LOVE this mower, but since following the LCN, my grass is so lush that the mower can't keep up 100% and it clumps up a bit - sometimes requiring a second pass or a quick hit w/ leaf blower. I'm all in w/ Ego, though, and they'll improve with time.
Coming from UA-cam's lawn care OG, I really appreciate that! But seriously this channel is one of only a few where I haven't missed a single video. It's helped me a ton
I wish you would interview your neighbors one day. I’d love to hear their comments about their weird neighbor walking around the yard filming himself and crawling thru the grass looking at who knows what... Love the channel!
I bought this mower based on your review. Couldn’t be happier with it. Two days ago the mrs. had a friend over, and as soon as she got out of the car she said I can’t believe how nice your grass looks. All because of your tips !
This video was super helpful as I was just researching this exact mower (and the Ego edger) a few days ago. Really love all of the straightforward, firsthand experience you share with us. Also, I don’t know how many people comment on it, but I love all of the interesting camera angles you setup in your videos.
I'm on my third Summer with the EGO 21" Self-propelled mower. I only use a push mower for edging, cutting up close to trees, and a small patch of grass along side my driveway that is difficult to cut with the lawn tractor when cars are parked in the drive. I did when I first bought it I cut my whole 19,000 SF lawn a couple times with just the EGO. I wanted to find out if the battery would last long enough to cut the whole lawn which it did with power to spare. I did not use the self-propelled motor for most of the lawn, only a couple spots that totaled less than 100 feet. I was happy with the performance in my mixed grass NJ lawn. I like the easy height adjustment just as you did, and the easy to adjust handle height is a nice feature too. One of the best things is no gas. I loved all my 4 cycle and 2 cycle yard tools and I have plenty of them, mostly Stihl, but not having to mess with 2 stroke oil and winterizing all those tools is great. At the end of the season just pull the battery and park it for the winter. It is VERY quiet, so much so you can hear the blades of grass being cut. I agree the light weight (62# for the self-propelled model with battery) may be a factor in uneven cutting because if your ground is rough or bumpy the mower will tend to bounce more than a heavier machine would. However, that lighter weight makes it very nimble and almost a one-handed machine. I also like how you can fold the handle up and stow in an upright position, something you wouldn't want to do with a gasoline mower. That also makes it super simple to remove the blade for sharpening and for cleaning the underside of the mower deck. The mower was the first piece I bought, but not long after that I bought the 540 CFM blower and then the chainsaw. A chainsaw is not something I use often, and my 18" Stihl was sitting just begging to be put to use. But it requires a 50:1 oil mix and most of my other 2 stroke tools are 32:1 so now I need to keep a second can of mix. So I decided to give the EGO chainsaw a try and for HO use it's the best cordless chainsaw out there I think.If I had it to do over again would I buy the EGO mower? Yes. When I bought mine they were just out and the price was $600. At the new $499 price I think it's a good buy for someone who doesn't want to mess with gas, for use at a summer home where you don't want to have gasoline hanging around or deal with winterizing. Face it, you can bring this thing in the house and store it in the basement if you wanted to and not have to worry about gasoline fumes or combustible liquids in the house. I want to see EGO come out with a power head and multiple attachments like an edger, hedge trimmer, pole pruner, string trimmer, and brush cutter. When that happens I will go all in and do away with all my 2 stroke yard tools. I'm even looking into a electric zero-turn mower to replace my JD X534.
Great review. I got an Ego 21” SP mower a week ago and I’ve only used it once but I’m really happy with it. I’m not really a lawn guy, in fact I hate mowing. But now thanks to the Ego, this was the first time I’ve ever been disappointed that I’ve finished mowing haha. I gotta say... how awesome is the mulching plug! What a genius idea. My old gas mower didn’t have mulching capability so it would get clogged every few meters so I had to lift it up to get the grass clippings out but then it would blow back all over me and the yard was full of big ass clumps of grass.
Bought the Ego 21" push mower 3 years ago. Not self-propelled. I struggled with a LB push mower I purchased at HD for 3 years before that. I had to have it serviced 3 times because the carburetor failed. Wouldn't start. I've never had an issue like this with a gas mower before. Taking the mower to get serviced required me to put the mower in the trunk of my sedan. That's fun. My lawn is 6500 square feet and the Ego manages it well. I don't miss going to the gas station and having to purchase fuel and hoping the gas canister doesn't tip over in the footwell of the front passenger seat of my car. The mow is on par with the previous mowers I've had - when they were running. I like the lighter plastic mower and the quieter operation. Folding up the mower so it takes much less space in the garage is fantastic. I now have an Ego mower, hedge trimmer, blower, and string trimmer. Come to think of it, I didn't like the previous gas powered string trimmer either. It was fussy. I have two Ego mower blades and I sharpen them myself. Overall, I doubt the Ego can cut as well as some of the best gas mowers out there. However, the ease of use and convenience of electricity more than make up for this. The batteries are great too - I have two of them and they have not degraded at all in 3 years as far as I can tell.
I got excited when I saw the subject line of your video for 2 reasons - first is I thought, I didn’t think the LCN would ever buy/review a battery powered mower, and second is because.....that’s MY mower! This is my 3rd season using it, and your first discovery about the height setting must not just be a fluke, because I experienced the same since day one with this mower. I have tall fescue and always use the highest setting my mower offers, but just like you, I noticed there was a lot of unevenness and many more “missed spots” than the norm. But taking it down just one notch does the trick, and produces a much more even cut with the occasional missed spot here and there. I’ve used it for 2 full summers and the battery is still going strong...I have a little over 5,000 sq ft of mowing space and it is still running when I’m done. I’m sure you can’t compare it to a gas mower (I’ve never had one so I know I can’t!) but overall I’m pleased with the performance on it. I had a B&D before this one but it wasn’t self-propelled, and from all my research before I forked out the $500 for it, I learned that the self-propelled feature is what makes it cost so much in the battery operated world. You can get a cheaper battery powered mower but it’s likely not self-propelled. And you know the saying, once you go self-propelled, there’s no going back! Ok, maybe no one actually says that, but still true nonetheless!
Slowing down a little will help it cut better in the highest setting. I'm not sure how you had yours set, but he set his on the fastest setting. All mowers will mow a little better and mulch better at a slower speed. I never saw anyone mow their grass at 4" high. Maybe that is what's required for St. Augustine, in Florida, for it to look good. Two other things the LCN didn't mention is, he will likely retain his hearing longer by using the EGO, and not inhaling fumes is a plus to his health as well. The cranes like it much better as well, another plus! ;-)
Yay for the cranes! And neighbors, too. Don't forget about the neighbors. As much as I like mowing my lawn, I hate hearing gas powered mowers and other equipment that my neighbors use -- they are incredibly LOUD! I would never go to gas powered anything.I definitely don't have my speed on the fastest setting. I have a relatively small yard so I just take it nice and slow. I think part of the problem (if you really want to call it that) is that I amped up my fertilization over the last 6 mo's using milo and this spring my lawn was super thick, long and lush. I really needed to get out there and cut it every 4 days but I didn't, resulting in more clippings and more spots that were missed. So really it was mostly my fault, not the mower :)
The first time I used mine, some of the grass was 4" tall and thick because I live in Louisiana and I was getting my yard done every other week. The mower really performed. I had it on height setting 2. You can't start it in really thick, long grass. You have to pick a different spot that isn't so dense but once it's running, you can go over the tall grass. I don't have the self-propelled because it was $100 more. It's a bit of work to push it but I have a very small yard so it's fine for me. I'm sure that makes me push it slower.
Your assessment is correct. At the highest setting it has an uneven cut. I cut at the next level down. I use the highest level for knocking down overgrown grass. GREAT MOWER. Cutting the lawn is no longer a weekend chore. I cut my Saint Augustine twice a week. Very quiet. It can be used at any time.The lights are great for cutting in the early morning or in the evening. No more smelling like exhaust when I'm done mowing.
My Ego is my new "daily driver" I got it last year because I like to mow at 6-7am and the quiet motor is nice. I have noticed a minor difference in cut quality at higher settings, but the self propel is the biggest difference. When I don't use the self propel, the cut quality is beautiful. So I've learned to only use it on uphill sections. The mower itself is very light so pushing it down a slope or on level ground isn't a strain. It's also easy to pick up and carry up your deck stairs and put away. I also want to give this mower big props because I ran and mowed a large section of my lawn with it. Yes, you read that right. I ran with it as fast as I could push to finish the lawn and the results were acceptable. I got caught mowing while a rainstorm was starting up. I thought I had enough time to finish before the rain started but I didn't. I ended up running the last 1/4 of my lawn with this mower.
I enjoyed my 5th by running a half marathon in the morning, a 2 hr. baseball practice with my 10 year old son, and later enjoyed my mow by putting down double stripes with my Honda HRX217 and homemade strip kit and it was my birthday weekend. Thanks for all the tips from a transitional season grass owner.
I'm exactly like you said who just started taking care of lawn and doesn't really want to mess with gas. I picked up almost EGO's whole line-up. All the tools perform quite nicely (maybe except the snow-blower). The benefit of having multiple tools is to have batteries to swap and never run out of power. I'm really glad to see you got one of those too and start reviewing it. Nice work!
Glad everyone is happy with theirs. I returned mine. It was to long to turn around on sides of the house. It really didn't cut that well. And seeing videos of broken wires and other problems I to unconfident to keep it.
This is the mower I bought this spring. I really like it. I have almost half an acre (2/3 of it being in the back yard). I can do the back on one battery charge, even when I use the self propelled feature half of the time to get myself out of hills. Enjoying your videos!
I had the same experience with the top position on the EGO. I lowered it as you did ad got a fantastic cut. My gas mower will be in the next garage sale.
Neighbors: "Hey Deb, there's that weird lawn mower guy measuring his grass again". My neighbors always ask why I take care of my lawn. I live in a let it go area in the forest but still try to have a presentable lawn. They really do stop and tell me that clearing land for more lawn just means I'll have to mow more. Do they really think I didn't consider this?
My brother bought a beautiful lake house on 7 acres and is now mowing two acres more than the previous owner did. Of course he has a nice rider for the job but the extra mowed acreage is stunning and just makes the who property look so much better. The fact that he is recently retired and has the time to make it really nice, just make retirement more fun for him.
