten years. My bet is the Deere will still be in one piece, and the Ego will be scraps of plastic. That said, I bet the Ego is all good and fine for light consumer use, where the JD would hold up with a lot of heavy use on large properties for many years. I have two JD X300s and they sit in the weather and take all kinds of abuse. The only down side to the JDs is the plastic hoods don't fair well under UV light and tend to crack and break. But the run just as well with out the hoods. I enjoyed watching yall across the pond: )
I'm in the southern US where it gets to high 90's/low 100's in the summer (low 80's at night). I have a battery powered push mower (with a second set of batteries). It won't last a whole cut in the mid summer (not a big yard). The heat zaps the battery life (when cooler weather comes, i can do the whole yard) . If i were going to get a riding mower, I'd go ICE, though not a Deere.
Something a bit suss there. I have similar temperature ranges and my Ryobi HP + 2 x 36V batteries handles my 800 sqm (approx 650 sqm of assorted grasses) with about 50% charge left.
@@retrozmachine1189 Not all battery mowers are built the same. I live in the same location in the US as this guy and I've used an 80v GreenWorks for the last 10 years and haven't had any issues cutting a half acre lot.
Love my ego weed whacker and wöak-behind mower, we have a husqvarna ts138 mower with plow and chains for winter but this seems like a nice machine. If they have compatible plows and so on, on the way, and chains, then I would likely consider it. Especially if it has a simple mounting process.
@@axtra92 It would cost more than you would want to spend. I, on the other hand, would have all the other tools available that the battery operates to off-set the cost. One could spend $150-$400 on each battery. If you were cutting 4" grass on 5 acres a couple batteries would probably do the trick. Then, use your EGO trimmer, blower ect.... Once I went to battery operated tools and equipment, I will never go back to gas.
EGO says 6 batteries will cover 1.5 acres, so for 5 acres you would need at least 20x 6.0 Ah batteries, which run $350 ea. That's $7,000 in batteries that only have a 3 yr limited warranty 😂
@@rotaryenginepete the batteries for these tools don't last very long either. these things are designed as disposable, where a gas mower is designed to last for decades.
I purchased the Ego when we got our new house. Its .6 acre on a hill. With my overweight self it couldnt cut the whole yard with the included 6 6Ah batteries. I didnt feel like dropping more money up front fo longer range so it got returned. Happily using a Milwaukee push mower now and it does great
Hey did u forget the John Deere is cutting more grass because the deck is bigger, so your test is off plus what about how long can you cut before your batteries die or the gas runs out?
Charging batteries is a lot less expensive than Gasoline. I have a battery operated push mower. The cost to charge the batteries is almost nothing. With a larger machine, I’m sure there will be a noticeable cost. But it will still be negligible compared to gasoline.
I really like my JD X370 with power steering and power deck lift. I also added the push button mulch/side discharge option which has come in handy especially for that first cut in the spring when the lawn is always taller than normal.
It is difficult to say. Maybe battery powered mowers will last. The oldest of my Ego gear is 6 years old. It still goes well but the motors are much smaller.
I agree as there are two words that will limit the life of any battery product: planned obsolescence. The Kawasaki engine will have support for years if not a few decades.
@@WJCTechyman that's like saying the fuel lines might degrade because ethanol-free wasn't used. or the air filter should be changed. or the spark plug should be changed. or the coil wire should be checked. that degradation happens but wires are way more resilient than any fuel/air/mix/combustion will be.
Useful comparison guys, I purchased a new Iseki ride on 3 years ago, fancied a Deere but my local dealer was adamant on sticking with the RRP for what was a basic JD, I did consider a Stiga battery mower local to me but was not sure on the longer term durability or cost of battery replacement in the future. Apart from one deck belt problem my Iseki has been trouble free so far apart from recently the electric tipping grass box has failed so resort to the lever to tip handles 1 acre of mowing no problem. Keep them coming , fancy a test of a out front deck mower soon please.
This was a weird comparison, like a car vs a pickup truck. The Ego looks like a great lawn mower, but the Deere X series is a utility tractor; its transmission is designed for heavier duty activities. It will accept a Deere 44”snow blade or a 44” snow blower accessory mounted on the front, and a weather enclosure (cab) to keep you dry while using them. Aftermarket vendors even make a light duty front loader attachment. You’ll pay dearly for any of these things, but they last a lifetime. I see no such options for the Ego.
The issue for me is the attachments. I use my JD year around. In the winter I use it for snow removal, in the spring I use it to till my garden,among other things, summer is mowing of course, fall is hauling firewood and stacking it. What attachments are available for the ego?
Hi James + Josh, great review on Petrol V Battery, both seem very good on power and cut. Looks like you both had fun, as always a great video take care
What kind of grass only grows 10mm in a week? I want to get some of that. In a week my grass grows at least 30mm, sometimes 50mm depending on weather and season.
I thought you were going to cut long grass. My Husky had to mow 5 acres on a regular basis and some weeks the grass was LONG, almost half the height of the mower. Did a great job, had about a 3 hour run before needed to refil the fuel tank. The cut width makes a big difference too, wider the cut, less mowing, but yes will fill the catcher faster as its a wider cut.
My old 1980s murray wont stall out when cutting alot taller gras than that… and why is he acting like it has trouble starting again… letting go of the key..
I live in the USA, we do get a fair amount of rain so the humidity in the mornings is mowing wet grass and most mow in the afternoon. I have 2 clear areas on the top of my bag catcher but after a couple of years it is green and cannot see the level anymore, something to think about. I also have 2 EV push mowers, they are great. Light weight but I have had to replace the batters a couple of years ago and there is maintenance that you still have to do on EV mowers like the sharping the blades every year. I just change the last lawn mowers over to mulching blades this year.
I mow 7 acres at least once a week at 8 MPH and a 66 inch cut with a 66 inch trail mower towed off set. For an effective 10 1/2 foot cut width. Mowing with gas isn't a chore.
I have nothing against either and could see myself using either. I have owned a JD Riding mower before I bought it used and ran it for at least 10 or 11 years never did anything but change the oil and sharpen the blades. Sold it for about 50% of what I paid for it so I was happy with it. For me the one really big advantage of an electric model would be if you store it in your basement or garage that is attached to your home there is NO need to store gasoline for it also in your home. Reduces the danger of doing that and the smell etc. That would go for a push mower also which would require the same thing. In other words I would consider either if I were in the market for one.
I think it depends on your use case as to which is better for you. I use electric yard tools but will stick with a gas mower for the foreseeable future.
