Ego Electric Mower--generic batteries?

[rothwem]

I've got an Ego mower, and while I think it mows well, I'm pretty annoyed with the lack of battery life. I can't get even half a mow in if I go longer than a week without mowing, and I've only got a third of an acre.  I was ready to go get another battery, but I realized that they actually cost the same amount as an inexpensive gas mower.  I've noticed that there are a bunch of generics on the market for half or less than half of the price.  Has anyone bought one?  Are they worth a crap?

[Bartlebooth]

I have played the battery lottery a few times on Amazon (for other brands and product types) and always won.  However it is a YMMV situation.  Even if someone links to a specific product on Amazon, it is quite difficult to make sure you are actually getting the same product.

And you are not likely to find a high-reputation retailer selling knock-off products...

Just go for it.

[sonofsven]

I'm on the Makita platform; I was gifted two off brand batteries and neither work as well as the Makita branded batteries.
The tools work fine with them, the charge just doesn't last as long.

[Mountainbug]

I have the same mower and the same problem. How long have you had yours? If it’s been less than 2 years the battery is under warranty and they will send you a new one. They sent us an entirely new mower but I honestly deeply regret buying this brand and will go back to a gas mower due to the difficulty with batteries. If you buy an off brand please come back and update! I would love to keep going with the electric mower but after hearing them say I should expect to buy a $400 battery ever 3 years I just don’t think I can stomach it.

[YttriumNitrate]

I've got an Ego mower, and while I think it mows well, I'm pretty annoyed with the lack of battery life. I can't get even half a mow in if I go longer than a week without mowing, and I've only got a third of an acre.  I was ready to go get another battery, but I realized that they actually cost the same amount as an inexpensive gas mower.  I've noticed that there are a bunch of generics on the market for half or less than half of the price.  Has anyone bought one?  Are they worth a crap?

I have no experience with generic power tool batteries, but if you're buying brand name ones it's usually best to get a second tool that comes with a battery rather than buying a battery by itself. For example, at Lowes right now, a 5.0 Ah EGO batter is $300. [1]. Alternatively, you can get a 16-inch chain saw with a 5.0 Ah EGO battery and another charger for $330. [2]

[rothwem]

I have the same mower and the same problem. How long have you had yours? If it’s been less than 2 years the battery is under warranty and they will send you a new one. They sent us an entirely new mower but I honestly deeply regret buying this brand and will go back to a gas mower due to the difficulty with batteries. If you buy an off brand please come back and update! I would love to keep going with the electric mower but after hearing them say I should expect to buy a $400 battery ever 3 years I just don’t think I can stomach it.

It hasn't been two years yet, I got in October of 2021, but I bought it on clearance from Lowes, it had been returned so I got it half off.  I'm not sure if there's a warranty included there.  I'll roll the dice with an amazon battery and update this thread. 

Also a minor rant here--I wish companies would wait until their tech is more mature before releasing a product.  How many people have bought an electric mower/blower/car and had an issue with it and said "I'm never buying anything electric ever again?"  It poisons the well for future attempts.  The Ego Mower is a great mower but the battery is just not good. 

I've got an Ego mower, and while I think it mows well, I'm pretty annoyed with the lack of battery life. I can't get even half a mow in if I go longer than a week without mowing, and I've only got a third of an acre.  I was ready to go get another battery, but I realized that they actually cost the same amount as an inexpensive gas mower.  I've noticed that there are a bunch of generics on the market for half or less than half of the price.  Has anyone bought one?  Are they worth a crap?

I have no experience with generic power tool batteries, but if you're buying brand name ones it's usually best to get a second tool that comes with a battery rather than buying a battery by itself. For example, at Lowes right now, a 5.0 Ah EGO batter is $300. [1]. Alternatively, you can get a 16-inch chain saw with a 5.0 Ah EGO battery and another charger for $330. [2]

Yeah, I bought a string trimmer for this purpose, unfortunately, I didn't realize the batteries came in different capacities.  When I put the string trimmer battery on the mower, I kill it in two passes of my yard.  I'd like to avoid the clutter, though I guess I could buy the chainsaw with the battery and sell the chainsaw without it at a hefty discount and come out ahead. 

[sonofsven]

I've got an Ego mower, and while I think it mows well, I'm pretty annoyed with the lack of battery life. I can't get even half a mow in if I go longer than a week without mowing, and I've only got a third of an acre.  I was ready to go get another battery, but I realized that they actually cost the same amount as an inexpensive gas mower.  I've noticed that there are a bunch of generics on the market for half or less than half of the price.  Has anyone bought one?  Are they worth a crap?

I have no experience with generic power tool batteries, but if you're buying brand name ones it's usually best to get a second tool that comes with a battery rather than buying a battery by itself. For example, at Lowes right now, a 5.0 Ah EGO batter is $300. [1]. Alternatively, you can get a 16-inch chain saw with a 5.0 Ah EGO battery and another charger for $330. [2]

This is why I have five or six brand new Makita chargers.
You definitely need to invest in batteries when making the switch. I haven't replaced any gas tools yet, only power tools, but I helped a friend purchase a Makita lawnmower, weed whacker, and small chainsaw, all 18v Makita.
The trimmer and mower all came with four batteries each. The mower takes four batteries but only runs on two at a time. When they die you switch to the other bank and run those two.
So far she's happy with it.
I took the trimmer out for a spin (ha); my initial reaction was that the throttle response was slower than my Stihl gas unit and I would have to change up my approach a bit.

The biggest advantage I see as far as battery vs gas yard tools is the ease of starting. A few elderly friends struggle to pull start gas units due to shoulder issues

[Dancin'Dog]

I've got an Ego mower, and while I think it mows well, I'm pretty annoyed with the lack of battery life. I can't get even half a mow in if I go longer than a week without mowing, and I've only got a third of an acre.  I was ready to go get another battery, but I realized that they actually cost the same amount as an inexpensive gas mower.  I've noticed that there are a bunch of generics on the market for half or less than half of the price.  Has anyone bought one?  Are they worth a crap?