I just bought an electric lawn mower to replace my 15 year old Craftsman. Got a Snapper XD 82V 21-Inch Self Propelled Lawn Mower and I love it! It claims the highest setting is 3.75 inches, but I'm yet to try it at that height. The steel deck also makes it heavier, but it feels more robust!
Hey Allen, I was just thinking about a couple of things here why I as an absolute lawn noob thrown at a lawn would always prefer gas powered mowers over battery powered ones: -(with many mowers) adjustable RPM/throttle -steadily spinning blade -actual clutch for self-propelling (think about that golf cart experience/delay) -always on duty/rechargable (no waiting for charging or missing a battery, "sudden death" on a gas mower takes me 10 min to fix) -no inoperable battery in long term (possibly) without replacement parts in the long run I totally enjoy your efforts but I (around 5500 sqft cool season lawn in europe, moved years ago but actually never cared until I found this channel) would never choose a battery powered mower over a gas powered one for the reasons stated. Thanks for your thoughts on that review, totally enjoyed that video throw'er down and may the 5th be always in your odds! ;)
Appreciate your lawn dominating tips LCN. Went to buy mulching blades, and the salesman tried telling me I needed the entire mulching kit for the mower...total price, $140. I told him 3x I just want the blades, and he kept saying that's not to do anything, I had to have the entire kit. So I walked out, now it's off to Amazon to find some mulching blades
I have Saint Augustine grass as well and since the carpet is so thick, I use the lowest setting on my Toro and now with the Ego. My shoulder is bad, so I had to go with an electric mower and I love it.
I own a Ryobi 21” 40v mower and it works great! Sounds like a vacuum and I don’t have to deal with buying gas and all that stuff. I have roughly 2000 square foot yard and one batter cuts it all. The mower senses thicker grass and gives a boost of power when needed to put through the tough stuff. I couldn’t be happier with it.
I made the EGO conversion a few years ago. Mower was first, the first edition which is a very light 21" pusher. I have trimmer, hand held blower, chainsaw (WOW), and snow blower too. Tip: slow pace of mower or quicken your walk so that you have a little push on handle, BUT make that an upward push to help front wheels stay down (no bounce). One problem mine has it that EGO provided "low lift" blades, thus it has inadequate suction to pull the grass blades upward while being cut. Keep it RAZER sharp! Keep them all RAZER sharp!
I’ve had my ego 21 self propelled for about 3 months, love it. Lately noticed when cutting at the highest setting that some grass blades are not being cut, similar to your observation. Sharpened blades but still missing some cuts, hmmmm. Still like the mower, I’m all in.
I have the EGO mower for a couple of season now and I love it. I do agree that this mower definitely have plenty as compare to a gas mower though it not necessarily best in class. My only complaint is it’s not as quiet as I hope. While is much much quieter than a gas mowers, I am not sure if I can in good conscience mow at 6:30 am like Allyn lol. Also, I have the whole EGO product line and that blower is the best thing on the planet, it’s super light and powerful. I have the power tool head system for the trimmer, edger, and polesaw and not having to deal with a loud, super shaky 2 cycle engine is a godsend and of course I don’t have to pull anything to start it. Thanks for the review Allyn!
I've been using a battery powered B&D for 8 years and will never go back to gas. I'm upgrading to this mower to have the self-powered feature. I'm 72 years old with breathing problems and need the assistance. I reviewed most of the top mowers and EGO comes out on top. All of my garden tools are electric/battery and have been since 2011.
I found that cutting with a 20-30% overlap help prevented uneven cutting caused by the spring sag in the hight adjust on my old 19” Victa, and from years of putting up with it even today out of habit I still overlap using my new 21” Honda.
Hey Allen I also have this lawn mower and the rest of the line. The highest setting is to high and inconsistent for my KBG but one down is perfect. Slow the speed down to a little over a 1/4 of the way from the slowest speed just before you get half way. Also the blade doesn't not come very sharp from factory give it a sharpening. Lastly for me the convenience of no gas little maintenance and a quiet mower is awesome. I enjoy listening to pandora when I landscape. If you want to go fast with the mower grass needs to be cut every 3 days. I also find mowing in the early morning gives me a better cut.
I used Blindside on my St. Augustine lawn and spot sprayed a couple areas that were infected with kyllinga and nutsedge. I noticed that at those spots the grass stopped growing and the Bermuda grass that was invading the area has been over taking those spots. Will my St. Augustine grow again, or did I loose it in those areas? Any recommendations? I bought Allyn's guide for warm turf, but after applying the blindside. So, now I don't know what to do. Can any of you help? Thanks!
I have the GreenWorks Pro 60v series. Mower, blower, trimmer, etc..I'm pretty happy with it so far. I can get through about 7000 sq ft. on a single charge with a medium thickness Bermuda and the cut quality is great. Plenty of power as well. Probably wouldn't work as well on a thicker lawn but for my lawn it's perfect.
For anyone contemplating; Second year going with EGO, and LOVE IT. Have the 21" SP and, after you get a high-lift blade, it's terrific. Some pros: * No Gas -- So nice not having that spring trip to the gas station or adding stabilizer to the container through winter. (and no gas hands from these new jugs) * Lightweight -- Makes walking with (and transporting it) easy. I also feel like it's helping avoid mow grooves (wear marks) around islands/trim/etc. * Storage -- Know some people who have 'em hung on wall/ceiling. Haven't gone that far, but converting to vertical storage is a great space-saver. (Joys of not having to worry about leaking gas). * No Maint. -- No tune-ups, worrying about ethanol, spark plugs, etc. * Ecosystem -- Have the backpack blower and handle for string trimmer/edger/saw. As mentioned, when you use the whole system it's an amazing thing with a lot of versatility. * Self-propel (Optional) -- Enjoy that I can have it move itself without having the mower enabled. It's also fully adj., which is terrific for anyone's walking pace (or training for 5k on high). * Rear-wheel drive -- Didn't see you mention, but nice to have given how many times you may be going up-hill or pushing down on bar while moving forward. * Head-lamp - Just in case? I know you picked it out, but the "delay", I believe, is part of a battery saving effort. Ramp-up (over hard-drains) to a batter is a lot easier on the cells. Cons (Honestly): * Self-propel handle should be on both sides (or an entire bar along back side or something). * Default blade [doesn't] suck. Supposedly the steel frame (next model) fixes this, but you need to buy a high-lift blade if you want a prayer at mulching. * Send-in for side-discharge (should have just shipped it). It's free, but comes after you register. * Difficult to clean; Gas-powered you have no hesitation spraying the fawk out of it. Not the case with these. Water-resistant, but not enough to make cleaning any easier.
Thanks for this review. Just moved into a new home in August last year and borrowed a gas mower until I get a chance to buy the EGO. Still haven't decided for sure but this gives me another view of it. Also want to use some of your techniques to make my new lawn awesome so keep up the good work and especially all the great tips for us who have no clue what we are doing. I need to do something soon because this first summer of this new sod and weeds coming out bad already...
I'm a full time gardener in the UK and I've been using all of the ego gear this year. It's been a blessing not having to rely on fuel and I have zero downtime. I'm more efficient in every way
Frankly, the 21" self propelled Ego Electric Mower is the electric mower to beat, I've used it for over 1 year and it still performs. I've got the backpack air blower, hedge trimmer and the String Trimmer and all of the units perform beyond expectation. I do find that if I let my lush and thick fescue grow to obscene heights, I do need to trade batteries on and off almost every 30-40 minutes. I have the 7.5 Ah that came with the mower and the 5.0 that came with the backpack blower. Blade cuts clean when maintained so I bought an extra one so they are always sharp. Quiet, easy to store and I frankly can cut my lawn at night because it has headlights and is quiet enough not to bother the neighbors. To me, there are significant advantages with going electric as the maintenance issues with gas are frankly not worth it when you take into account the whole line of Ego lawn care products. Thanks LCN for doing a thorough review of cut quality!
Because I am retired, don't have a lot of space and don't want to mess with gas. I went for this mower with 2 of the 7.5 batteries, because the snowblower I'm going to buy this fall needs two. I also got one of the blowers to use. The two batteries guarantee that I have all the power I need for my lawn. I like to listen to audio books with earbuds, so the much quieter electric is nice for that. It's also very light weight. I really like this mower a lot. It may not be perfect... but it's perfect for me. That's what really matters. I'm going all in on the other tools as well.
I love my Husqvarna LE121P electric mower. It comes with two batteries. It runs for 100 minutes. Plus I’ve even got a third batteries from buying the hedge trimmer. It’s more about buying into the tool line than just one piece. Well for me anyway. They run quieter, do the same job, don’t require oil/gas/spark plugs, just plug/push the button go, lightweight, folds up to just about nothing. and even has a cool ergonomic handle with rubber padding. For the rest of my huge yard I use a John Deere riding mower. Hoping for electric riding mowers to come out more in the future.