We have an exmark with a 52 inch welded deck. We love the robustness and durability of it and I wish they would make stronger built electric mowers with welded decks
What wasn't mentioned is attachments available for each. Towing a dump cart is the most basic accessory but snow blades or snow blowers might be important depending where you live.
I'm a Deere owner and I love them. My sister is in the market and I'm encouraging her to go the EGO direction. For information purposes, the Deere X350 42 inch deck and the EGO you tested/with 6 batteries included are equal in price in the United States. 3,999.00 USD. My choice of the Deere had little to do with grass cutting ability. I live in the northeastern United States. That equals snow....I have the single stage snow blower for my Deere. We love to garden...I have the rear tiller for my Deere. For some reason, my wife feels the entire planet needs to be mulched...I have the large dump cart for the Deere. Both tractor come with basic side discharge. Baggers and mulching kits are extra. 500 to 700 USD to add the bagging option. Our baggers are a more traditional hard top/side discharge chute/hanging cloth bag. Two or three bag option for the Deere, two bags for EGO. Garbage bags/can liners can be placed inside the bags and clippings collected directly in the bags. First time visitor to the channel. Thanks so much for your time.
I have a 2003 Craftsman 42 inch deck and 17 hp kohler. I paid around $1200 for it new and besides doing oil changes I had to replace the drive belt this summer. The electric is nice and under Certain circumstances im sure it has a place. PS, a solar charging station would be nice.
Yeah, something that, if you ever owned a dry bagless vacuum cleaner, becomes useless after the first ten mowings as it just gets cloudy from the sand and dirt hitting it.
Would like to see a spring time type comparison test where because of weather you couldn't cut the grass so it got out of hand like 6" tall or so. Remove the baggers and see which mows the longest Full tank of gas vs full 100% battery. Go different drive speeds and see how fast each can go without bogging done to much, etc.
What is the cost difference? I would use a JD on the farm any day. Our power is spotty, and our winters are cloudy with no wind, but the JD isn't hampered by cold, ice, and snow. Pop the deck off, drive over it and couple up the snow blade. On our farm, we had our garden tractor for mowing, cultivating, tilling, winter cleaning, and snow blowing, and we welded up extra implements for tending to our acre of trees. Some days, you needed the tractor to clean blown-in snow during blizzards, and it was not uncommon in Manitoba to have to power out for a week. The blizzard of 86 had snowed in Winnipeg, just not seeing an electric surviving at -40 for long. I think Winnipeg set a record at -50 in the last couple of years.
I use a Cub Cadet 1650 that my parents bought new in 1975. For many years I mowed with it's 50 inch deck in summer and then blew snow with it's snowblower in the winter. But bought a Cub zero turn 5 years ago so the 1650 is now semi retired and just blows snow. Kinda doubt an electric would still be going strong at nearly 50 years old. I could be wrong.
I got same battery on my EGO hand mower, the battery die a the end of second summer, pay 800$ for all kit, and the battery alone cost 300$, only 1 years warranty...mower die after 4 years. I go back to gaz. Good luck with the battery
To be fair, the deck on the JD was not level (The rear was higher than the front) This affected the finish of the cut. To be fair, I have an battery powered mower and trimmer. The always start, are much lighter and way less messy. My mower (Kobalt) is still going strong after our yard is mowed and I can get two cuts before a recharge.
@MachineryNation doesn't matter really, the issue is the same. The John Deere is moving more material than the EGO. With respect to the rest of the tests, if I were ditching my JD I would consider an electric. I would likely consider a 60v Greenworks because I already have a 60v 21" self propelled, an 18" chain saw, a weed sprayer and a weed whip.
With a battery machine you can charge it free with solar. Even a small unit will fill the rider when you need it. But with gas you have oil changes and fuel cost. So in reality they cancel each other out. I will say though I'm an EGO owner of most tools and I bring my batteries in during winter months just like I would with and outside batteries or they'll be trash next season. That being said though I use mine in snowblowers, leaf blowers, chain saws, weed wackers so they never idle very long.
The John Deer has a wider cut and therefore cuts more grass more quickly. Theres a reason battery mowers have a narrower deck is because they cant do the job of a petrol mower. I have a battery ride on that is a replacement for an old Greenfield that has run faultlessly for 25 years and cut very long grass up to a meter high with ease. My electric mower cant do that and I am waiting to see if it will last as long as my Greenfield. I live in Australia where w have quite tough grass in the vacant blocks I used the Greenfield to mow.
I am a fan of ICE cars and I don't see heavy EV tractors in the near future or at all (hydrogen ICE maybe), but for my garden I have fully moved few years ago to battery tools , it's so much more pleasure to use, so much easier - just plug and play. The only downside is the heavy EGO batteries but I guess I car skip the gym on these days 🙂
I didn't hear commentary about which did a tighter turn, but to me it appeared that win may go to dear John. (Loved the humor bits😂), also you're mispeaking by trying to compare petrol fuel to the fuel being a battery. Batteries are the size of the fuel tank and sort of the diameter of the fuel line if we want to split hairs... but the fuel in electrics is measured appropriately in kWh (amount of energy over time), so you could do a avg petrol consumption test and price, vs. Avg electricity cost to recharge, and then gather side by side run durations for same height setting and square meters surface mowed. I like Ego, love my carbon shaft trimmer, best self loading spool system ive ever used, refill 6m of line in about 30s at the push of a button. Snap on new battery every 30-45m and keep going. A year and a half later (stored in garage, not in sun), the rubber dust cover over the spool feed switch crumbled apart, very disappointed about that. @Ego we need to chat.😢
In the US you can buy Ego at Deere dealerships now they’ve got some sort of arrangement between the two companies. I’ve got a Deere zero turn gas but I think my next one will be a battery powered lawn tractor like that ego.
I’ve come across quite a few battery powered mowers inoperable here in the Midwest after winter. Never messed with them since the resale market isn’t so good.
I have a John Deere and it has been very good , but I hardly use it anymore. I have an electric car electric Milwaukee garden equipment and ego ride on. I love the quietness and how clean electric is .
@@mrxmry3264 Only if you don't use a lot of coal or fossil fuels to generate said electricity like say Germany or the US. Also, I would rather use a corded electric mower, not as much in the way of hazardous substances in a corded electric mower as there are in battery powered units. Also, less risk of fire from corded equipment.
So my dishwasher's error chime and complete chime makes exactly the same beeping sound as the EGO, took me far too long to realize it was from the video.
On the test where the decks were at the lowest setting and the John Deere stopped twelve feet before the Ergo was because it is doing a wider cut. Cutting more grass.