I have no experience with generic power tool batteries, but if you're buying brand name ones it's usually best to get a second tool that comes with a battery rather than buying a battery by itself. For example, at Lowes right now, a 5.0 Ah EGO batter is $300. [1]. Alternatively, you can get a 16-inch chain saw with a 5.0 Ah EGO battery and another charger for $330. [2]

This is why I have five or six brand new Makita chargers.
You definitely need to invest in batteries when making the switch. I haven't replaced any gas tools yet, only power tools, but I helped a friend purchase a Makita lawnmower, weed whacker, and small chainsaw, all 18v Makita.
The trimmer and mower all came with four batteries each. The mower takes four batteries but only runs on two at a time. When they die you switch to the other bank and run those two.
So far she's happy with it.
I took the trimmer out for a spin (ha); my initial reaction was that the throttle response was slower than my Stihl gas unit and I would have to change up my approach a bit.

The biggest advantage I see as far as battery vs gas yard tools is the ease of starting. A few elderly friends struggle to pull start gas units due to shoulder issues

Don't forget the noise factor.  Just think how quiet our neighborhoods will be when all the mowers, weed eaters, blowers, chainsaws, and pressure washers eventually convert to electric power. 


We have an electric weed eater, blower, and pole saw.  They're great.  I wish my neighbors would hurry up and make the switch!

[YttriumNitrate]

Yeah, I bought a string trimmer for this purpose, unfortunately, I didn't realize the batteries came in different capacities.  When I put the string trimmer battery on the mower, I kill it in two passes of my yard.

You might also be overheating the smaller battery causing it to shutdown even if there's charge remaining. With 2 or 3 times the current coming out of the cells relative to a big battery, the smaller capacity batteries get hot quickly.

[rothwem]

I've got an Ego mower, and while I think it mows well, I'm pretty annoyed with the lack of battery life. I can't get even half a mow in if I go longer than a week without mowing, and I've only got a third of an acre.  I was ready to go get another battery, but I realized that they actually cost the same amount as an inexpensive gas mower.  I've noticed that there are a bunch of generics on the market for half or less than half of the price.  Has anyone bought one?  Are they worth a crap?

I have no experience with generic power tool batteries, but if you're buying brand name ones it's usually best to get a second tool that comes with a battery rather than buying a battery by itself. For example, at Lowes right now, a 5.0 Ah EGO batter is $300. [1]. Alternatively, you can get a 16-inch chain saw with a 5.0 Ah EGO battery and another charger for $330. [2]

This is why I have five or six brand new Makita chargers.
You definitely need to invest in batteries when making the switch. I haven't replaced any gas tools yet, only power tools, but I helped a friend purchase a Makita lawnmower, weed whacker, and small chainsaw, all 18v Makita.
The trimmer and mower all came with four batteries each. The mower takes four batteries but only runs on two at a time. When they die you switch to the other bank and run those two.
So far she's happy with it.
I took the trimmer out for a spin (ha); my initial reaction was that the throttle response was slower than my Stihl gas unit and I would have to change up my approach a bit.

The biggest advantage I see as far as battery vs gas yard tools is the ease of starting. A few elderly friends struggle to pull start gas units due to shoulder issues

Enh, a well designed and maintained gas mower shouldn't be particularly hard to start.  My wife has no issues starting the motor on my backpack leaf blower.  The small Honda motors on their mowers are also super easy, you don't even have to pull particularly hard and they fire right up. 

Don't forget the noise factor.  Just think how quiet our neighborhoods will be when all the mowers, weed eaters, blowers, chainsaws, and pressure washers eventually convert to electric power. 


We have an electric weed eater, blower, and pole saw.  They're great.  I wish my neighbors would hurry up and make the switch!

Enh, the blowers are still loud, and so is my weedwacker.  The mower is much quieter than my gas one, but I was actually surprised at how loud it was.  I still wear earplugs. 

[rothwem]

Yeah, I bought a string trimmer for this purpose, unfortunately, I didn't realize the batteries came in different capacities.  When I put the string trimmer battery on the mower, I kill it in two passes of my yard.

You might also be overheating the smaller battery causing it to shutdown even if there's charge remaining. With 2 or 3 times the current coming out of the cells relative to a big battery, the smaller capacity batteries get hot quickly.

Hm, yeah, I'll bet that's what the issue is.  Doesn't help me much though, either way it doesn't work. 

[ChickenStash]

Out of curiosity, what's the capacity and voltage for the batteries currently used?

I'm not familiar with Ego but as another data point, I have a GreenWorks 40v 20" mower that I use on a quarter acre. It came with a 4ah and 2ah battery. I can usually do my whole yard with some charge to spare if I keep up with it (weekly). This time of year the grass is crazy so when it let it go to 1.5 weeks last time I ran out and had to grab another 2ah battery plus recharge one of the others partially - the total was probably 9ah.

Some of that is because I didn't sharpen the blades this season yet. The run time goes down dramatically when the blades are dull. It's on my to-do list for the weekend.

[rothwem]

Out of curiosity, what's the capacity and voltage for the batteries currently used?

I'm not familiar with Ego but as another data point, I have a GreenWorks 40v 20" mower that I use on a quarter acre. It came with a 4ah and 2ah battery. I can usually do my whole yard with some charge to spare if I keep up with it (weekly). This time of year the grass is crazy so when it let it go to 1.5 weeks last time I ran out and had to grab another 2ah battery plus recharge one of the others partially - the total was probably 9ah.