These reviews are absolutely fabulously done, so please don't misunderstand my critique. I'm sure that this and some other cordless electrics will work for some people, but buyer beware on any mower that is electric; corded or cordless. They've got a different set of specifications that don't match up to what some of us are used to. Sometimes it's good to get a counter point from someone that isn't obsessed with cut quality and who doesn't always make that feature of a mower the highest priority feature; not that I'm against someone having this obsession, it's just that it's not my goal in cutting a lawn to have the best-looking lawn, and so I look at some of these products differently. For instance, I've got a Toro TimeMaster 30, and my experience with the TimeMaster is much different than The Nut. I love the mower, but to me it's a "side discharge only mower", and even in side discharge mode, I can't use the supplied chute that Toro gives it, because it aids in it's biggest weakness, which is clogging under the deck and at the opening. The chute gets knocked off way too easily also. The only way to use the TimeMaster for me and for most people that owns one, is to tie up the mulching plate and mow like mad, and used in that way, it is a fabulous mower, because using it that way, it's powerful and fast, but for most people, trying to use it as "The Nut" uses it, it bogs down way too easily and gets gunked up super quickly and it just can't be managed unless the grass is super dry or super thin, or super short. However, the TimeMaster since 2016 has a bigger engine which may help it overcome this issue a little bit, even though it's not really a lack of power problem. With bagging, it fills a bag really quickly and even though the bag is very big, one has to remove it and dump it every few minutes and it weights the mower down so much that the front wheels nearly come off the ground. So the best things about a TimeMaster causes it's own weaknesses and that is that it cuts a lot of grass quickly and very well, and so it has problems expelling the puree as fast as it cuts it for most users. Anyway, for Ego, I already know something about this mower just by looking at the packaging and advertising that makes it inferior to every gas-powered mower out there. In fact every electric mower, corded or cordless, that I've seen has this same inferior feature that is trying to be passed off as equal to gas . Deck width is not cut width. All gas and diesel-powered mowers list cut width on the box and/or on the mower itself. I bet if one were to measure the blade width of this mower, it would be less than 20". I once owned a Kobalt 21" corded. I thought it was a 21" mower. That's what was listed on the box. I was going to try and go electric, because it was listed as the same size as a gas mower, but the blade measures 19 3/8". Greenworks makes this mower and it was in some ways a very good mower; but the two areas that customers look at the most, especially with a good-sized lawn are: cutting width and power. And it is those two specifications where electric manufacturers are the most misleading and deceptive. It was supposed to be 13 amp. I bought a 12 gauge cord and was managing the cord fine, but the mower was drawing less than 10 amps when several UA-cam posters checked it out. With cordless electric, the power thing is even more misleading and deceptive, because they won't even rate them by power output. They list only volts and so the only way to figure out if it will have enough power for your needs is to buy one or watch a review or hope that more volts will equal more power, which it may not. Volts does not tell anyone anything about power output, and the industry does not really want to step up and compete with gas equipment manufacturers, because, #1 they won't use the same specifications for comparison, and #2 they won't all use the same type of batteries and chargers, which is like having to by different fuel dispensers that are very expensive made by different mower manufacturers in order to use their equipment. So while I'd love to be on board with going electric, and I have tried to go electric with a mower and my 1/2 acre lot, and do use electric with respect to string trimmers and hedge clippers where I need only limited productivity, I have trouble supporting an industry that is deceptive and purposely tries not to compete against gas mowers in an honest fashion.
I have Tall Fescue grass and bought this mower right after Easter. I cut my lawn to 2" over winter and I had such a hard time cutting with this mower due to the lack of suction. Now 4 weeks later, my grass is 4" and the suction is much better. I am also experiencing a clumping problem that I am looking into which I read could be fixed by spraying a silicone lubricant on the underside. I am also experimenting double cutting using the side discharge.
I bought the EGO 21" push (non-self propelled) for our new smaller flat lawn. I also noticed that on the highest setting, it didn't really get much performance out of it until I dropped it down one click. Hope that the golf cart gives you good performance over the next few weeks or so.
Coming from a camera YT channel, the first mower I got that is battery powered is with a Lithium Ion battery. it is a push mower tough. So I was super attracted to this LI battery mower because the acid batteries is nothing I ever want to go to. I appreciate this review very much, thank you!!! I might switch over to the self propelled LI mower and the review was awesome :) I never want to go back to gas, cleaning the tanks, the Seafoam and all that stuff. I want my mower to be like my camera equipment - always ready and go! One area I was hoping you would touch on is the walking speed. I don't like to cut fast, but to give the grass enough "blade time" for the mower to do it's job and to get that extra good cut. I see you like going pretty quick, will this slow down enough for short older people to use too?
Had gotten one of these because the mower I had could not cut tall wet St Augustine grass. Mowed 2 (about 19k sq ft. total) lawns on one charge, but I don't always use the self propel lever.
One thought may be that since the mower is so light and it "floats" you may need to sand and level your new yard to get an even cut with such a light unit. It would seem that it is literally cutting to the unevenness of the lawn base and telegraphing that to the surface cut for you to see. The good part is you can see in real time, the low spots and high spots to even out with sand.
Your right about uneven cuts. I brought the EGO mower a few weeks ago and noticed the same issue. After reading some reviews on the issue, I brought the separate high lift mower blade based. It delivers a cleaner cut than does the stock blade. The blade design causes the mower to have a deeper even cut. I observed no change in battery life in use. IMO, this should be the standard OEM blade, not an option that requires an additional purchase. Overall, I've used the mower only a few times but I'm pleased with the performance
I am currently using the Echo 56V trimmer, edger, and blower. So far they have been excellent and as I like to tell everyone, they start every time...still using the gas mower.
The electric mower is more expensive. However, there is no carburetor to fail, no gasoline to go get, no gas cans, no fuel spill, and no oil change. Those are all a hassle. The electric mower is also considerably quieter. I use Honda’s for my commercial business but would definitely consider this mower if I was just mowing my own place. Good review, thank you.
Yeah, we just bought our first house over winter, and that logic's what nudged us into the Ego as well. It helps that I was already planning to buy an electric trimmer and blower. Starting from scratch, the support kit we'd eventually have to build up for a gas mower just didn't seem worth it when an electric exists that can at least hold its own.
Sure, eventually. Likewise, the blades will still need sharpening and eventual replacement. I don't think either of us is saying maintenance costs become zero. For me, it's just *fewer* consumable parts to consider, and fewer incidental problems, like spills and surprise failures. The battery charger (and I think appliances) have active cooling so early failures are unlikely, and even if a unit only lasts 300 deep cycles before charge degradation sets in, you're looking at 7.5 years of mowing, 40 weeks each year.
Matthew Abbott but you will never see a homeowner with anything over 1 acre with this. It will not last..unless you purchase more than 1 battery. And at the price of li-ion batteries...youre buying oil, and gas. I can deff agree with the less dirty work with ego..but gas will always dominate battery when it comes to big yards.
It's only a matter of time before that's gone too. Already mean green machines has mowers that can do most of what gas does, and significantly, at a fraction of the maintenance required.
Agree. Battery powered mowers are for small lawns only. I have a patio home with only 2k sq ft to mow and my 16" is perfect. I can knock it out in 20 minutes and have 1/2 charge left. And for a better cut, I found I had to slow the pace a tad over a gas mower. I love that I do not have to deal with gas and oil anymore. No more carburetors clogging up. Just keep the blade sharpen and that's about all the maintenance there is. No more gas mower for me.
Thank Allen....I have an embarrassing and stupid question...I bought this lawnmower and it came with three blades....with 2 of them already installed...i understand one to be for bagging and the other for mulching....I'm guessing I take one of them off...as I'm going to backi..but just not sure why both were installed..
I'm going to try out EGO's high lift blade to see if it improves the grass pick-up and discharge into the bag with an increase in the volume of air the blade should produce. Regularly sharpening the blade definitely helps with a cleaner cut.
I have the 20" steel deck self propelled brushless with 7.5ah battery. It weighs a bit more which helps keep it grounded. I have a quarter acre and it will cut, trim, edge, and blow on that 1 battery. Occasionally I will have to break out a second 5ah or 2ah to get it done. I have the mower, trimmer, edger, bush trimmer, and backpack blower. Should note, blade didn't come super sharp from the factory for some reason. Maybe yours didn't either and that's what accounts for some of the issues?
Another tasty video Allyn. A fair appraisal of a promising tool (for, as you say, its intended niche). I was watching my favorite cooking show today, America's Test Kitchen. They were evaluating oven thermometers and made the point that 'all ovens are different' and they found actual oven temps to vary sometimes up to 50F. It's a fact of life that oven temps vary from what you set it for and it even says so in the manual of my own (I'm a manual-reader) . It's up to the user to determine the variance. Same should go for mowers and mowing height. I never understood how a mower could be dialed in to the precision of a half inch grass height. Maybe on a golf course, but in my yard that'd be silly. Set it to what the index says and check your work, and be prepared to go with what the grass actually shows. Let that be the guide, not an overly optimistic dial. Leading to my last comment: no one but the mower (like you, or me) gets on their belly to get a vole's eye view of the lawn. Good to know how consistent and how cleanly the machine cuts, but seriously, from the road or sidewalk? What will anyone notice?
Living in WA my entire life I have never seen St. Augustine, but I must say I don't think I would like it very much. Just doesn't seem as lush and soft as the grasses we have up here. Nothing like walking out on the lawn in your bare feet and feeling the softness of it. I will admit though, you definitely dominate on your lawn. I was impressed with your review of the mower. I've had a battery powered B&D and it was ok. Now that I got the space though, I got my John Deere rider and I love it. Enjoy the mow.
can i ask what you wear around your neck? Is that something to prevent sunburn? Any suggestions on what to wear to protect my neck (without dying from heat). Thanks for your great videos!!!!
I laughed so hard when I watched that one. Everyone makes a boo-boo sometime. Just not usually for the whole world to see... He owned it though, props to Allyn.
Hahaha, Honda and Toro called him up and insisted he not use a "real" mower on the channel until he recertified on a battery operated version. OJT Allyn OJT!
I'm not sure why you want a self-propelled mower that pops wheelies, but ever since my patellar tendon ruptures I kinda like having my mower ease into high gear.
Funny, I picked up my Ego Saturday, charged it, then cut the lawn on Sunday. I was leery but she did alright. Yes, this fills my need to be able to cut the yard at daybreak without finding me staring at myself in a pair of Raybans telling me about noise ordinances.
I wish my neighbor would get one of these. His mower is so out of tune that it belches the most noxious fumes. It's really amazing that his little mower is actually capable of fumigating as large an area as it is.
Hi Allyn, I'm from Southern California and have St. Augustine but its only about 1200 sq ft so I'm thinking of going electric. I currently have an old Honda HRX mower that my father in law gave me when I moved into my first and current house in 2016. Its great but like I said I want to go electric. I'm between the EGO - 21 in. Select Cut 56V Lith-Ion Cordless Electric Walk Behind Self Propelled Mower and the TORO - Recycler 22 in. 60-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Battery Walk Behind Personal Pace Mower. Which one would you suggest? If possible, maybe you can do a comparison sometime this year. Thank you. Respectfully, Izzy from SoCal
I LOVE my EGO products! SP 21”, blade edger, blower and string trimmer. So nice to not have to mess with gas. The blade out of the box really needs a touch up sharpening. even the new blades need a touch up out of the wrapper.