I like both but ehen you hsve s lot of property to mow, the question here is which will lsst longer ss for mowing and the charge time ss to the gas powered you put gas in it start and go
Having owned several JD Garden Tractors, I would say that the EGO is a great competitor. The build quality looks to be excellent, but that is something that can only be seen over time. JD tractors are mostly very well built (except for the "big box" models, which the X350R is not), and parts are readily available. But not having a gas engine to maintain is a big plus. I would like to know how the EGO batteries last over time. My EGO leaf blower battery started flaking out on me after only 3 years of light use, so based on my sample size of one I'd be a bit worried. Also, at $400 each for the 10 Ah batteries ($200/5AH, $500/12Ah), a full compliment of 6 batteries for that EGO is gonna run $2,400! Yikes! No one buying that mower is gonna be willing to get only 15Ah of power for it - that wouldn't last 15 minutes. If your lawn is that small you'd get a push mower instead. So my observation is that this is very promising, but I'd worry about battery costs and longevity. (I currently own 2 EVs, so I'm not against battery powered equipment)
I had tested the Ego and it is a really nice machine, but I think its more for a lawn which is mowed like once a week or every second week. If you have to mow overgrown lawns all day long you might want to go with the John Deere. The real plus on the Ego is the low maintanence and its so quiet and smooth to operate. My favourite mower is the Zero Turn (Z6), which is fantastic
Electric equipment still needs maintenance, don't kid yourself of that. The maintenance more or less is on the batteries, but you also have to keep the motors clean so they don't overheat and lawn mowers are dirty machines for sure. Batteries have to be charged and that takes more time than filling a fuel tank. Batteries are also incredibly expensive and so is the machine they go into. In some places it's probably more economically feasible to use a gasoline (petrol/benzin) powered machine than it is to charge and buy batteries. Also, there's that planned obsolescence problem with battery powered equipment like this.
The ear defenders are a significant difference. Can you put a trailer behind the Ego? We've got a fairly antique X320 with 1400 hours, it's on its third or fourth seat and the bonnet fell apart this year. Spends a lot of its life with a trailer behind it. Probably getting through a 20l Jerry can a week at the moment.
Very good in the UK to be fair. Saw a 2 year old ego the other day sell for only 25% loss off new, that’s a better residual value than most petrol. If 10 years it may be different, but that is unknown yet. Like for like of course.
Would be good to see the blades, is the JD more set up for mulching being a yank mower with gator blades? Can't beat the Kawasaki engine and in 10 years time the petrol mower will have value unlike a 10 year old battery mower.
Standard blades on both machines. We will do a video where we go in more depth. This one was about if a battery mower can do what a petrol mower can and was already 23 minutes long 👍🏼
The resale value also may look bad due to the Ego probably being almost double the price of the Deere to start and especially having all six batteries.
Can't comment on either machine, as never used them. Have cut 6ft grass with a Kubota though, many years ago, and it pretty unstoppable! Obviously no grass box though! Unfortunately, I only have one job that would require a machine like this, so economically not viable. Will just struggle on with my walk behind!!😂
I think this is a bit of an endurance race. I have a 2004 John Deere 130. I've never replaced the tank/battery charging only takes three minutes. I only have 700 hours on the motor, but it's still running beautifully. I've never replaced one major part. Yes I have replaced the blades and the pulleys and belts and I am on the third battery. I can cut a 4 acre property in one tank, I can fill the tank in three minutes and cut another 4 acre property on and on and on.... . How do you fill a battery operated lawn tractor when you are run out of fuel and you are 1 mile away from home or your truck? I keep 5 gallon Gerry can on the backside of my John Deere for doing 20 acres. I guess, you could with a battery operated tractor have a trailer with a gas generator charging batteries.... Oh but I guess you'd be using gas again. The big question would be is your power grid using natural gas to create electricity to charge your battery??? Or if you're trying to be green, are you charging it from solar panels, and wind turbines located on your own property???
I have a Deere X350 with a slightly smaller motor (Kawasaki 17.5 hp) and it’s been great. I’m mowing about half an acre of manicured lawn weekly and another half acre of rough pasture every few weeks (mulching mostly). Oil changes are simple, and there’s easily accessible zerk fittings on the deck spindles and chassis. Easy.
@@insevanhouts It’s even easier not worrying about charge times, battery degradation, and the soul wrenching guilt that comes from a full understanding of lithium production.
a benefit of the John Deere type Tractor Mowers, is you can lift your deck quickly using your left foot, to go over (clear) rocks or other stuff you do not want to run the blade over.. you do not have that option on the EGO..
In the mid-1980s I bought a used Sears Craftsman battery powered riding mower with a 36' mower deck for $60. the mower would run for about 5 hours of mowing and was heavy enough to run down a 2" thick tree. The charger was on board and plugged directly into my home 110 volt system. I determined that the reason it was so cheap to buy was because the batteries were no longer available. It did an excellent and very quiet mowing job for 4 years. I ended up replacing the 2 batteries that came with the mower with 4 deep cycle marine batteries(2 under the hood and 2 in a towed wagon) I finally retired it after 4 more years because the steering knuckle and axles were worn out. Not a bad investment.
Not read all the responses but my first observation is that, with equal volume collectors, the widest-cut machine will fill up more quickly (at the same ground speed).
Really? A wider cutting mower will fill up faster than a narrower cutting mower?
@@Blueknight1960 I do hope you are jesting. If not, back to school?🙂
@@oliver90owner Ever heard of sarcasm?
@@Blueknight1960 Have you never heard of emojis? There are some (actually a lot) who are mathematically challenged people on these sites. You could be one of them, but a suitable emoji would separate you from them. Otherwise who knows?
@@oliver90owner Are you really that dumb you don't even understand you own comment?
I am on my third season with my EGO Z6. I swapped the tires to bar tread and that is the only thing I have had a complaint about the EGO. I replaced the blades this year and the process to get the deck off is exceptionally easy.
I owned a John Deere L120 for almost 10 years. When the engine finally blew, because the oil filter came loose and I didn't notice, I bought a Ryobi riding mower. The maintenance alone is reason to have an electric mower, soooo much easier when spring rolls around. No oil changes, no fuel or air filters, no smell, no noise. Nearly zero maintenance with EV mower. I've had the Ryobi now for 4+ years and still love it. (had to replace batteries once and next time that's required will buy lithium instead of SLA) Suffice it to say that I've had lots of experience with both and EV mowing is far superior. I get it that it would be a problem for a commercial operator that uses their mower constantly every day, but for homeowner, EV mowing is here and superior. (I have 2+ acres that I mow)
That noise alone is more than enough to convince me to go electric!
Don't burn your house down.