Some of that is because I didn't sharpen the blades this season yet. The run time goes down dramatically when the blades are dull. It's on my to-do list for the weekend.

The main battery is a 7.5ah, the string trimmer is a 2.5ah. 

I haven't sharpened the blade yet, that might be a significant contributor to my issues.  I typically don't bother to sharpen the blade unless I notice that the mower is "knocking down" the grass instead of cutting it, but maybe these electric mowers are more sensitive. 

Though that won't be an option for much longer...
Honda To Stop Making Gasoline Powered Lawn Mowers This September

Gah, that's a bummer.  Honda makes the best mower engines.  It looks like they'll still be in non-Honda branded things though, I actually had my eye on a craftsman brand mower with a Honda motor when I ended up with the Ego mower. 

[AnotherEngineer]

Hmm, I haven't had your issue with my Ego mower. I have a basic 21" mower and 0.5 acre of grass. I use up the 5 ah battery that came with the mower and another 2.5ah to do it all. I do it a infrequently as I can get away with.

Is yours self-propelled? I could see that tanking the battery. The 2.5ah should run it. Also, avoid using their fast charger if you don't need to as it shortens the life.

My hack has been to buy a reconditioned hedge trimmer and weedwacker from https://www.acmetools.com/ego/refurbished/all/. They were ~$150 each with 2.5ah batteries. I even had a warranty replacement of one of the batteries with a new one. On that note, I'd say give them a call and see if they can help.

I like that the battery models are three less small engines to maintain, quieter, and yes, easier to start when I need to move something or talk to a kid or neighbor. I had intended to get a Greenworks instead of the Ego, but they were all sold out and our new house was overgrown.

[rothwem]

Hmm, I haven't had your issue with my Ego mower. I have a basic 21" mower and 0.5 acre of grass. I use up the 5 ah battery that came with the mower and another 2.5ah to do it all. I do it a infrequently as I can get away with.

Is yours self-propelled? I could see that tanking the battery. The 2.5ah should run it. Also, avoid using their fast charger if you don't need to as it shortens the life.

My hack has been to buy a reconditioned hedge trimmer and weedwacker from https://www.acmetools.com/ego/refurbished/all/. They were ~$150 each with 2.5ah batteries. I even had a warranty replacement of one of the batteries with a new one. On that note, I'd say give them a call and see if they can help.

I like that the battery models are three less small engines to maintain, quieter, and yes, easier to start when I need to move something or talk to a kid or neighbor. I had intended to get a Greenworks instead of the Ego, but they were all sold out and our new house was overgrown.

Mine is self-propelled, but I never use that feature because I'm trying to save the battery.  Good link on the acmetools website though, might check them out.  I don't really need any new tools, but it might be worth checking to see if I can get some batteries cheaper. 

I think I might've reversed course on getting the generic batteries, they're more expensive than I thought--the 7.5ah ones hover around $200, which is kind of a lot of money to pay for something that might be a brick. 

Mine is the self-propelled model, but I never use it in an attempt to save battery. 

[sonofsven]

I've got an Ego mower, and while I think it mows well, I'm pretty annoyed with the lack of battery life. I can't get even half a mow in if I go longer than a week without mowing, and I've only got a third of an acre.  I was ready to go get another battery, but I realized that they actually cost the same amount as an inexpensive gas mower.  I've noticed that there are a bunch of generics on the market for half or less than half of the price.  Has anyone bought one?  Are they worth a crap?

I have no experience with generic power tool batteries, but if you're buying brand name ones it's usually best to get a second tool that comes with a battery rather than buying a battery by itself. For example, at Lowes right now, a 5.0 Ah EGO batter is $300. [1]. Alternatively, you can get a 16-inch chain saw with a 5.0 Ah EGO battery and another charger for $330. [2]

This is why I have five or six brand new Makita chargers.
You definitely need to invest in batteries when making the switch. I haven't replaced any gas tools yet, only power tools, but I helped a friend purchase a Makita lawnmower, weed whacker, and small chainsaw, all 18v Makita.
The trimmer and mower all came with four batteries each. The mower takes four batteries but only runs on two at a time. When they die you switch to the other bank and run those two.
So far she's happy with it.
I took the trimmer out for a spin (ha); my initial reaction was that the throttle response was slower than my Stihl gas unit and I would have to change up my approach a bit.

The biggest advantage I see as far as battery vs gas yard tools is the ease of starting. A few elderly friends struggle to pull start gas units due to shoulder issues

Enh, a well designed and maintained gas mower shouldn't be particularly hard to start.  My wife has no issues starting the motor on my backpack leaf blower.  The small Honda motors on their mowers are also super easy, you don't even have to pull particularly hard and they fire right up. 

Don't forget the noise factor.  Just think how quiet our neighborhoods will be when all the mowers, weed eaters, blowers, chainsaws, and pressure washers eventually convert to electric power. 


We have an electric weed eater, blower, and pole saw.  They're great.  I wish my neighbors would hurry up and make the switch!

Enh, the blowers are still loud, and so is my weedwacker.  The mower is much quieter than my gas one, but I was actually surprised at how loud it was.  I still wear earplugs.

Glad to know your wife can start it, is she available to help the folks I know in their late 70's with bum shoulders who struggle with it? lol

[rothwem]

I've got an Ego mower, and while I think it mows well, I'm pretty annoyed with the lack of battery life. I can't get even half a mow in if I go longer than a week without mowing, and I've only got a third of an acre.  I was ready to go get another battery, but I realized that they actually cost the same amount as an inexpensive gas mower.  I've noticed that there are a bunch of generics on the market for half or less than half of the price.  Has anyone bought one?  Are they worth a crap?