I have the EGO mower. I think at the higher setting is may not have as much suction as your gas mower to pull the grass up to the blades. There's an EGO mulching blade that may significantly help with this and create a stronger suction. I suggest giving the upgraded blade for the EGO a try.
The Lawn care nut, what do you think of slice seeders? Seems they do the work of aerating, overseeding, and topsoil in one function by driving the seeds into the soil. Would you recommend a slice seeder? Or just stick to the usual routine this fall?
I live in Orlando, so similar St. Augustine. Question: My Ego doesn't seem to cut well. I have a company spray my lawn with fertilizer and weed killer every other month. This makes my lawn grow FAST. Pretty much needs it twice a week and I cut high. I can only do every weekend. I have this 7.5Ah Ego 21" mower and it doesn't seem to be cutting it well lately. I find all of the grass on top after I pass (could be dull blade) and tons of those uncut strays. Thinking about change to a has powered 22" Toro recycler smartstow personal pace hoping this would help. Do you think it will? Also, what is the best way to handle the thatching? Can I hire a company to de-thatch my lawn? It seems to be growing in thatch and floating like carpet.
Just found your channel. Good stuff. You remind me of a mix of Ave and Brian Glenn from cigar obsession. As a new homeowner with no lawn care tools, I bought into the Greenworks 80v family. Very impressed so far.
Excellent video! Look forward to more info from this mower. I sold my truck and getting the gas smell in my car started to suck, so I went in favor of the model you featured, but ended up selling it after 4 months. It left lines of clipping in my Bermuda grass constantly. Tried the steel deck 20” Ego and it actually was waaay better. Still miss my Honda though. My favorite mower.
I'm not sure really. Perhaps the smaller deck makes for a better vacuum. From my research, alot of people who had the plastic deck 20" said they never had the side clipping problems the 21" people were having.
ive got the ego blower, trimmer and snow blower. Love them all. I sold the smaller batteries it came with and use the 2 large batteries that came with the snow blower. Good stuff
I had the 21" SP version and really liked it, but I was always questioning the cut when I used the SP. It just seemed to be off and when I wasn't using SP it looked normal. I could never put my finger on the cause, but it really irked me. I never thought about maybe the unit being too lite and having just a little bit of bounce while using SP. I eventually sold to my aunt and got the non-SP. I don't have a terribly large lawn so it works out better. Love the vids!!
I considered switching to the Ego based on the ease and not having to worry about gas or oil and the sound but then I look at the price of the replacement battery and its $358 so that never works out. I could buy two gas mowers that would last a lot longer than just the one Ego for $499 and when I had to replace the battery for $358 it just never adds up.
Ed Pereira I originally thought that as well. I just ordered a mower, a Power Head with trimmer attachment, and a backpack blower. Each of those products I got came with a 5 AH battery. I have a small yard (30 minutes of mowing) and that works for me. I plan on buying extra tools, and I am slowly buying them to distribute their cost. It will always give me a new battery. I also opted for the setup I got for a another reason. The mower folds flat, is easy to lift into my car trunk, and will start when the battery is in it. I also got the Power Head as I can take that and different attachments to my family's land. The trimmer will come in handy for clearing up around the fire pit and close to the house. I am going to make a dedicated brush cutter head out of a second string trimmer head and get a pole saw for trimming trees around my house/land. I like the fact I do not have to mess with gas, and I know my tools will start when I am in the middle of nowhere.
Love the videos! I bought your Warm weather book and just started it. Great videos! It would really help if you could balance your video volumes to where each take does not change volume. This makes the viewer have to constantly increase and decrease the volume. Thanks again for all the hard work you put into this channel! It has paid off! I have watched you for several years now.
The delay in the start of self propulsion may have to do with in-rush current. Basically the battery is putting out so much power for the motor which spins the cutting blade, they had to dial down the control mechanism for the motor which propels the wheels. We have to do this all the time with satellites, since the battery power is the same, but it’s supplyjng power to multiple motors on the spacecraft.
I've owned Ego mower for a year now, and I love it. I don't have to deal with gas, you just push the green bottom and go. 7000sqft lawn one charge with power left to run my Ego weed eater.
I'm looking for a new mower. Toro Super Recycler or Time Master? My yard is not huge but there are not many corners that would possibly jam the Time Master up. Which one?
It's interesting that you review this now - I have on pre-order one of the new DeWalt 40V mowers (not self-propelled) that are targeted at landscapers. I already own the 40V line trimmer, chainsaw and blower, so it was a natural fit, and with a 40,000+ sq ft lawn in the northeast, I have a ton of nooks and crannies and even an interior courtyard that I can't get my big Deere into and wanted something that would clean up those places a lot better than a line trimmer. For those 2,000 sq ft I need it for, I don't care about having it self propelled, just something small and no maintenance. The rest of their 40V line has been amazing and the envy of my neighbors, so when mine comes in I hope it does as well as the rest. I didn't get the EGO specifically because I didn't want to buy into another battery system, and I really don't want any 2 cycle lawn equipment.
Your experience is pretty similar to what I’ve found with my Ego 21” (not self-propelled though). Because it’s lighter, the wheels don’t sink so far into the grass and it can jump sometimes if your lawn has a lot of bumps and divots. It would make sense that you’re seeing that more at the top height. I usually mow my KBG at 3.5”. Also, I’ll echo what someone else said: try sharpening the blades. It’s a lighter, thinner blade than some gas mowers, and the cut quality responds really well to sharpening. From the factory it’s not dull, but could be sharper.
Yo Bro.... you gotta check out the Kobalt 80 volt. My joint is not self propelled. but I believe u will love the Kobalt. Mine came with two batteries. I had the blades sharpened and it works like a dream. Mowing tall, bagging, and mulching leaves like a goat. I followed up with the string trimmer from the same line and now I have three batteries. Power for days. BTW I’m a USN fellow DINFOS BJC grad. ‘91. Keep killin it Allyn.
I wanted to know what is the reason i see most people mowing with the side discharge open or removed? Is there a advantage to leaving the deflector open? When reading a manual, it states to never operate a mower with the deflector removed or opened. Can you elaborate?
I really like these things. In fact I like all battery powered lawn tools. I've had trimmer for years and just last year got snow blower. As much as I'd love to have E-GO, my budget is Ryobi. But I have been extremely happy with the trimmer, and the snow blower worked well too, although I've only had for one season. I like the simplicity of "grab and go". Plus my wife and kids are able to use in a pinch. Well, that's just wishful thinking.
Hey now that it has been a full year. You should do a new video about your experience with the EGO lawn mower. I'm really close to buying one. My last one just crapped out. Thanks
Whats up LCN, i feel i can give a just review on this mower. I have the walk behind version. I have small yard totol of a out 3ksqft. When i first got my house 3 years ago i got reel mower, to Gas, to Electric.. Ego was the most expensive.. the strongest was the gas.. the best cut was the Fiskars Reel mower.. if you have tall grass you'll hear the Ego power slow down, it even shut down on me once.. i tilt the ego back and come down on the tall grass so it wont lag. And dont start it on grass, start on the side once it gains power then mow.. thats it for my Negatives.. the fully charged battery has never died on me, my grass is mix of fescue and zoysia.. what sold me on it was how quiet it was compared to gas, and not having to always need gas. i was able to put my music on and rock out while i mow. It changed everything, mowing was a chore for me, with gas i needed ear protection. But with Ego i put on my music earphones and its fun to mow. So i choose the Ego cause it made my mowing experience better it made mowing fun instead of a chore. I need music for anything i do. I guess if i had noise cancelling earphones the loudness from Gas powered mow wouldnt be a problem but i didnt own any at the time. So for the past 2 years i been using my Ego with my Beats listen to some AC/DC "Back in Black" as my first lawn cut of spring..
Also i forgot to mention another Negative with your uneven cut i noticed that also at times. And it was at 4" sometimes my left front tire would lift up as im pushing my mower. Im guessing cause of how light it is, its easy to unbalance. cutting lower did help to keep my weight lower to the ground and cuts were fine at 3".
Hey Alan, does your other mowers have the self propelled options... and were you using that as well.. just trying to compare evenly across the board. Thanks.
I've had the non-self propelled model for a couple of years now. Has been flawless and goes through even really tall grass without stalling. I had to modify the handle to make it shorter though.
I have the original ego mower for my St. Augustine. I was great for probably the first year. No misses or anything. I was fairly impressed. After that it started missing even with new blades. I'm on year three now and it just seems like it has less power and now it has started to make a loud whirling/whistling sound that comes and goes. I feel its on its last leg. I do run it on height 4 instead of 5. Side note, I won't be going back to gas. I'll probably stick with ego. The no gas option wins for me.
LOVE this mower, but since following the LCN, my grass is so lush that the mower can't keep up 100% and it clumps up a bit - sometimes requiring a second pass or a quick hit w/ leaf blower. I'm all in w/ Ego, though, and they'll improve with time.
Legend
Coming from UA-cam's lawn care OG, I really appreciate that! But seriously this channel is one of only a few where I haven't missed a single video. It's helped me a ton
Marvel: 'Infinity War is the most ambitious crossover event in history'
Me:
We love you Ronald Jenkees!!! You should let him use a song of yours in one of his upcoming videos.
Can't say I ever expected to see one of my favorite electronic musicians comment on a lawn care video.. Caught me a bit off guard!
I wish you would interview your neighbors one day. I’d love to hear their comments about their weird neighbor walking around the yard filming himself and crawling thru the grass looking at who knows what...
Love the channel!
I bought this mower based on your review. Couldn’t be happier with it. Two days ago the mrs. had a friend over, and as soon as she got out of the car she said I can’t believe how nice your grass looks. All because of your tips !
This video was super helpful as I was just researching this exact mower (and the Ego edger) a few days ago. Really love all of the straightforward, firsthand experience you share with us. Also, I don’t know how many people comment on it, but I love all of the interesting camera angles you setup in your videos.