@@liv2fish21 I would be more concerned with gas cans in my garage than batteries. This Ryobi uses SLA batteries. Also, my Tesla is in the garage not the lawn mower. 😃 I’m an old guy but am fully enjoying the future that is electric.
Solarpunk Steve is a professional lawn service on youtube that uses all electric and they setup solar on their enclosed trailer to charge all of their stuff since they are in Florida.
I live where we have real winters. I wouldn't want to maintain the batteries. Also I mow 8 acres batteries wouldn't hold up to that and extra are always expensive.
Would like to see full tank of fuel vs full battery run time and how much time then back to full tank and full batteries to see which can get back to square one...think that makes sense lol😂
That I would have thought would jave been a no brainer to show, so I am a little skeptical with this test.
Plus COST over the years to replace parts!
2 sets of batteries, basically unlimited run time, faster to swap than fill up a gas tank🤷♂️
We also should throw into the test the amount of time it takes to recharge the batteries and refilling the tank on the gas mower. The maintenance on a battery mower is also something that should be kept up. You need to keep the vents and cooling fins clean on motors and batteries, you have to replace the batteries once in a while, keep air in the tires, checking electrical wiring for degradation or wear, replacing bearings in the motors, replacing the tires, you name it. Videos promoting battery mowers never take into consideration that they also need to be maintained or taking into consideration the degradation of the batteries as they degrade faster than an engine will and also the environmental impact of the disposal of the batteries at the end of life. Ultimately, you are spending the same if not more on batteries as you would be for the maintenance of a gas tractor and certainly more than say a Kubota GR2120 Diesel powered unit. (which anyone can do if they have the abiliity).
Batteries, at the very least these Lithium batteries are not at all recyclable as 90% or more of the battery is financially unfeasible or downright too difficult to recycle. Lead acid batteries are actually more recyclable than these things are. Also, either way, we are exposing ourselves and our planet to hazardous materials mining for battery ingredients and fossil fuels and in this case, the Ego needs both. Petroleum is needed for the plastics on Ego as well as toxic elements like the Lithium, cobalt, and other substances as well as tearing apart forests needed to help with cleaning the air of carbon dioxide.
That argument seems only valid to me if you have to mow a really large field or if you mow as a service. And for that purpose, i would definately consider the John Deere to be better suited, just because it's solid, sturdy, and you have dealerships everywhere that can help you out with spare parts and repairs quickly.
If you are a homowner that does not even use the full battery charge or fuel tank to cut all of the lawn you have, the charging/refuel time are really not adding any value to either system.
What i would have liked to see is actual service work and how easy it is to do. Cleaning the deck, removing the deck, removing the blades for sharpening and normal service or even small repairs like change the drive belt on the deck. Stuff that you would probably do as an owner with a garage and a bit of a DIY spirit.
Id buy the john deere all day long because of the re sale value and it be still cutting at a 1000 hrs in 15 years time
You could recycle the EGO and all it's batteries every 5 years and still be ahead on money...and by the 2nd or 3rd time you do that there will be even more efficient, powerful and environmentally friendly options that you should switch to. There's pretty much 0 reason to use ICEs in anything requiring less than ~30 horsepower. And then only if in select non-standard situations/scenarios
@@rcguymike it be better to buy 1 tractor keep it 20 no 1 is saying what it takes to keep battery machines around
@@noelcahill6707 no the emissions and cost of running an ICE are terrible. 60-80% of the energy generated from them is wasted on unwanted heat and emissions. Check out the videos Engineering Explained has done on automotive emissions, it's even worse for small engines such as these. California isn't wrong to ban the sale of new ICE small equipment, they're nearly as bad as having leaded AV gas...
@@noelcahill6707 petrol is so last millennium, the future is electric. and where will your resale value be when petrol is either prohibitively expensive or not available at all?
@@mrxmry3264 petrol is not gone yet my friend electric is only a stop gap
Not needing ear protection is a big win and makes the neighbors happy on a weekend.
I have a neighbor behind my house with a n EGO rider VERY loud with the blades running. Neighbor to the side has a John Deere not even half as loud. Definitely needs hearing protection with the Ego!
All my neighbors have gas mowers, so why should they be unhappy when I use mine ?
No noise and no emission, no vibration, no maintenance, I take the electric version.
LOL, the John Deere will still be running 15 years down the road, will you even be able to buy parts and batteries for your electric mower? Likely not.
Oh YES save the environment.. now go see how the ultra toxic batteries are made and how much diesel they burned to make it happen..
Why do these review channels never tell you how long the batteries last and how long they take to charge in the real world? That is what buyers want to know.
We have videos on this and how much the batteries cost to charge. We have a video coming on ride on battery longevity very soon!
are you wanting grid charge time and cost and/or solar time and cost?
@@jetah50 No just how long the batteries last in the real world and how long they take to charge.
@@terry987654 the charge time should be in the EGO battery manual or an estimate. my milwaukee batteries do charge in the rough time mentioned on their chargers, and my batteries are 2-5 years old.
the total run time would have been great to know within the video for 6 of the largest batteries.
@@terry987654 Well, I can honestly say that they take quite a bit more time to charge than it would take to fill the gas tank on that Deere 6 times. The discharge time would also be about half to three quarters of that Deere tank as well. At least, that's if the tank is as large as the one on my Cub Cadet tractor with a similar engine.
I got a JD425 and will likely continue down the x700 range due to the ability to have attachments and lifts.
And that's really where I think EGO and Greenworks. etc. are missing out. It would be comparatively simple to create attachments and a lift that don't need a separate hydraulic system like on a petrol garden tractor. Put an electric motor on the accessories and run a cable to it. Simpler than a PTO.
I think the winner would be whomever does this first but that's just me. So many accessories they could sell.
Nothing wrong with the JD, it is the company.
JD corp. is gready and corrupt.
JD had a electric mower 50 years ago ,
It was good on lead acid batteries.
Really JD should by now be the leader in electric yard equipment .
What about run time of bank of batteries vs tank of petrol? So can I mow 1, 2, 5 acres on a bank of batteries?
This decreases each year as well. So, like you can mow an acre to start on a full charge. That drops considerably as time goes using batteries vs fuel. Gas equipment, if properly maintained will continue to mow that hectare on a full tank for more than ten or twenty years. You also have to maintain electric equipment too. Checking the condition of electrical wiring harnesses, keeping the motors clean extends the life. You get the idea.
@@WJCTechyman You know you do not need to chime in on every comment, right? Of course there is maintenance. Everyone knows that current battery tech is not perfect and degrades over time. That does not mean that there isn't a place for an electric mower nor consumers for whom it would be the better choice.