I have no experience with generic power tool batteries, but if you're buying brand name ones it's usually best to get a second tool that comes with a battery rather than buying a battery by itself. For example, at Lowes right now, a 5.0 Ah EGO batter is $300. [1]. Alternatively, you can get a 16-inch chain saw with a 5.0 Ah EGO battery and another charger for $330. [2]

This is why I have five or six brand new Makita chargers.
You definitely need to invest in batteries when making the switch. I haven't replaced any gas tools yet, only power tools, but I helped a friend purchase a Makita lawnmower, weed whacker, and small chainsaw, all 18v Makita.
The trimmer and mower all came with four batteries each. The mower takes four batteries but only runs on two at a time. When they die you switch to the other bank and run those two.
So far she's happy with it.
I took the trimmer out for a spin (ha); my initial reaction was that the throttle response was slower than my Stihl gas unit and I would have to change up my approach a bit.

The biggest advantage I see as far as battery vs gas yard tools is the ease of starting. A few elderly friends struggle to pull start gas units due to shoulder issues

Enh, a well designed and maintained gas mower shouldn't be particularly hard to start.  My wife has no issues starting the motor on my backpack leaf blower.  The small Honda motors on their mowers are also super easy, you don't even have to pull particularly hard and they fire right up. 

Don't forget the noise factor.  Just think how quiet our neighborhoods will be when all the mowers, weed eaters, blowers, chainsaws, and pressure washers eventually convert to electric power. 


We have an electric weed eater, blower, and pole saw.  They're great.  I wish my neighbors would hurry up and make the switch!

Enh, the blowers are still loud, and so is my weedwacker.  The mower is much quieter than my gas one, but I was actually surprised at how loud it was.  I still wear earplugs.

Glad to know your wife can start it, is she available to help the folks I know in their late 70's with bum shoulders who struggle with it? lol

But she's a WOMAN! C'mon, don't you know they can't do anything? Kidding kidding, oh god I'm going to get killed. 

I meant to explain that my wife is pretty small and had issues with our previous gas mower, but the better designed and maintained gas stuff is easier to start.  If you can pick a 5 pound weight off the ground, you can start my leaf blower.  The Honda mowers that I've borrowed have started so easily that I've been baffled by it. 

[hdatontodo]

I have the Lowe's Kobalt 40v gear. The 4ah battery that came with the mower doesn't have much capacity left after mowing my end unit townhouse. However, the string trimmer and blower each came with a (2ah) battery. This lets me switch batteries when one runs out.

Sent from my SM-G991U1 using Tapatalk

[uniwelder]

I have the same mower and the same problem. How long have you had yours? If it’s been less than 2 years the battery is under warranty and they will send you a new one. They sent us an entirely new mower but I honestly deeply regret buying this brand and will go back to a gas mower due to the difficulty with batteries. If you buy an off brand please come back and update! I would love to keep going with the electric mower but after hearing them say I should expect to buy a $400 battery ever 3 years I just don’t think I can stomach it.

It hasn't been two years yet, I got in October of 2021, but I bought it on clearance from Lowes, it had been returned so I got it half off.  I'm not sure if there's a warranty included there.  I'll roll the dice with an amazon battery and update this thread. 

Its amazing what Lowes and Home Depot will take back, and you have a legitimate excuse.  I don't see any reason why you wouldn't try returning it to the store before spending money on a new battery.

[sonofsven]

I've got an Ego mower, and while I think it mows well, I'm pretty annoyed with the lack of battery life. I can't get even half a mow in if I go longer than a week without mowing, and I've only got a third of an acre.  I was ready to go get another battery, but I realized that they actually cost the same amount as an inexpensive gas mower.  I've noticed that there are a bunch of generics on the market for half or less than half of the price.  Has anyone bought one?  Are they worth a crap?

I have no experience with generic power tool batteries, but if you're buying brand name ones it's usually best to get a second tool that comes with a battery rather than buying a battery by itself. For example, at Lowes right now, a 5.0 Ah EGO batter is $300. [1]. Alternatively, you can get a 16-inch chain saw with a 5.0 Ah EGO battery and another charger for $330. [2]

This is why I have five or six brand new Makita chargers.
You definitely need to invest in batteries when making the switch. I haven't replaced any gas tools yet, only power tools, but I helped a friend purchase a Makita lawnmower, weed whacker, and small chainsaw, all 18v Makita.
The trimmer and mower all came with four batteries each. The mower takes four batteries but only runs on two at a time. When they die you switch to the other bank and run those two.
So far she's happy with it.
I took the trimmer out for a spin (ha); my initial reaction was that the throttle response was slower than my Stihl gas unit and I would have to change up my approach a bit.

The biggest advantage I see as far as battery vs gas yard tools is the ease of starting. A few elderly friends struggle to pull start gas units due to shoulder issues

Enh, a well designed and maintained gas mower shouldn't be particularly hard to start.  My wife has no issues starting the motor on my backpack leaf blower.  The small Honda motors on their mowers are also super easy, you don't even have to pull particularly hard and they fire right up. 

Don't forget the noise factor.  Just think how quiet our neighborhoods will be when all the mowers, weed eaters, blowers, chainsaws, and pressure washers eventually convert to electric power. 


We have an electric weed eater, blower, and pole saw.  They're great.  I wish my neighbors would hurry up and make the switch!

Enh, the blowers are still loud, and so is my weedwacker.  The mower is much quieter than my gas one, but I was actually surprised at how loud it was.  I still wear earplugs.

Glad to know your wife can start it, is she available to help the folks I know in their late 70's with bum shoulders who struggle with it? lol

But she's a WOMAN! C'mon, don't you know they can't do anything? Kidding kidding, oh god I'm going to get killed. 

I meant to explain that my wife is pretty small and had issues with our previous gas mower, but the better designed and maintained gas stuff is easier to start.  If you can pick a 5 pound weight off the ground, you can start my leaf blower.  The Honda mowers that I've borrowed have started so easily that I've been baffled by it.