I'm on my third Summer with the EGO 21" Self-propelled mower. I only use a push mower for edging, cutting up close to trees, and a small patch of grass along side my driveway that is difficult to cut with the lawn tractor when cars are parked in the drive. I did when I first bought it I cut my whole 19,000 SF lawn a couple times with just the EGO. I wanted to find out if the battery would last long enough to cut the whole lawn which it did with power to spare. I did not use the self-propelled motor for most of the lawn, only a couple spots that totaled less than 100 feet. I was happy with the performance in my mixed grass NJ lawn. I like the easy height adjustment just as you did, and the easy to adjust handle height is a nice feature too. One of the best things is no gas. I loved all my 4 cycle and 2 cycle yard tools and I have plenty of them, mostly Stihl, but not having to mess with 2 stroke oil and winterizing all those tools is great. At the end of the season just pull the battery and park it for the winter. It is VERY quiet, so much so you can hear the blades of grass being cut. I agree the light weight (62# for the self-propelled model with battery) may be a factor in uneven cutting because if your ground is rough or bumpy the mower will tend to bounce more than a heavier machine would. However, that lighter weight makes it very nimble and almost a one-handed machine. I also like how you can fold the handle up and stow in an upright position, something you wouldn't want to do with a gasoline mower. That also makes it super simple to remove the blade for sharpening and for cleaning the underside of the mower deck. The mower was the first piece I bought, but not long after that I bought the 540 CFM blower and then the chainsaw. A chainsaw is not something I use often, and my 18" Stihl was sitting just begging to be put to use. But it requires a 50:1 oil mix and most of my other 2 stroke tools are 32:1 so now I need to keep a second can of mix. So I decided to give the EGO chainsaw a try and for HO use it's the best cordless chainsaw out there I think.If I had it to do over again would I buy the EGO mower? Yes. When I bought mine they were just out and the price was $600. At the new $499 price I think it's a good buy for someone who doesn't want to mess with gas, for use at a summer home where you don't want to have gasoline hanging around or deal with winterizing. Face it, you can bring this thing in the house and store it in the basement if you wanted to and not have to worry about gasoline fumes or combustible liquids in the house. I want to see EGO come out with a power head and multiple attachments like an edger, hedge trimmer, pole pruner, string trimmer, and brush cutter. When that happens I will go all in and do away with all my 2 stroke yard tools. I'm even looking into a electric zero-turn mower to replace my JD X534.
Great review. I got an Ego 21” SP mower a week ago and I’ve only used it once but I’m really happy with it. I’m not really a lawn guy, in fact I hate mowing. But now thanks to the Ego, this was the first time I’ve ever been disappointed that I’ve finished mowing haha.
I gotta say... how awesome is the mulching plug! What a genius idea. My old gas mower didn’t have mulching capability so it would get clogged every few meters so I had to lift it up to get the grass clippings out but then it would blow back all over me and the yard was full of big ass clumps of grass.
Bought the Ego 21" push mower 3 years ago. Not self-propelled. I struggled with a LB push mower I purchased at HD for 3 years before that. I had to have it serviced 3 times because the carburetor failed. Wouldn't start. I've never had an issue like this with a gas mower before. Taking the mower to get serviced required me to put the mower in the trunk of my sedan. That's fun. My lawn is 6500 square feet and the Ego manages it well. I don't miss going to the gas station and having to purchase fuel and hoping the gas canister doesn't tip over in the footwell of the front passenger seat of my car. The mow is on par with the previous mowers I've had - when they were running. I like the lighter plastic mower and the quieter operation. Folding up the mower so it takes much less space in the garage is fantastic. I now have an Ego mower, hedge trimmer, blower, and string trimmer. Come to think of it, I didn't like the previous gas powered string trimmer either. It was fussy. I have two Ego mower blades and I sharpen them myself. Overall, I doubt the Ego can cut as well as some of the best gas mowers out there. However, the ease of use and convenience of electricity more than make up for this. The batteries are great too - I have two of them and they have not degraded at all in 3 years as far as I can tell.
Ahh the memories... Huge upgrade on video/sound equipment from this video to today. Keep on preaching. Love all the content.
I got excited when I saw the subject line of your video for 2 reasons - first is I thought, I didn’t think the LCN would ever buy/review a battery powered mower, and second is because.....that’s MY mower!
This is my 3rd season using it, and your first discovery about the height setting must not just be a fluke, because I experienced the same since day one with this mower. I have tall fescue and always use the highest setting my mower offers, but just like you, I noticed there was a lot of unevenness and many more “missed spots” than the norm. But taking it down just one notch does the trick, and produces a much more even cut with the occasional missed spot here and there. I’ve used it for 2 full summers and the battery is still going strong...I have a little over 5,000 sq ft of mowing space and it is still running when I’m done.
I’m sure you can’t compare it to a gas mower (I’ve never had one so I know I can’t!) but overall I’m pleased with the performance on it. I had a B&D before this one but it wasn’t self-propelled, and from all my research before I forked out the $500 for it, I learned that the self-propelled feature is what makes it cost so much in the battery operated world. You can get a cheaper battery powered mower but it’s likely not self-propelled. And you know the saying, once you go self-propelled, there’s no going back! Ok, maybe no one actually says that, but still true nonetheless!
Slowing down a little will help it cut better in the highest setting. I'm not sure how you had yours set, but he set his on the fastest setting. All mowers will mow a little better and mulch better at a slower speed. I never saw anyone mow their grass at 4" high. Maybe that is what's required for St. Augustine, in Florida, for it to look good.
Two other things the LCN didn't mention is, he will likely retain his hearing longer by using the EGO, and not inhaling fumes is a plus to his health as well. The cranes like it much better as well, another plus! ;-)
Yay for the cranes! And neighbors, too. Don't forget about the neighbors. As much as I like mowing my lawn, I hate hearing gas powered mowers and other equipment that my neighbors use -- they are incredibly LOUD! I would never go to gas powered anything.I definitely don't have my speed on the fastest setting. I have a relatively small yard so I just take it nice and slow. I think part of the problem (if you really want to call it that) is that I amped up my fertilization over the last 6 mo's using milo and this spring my lawn was super thick, long and lush. I really needed to get out there and cut it every 4 days but I didn't, resulting in more clippings and more spots that were missed. So really it was mostly my fault, not the mower :)
The first time I used mine, some of the grass was 4" tall and thick because I live in Louisiana and I was getting my yard done every other week. The mower really performed. I had it on height setting 2. You can't start it in really thick, long grass. You have to pick a different spot that isn't so dense but once it's running, you can go over the tall grass. I don't have the self-propelled because it was $100 more. It's a bit of work to push it but I have a very small yard so it's fine for me. I'm sure that makes me push it slower.
Your assessment is correct. At the highest setting it has an uneven cut. I cut at the next level down. I use the highest level for knocking down overgrown grass. GREAT MOWER. Cutting the lawn is no longer a weekend chore. I cut my Saint Augustine twice a week. Very quiet. It can be used at any time.The lights are great for cutting in the early morning or in the evening. No more smelling like exhaust when I'm done mowing.
My Ego is my new "daily driver" I got it last year because I like to mow at 6-7am and the quiet motor is nice. I have noticed a minor difference in cut quality at higher settings, but the self propel is the biggest difference. When I don't use the self propel, the cut quality is beautiful. So I've learned to only use it on uphill sections. The mower itself is very light so pushing it down a slope or on level ground isn't a strain. It's also easy to pick up and carry up your deck stairs and put away.
I also want to give this mower big props because I ran and mowed a large section of my lawn with it. Yes, you read that right. I ran with it as fast as I could push to finish the lawn and the results were acceptable. I got caught mowing while a rainstorm was starting up. I thought I had enough time to finish before the rain started but I didn't. I ended up running the last 1/4 of my lawn with this mower.
I enjoyed my 5th by running a half marathon in the morning, a 2 hr. baseball practice with my 10 year old son, and later enjoyed my mow by putting down double stripes with my Honda HRX217 and homemade strip kit and it was my birthday weekend. Thanks for all the tips from a transitional season grass owner.
I'm exactly like you said who just started taking care of lawn and doesn't really want to mess with gas. I picked up almost EGO's whole line-up. All the tools perform quite nicely (maybe except the snow-blower). The benefit of having multiple tools is to have batteries to swap and never run out of power. I'm really glad to see you got one of those too and start reviewing it.
Nice work!
Glad everyone is happy with theirs. I returned mine. It was to long to turn around on sides of the house. It really didn't cut that well. And seeing videos of broken wires and other problems I to unconfident to keep it.
This is the mower I bought this spring. I really like it. I have almost half an acre (2/3 of it being in the back yard). I can do the back on one battery charge, even when I use the self propelled feature half of the time to get myself out of hills. Enjoying your videos!
I had the same experience with the top position on the
EGO. I lowered it as you did ad got a fantastic cut. My gas mower will be in the next garage sale.
Neighbors: "Hey Deb, there's that weird lawn mower guy measuring his grass again".
My neighbors always ask why I take care of my lawn. I live in a let it go area in the forest but still try to have a presentable lawn. They really do stop and tell me that clearing land for more lawn just means I'll have to mow more. Do they really think I didn't consider this?
My brother bought a beautiful lake house on 7 acres and is now mowing two acres more than the previous owner did. Of course he has a nice rider for the job but the extra mowed acreage is stunning and just makes the who property look so much better.
The fact that he is recently retired and has the time to make it really nice, just make retirement more fun for him.
I just bought an electric lawn mower to replace my 15 year old Craftsman. Got a Snapper XD 82V 21-Inch Self Propelled Lawn Mower and I love it! It claims the highest setting is 3.75 inches, but I'm yet to try it at that height. The steel deck also makes it heavier, but it feels more robust!
Hey Allen, I was just thinking about a couple of things here why I as an absolute lawn noob thrown at a lawn would always prefer gas powered mowers over battery powered ones:
-(with many mowers) adjustable RPM/throttle
-steadily spinning blade
-actual clutch for self-propelling (think about that golf cart experience/delay)
-always on duty/rechargable (no waiting for charging or missing a battery, "sudden death" on a gas mower takes me 10 min to fix)
-no inoperable battery in long term (possibly) without replacement parts in the long run
I totally enjoy your efforts but I (around 5500 sqft cool season lawn in europe, moved years ago but actually never cared until I found this channel) would never choose a battery powered mower over a gas powered one for the reasons stated.