@@bruceritchie7613 No, not everyone "knows that current battery tech is not perfect." In fact we have massive numbers of people who run around spewing crap every day about how great battery powered anything is and how there is never a need for anything with a normal combustion engine anymore and how all electric is the way of the future and that future is now. Can electric stuff work for some people, sure. But the amount of absolute bullcrap that surrounds electric anything that makes it out to be the best thing is the universe is directly contrary to your statement that everyone is already aware of the realities of battery tech.
@@ram89572Well the reality is that the limitations are fairly slim nowadays and shrinking every year.
The lifespan on good-quality battery cells exceeds 15-20 years nowadays.
I have an ego walk self-propelled, I love it !!! Quiet, no gas storage. I'd love the tractor !!!
if i needed a lawnmower, i'd go for a robot, probably a husqvarna.
@@mrxmry3264 I would say go for a Honda (if you have them in your area) as Husqvarna is expensive crap. Either that or go for a corded mower, no hazardous material disposal to worry about. Also the reduction of the potential of a Lithium battery fire.
General Electric had a cool electric garden tractor back in the 1970’s
One point that seems to have been overlooked was obstruction mitigation and recovery. If a gas engine encounters a rock or unseen obstruction there is the possibility of bending drive shafts, bent pulleys, damaged belts. With the electric they have depending on the deck width either 2 or 3 independent electric motors. At worse they will stop spinning until the obstruction has been cleared. In addition to the clear price difference. The electric wins hands down. No oil, gas. No carburetor, air filter, starter, spark plug replacement. Electric is cleaner and quieter to operate. An ICE has a series of controlled explosions going on to drive the mower. I've seen some mowers that have been ill maintained actually catch fire. I think the odds of such an occurrence with an electric mower is far lower then with ICE.
Like others said what happens after the warranty runs out on the EGO one? Won't be able to fix it easely. No part. That's what we don't know as of today.
@@thibault5484You absolutely can fix it pretty easily, you just need some basic skills working with electricity. These things are *very* simple, essentially just wires going from the battery to a controller to the motors.
If something fails you can usually just chuck in another motor or controller with a similar power and voltage and it will immediately start working again, and the chances of something failing is a lot lower than a gas engine to begin with.
Good ole EGO add disguised as a review based around how quickly the collection bin fills up, with different sized decks?
@@fastertruck the bins didn’t fill up in the last test the shoots blocked 🤦🏻♂️
@@MachineryNation tell me you didn't get paid or a kick back from EGO
Thanks for the video and info. I will be buying a 54" Ego zero turn hopefully this year as I will help my pops cut his half acre yard, cut my yard, and trim for 9 acres and the rest he will get with his tractor and brush mower. It comes with (6) 12amp hour batteries and since I get all Ego tools with a 5amp hour battery I have their chainsaw, blower, weed eater, pole saw, and soon their backpack sprayer so I will have 5 extra batteries to do a full day of cutting.
@@RossMalagarie I’m guessing
You didn’t watch the whole video? We do exactly that about 3/4 way through. We also have another video on run times with the zero turn 👍🏼
@@MachineryNation thanks yeah I commented too early and after I finished watching the whole video I deleted that part of my comment. Thanks again for all the info and video.
after replacing mower belts and pulleys over and over and also carburetors, im ready to move on to just replacing tires and the occasional battery
My 2001 23 years old John Deere L110 is still alive and cutting. Nothing runs like a Deere for sure.
Saying that I drive a Tesla Model X for the last 2 years. Electric revolution might as well get into agricultural equipment.
how long does it go without charging though? also how often do the batteries need change?
I'd like to see the same test run on the same mowers in ten years. My bet is the Deere will still be in one piece, and the Ego will be scraps of plastic. That said, I bet the Ego is all good and fine for light consumer use, where the JD would hold up with a lot of heavy use on large properties for many years. I have two JD X300s and they sit in the weather and take all kinds of abuse. The only down side to the JDs is the plastic hoods don't fair well under UV light and tend to crack and break. But the run just as well with out the hoods. I enjoyed watching yall across the pond: )
I'm in the southern US where it gets to high 90's/low 100's in the summer (low 80's at night). I have a battery powered push mower (with a second set of batteries). It won't last a whole cut in the mid summer (not a big yard). The heat zaps the battery life (when cooler weather comes, i can do the whole yard) . If i were going to get a riding mower, I'd go ICE, though not a Deere.
Something a bit suss there. I have similar temperature ranges and my Ryobi HP + 2 x 36V batteries handles my 800 sqm (approx 650 sqm of assorted grasses) with about 50% charge left.
Maybe try one of those small refrigerator and charge and store your batteries Inside it or put them inside it the night before.
@@retrozmachine1189 Not all battery mowers are built the same. I live in the same location in the US as this guy and I've used an 80v GreenWorks for the last 10 years and haven't had any issues cutting a half acre lot.
Love my ego weed whacker and wöak-behind mower, we have a husqvarna ts138 mower with plow and chains for winter but this seems like a nice machine. If they have compatible plows and so on, on the way, and chains, then I would likely consider it. Especially if it has a simple mounting process.
I'd take the EGO any day. I have a normal yard, not 5 acres, however if I did, I'd purchase the batteries to do the job. Love it!
And how much would that be?
@@axtra92 It would cost more than you would want to spend. I, on the other hand, would have all the other tools available that the battery operates to off-set the cost. One could spend $150-$400 on each battery. If you were cutting 4" grass on 5 acres a couple batteries would probably do the trick. Then, use your EGO trimmer, blower ect.... Once I went to battery operated tools and equipment, I will never go back to gas.
EGO says 6 batteries will cover 1.5 acres, so for 5 acres you would need at least 20x 6.0 Ah batteries, which run $350 ea. That's $7,000 in batteries that only have a 3 yr limited warranty 😂
that's more than the mower costs, btw 😂😂😂
@@rotaryenginepete the batteries for these tools don't last very long either. these things are designed as disposable, where a gas mower is designed to last for decades.
I purchased the Ego when we got our new house. Its .6 acre on a hill. With my overweight self it couldnt cut the whole yard with the included 6 6Ah batteries. I didnt feel like dropping more money up front fo longer range so it got returned. Happily using a Milwaukee push mower now and it does great
I have the zero turn with 6 x 10A batteries. I cut 3 acres at a time with 20% left. Not sure what's going on with you....
Have the same john deere it's great
Hey did u forget the John Deere is cutting more grass because the deck is bigger, so your test is off plus what about how long can you cut before your batteries die or the gas runs out?
What is the cost to recharge the batteries vs the cost of a tank of gas? And what are the ranges of each?