Haha, you should be worried! I was just joking, of course, but it does suck to get old and infirm ( I can see the future).

[Psychstache]

Can't speak to Ego but I am pretty deep into Ryobi line (all lawn equipment, 10+ tools, 8 batteries) and have not had real issues with maintain charge.

[AnotherEngineer]

I have the same mower and the same problem. How long have you had yours? If it’s been less than 2 years the battery is under warranty and they will send you a new one. They sent us an entirely new mower but I honestly deeply regret buying this brand and will go back to a gas mower due to the difficulty with batteries. If you buy an off brand please come back and update! I would love to keep going with the electric mower but after hearing them say I should expect to buy a $400 battery ever 3 years I just don’t think I can stomach it.

It hasn't been two years yet, I got in October of 2021, but I bought it on clearance from Lowes, it had been returned so I got it half off.  I'm not sure if there's a warranty included there.  I'll roll the dice with an amazon battery and update this thread. 

Its amazing what Lowes and Home Depot will take back, and you have a legitimate excuse.  I don't see any reason why you wouldn't try returning it to the store before spending money on a new battery.

Before taking it back to the store, register your stuff on Ego's website then call them for a warranty replacement. They replaced a battery I bought reconditioned with a brand new one. They seem to stand by their stuff. But then, yeah, give the big box a shot.

[HipGnosis]

Battery / cordless electric {most anything} is a pet peeve (but 'pet peeve' sounds to cute to convey my angst!) of mine.
I ABHORE (with a smoldering passion) proprietary batteries!!
I lost count of how many electric item's I've replaced because I either couldn't swallow the price of a replacement battery and/or couldn't find a battery at any price.
Dust buster (possibly off-brand), digital camera, MP3 player, elec. screwdriver & drill, rotary tool...
I had decided that my next lawn mower would be cordless electric, I have a very small yard so I'm a prime candidate.  But, I am now in the market for a mower and I feel like I'm peering into a labyrinth...

[Dancin'Dog]

Battery / cordless electric {most anything} is a pet peeve (but 'pet peeve' sounds to cute to convey my angst!) of mine.
I ABHORE (with a smoldering passion) proprietary batteries!!
I lost count of how many electric item's I've replaced because I either couldn't swallow the price of a replacement battery and/or couldn't find a battery at any price.
Dust buster (possibly off-brand), digital camera, MP3 player, elec. screwdriver & drill, rotary tool...
I had decided that my next lawn mower would be cordless electric, I have a very small yard so I'm a prime candidate.  But, I am now in the market for a mower and I feel like I'm peering into a labyrinth...

I feel like this is an area where the government should have forced a standard battery format onto the industry.  Nothing is more frustrating than incompatible and/or obsolete battery packs.  Just imagine if you had to go to the Chevy gas station because Ford gas wouldn't work in your car. 

[ChickenStash]

Out of curiosity, what's the capacity and voltage for the batteries currently used?

I'm not familiar with Ego but as another data point, I have a GreenWorks 40v 20" mower that I use on a quarter acre. It came with a 4ah and 2ah battery. I can usually do my whole yard with some charge to spare if I keep up with it (weekly). This time of year the grass is crazy so when it let it go to 1.5 weeks last time I ran out and had to grab another 2ah battery plus recharge one of the others partially - the total was probably 9ah.

Some of that is because I didn't sharpen the blades this season yet. The run time goes down dramatically when the blades are dull. It's on my to-do list for the weekend.

The main battery is a 7.5ah, the string trimmer is a 2.5ah. 

I haven't sharpened the blade yet, that might be a significant contributor to my issues.  I typically don't bother to sharpen the blade unless I notice that the mower is "knocking down" the grass instead of cutting it, but maybe these electric mowers are more sensitive. 

Though that won't be an option for much longer...
Honda To Stop Making Gasoline Powered Lawn Mowers This September

Gah, that's a bummer.  Honda makes the best mower engines.  It looks like they'll still be in non-Honda branded things though, I actually had my eye on a craftsman brand mower with a Honda motor when I ended up with the Ego mower.

I would definitely try to give the blade a good sharpening - it's cheap and can't hurt. I went about 3 seasons without it and towards the end I wasn't making it through the yard on the 2 main batteries even in summer when the grass is less active here. After a few minutes with a file, it was back to normal and finishing with power to spare.

[sonofsven]

I picked up an OE Makita 5a and a generic "fits Makita" 6a, the real Makita felt heavier.
Must be thicker plastic ;-)

[TomTX]

Bought a Ryobi push mower about 5 years ago, the 4AH or 5AH battery is fine for mowing my entire 1/4 acre yard, plus I can then pop it in the leafblower to blow off the porches and such. Still has charge left after that, even when the grass is high. I run it out of charge maybe once a year in the fall when the leaves on the grassare super heavy and I'm bagging them. At which point I swap over to the battery which came with the leafblower. As others noted - it almost always makes more sense to buy another tool on sale rather than a spare battery pack.

Other than the leafblower, everything is so much quieter and lighter. I dumped gas yard tools entirely something like 4 years ago. Sold off my gas chainsaw, Honda mower, string trimmer, etc.

I'm never going back to gas powered yard tools, unless I have to deal with a MUCH bigger yard.

[curious_george]

Thanks for all the replies. I have been lusting after electric lawn mowers for a while now.

I have an awesome Honda mower right now though, that like some other people mentioned is so easy to start it is baffling.

With that said - my grandma who is 75 years old cannot start it. She also struggled to lift anything over ten pounds or so, so she bought an electric mower for herself which is really nice.

Once they make a battery that lasts 2 hours of now time and 20 years I will reconsider.

[sonofsven]

Thanks for all the replies. I have been lusting after electric lawn mowers for a while now.