Thanks for your thoughts on that review, totally enjoyed that video throw'er down and may the 5th be always in your odds! ;)
Appreciate your lawn dominating tips LCN. Went to buy mulching blades, and the salesman tried telling me I needed the entire mulching kit for the mower...total price, $140. I told him 3x I just want the blades, and he kept saying that's not to do anything, I had to have the entire kit. So I walked out, now it's off to Amazon to find some mulching blades
I have Saint Augustine grass as well and since the carpet is so thick, I use the lowest setting on my Toro and now with the Ego. My shoulder is bad, so I had to go with an electric mower and I love it.
I own a Ryobi 21” 40v mower and it works great! Sounds like a vacuum and I don’t have to deal with buying gas and all that stuff. I have roughly 2000 square foot yard and one batter cuts it all. The mower senses thicker grass and gives a boost of power when needed to put through the tough stuff. I couldn’t be happier with it.
I made the EGO conversion a few years ago. Mower was first, the first edition which is a very light 21" pusher. I have trimmer, hand held blower, chainsaw (WOW), and snow blower too.
Tip: slow pace of mower or quicken your walk so that you have a little push on handle, BUT make that an upward push to help front wheels stay down (no bounce). One problem mine has it that EGO provided "low lift" blades, thus it has inadequate suction to pull the grass blades upward while being cut. Keep it RAZER sharp! Keep them all RAZER sharp!
I’ve had my ego 21 self propelled for about 3 months, love it. Lately noticed when cutting at the highest setting that some grass blades are not being cut, similar to your observation. Sharpened blades but still missing some cuts, hmmmm. Still like the mower, I’m all in.
I love the way you review products. You neighbors must think you are crazy laying down on the grass with a go pro... Love it!
I have the EGO mower for a couple of season now and I love it. I do agree that this mower definitely have plenty as compare to a gas mower though it not necessarily best in class. My only complaint is it’s not as quiet as I hope. While is much much quieter than a gas mowers, I am not sure if I can in good conscience mow at 6:30 am like Allyn lol. Also, I have the whole EGO product line and that blower is the best thing on the planet, it’s super light and powerful. I have the power tool head system for the trimmer, edger, and polesaw and not having to deal with a loud, super shaky 2 cycle engine is a godsend and of course I don’t have to pull anything to start it. Thanks for the review Allyn!
I've been using a battery powered B&D for 8 years and will never go back to gas. I'm upgrading to this mower to have the self-powered feature. I'm 72 years old with breathing problems and need the assistance. I reviewed most of the top mowers and EGO comes out on top. All of my garden tools are electric/battery and have been since 2011.
I found that cutting with a 20-30% overlap help prevented uneven cutting caused by the spring sag in the hight adjust on my old 19” Victa, and from years of putting up with it even today out of habit I still overlap using my new 21” Honda.
Hey Allen I also have this lawn mower and the rest of the line. The highest setting is to high and inconsistent for my KBG but one down is perfect. Slow the speed down to a little over a 1/4 of the way from the slowest speed just before you get half way. Also the blade doesn't not come very sharp from factory give it a sharpening. Lastly for me the convenience of no gas little maintenance and a quiet mower is awesome. I enjoy listening to pandora when I landscape. If you want to go fast with the mower grass needs to be cut every 3 days. I also find mowing in the early morning gives me a better cut.
I used Blindside on my St. Augustine lawn and spot sprayed a couple areas that were infected with kyllinga and nutsedge. I noticed that at those spots the grass stopped growing and the Bermuda grass that was invading the area has been over taking those spots. Will my St. Augustine grow again, or did I loose it in those areas? Any recommendations? I bought Allyn's guide for warm turf, but after applying the blindside. So, now I don't know what to do. Can any of you help? Thanks!
I have the GreenWorks Pro 60v series. Mower, blower, trimmer, etc..I'm pretty happy with it so far. I can get through about 7000 sq ft. on a single charge with a medium thickness Bermuda and the cut quality is great. Plenty of power as well. Probably wouldn't work as well on a thicker lawn but for my lawn it's perfect.
For anyone contemplating;
Second year going with EGO, and LOVE IT. Have the 21" SP and, after you get a high-lift blade, it's terrific. Some pros:
* No Gas -- So nice not having that spring trip to the gas station or adding stabilizer to the container through winter. (and no gas hands from these new jugs)
* Lightweight -- Makes walking with (and transporting it) easy. I also feel like it's helping avoid mow grooves (wear marks) around islands/trim/etc.
* Storage -- Know some people who have 'em hung on wall/ceiling. Haven't gone that far, but converting to vertical storage is a great space-saver. (Joys of not having to worry about leaking gas).
* No Maint. -- No tune-ups, worrying about ethanol, spark plugs, etc.
* Ecosystem -- Have the backpack blower and handle for string trimmer/edger/saw. As mentioned, when you use the whole system it's an amazing thing with a lot of versatility.
* Self-propel (Optional) -- Enjoy that I can have it move itself without having the mower enabled. It's also fully adj., which is terrific for anyone's walking pace (or training for 5k on high).
* Rear-wheel drive -- Didn't see you mention, but nice to have given how many times you may be going up-hill or pushing down on bar while moving forward.
* Head-lamp - Just in case?
I know you picked it out, but the "delay", I believe, is part of a battery saving effort. Ramp-up (over hard-drains) to a batter is a lot easier on the cells.
Cons (Honestly):
* Self-propel handle should be on both sides (or an entire bar along back side or something).
* Default blade [doesn't] suck. Supposedly the steel frame (next model) fixes this, but you need to buy a high-lift blade if you want a prayer at mulching.
* Send-in for side-discharge (should have just shipped it). It's free, but comes after you register.
* Difficult to clean; Gas-powered you have no hesitation spraying the fawk out of it. Not the case with these. Water-resistant, but not enough to make cleaning any easier.
Thanks for this review. Just moved into a new home in August last year and borrowed a gas mower until I get a chance to buy the EGO. Still haven't decided for sure but this gives me another view of it. Also want to use some of your techniques to make my new lawn awesome so keep up the good work and especially all the great tips for us who have no clue what we are doing. I need to do something soon because this first summer of this new sod and weeds coming out bad already...
I'm a full time gardener in the UK and I've been using all of the ego gear this year. It's been a blessing not having to rely on fuel and I have zero downtime. I'm more efficient in every way
Frankly, the 21" self propelled Ego Electric Mower is the electric mower to beat, I've used it for over 1 year and it still performs. I've got the backpack air blower, hedge trimmer and the String Trimmer and all of the units perform beyond expectation. I do find that if I let my lush and thick fescue grow to obscene heights, I do need to trade batteries on and off almost every 30-40 minutes. I have the 7.5 Ah that came with the mower and the 5.0 that came with the backpack blower. Blade cuts clean when maintained so I bought an extra one so they are always sharp. Quiet, easy to store and I frankly can cut my lawn at night because it has headlights and is quiet enough not to bother the neighbors. To me, there are significant advantages with going electric as the maintenance issues with gas are frankly not worth it when you take into account the whole line of Ego lawn care products. Thanks LCN for doing a thorough review of cut quality!
Because I am retired, don't have a lot of space and don't want to mess with gas. I went for this mower with 2 of the 7.5 batteries, because the snowblower I'm going to buy this fall needs two. I also got one of the blowers to use. The two batteries guarantee that I have all the power I need for my lawn. I like to listen to audio books with earbuds, so the much quieter electric is nice for that. It's also very light weight.
I really like this mower a lot. It may not be perfect... but it's perfect for me. That's what really matters.
I'm going all in on the other tools as well.
I love my Husqvarna LE121P electric mower. It comes with two batteries. It runs for 100 minutes. Plus I’ve even got a third batteries from buying the hedge trimmer. It’s more about buying into the tool line than just one piece. Well for me anyway. They run quieter, do the same job, don’t require oil/gas/spark plugs, just plug/push the button go, lightweight, folds up to just about nothing. and even has a cool ergonomic handle with rubber padding. For the rest of my huge yard I use a John Deere riding mower. Hoping for electric riding mowers to come out more in the future.
These reviews are absolutely fabulously done, so please don't misunderstand my critique. I'm sure that this and some other cordless electrics will work for some people, but buyer beware on any mower that is electric; corded or cordless. They've got a different set of specifications that don't match up to what some of us are used to. Sometimes it's good to get a counter point from someone that isn't obsessed with cut quality and who doesn't always make that feature of a mower the highest priority feature; not that I'm against someone having this obsession, it's just that it's not my goal in cutting a lawn to have the best-looking lawn, and so I look at some of these products differently.
For instance, I've got a Toro TimeMaster 30, and my experience with the TimeMaster is much different than The Nut. I love the mower, but to me it's a "side discharge only mower", and even in side discharge mode, I can't use the supplied chute that Toro gives it, because it aids in it's biggest weakness, which is clogging under the deck and at the opening. The chute gets knocked off way too easily also. The only way to use the TimeMaster for me and for most people that owns one, is to tie up the mulching plate and mow like mad, and used in that way, it is a fabulous mower, because using it that way, it's powerful and fast, but for most people, trying to use it as "The Nut" uses it, it bogs down way too easily and gets gunked up super quickly and it just can't be managed unless the grass is super dry or super thin, or super short. However, the TimeMaster since 2016 has a bigger engine which may help it overcome this issue a little bit, even though it's not really a lack of power problem. With bagging, it fills a bag really quickly and even though the bag is very big, one has to remove it and dump it every few minutes and it weights the mower down so much that the front wheels nearly come off the ground. So the best things about a TimeMaster causes it's own weaknesses and that is that it cuts a lot of grass quickly and very well, and so it has problems expelling the puree as fast as it cuts it for most users.