Charging batteries is a lot less expensive than Gasoline. I have a battery operated push mower. The cost to charge the batteries is almost nothing. With a larger machine, I’m sure there will be a noticeable cost. But it will still be negligible compared to gasoline.
Good comparison test between the mowers... Thanks!
Thanks Jim, glad you enjoyed the video
Love my E GO z6
change your name to knob
If you add in the fact that the JD can take attachments and do more with just one machine, I think it's the better value in the long term
@@rickkrueger399 Only what you can put on a trailer hitch the same as the EGO. There is no linkage on this machine
I really like my JD X370 with power steering and power deck lift. I also added the push button mulch/side discharge option which has come in handy especially for that first cut in the spring when the lawn is always taller than normal.
Both nice,but the Deere for me,it will still work in 10/15 years time,the ego I bet not.
It is difficult to say. Maybe battery powered mowers will last. The oldest of my Ego gear is 6 years old. It still goes well but the motors are much smaller.
electric motors can work a long term. now the batteries are a different story.
I agree as there are two words that will limit the life of any battery product: planned obsolescence. The Kawasaki engine will have support for years if not a few decades.
@@jetah50 Depends on how they build the motors. Even if they last a while, the wiring to them may degrade more quickly before then.
@@WJCTechyman that's like saying the fuel lines might degrade because ethanol-free wasn't used. or the air filter should be changed. or the spark plug should be changed. or the coil wire should be checked.
that degradation happens but wires are way more resilient than any fuel/air/mix/combustion will be.
Useful comparison guys, I purchased a new Iseki ride on 3 years ago, fancied a Deere but my local dealer was adamant on sticking with the RRP for what was a basic JD, I did consider a Stiga battery mower local to me but was not sure on the longer term durability or cost of battery replacement in the future. Apart from one deck belt problem my Iseki has been trouble free so far apart from recently the electric tipping grass box has failed so resort to the lever to tip handles 1 acre of mowing no problem. Keep them coming , fancy a test of a out front deck mower soon please.
Good shout. If a dealer won't budge on price whatsoever, don't use them.👍
Thanks mate, yes and out front video will be on the cards.
Is this a test between the gas versus the electric asp or the other design features of the two different mowers?
Also what accessories are available, snow blowers,leaf backs, snow blows. Is the eGO or Deere rated for ground engaging implements?
I have a Stihl, Push On battery powerred. I'll NEVER go back 😁
This was a weird comparison, like a car vs a pickup truck. The Ego looks like a great lawn mower, but the Deere X series is a utility tractor; its transmission is designed for heavier duty activities. It will accept a Deere 44”snow blade or a 44” snow blower accessory mounted on the front, and a weather enclosure (cab) to keep you dry while using them. Aftermarket vendors even make a light duty front loader attachment. You’ll pay dearly for any of these things, but they last a lifetime. I see no such options for the Ego.
I’ve never seen bagging systems like that in the USA . But long term I’d take the gas mower all day.
What was the issue at the 7-minute mark? Something about the grass collecting?
Josh had left the mulching plug in the back of the mower, so it was not collecting the grass 😂 then I checked my mower and I had done the same 👍🏼
The issue for me is the attachments. I use my JD year around. In the winter I use it for snow removal, in the spring I use it to till my garden,among other things, summer is mowing of course, fall is hauling firewood and stacking it. What attachments are available for the ego?
In the U.K. this is not a thing, the only attachment people use here is a trailer. And both mowers can have a trailer.
Hi James + Josh, great review on Petrol V Battery, both seem very good on power and cut. Looks like you both had fun, as always a great video take care
Thank you Shaun 👍🏼
People need to relate this to cars . Both are brilliant
What kind of grass only grows 10mm in a week? I want to get some of that. In a week my grass grows at least 30mm, sometimes 50mm depending on weather and season.
I thought you were going to cut long grass. My Husky had to mow 5 acres on a regular basis and some weeks the grass was LONG, almost half the height of the mower. Did a great job, had about a 3 hour run before needed to refil the fuel tank.
The cut width makes a big difference too, wider the cut, less mowing, but yes will fill the catcher faster as its a wider cut.
My old 1980s murray wont stall out when cutting alot taller gras than that… and why is he acting like it has trouble starting again… letting go of the key..
I live in the USA, we do get a fair amount of rain so the humidity in the mornings is mowing wet grass and most mow in the afternoon. I have 2 clear areas on the top of my bag catcher but after a couple of years it is green and cannot see the level anymore, something to think about. I also have 2 EV push mowers, they are great. Light weight but I have had to replace the batters a couple of years ago and there is maintenance that you still have to do on EV mowers like the sharping the blades every year. I just change the last lawn mowers over to mulching blades this year.
I mow 7 acres at least once a week at 8 MPH and a 66 inch cut with a 66 inch trail mower towed off set. For an effective 10 1/2 foot cut width. Mowing with gas isn't a chore.
So which one lasted longer mowing. How long to charge batteries. Don't think batteries would work commercial
lawnmower sim was getting old so i started watching these instead
I have nothing against either and could see myself using either. I have owned a JD Riding mower before I bought it used and ran it for at least 10 or 11 years never did anything but change the oil and sharpen the blades. Sold it for about 50% of what I paid for it so I was happy with it.
For me the one really big advantage of an electric model would be if you store it in your basement or garage that is attached to your home there is NO need to store gasoline for it also in your home. Reduces the danger of doing that and the smell etc. That would go for a push mower also which would require the same thing.
In other words I would consider either if I were in the market for one.
I think it depends on your use case as to which is better for you. I use electric yard tools but will stick with a gas mower for the foreseeable future.
We have an exmark with a 52 inch welded deck. We love the robustness and durability of it and I wish they would make stronger built electric mowers with welded decks
What wasn't mentioned is attachments available for each. Towing a dump cart is the most basic accessory but snow blades or snow blowers might be important depending where you live.
I'm a Deere owner and I love them. My sister is in the market and I'm encouraging her to go the EGO direction.
For information purposes, the Deere X350 42 inch deck and the EGO you tested/with 6 batteries included are equal in price in the United States. 3,999.00 USD.
My choice of the Deere had little to do with grass cutting ability. I live in the northeastern United States. That equals snow....I have the single stage snow blower for my Deere. We love to garden...I have the rear tiller for my Deere. For some reason, my wife feels the entire planet needs to be mulched...I have the large dump cart for the Deere.
Both tractor come with basic side discharge. Baggers and mulching kits are extra. 500 to 700 USD to add the bagging option. Our baggers are a more traditional hard top/side discharge chute/hanging cloth bag. Two or three bag option for the Deere, two bags for EGO. Garbage bags/can liners can be placed inside the bags and clippings collected directly in the bags.