I have an awesome Honda mower right now though, that like some other people mentioned is so easy to start it is baffling.

With that said - my grandma who is 75 years old cannot start it. She also struggled to lift anything over ten pounds or so, so she bought an electric mower for herself which is really nice.

Once they make a battery that lasts 2 hours of now time and 20 years I will reconsider.

Think of the battery as the gasoline: it doesn't necessarily last two hours (depends on tank size) or twenty years either.
I'm not switching yet either, but my yard requires a rider and I already have two high quality string trimmers and a blower which all run great.
I've spent enough switching over almost all of my carpenter tools for now.

[Valley of Plenty]

I have a 21' EGO mower, the one with the self-propelled feature. Had it bought for me as a housewarming gift from parents approximately 2 years back. I believe the battery is 7.5 amp/h, but I'm not 100% sure. I just have the one battery, and I find that it is almost always able to do my entire quarter acre yard. I mow once a week typically, though there was a period last month where it rained for almost 2 weeks straight, so by the time I was able to mow my lawn had gotten super high. Ended up having to raise the mower deck up as high as it would go, then go over it again the following day on the 3" setting. I typically only use the self-propelled feature when going uphill. If/when my battery ages to the point that it can no longer get the job done in a single charge, I'll probably go out and grab an EGO brand string trimmer to replace my craftsman one, and just use the battery from that to make up the difference.

A couple things that have given me battery life issues, and how I resolved them:

1. I was having a lot of trouble with the side discharge chute getting jammed, resulting in grass piling up around the blades and causing the mower to get bogged down a lot, draining the battery significantly if I didn't keep stopping to clear the clumped up grass out. I resolved this by getting rid of the discharge chute entirely, drilling a small hole in the bottom of the mower's back flap, and using a length of paracord to hold the flap about halfway open. This is technically not 100% safe, but I have been doing it that way for over a year now and have yet to get smacked in the shins with anything. The motion of the blades means that the grass is still getting chucked off to the left side anyways, so it's not like it's getting thrown at your feet. Using this "hack" I'm able to run the mower deck a lot lower without the mower getting bogged down. I can also get away with mowing in the morning when the grass is still damp and it's generally not a problem. Overall this helped my battery consumption a lot

2. At one point I accidentally dropped the battery on the concrete floor of my garage, and after that the battery wouldn't hold a full charge. It would drop to 60% almost as soon as I started the mower up. Over the winter I took apart the battery casing to see if some of the cells had gotten knocked loose, but everything looked fine. Put the battery back together and now it's suddenly back to holding a full charge. No idea what changed, but I guess sometimes taking something apart and putting it back together again can fix the problem!

3. I checked the blade the first time I mowed this season and noticed that it was pretty dinged up. I don't always do the best job of clearing sticks out the yard before I mow (I also have a walnut tree and sometimes I hit fallen walnuts), which I assume is the only reason it was in such rough shape. I sharpened the blade up and it's cutting like new now. Not sure how much of an impact that has had on my battery life, but it certainly didn't hurt.

Hopefully you find some of that helpful. Maybe in the morning I can take a picture of my makeshift discharge chute hack and post it in case anybody wants to copy it.

[rothwem]

Think of the battery as the gasoline: it doesn't necessarily last two hours (depends on tank size) or twenty years either.

Absurdly expensive gasoline.

That’s actually an interesting thought experiment. If you could buy a gasoline substitute that would save the world from climate change, how much per gallon would be too much? $50? $100$ $10?

[TomTX]

Think of the battery as the gasoline: it doesn't necessarily last two hours (depends on tank size) or twenty years either.

Absurdly expensive gasoline.

That’s actually an interesting thought experiment. If you could buy a gasoline substitute that would save the world from climate change, how much per gallon would be too much? $50? $100$ $10?

Not sure where you're going with this, we're not talking about disposable batteries here. Mine are 5 years old and still working fine. The cost of the electricity I've used is negligible, and I don't need to buy Sta-Bil or special ethanol-free gasoline.

By going electric, you also eliminate the maintenance costs/impact for oil, air filter, spark plugs and such. Plus the health effects - small gasoline engines throw out a lot of particulate pollution, and your face is right there sucking it in. Keep in mind the first link below is just deaths, not all the other health problems caused by breathing particulate pollution. The second link estimates the health costs of particulate pollution at 6% of global GDP:

https://ourworldindata.org/data-review-air-pollution-deaths
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/c96ee144-4a4b-5164-ad79-74c051179eee

[rothwem]

So I sharpened the blade and it actually made a huge difference.  I think.  It was also really cool out when I mowed, in the 60s, and got the whole yard mowed with just the 7.5ah battery. 

Now I just need to try my sharp blade in warmer temps to do a double blind test. 

[AnotherEngineer]

Think of the battery as the gasoline: it doesn't necessarily last two hours (depends on tank size) or twenty years either.

Absurdly expensive gasoline.

That’s actually an interesting thought experiment. If you could buy a gasoline substitute that would save the world from climate change, how much per gallon would be too much? $50? $100$ $10?

Not sure where you're going with this, we're not talking about disposable batteries here. Mine are 5 years old and still working fine. The cost of the electricity I've used is negligible, and I don't need to buy Sta-Bil or special ethanol-free gasoline.

By going electric, you also eliminate the maintenance costs/impact for oil, air filter, spark plugs and such. Plus the health effects - small gasoline engines throw out a lot of particulate pollution, and your face is right there sucking it in. Keep in mind the first link below is just deaths, not all the other health problems caused by breathing particulate pollution. The second link estimates the health costs of particulate pollution at 6% of global GDP:

https://ourworldindata.org/data-review-air-pollution-deaths
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/c96ee144-4a4b-5164-ad79-74c051179eee

Yes, small engine pollution (emissions and noise) is the worst.

