I got tired of messing with gasoline, oil, and the mixing, pouring, and spilling of the two, so I gave all my lawn equipment away and hired a gardener - 2 years later realize what a mistake - all gardener does is mow grass every 2 weeks and charge $$$$ for everything else. So I decided to to take back my yard and went online to research electric mowers and decrease my carbon footprint.
I was all ready to purchase a corded model when I came across the Earthwise 20" 24 volt cordless rechargeable. I must admit that I was very apprehensive about cordless, I've owned many gutless cordless power tools. During my research of the Earthwise I ran across a video that showed the lawnmower in action - I was sold. I purchased immediately and have been extremely pleased.
This mower has all the power that I could ever need to take care of my yard (approx. 1/4 acre of grass, with some on a slope). The battery came fully charged and I had the mower out of the box, fully assembled (very easy), and out mowing withing 20 minutes. Used the grass catcher just to see how it worked (did a great job), then took it off and have mulched ever since (this machine turns your grass into the minutest particles).
It is very well constructed (the deck is metal - this is good), the height adjustment could not be easier (one lever adjusts all wheels - again, very good), it pushes very easily (thanks to the ball-bearing wheels), and the handle folds to make for very compact storage.
My yard and I am happy again! Earthwise 60120 20-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Electric Lawn Mower
This review is based on the same but differently branded Homelite UT13122 Cordless Mower (sold at Home Depot). My other mowers are an MTD electric and a Brill reel mower. I never own a gasoline-powered mower for the obvious reasons.
OPERATION:
- Push and turn around when necessary. Any problem is behind the mower.
PROS:
- Strong and powerful motor (it cut down 12"+ moist-grass! Haha, it's May 17 and I just did my first mowing of the season here in Virginia)
- Plenty of juice in one charge,
- 1-click removable battery makes it easy to charge the battery off-board/indoor with the included adapter cable and charger -- the same charger works for on-board and off-board charging,
- LED display for battery level is on deck at the rear, very easy to see while pushing the mower,
- Easy on and off; the safety key is secured to the control unit with a lanyard (no need to kneel down and get to the key like the Neuton),
- Dust/water cap for charging plug is included and secured with a lanyard,
- Wide cutting path,
- One-lever height adjustment,
- Maximum cut height is taller than most (haha, I like my lawn taller),
- Complete with bag, side discharger and mulch plug
CONS:
- Battery maintenance is not that simple. Per the manual, the charger is NOT a smart, trickle charger and MUST NOT CHARGE MORE THAN A MAXIMUM OF 24-HR. Yet, the manual and the yellow warning tag also warn that you MUST CHARGE THE BATTERY EVERY 30-DAYS during the off-seasons. Who's going to remember to do this religiously? The 1-click removable battery makes it possible to do charge it indoor, however, the owner must still remember to plug and unplug the the charger to heed the recommendation of no-more than 24-hour and at least once every 30 days. I have a programmable wall timer to take care of this (UPDATE: I am using a third party smart charger instead), but it would be so much nicer if the charger was a smart, trickle charger that can manage on its own. A smart charger circuitry is so easy to manufacture and it would add only a few dollars to the final price (and it would pay off in the long run given not too many owners would heed the warning, and many would end up with dead batteries, giving the product a bad rep).
- The handle is not foldable for quick storage. It's removable with the knob screws, but a foldable handle would make it much easier.
MAINTENANCE TIP:
- Get a programmable timer to help the dumb charger maintain the battery better (see cons above) -- UPDATE: I am using a 24v smart charger)
- Spray the blade and the bottom of the deck (well, all over) with Jigaloo or other similar spray lubricant. It will make it slicker and less grass will stick, keeping it cleaner and easier to blow after every use.
- UPDATE #2: store the battery at a cool place to minimize discharge, and don't let it discharge fully too often and don't leave it discharged too long. Sealed lead acid batteries are happier when they're fully charged (but they're not happy if they're overcharged with bad chargers either).
UPDATE: I opened the battery pack (8 screws) and saw two green, sealed lead acid (SLA) batteries with this printed on them:
6-DZM-20 (12V20AH)
3-Step Charge Method
Step 1: Constant Current Charge: 2.4 - 3.0A
Step 2: Constant Voltage Charge: 14.7 - 14.9V
Step 3: Floating - Constant Floating Voltage is 13.7 - 13.9V. Converting current: 550-600mA.
Note: if you are looking for an aftermarket smart charger, make sure you look for a 24v charger, because the batteries are placed in series (so double the voltage). The charging current can be lower than the spec above; it'll just take a longer to charge. I found mine from batteryspec dot com.
UPDATE #2: I'm still doing some work on perfecting the charger setup. As it is right now, I'm charging the battery pack off-board because it's more convenient and the battery stays cooler in the basement. I'm thinking of either upgrading the charger to either a: 1) 24v Soneil Charger (a reliable deep-cycle charger used for scooters/wheel chair, much more expensive though!), or 2) install a DPDT switch so that, at the flick of a switch, the battery assembly goes from series (24v) to parallel (12v), allowing me to use much cheaper 12v smart chargers (like the touted Battery Minder or Battery Tender Plus, available here at Amazon). With the DPDT switch, I'll set the pack to 12v for charging, and 24v for operation. It will only need a length of wire and a DPDT switch from Radio Shack ($3.99 plus tax, catalog #275-691).
It sounds like a lot of work, but it's a hobby to me and from the negative reviews, the battery (but actually the charger) is the achiles heel of this otherwise excellent mower. I'll post an update. - Cordless Lawn Mower - Electric Mower - Electric Lawn Mower - Cordless Mower'
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