First time visitor to the channel. Thanks so much for your time.
Range? Why 6 batteries? Should do a run time under load.
Curious what charge cost is vs a gallon of fuel
Charging batteries is a lot less.
I have a 2003 Craftsman 42 inch deck and 17 hp kohler. I paid around $1200 for it new and besides doing oil changes I had to replace the drive belt this summer. The electric is nice and under Certain circumstances im sure it has a place. PS, a solar charging station would be nice.
How long will they run side by side until the Deer runs out of gas to the time the 6 batteries runs out?
Sight glass into the box is something I've said for years that these mowers need, my alko has one via some funky reversing 😬 nice review guys 👍
Yeah, something that, if you ever owned a dry bagless vacuum cleaner, becomes useless after the first ten mowings as it just gets cloudy from the sand and dirt hitting it.
Would like to see a spring time type comparison test where because of weather you couldn't cut the grass so it got out of hand like 6" tall or so. Remove the baggers and see which mows the longest Full tank of gas vs full 100% battery. Go different drive speeds and see how fast each can go without bogging done to much, etc.
Not everyone lives on flat land. I’d like to see how the EGO holds up cutting hilly terrain.
@@chrislong5249 they would perform very similar, both rated to 15deg
What is the cost difference? I would use a JD on the farm any day. Our power is spotty, and our winters are cloudy with no wind, but the JD isn't hampered by cold, ice, and snow. Pop the deck off, drive over it and couple up the snow blade. On our farm, we had our garden tractor for mowing, cultivating, tilling, winter cleaning, and snow blowing, and we welded up extra implements for tending to our acre of trees. Some days, you needed the tractor to clean blown-in snow during blizzards, and it was not uncommon in Manitoba to have to power out for a week. The blizzard of 86 had snowed in Winnipeg, just not seeing an electric surviving at -40 for long. I think Winnipeg set a record at -50 in the last couple of years.
@@OldGuyAdventure we say in the video
On a JD you have to remember to lubricate the blade drive shafts. Very awkward. Ego has direct drive electric motors. 👍👍🇨🇦
How much are the blades for each? Here in Australia the blades for the Ego 52 inch ride on are nearly twice the price compared to a Hustler Fastrak.
Would be a cool test on a full tank of fuel vs there max batteries. I have 5 acres and want to go battery butost say 3 max
I got tired of replacing the electric controller on the JD every year or so
I use a Cub Cadet 1650 that my parents bought new in 1975. For many years I mowed with it's 50 inch deck in summer and then blew snow with it's snowblower in the winter. But bought a Cub zero turn 5 years ago so the 1650 is now semi retired and just blows snow. Kinda doubt an electric would still be going strong at nearly 50 years old. I could be wrong.
Would you not expect a smaller cutting deck to go further than a larger one to fill the same size bag?
Excellent point.
JD 320..... 30yrs old .....48 inch deck and 42 inch snow thrower......never a problem
Price of each? Would like to see long term tests including maintenance, battery costs etc.
@@madcrabber1113 we literally discuss price and maintenance of both in the video 👍🏼
I got same battery on my EGO hand mower, the battery die a the end of second summer, pay 800$ for all kit, and the battery alone cost 300$, only 1 years warranty...mower die after 4 years. I go back to gaz. Good luck with the battery
I'm gradually moving over to all battery stuff. It is so reliable and so much easier to look after as long as you get the decent stuff. Love it!
How about John Deere 370 R
My 20 john deere lx280 with 18 hp still mows perfect. Let's see ego do that plus it blows snow in the winter.
did he choke it to start it after it was warmed up???
To be fair, the deck on the JD was not level (The rear was higher than the front) This affected the finish of the cut. To be fair, I have an battery powered mower and trimmer. The always start, are much lighter and way less messy. My mower (Kobalt) is still going strong after our yard is mowed and I can get two cuts before a recharge.
@@DancerOfClouds they are meant to be like that, even says it in the Pdi manual. We were a dealer for 12 years 👍🏼
The John Deere filled the bag sooner because the bags were the same size but the EGO had a smaller deck therefore there was less to pick up.
@@davekoch1184 do you mean on the last test? As they didn’t fill the bags, just blocked up the shoot 👍🏼
@MachineryNation doesn't matter really, the issue is the same. The John Deere is moving more material than the EGO. With respect to the rest of the tests, if I were ditching my JD I would consider an electric. I would likely consider a 60v Greenworks because I already have a 60v 21" self propelled, an 18" chain saw, a weed sprayer and a weed whip.
With a battery machine you can charge it free with solar. Even a small unit will fill the rider when you need it. But with gas you have oil changes and fuel cost. So in reality they cancel each other out. I will say though I'm an EGO owner of most tools and I bring my batteries in during winter months just like I would with and outside batteries or they'll be trash next season. That being said though I use mine in snowblowers, leaf blowers, chain saws, weed wackers so they never idle very long.
The John Deer has a wider cut and therefore cuts more grass more quickly. Theres a reason battery mowers have a narrower deck is because they cant do the job of a petrol mower. I have a battery ride on that is a replacement for an old Greenfield that has run faultlessly for 25 years and cut very long grass up to a meter high with ease. My electric mower cant do that and I am waiting to see if it will last as long as my Greenfield. I live in Australia where w have quite tough grass in the vacant blocks I used the Greenfield to mow.
@@neilbeauchamp1924 the grass boxes did not fill up in the last test, the grass shoots blocked on both. So yes relevant 👍🏼
I am a fan of ICE cars and I don't see heavy EV tractors in the near future or at all (hydrogen ICE maybe), but for my garden I have fully moved few years ago to battery tools , it's so much more pleasure to use, so much easier - just plug and play. The only downside is the heavy EGO batteries but I guess I car skip the gym on these days 🙂
I didn't hear commentary about which did a tighter turn, but to me it appeared that win may go to dear John. (Loved the humor bits😂), also you're mispeaking by trying to compare petrol fuel to the fuel being a battery. Batteries are the size of the fuel tank and sort of the diameter of the fuel line if we want to split hairs... but the fuel in electrics is measured appropriately in kWh (amount of energy over time), so you could do a avg petrol consumption test and price, vs. Avg electricity cost to recharge, and then gather side by side run durations for same height setting and square meters surface mowed. I like Ego, love my carbon shaft trimmer, best self loading spool system ive ever used, refill 6m of line in about 30s at the push of a button. Snap on new battery every 30-45m and keep going. A year and a half later (stored in garage, not in sun), the rubber dust cover over the spool feed switch crumbled apart, very disappointed about that. @Ego we need to chat.😢
In the US you can buy Ego at Deere dealerships now they’ve got some sort of arrangement between the two companies. I’ve got a Deere zero turn gas but I think my next one will be a battery powered lawn tractor like that ego.