Here is a full cost analysis of gas vs. electric (and to give this awesome blog a boost): https://www.profitgreenly.com/p/electric-lawn-tools-rule

I avoid maintaining, winterizing, fueling, oiling, and breathing the fumes of three small engines. That is good enough for me. I had had fully functional gas equivalents at the time I bought my electric ones, I might have waited for them to die though.

[elysianfields]

All y’all deserve some face punches for all your lawns and your electric machines to care for them.

If you must have a lawn, what’s wrong with a push reel mower?  People cut their grass for centuries with scythes and sickles before there was even a middle class yearning for lawns to mow.  Y’all are getting soft.

[rothwem]

All y’all deserve some face punches for all your lawns and your electric machines to care for them.

If you must have a lawn, what’s wrong with a push reel mower?  People cut their grass for centuries with scythes and sickles before there was even a middle class yearning for lawns to mow.  Y’all are getting soft.

Ah! True. 

I actually am a bit curious about reel mowers.  My brother had one and it was hilariously terrible to use, but he never sharpened it to my knowledge. 

[LifeHappens]

All y’all deserve some face punches for all your lawns and your electric machines to care for them.

If you must have a lawn, what’s wrong with a push reel mower?  People cut their grass for centuries with scythes and sickles before there was even a middle class yearning for lawns to mow.  Y’all are getting soft.

Ah! True. 

I actually am a bit curious about reel mowers.  My brother had one and it was hilariously terrible to use, but he never sharpened it to my knowledge.

My DH uses his grandfather's reel mower on our lawn, but the "lawn" is about the size of a standard driveway. I don't know that would mow 1/3 acre with it unless you really want some exercise.

[AnotherEngineer]

All y’all deserve some face punches for all your lawns and your electric machines to care for them.

If you must have a lawn, what’s wrong with a push reel mower?  People cut their grass for centuries with scythes and sickles before there was even a middle class yearning for lawns to mow.  Y’all are getting soft.

Very true and well deserved.

As a consolation/justification, I used a Fiskars reel mower at my last house on a typical urban sized lot and would recommend it to others. It worked fine, I didn't care about the lawn much, and we tried to reduce the grass area as much as possible. Now, we have about a half-acre of lawn so I have a non-propelled electric push mower. It is excessive of course, but we are working to convert it to rain garden, garden garden, kid's zone, and low maintenance beach grass.

I also used a psuedo-scythe as a kid as I didn't like the gas weedwacker!

[Valley of Plenty]

All y’all deserve some face punches for all your lawns and your electric machines to care for them.

If you must have a lawn, what’s wrong with a push reel mower?  People cut their grass for centuries with scythes and sickles before there was even a middle class yearning for lawns to mow.  Y’all are getting soft.

I do have a push reel mower that I bought when I first moved into my house back in 2020. I used it for one year, but it really was a pain in the butt. It cut grass well enough, but tall weeds would just sort of get folded in half without actually cutting, and every tiny twig that I ran over would cause the reel to get locked up. Since I have two gigantic walnut trees in my backyard, and both my front and back yards are about 20% weeds, the reel mower was really just not getting the job done. My parents heard me gripe about it a couple times and bought me the electric mower for Christmas.

If I had an immaculate weed free lawn and no trees to drop sticks everywhere I would absolutely sell the electric mower and go back to the reel mower.

[elysianfields]

All y’all deserve some face punches for all your lawns and your electric machines to care for them.

If you must have a lawn, what’s wrong with a push reel mower?  People cut their grass for centuries with scythes and sickles before there was even a middle class yearning for lawns to mow.  Y’all are getting soft.

Ah! True. 

I actually am a bit curious about reel mowers.  My brother had one and it was hilariously terrible to use, but he never sharpened it to my knowledge.

My DH uses his grandfather's reel mower on our lawn, but the "lawn" is about the size of a standard driveway. I don't know that would mow 1/3 acre with it unless you really want some exercise.

Here's a Wirecutter article that discusses the pros & cons of reel mowers and recommends two:  https://archive.ph/Ebs70

I do have a push reel mower that I bought when I first moved into my house back in 2020. I used it for one year, but it really was a pain in the butt. It cut grass well enough, but tall weeds would just sort of get folded in half without actually cutting, and every tiny twig that I ran over would cause the reel to get locked up. Since I have two gigantic walnut trees in my backyard, and both my front and back yards are about 20% weeds, the reel mower was really just not getting the job done. My parents heard me gripe about it a couple times and bought me the electric mower for Christmas.

If I had an immaculate weed free lawn and no trees to drop sticks everywhere I would absolutely sell the electric mower and go back to the reel mower.

We have a huge black walnut tree at our house, so walking the yard first to remove nuts, twigs, and the odd squirrel (j/k) was key to reel mower success.  I felt I'd lose street cred if I didn't follow my commitment to low-emissions living (we also drove a Prius), so I invested the time to do it right.  If you want to outsource, you can also train children to chase squirrels and pick up twigs and walnuts.

[bill1827]

Here's a Wirecutter article that discusses the pros & cons of reel mowers and recommends two:  https://archive.ph/Ebs70

Doesn't discuss them very deeply, but I note that it starts with - "Reel mowers aren’t for everyone. They’re designed for small, flat lawns, and they take some effort to push around."

My father used to use one and it was a complete pain (this was in the days when there was no alternative, powered mowers weren't available or affordable for ordinary home owners). In this design, which was common then, the blades were driven from a steel roller at the back of the mower. If the grass was at all damp that blades wouldn't turn (yes, it's not so much of an issue with mowers that just have drive wheels with a milled edge). If the grass was allowed to grow long it wouldn't cut; it needed sharpening much too frequently - an thoroughly annoying device.