Anyway, for Ego, I already know something about this mower just by looking at the packaging and advertising that makes it inferior to every gas-powered mower out there. In fact every electric mower, corded or cordless, that I've seen has this same inferior feature that is trying to be passed off as equal to gas . Deck width is not cut width. All gas and diesel-powered mowers list cut width on the box and/or on the mower itself. I bet if one were to measure the blade width of this mower, it would be less than 20". I once owned a Kobalt 21" corded. I thought it was a 21" mower. That's what was listed on the box. I was going to try and go electric, because it was listed as the same size as a gas mower, but the blade measures 19 3/8". Greenworks makes this mower and it was in some ways a very good mower; but the two areas that customers look at the most, especially with a good-sized lawn are: cutting width and power. And it is those two specifications where electric manufacturers are the most misleading and deceptive. It was supposed to be 13 amp. I bought a 12 gauge cord and was managing the cord fine, but the mower was drawing less than 10 amps when several UA-cam posters checked it out.
With cordless electric, the power thing is even more misleading and deceptive, because they won't even rate them by power output. They list only volts and so the only way to figure out if it will have enough power for your needs is to buy one or watch a review or hope that more volts will equal more power, which it may not. Volts does not tell anyone anything about power output, and the industry does not really want to step up and compete with gas equipment manufacturers, because, #1 they won't use the same specifications for comparison, and #2 they won't all use the same type of batteries and chargers, which is like having to by different fuel dispensers that are very expensive made by different mower manufacturers in order to use their equipment. So while I'd love to be on board with going electric, and I have tried to go electric with a mower and my 1/2 acre lot, and do use electric with respect to string trimmers and hedge clippers where I need only limited productivity, I have trouble supporting an industry that is deceptive and purposely tries not to compete against gas mowers in an honest fashion.
I have Tall Fescue grass and bought this mower right after Easter. I cut my lawn to 2" over winter and I had such a hard time cutting with this mower due to the lack of suction. Now 4 weeks later, my grass is 4" and the suction is much better. I am also experiencing a clumping problem that I am looking into which I read could be fixed by spraying a silicone lubricant on the underside. I am also experimenting double cutting using the side discharge.
I bought the EGO 21" push (non-self propelled) for our new smaller flat lawn. I also noticed that on the highest setting, it didn't really get much performance out of it until I dropped it down one click. Hope that the golf cart gives you good performance over the next few weeks or so.
Coming from a camera YT channel, the first mower I got that is battery powered is with a Lithium Ion battery. it is a push mower tough. So I was super attracted to this LI battery mower because the acid batteries is nothing I ever want to go to. I appreciate this review very much, thank you!!! I might switch over to the self propelled LI mower and the review was awesome :) I never want to go back to gas, cleaning the tanks, the Seafoam and all that stuff. I want my mower to be like my camera equipment - always ready and go!
One area I was hoping you would touch on is the walking speed. I don't like to cut fast, but to give the grass enough "blade time" for the mower to do it's job and to get that extra good cut. I see you like going pretty quick, will this slow down enough for short older people to use too?
I have been using the EGO mover for over 3+ years and its the best! All of their produts are quality made...
Had gotten one of these because the mower I had could not cut tall wet St Augustine grass. Mowed 2 (about 19k sq ft. total) lawns on one charge, but I don't always use the self propel lever.
You're right! I live up north and my crappy yard looks pretty good right now..thick and green!
One thought may be that since the mower is so light and it "floats" you may need to sand and level your new yard to get an even cut with such a light unit. It would seem that it is literally cutting to the unevenness of the lawn base and telegraphing that to the surface cut for you to see. The good part is you can see in real time, the low spots and high spots to even out with sand.
‘Ve had my Ego for 5 years and it still does a great job. We need to get over our addiction to the infernal combustion engine.
Your right about uneven cuts. I brought the EGO mower a few weeks ago and noticed the same issue. After reading some reviews on the issue, I brought the separate high lift mower blade based. It delivers a cleaner cut than does the stock blade. The blade design causes the mower to have a deeper even cut. I observed no change in battery life in use. IMO, this should be the standard OEM blade, not an option that requires an additional purchase. Overall, I've used the mower only a few times but I'm pleased with the performance
Really enjoy your down to earth style and honest opinions. Keep it real my brother, thats why we all stay tuned in
@The Lawn Care Nut I used the 40volt kobalt mower and trimmer for the first time. it cuts quite well just like the husqvarna lawn tractor did
Please review the ego 21 inch high lift blade. It makes a world of difference. Worth every penny. Cut quality is similar to a toro super recycler.
I am currently using the Echo 56V trimmer, edger, and blower. So far they have been excellent and as I like to tell everyone, they start every time...still using the gas mower.
The electric mower is more expensive. However, there is no carburetor to fail, no gasoline to go get, no gas cans, no fuel spill, and no oil change. Those are all a hassle. The electric mower is also considerably quieter. I use Honda’s for my commercial business but would definitely consider this mower if I was just mowing my own place. Good review, thank you.
Yeah, we just bought our first house over winter, and that logic's what nudged us into the Ego as well. It helps that I was already planning to buy an electric trimmer and blower. Starting from scratch, the support kit we'd eventually have to build up for a gas mower just didn't seem worth it when an electric exists that can at least hold its own.
But the batteries do cycle out. It is a consumable part.
Sure, eventually. Likewise, the blades will still need sharpening and eventual replacement. I don't think either of us is saying maintenance costs become zero. For me, it's just *fewer* consumable parts to consider, and fewer incidental problems, like spills and surprise failures. The battery charger (and I think appliances) have active cooling so early failures are unlikely, and even if a unit only lasts 300 deep cycles before charge degradation sets in, you're looking at 7.5 years of mowing, 40 weeks each year.
Matthew Abbott but you will never see a homeowner with anything over 1 acre with this. It will not last..unless you purchase more than 1 battery. And at the price of li-ion batteries...youre buying oil, and gas. I can deff agree with the less dirty work with ego..but gas will always dominate battery when it comes to big yards.
It's only a matter of time before that's gone too. Already mean green machines has mowers that can do most of what gas does, and significantly, at a fraction of the maintenance required.
Have you tested the new ego version + what do you think of the new Toro 60 volt lawn mower?
Most aggressive unboxing I’ve ever witnessed and bloody loved it. Keep up the great videos.
Agree. Battery powered mowers are for small lawns only. I have a patio home with only 2k sq ft to mow and my 16" is perfect. I can knock it out in 20 minutes and have 1/2 charge left. And for a better cut, I found I had to slow the pace a tad over a gas mower. I love that I do not have to deal with gas and oil anymore. No more carburetors clogging up. Just keep the blade sharpen and that's about all the maintenance there is. No more gas mower for me.
Thank Allen....I have an embarrassing and stupid question...I bought this lawnmower and it came with three blades....with 2 of them already installed...i understand one to be for bagging and the other for mulching....I'm guessing I take one of them off...as I'm going to backi..but just not sure why both were installed..
I'm going to try out EGO's high lift blade to see if it improves the grass pick-up and discharge into the bag with an increase in the volume of air the blade should produce. Regularly sharpening the blade definitely helps with a cleaner cut.
Mr.Nut what have you heard of this 2 blade Ego Mower? Cut Quality improvement or marketing idea?
I have the 20" steel deck self propelled brushless with 7.5ah battery. It weighs a bit more which helps keep it grounded. I have a quarter acre and it will cut, trim, edge, and blow on that 1 battery. Occasionally I will have to break out a second 5ah or 2ah to get it done. I have the mower, trimmer, edger, bush trimmer, and backpack blower. Should note, blade didn't come super sharp from the factory for some reason. Maybe yours didn't either and that's what accounts for some of the issues?
Another tasty video Allyn. A fair appraisal of a promising tool (for, as you say, its intended niche).
I was watching my favorite cooking show today, America's Test Kitchen. They were evaluating oven thermometers and made the point that 'all ovens are different' and they found actual oven temps to vary sometimes up to 50F. It's a fact of life that oven temps vary from what you set it for and it even says so in the manual of my own (I'm a manual-reader) . It's up to the user to determine the variance.
Same should go for mowers and mowing height. I never understood how a mower could be dialed in to the precision of a half inch grass height. Maybe on a golf course, but in my yard that'd be silly. Set it to what the index says and check your work, and be prepared to go with what the grass actually shows. Let that be the guide, not an overly optimistic dial.
Leading to my last comment: no one but the mower (like you, or me) gets on their belly to get a vole's eye view of the lawn. Good to know how consistent and how cleanly the machine cuts, but seriously, from the road or sidewalk? What will anyone notice?
Living in WA my entire life I have never seen St. Augustine, but I must say I don't think I would like it very much. Just doesn't seem as lush and soft as the grasses we have up here. Nothing like walking out on the lawn in your bare feet and feeling the softness of it. I will admit though, you definitely dominate on your lawn. I was impressed with your review of the mower. I've had a battery powered B&D and it was ok. Now that I got the space though, I got my John Deere rider and I love it. Enjoy the mow.
can i ask what you wear around your neck? Is that something to prevent sunburn? Any suggestions on what to wear to protect my neck (without dying from heat). Thanks for your great videos!!!!
Good thinking Hane, buy a new mower to ensure the blades are installed in the right direction
I laughed so hard when I watched that one. Everyone makes a boo-boo sometime. Just not usually for the whole world to see... He owned it though, props to Allyn.
Hahaha, Honda and Toro called him up and insisted he not use a "real" mower on the channel until he recertified on a battery operated version. OJT Allyn OJT!
Thanks for the TIPS and Laughs, LCN!
I'm not sure why you want a self-propelled mower that pops wheelies, but ever since my patellar tendon ruptures I kinda like having my mower ease into high gear.
No gas? No oil? No or low maintenance? Cost justified especially for a lower priced home series electric mower
Also check your mowing speed
Funny, I picked up my Ego Saturday, charged it, then cut the lawn on Sunday. I was leery but she did alright. Yes, this fills my need to be able to cut the yard at daybreak without finding me staring at myself in a pair of Raybans telling me about noise ordinances.
I wish my neighbor would get one of these. His mower is so out of tune that it belches the most noxious fumes. It's really amazing that his little mower is actually capable of fumigating as large an area as it is.
Hi Allyn,
I'm from Southern California and have St. Augustine but its only about 1200 sq ft so I'm thinking of going electric. I currently have an old Honda HRX mower that my father in law gave me when I moved into my first and current house in 2016. Its great but like I said I want to go electric.