I be;icee my Deere dealer was carrying Greenworks, not Ego
Both great mowers. Nice one
I’ve come across quite a few battery powered mowers inoperable here in the Midwest after winter. Never messed with them since the resale market isn’t so good.
I have a John Deere and it has been very good , but I hardly use it anymore. I have an electric car electric Milwaukee garden equipment and ego ride on. I love the quietness and how clean electric is .
The quietness is a big winner, I agree 👍🏼
the future is electric.
@@mrxmry3264 Only if you don't use a lot of coal or fossil fuels to generate said electricity like say Germany or the US. Also, I would rather use a corded electric mower, not as much in the way of hazardous substances in a corded electric mower as there are in battery powered units. Also, less risk of fire from corded equipment.
@@mrxmry3264 the future was electric until the batteries died 😂
A very good Thursday evening to you all from Wellington Somerset
Good morning 👍🏼
So my dishwasher's error chime and complete chime makes exactly the same beeping sound as the EGO, took me far too long to realize it was from the video.
You forgot 1 main thing deck size. Wider deck equals more grass collected.
On the test where the decks were at the lowest setting and the John Deere stopped twelve feet before the Ergo was because it is doing a wider cut. Cutting more grass.
@@tonysheerness2427 the shoot blocked, they either filled up in this test.
I like both but ehen you hsve s lot of property to mow, the question here is which will lsst longer ss for mowing and the charge time ss to the gas powered you put gas in it start and go
Having owned several JD Garden Tractors, I would say that the EGO is a great competitor. The build quality looks to be excellent, but that is something that can only be seen over time. JD tractors are mostly very well built (except for the "big box" models, which the X350R is not), and parts are readily available. But not having a gas engine to maintain is a big plus. I would like to know how the EGO batteries last over time. My EGO leaf blower battery started flaking out on me after only 3 years of light use, so based on my sample size of one I'd be a bit worried. Also, at $400 each for the 10 Ah batteries ($200/5AH, $500/12Ah), a full compliment of 6 batteries for that EGO is gonna run $2,400! Yikes! No one buying that mower is gonna be willing to get only 15Ah of power for it - that wouldn't last 15 minutes. If your lawn is that small you'd get a push mower instead. So my observation is that this is very promising, but I'd worry about battery costs and longevity. (I currently own 2 EVs, so I'm not against battery powered equipment)
I had tested the Ego and it is a really nice machine, but I think its more for a lawn which is mowed like once a week or every second week. If you have to mow overgrown lawns all day long you might want to go with the John Deere. The real plus on the Ego is the low maintanence and its so quiet and smooth to operate. My favourite mower is the Zero Turn (Z6), which is fantastic
Thanks Derra 👍🏼
Electric equipment still needs maintenance, don't kid yourself of that. The maintenance more or less is on the batteries, but you also have to keep the motors clean so they don't overheat and lawn mowers are dirty machines for sure. Batteries have to be charged and that takes more time than filling a fuel tank. Batteries are also incredibly expensive and so is the machine they go into. In some places it's probably more economically feasible to use a gasoline (petrol/benzin) powered machine than it is to charge and buy batteries. Also, there's that planned obsolescence problem with battery powered equipment like this.
@@WJCTechyman did you manage to watch the video to the end? We cover all this and answer these questions on servicing and price 👍🏼
The ear defenders are a significant difference.
Can you put a trailer behind the Ego? We've got a fairly antique X320 with 1400 hours, it's on its third or fourth seat and the bonnet fell apart this year. Spends a lot of its life with a trailer behind it.
Probably getting through a 20l Jerry can a week at the moment.
yes you can
what is the resale value of an ev?
Very good in the UK to be fair. Saw a 2 year old ego the other day sell for only 25% loss off new, that’s a better residual value than most petrol. If 10 years it may be different, but that is unknown yet. Like for like of course.
Would be good to see the blades, is the JD more set up for mulching being a yank mower with gator blades? Can't beat the Kawasaki engine and in 10 years time the petrol mower will have value unlike a 10 year old battery mower.
John deere will come with standard blades in the UK, you've got to pay extra for mulching blades. 👍
Standard blades on both machines. We will do a video where we go in more depth. This one was about if a battery mower can do what a petrol mower can and was already 23 minutes long 👍🏼
The resale value also may look bad due to the Ego probably being almost double the price of the Deere to start and especially having all six batteries.
@@WJCTechyman watch the video to the end mate, the EGO is less money than the Deere 🤦🏻♂️
Bad test why not drive alone so you hear a difference in the sound? How far it does it go on the batteri?
Can't comment on either machine, as never used them. Have cut 6ft grass with a Kubota though, many years ago, and it pretty unstoppable! Obviously no grass box though! Unfortunately, I only have one job that would require a machine like this, so economically not viable. Will just struggle on with my walk behind!!😂
Kubota makes decent riders, if anything, they're better than Deere as they are made of steel while Deere likes to use plastic for some reason.
I think this is a bit of an endurance race. I have a 2004 John Deere 130. I've never replaced the tank/battery charging only takes three minutes. I only have 700 hours on the motor, but it's still running beautifully. I've never replaced one major part. Yes I have replaced the blades and the pulleys and belts and I am on the third battery.
I can cut a 4 acre property in one tank, I can fill the tank in three minutes and cut another 4 acre property on and on and on.... . How do you fill a battery operated lawn tractor when you are run out of fuel and you are 1 mile away from home or your truck? I keep 5 gallon Gerry can on the backside of my John Deere for doing 20 acres. I guess, you could with a battery operated tractor have a trailer with a gas generator charging batteries.... Oh but I guess you'd be using gas again.
The big question would be is your power grid using natural gas to create electricity to charge your battery??? Or if you're trying to be green, are you charging it from solar panels, and wind turbines located on your own property???
I have a Deere X350 with a slightly smaller motor (Kawasaki 17.5 hp) and it’s been great. I’m mowing about half an acre of manicured lawn weekly and another half acre of rough pasture every few weeks (mulching mostly). Oil changes are simple, and there’s easily accessible zerk fittings on the deck spindles and chassis. Easy.
You know what's easier? No oil changes
@@insevanhouts It’s even easier not worrying about charge times, battery degradation, and the soul wrenching guilt that comes from a full understanding of lithium production.
@@jimm244 But oil is fine, obviously.
a benefit of the John Deere type Tractor Mowers, is you can lift your deck quickly using your left foot, to go over (clear) rocks or other stuff you do not want to run the blade over.. you do not have that option on the EGO..