I'm between the EGO - 21 in. Select Cut 56V Lith-Ion Cordless Electric Walk Behind Self Propelled Mower and the TORO - Recycler 22 in. 60-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Battery Walk Behind Personal Pace Mower. Which one would you suggest? If possible, maybe you can do a comparison sometime this year.
Thank you.
Respectfully,
Izzy from SoCal
I LOVE my EGO products! SP 21”, blade edger, blower and string trimmer. So nice to not have to mess with gas. The blade out of the box really needs a touch up sharpening. even the new blades need a touch up out of the wrapper.
Did you get to the bottom of it? Why was the cut so off? - perhaps a few cinder blocks weighing down the ego would smarten it up a bit ;)
I have the EGO mower. I think at the higher setting is may not have as much suction as your gas mower to pull the grass up to the blades. There's an EGO mulching blade that may significantly help with this and create a stronger suction. I suggest giving the upgraded blade for the EGO a try.
The Lawn care nut, what do you think of slice seeders? Seems they do the work of aerating, overseeding, and topsoil in one function by driving the seeds into the soil. Would you recommend a slice seeder? Or just stick to the usual routine this fall?
I live in Orlando, so similar St. Augustine. Question: My Ego doesn't seem to cut well. I have a company spray my lawn with fertilizer and weed killer every other month. This makes my lawn grow FAST. Pretty much needs it twice a week and I cut high. I can only do every weekend. I have this 7.5Ah Ego 21" mower and it doesn't seem to be cutting it well lately. I find all of the grass on top after I pass (could be dull blade) and tons of those uncut strays. Thinking about change to a has powered 22" Toro recycler smartstow personal pace hoping this would help. Do you think it will? Also, what is the best way to handle the thatching? Can I hire a company to de-thatch my lawn? It seems to be growing in thatch and floating like carpet.
Good review! I bought this after moving into my first house this year. Works good on my Bermuda grass lawn.
I have the Ryobi self propelled and I really like it, bit the battery charge time is 3hrs.
Just found your channel. Good stuff. You remind me of a mix of Ave and Brian Glenn from cigar obsession.
As a new homeowner with no lawn care tools, I bought into the Greenworks 80v family. Very impressed so far.
Excellent video! Look forward to more info from this mower. I sold my truck and getting the gas smell in my car started to suck, so I went in favor of the model you featured, but ended up selling it after 4 months. It left lines of clipping in my Bermuda grass constantly. Tried the steel deck 20” Ego and it actually was waaay better. Still miss my Honda though. My favorite mower.
What do you think makes the 20" steel deck better? Is it the brushless motor or the steel deck weighing more that makes it better?
I'm not sure really. Perhaps the smaller deck makes for a better vacuum. From my research, alot of people who had the plastic deck 20" said they never had the side clipping problems the 21" people were having.
ive got the ego blower, trimmer and snow blower. Love them all. I sold the smaller batteries it came with and use the 2 large batteries that came with the snow blower. Good stuff
So I have a relatively cheap lawn lower from Home Depot. Would I notice a big difference in my cut with a higher end lawn mower?
Sharpen that blade and see what happens. Factory sharpening is non-existent.
I had the 21" SP version and really liked it, but I was always questioning the cut when I used the SP. It just seemed to be off and when I wasn't using SP it looked normal. I could never put my finger on the cause, but it really irked me. I never thought about maybe the unit being too lite and having just a little bit of bounce while using SP. I eventually sold to my aunt and got the non-SP. I don't have a terribly large lawn so it works out better. Love the vids!!
what happened to the previous mower model ego and what is the difference between them??
Thanks
I considered switching to the Ego based on the ease and not having to worry about gas or oil and the sound but then I look at the price of the replacement battery and its $358 so that never works out. I could buy two gas mowers that would last a lot longer than just the one Ego for $499 and when I had to replace the battery for $358 it just never adds up.
Ed Pereira I originally thought that as well. I just ordered a mower, a Power Head with trimmer attachment, and a backpack blower. Each of those products I got came with a 5 AH battery. I have a small yard (30 minutes of mowing) and that works for me. I plan on buying extra tools, and I am slowly buying them to distribute their cost. It will always give me a new battery.
I also opted for the setup I got for a another reason. The mower folds flat, is easy to lift into my car trunk, and will start when the battery is in it. I also got the Power Head as I can take that and different attachments to my family's land. The trimmer will come in handy for clearing up around the fire pit and close to the house. I am going to make a dedicated brush cutter head out of a second string trimmer head and get a pole saw for trimming trees around my house/land. I like the fact I do not have to mess with gas, and I know my tools will start when I am in the middle of nowhere.
How's the Just For Men Control GX Shampoo working out? Looks like it's doing pretty good on you.
Love the videos! I bought your Warm weather book and just started it. Great videos! It would really help if you could balance your video volumes to where each take does not change volume. This makes the viewer have to constantly increase and decrease the volume. Thanks again for all the hard work you put into this channel! It has paid off! I have watched you for several years now.
The delay in the start of self propulsion may have to do with in-rush current. Basically the battery is putting out so much power for the motor which spins the cutting blade, they had to dial down the control mechanism for the motor which propels the wheels.
We have to do this all the time with satellites, since the battery power is the same, but it’s supplyjng power to multiple motors on the spacecraft.
I've owned Ego mower for a year now, and I love it. I don't have to deal with gas, you just push the green bottom and go. 7000sqft lawn one charge with power left to run my Ego weed eater.
I'm looking for a new mower. Toro Super Recycler or Time Master? My yard is not huge but there are not many corners that would possibly jam the Time Master up. Which one?
It's interesting that you review this now - I have on pre-order one of the new DeWalt 40V mowers (not self-propelled) that are targeted at landscapers. I already own the 40V line trimmer, chainsaw and blower, so it was a natural fit, and with a 40,000+ sq ft lawn in the northeast, I have a ton of nooks and crannies and even an interior courtyard that I can't get my big Deere into and wanted something that would clean up those places a lot better than a line trimmer.
For those 2,000 sq ft I need it for, I don't care about having it self propelled, just something small and no maintenance. The rest of their 40V line has been amazing and the envy of my neighbors, so when mine comes in I hope it does as well as the rest. I didn't get the EGO specifically because I didn't want to buy into another battery system, and I really don't want any 2 cycle lawn equipment.
Your experience is pretty similar to what I’ve found with my Ego 21” (not self-propelled though). Because it’s lighter, the wheels don’t sink so far into the grass and it can jump sometimes if your lawn has a lot of bumps and divots. It would make sense that you’re seeing that more at the top height. I usually mow my KBG at 3.5”.
Also, I’ll echo what someone else said: try sharpening the blades. It’s a lighter, thinner blade than some gas mowers, and the cut quality responds really well to sharpening. From the factory it’s not dull, but could be sharper.
Almost a year has passed, how do you feel about it now?
Yo Bro.... you gotta check out the Kobalt 80 volt. My joint is not self propelled. but I believe u will love the Kobalt. Mine came with two batteries. I had the blades sharpened and it works like a dream. Mowing tall, bagging, and mulching leaves like a goat. I followed up with the string trimmer from the same line and now I have three batteries. Power for days.
BTW I’m a USN fellow DINFOS BJC grad. ‘91.
Keep killin it Allyn.
I wanted to know what is the reason i see most people mowing with the side discharge open or removed? Is there a advantage to leaving the deflector open? When reading a manual, it states to never operate a mower with the deflector removed or opened. Can you elaborate?
I really like these things. In fact I like all battery powered lawn tools. I've had trimmer for years and just last year got snow blower. As much as I'd love to have E-GO, my budget is Ryobi. But I have been extremely happy with the trimmer, and the snow blower worked well too, although I've only had for one season. I like the simplicity of "grab and go". Plus my wife and kids are able to use in a pinch. Well, that's just wishful thinking.
Funny, I had the same grass blade skipping problem...changed my stance w the mower...fixed! Thanks LCN!
Also, just picked up a hat from the shop!
A little off topic, but would you rather A) Exmark Commercial 30 or B) Honda HRX217?
Hey now that it has been a full year. You should do a new video about your experience with the EGO lawn mower. I'm really close to buying one. My last one just crapped out. Thanks
Whats up LCN, i feel i can give a just review on this mower. I have the walk behind version. I have small yard totol of a out 3ksqft. When i first got my house 3 years ago i got reel mower, to Gas, to Electric.. Ego was the most expensive.. the strongest was the gas.. the best cut was the Fiskars Reel mower.. if you have tall grass you'll hear the Ego power slow down, it even shut down on me once.. i tilt the ego back and come down on the tall grass so it wont lag. And dont start it on grass, start on the side once it gains power then mow.. thats it for my Negatives.. the fully charged battery has never died on me, my grass is mix of fescue and zoysia.. what sold me on it was how quiet it was compared to gas, and not having to always need gas. i was able to put my music on and rock out while i mow. It changed everything, mowing was a chore for me, with gas i needed ear protection. But with Ego i put on my music earphones and its fun to mow. So i choose the Ego cause it made my mowing experience better it made mowing fun instead of a chore. I need music for anything i do. I guess if i had noise cancelling earphones the loudness from Gas powered mow wouldnt be a problem but i didnt own any at the time. So for the past 2 years i been using my Ego with my Beats listen to some AC/DC "Back in Black" as my first lawn cut of spring..
Also i forgot to mention another Negative with your uneven cut i noticed that also at times. And it was at 4" sometimes my left front tire would lift up as im pushing my mower. Im guessing cause of how light it is, its easy to unbalance. cutting lower did help to keep my weight lower to the ground and cuts were fine at 3".
Hey Alan, does your other mowers have the self propelled options... and were you using that as well.. just trying to compare evenly across the board. Thanks.
I only buy self propelled mowers
I've had the non-self propelled model for a couple of years now. Has been flawless and goes through even really tall grass without stalling. I had to modify the handle to make it shorter though.
I have the original ego mower for my St. Augustine. I was great for probably the first year. No misses or anything. I was fairly impressed. After that it started missing even with new blades. I'm on year three now and it just seems like it has less power and now it has started to make a loud whirling/whistling sound that comes and goes. I feel its on its last leg. I do run it on height 4 instead of 5. Side note, I won't be going back to gas. I'll probably stick with ego. The no gas option wins for me.