Cylinder mowers are OK for green keepers or those with an immaculate postage stamp, but an electric rotary is an excellent compromise for anyone else. No pollution at point of use, relatively quiet and functional.

[LD_TAndK]

I'm a heavy EGO user, I have 20 amp hours worth of batteries. I maintain public trails with the weed whacker and chainsaw and carry 15 AH into the woods regularly. I have one anecdata that an off-brand battery failed immediately.

I'm torn on battery powered tools. I've spent probably double what it would have cost for gas tooling. I've had two batteries replaced under warranty so far. They perform terribly in the cold. The chainsaw is high draw and I can't carry enough batteries to saw all day. The weed whacker is superior to the gas version though.

However 2 strokes are terrible polluters and we need to be moving away from gas tools. On the personal health level, I think the price premium might be worth it just to not inhale 2 stroke fumes regularly. Hopefully the electrics improve over time, but it's annoying to be an "early adopter" of sorts.

Given the initial environmental cost of batteries, I wonder how many cycles I have to run a typical EGO battery to be greener than using a 2-stroke. I might not ever hit that number before my batteries have failed.

[Paper Chaser]

Electric mower battery life seems to be pretty sensitive to load. The harder you make the motor work, the faster it drains the battery. This is also true for gasoline mowers, but they have enough fuel capacity that you probably don't notice a 5 or 10% increase in consumption.

Dull blades, or blades intended for higher lift (more aerodynamic drag) will reduce run time. My Kobalt mower came with a high lift blade for cleaner cutting and a lower lift blade for extended run time.
Tall, thick, heavy or wet grass will also make the motor work harder and drain the battery faster. So keep the blade high, avoid cutting wet grass, and mow more frequently to avoid bogging.

[lemonlyman]

I've had the old Craftsman V60 line for about 5 years. I got it on sale as they moved over to their newer V20 standard. Still works great tho. At my house then, I needed a 7 and a 2.5amp to do the acre. My yard is much smaller now so the 7 handles it all.

I poorly maintained gas mowers previous to that and failures added up to high replacement cost. Electric worked better for how much dedication I wanted to put into lawn equipment, which is next none.

[Bartlebooth]

I have played the battery lottery a few times on Amazon (for other brands and product types) and always won.  However it is a YMMV situation.  Even if someone links to a specific product on Amazon, it is quite difficult to make sure you are actually getting the same product.

And you are not likely to find a high-reputation retailer selling knock-off products...

Just go for it.

And of course the aftermarket Amazon battery for a Dyson V8 that I bought in October 2022 just died today.  The reviews for it are full of dead reports at 6-8 months.  How do you even make a battery pack than can't handle ~20 charge/discharge cycles, most of them to only medium DoD?  Straight up scamming on Amazon.

Buying the OEM one is painful but I am doing it.  I could almost buy an entire vacuum from a competitor for $130!

[sonofsven]

I have played the battery lottery a few times on Amazon (for other brands and product types) and always won.  However it is a YMMV situation.  Even if someone links to a specific product on Amazon, it is quite difficult to make sure you are actually getting the same product.

And you are not likely to find a high-reputation retailer selling knock-off products...

Just go for it.

And of course the aftermarket Amazon battery for a Dyson V8 that I bought in October 2022 just died today.  The reviews for it are full of dead reports at 6-8 months.  How do you even make a battery pack than can't handle ~20 charge/discharge cycles, most of them to only medium DoD?  Straight up scamming on Amazon.

Buying the OEM one is painful but I am doing it.  I could almost buy an entire vacuum from a competitor for $130!

This is why I buy the OEM batteries.
What's the return policy of the aftermarket seller? You could buy another from them, wait a week, and return the bad one in the new packaging.

[elysianfields]

I have played the battery lottery a few times on Amazon (for other brands and product types) and always won.  However it is a YMMV situation.  Even if someone links to a specific product on Amazon, it is quite difficult to make sure you are actually getting the same product.

And you are not likely to find a high-reputation retailer selling knock-off products...

Just go for it.

And of course the aftermarket Amazon battery for a Dyson V8 that I bought in October 2022 just died today.  The reviews for it are full of dead reports at 6-8 months.  How do you even make a battery pack than can't handle ~20 charge/discharge cycles, most of them to only medium DoD?  Straight up scamming on Amazon.

Buying the OEM one is painful but I am doing it.  I could almost buy an entire vacuum from a competitor for $130!

This is why I buy the OEM batteries.
What's the return policy of the aftermarket seller? You could buy another from them, wait a week, and return the bad one in the new packaging.

Wow, super evil but the aftermarket seller probably deserves it.

Again, push a reel mower and you don't have to worry about your batteries, with their nasty minerals mined by children in Congo.

[Just Joe]

All y’all deserve some face punches for all your lawns and your electric machines to care for them.

If you must have a lawn, what’s wrong with a push reel mower?  People cut their grass for centuries with scythes and sickles before there was even a middle class yearning for lawns to mow.  Y’all are getting soft.

Ah! True. 

I actually am a bit curious about reel mowers.  My brother had one and it was hilariously terrible to use, but he never sharpened it to my knowledge.

I used to mow our 1/3 acre yard minus the house with a reel. Sharpened it each spring. Loved it. Quiet. No super-sonic stones being tossed at me by the blades, mowed barefoot sometimes. Gave it up when we sold the house.

Now mow several acres with a 51 year old GE Elec-trak lawn tractor that uses lead-acid golf cart batteries. When these batteries wear out in a few more years, I'll build a pack out of used Nissan Leaf battery modules or similar. Less voltage sag, more run time, more years before wear out. Like it for similar reasons as the old reel mower - less noise, no exhaust. Still flings debris and stirs up the dust of course like any other tractor. When I mow down near the road some people really gawk at it. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5kP4g57Ycw

If I buy any cordless yard tools I might look at R/C batteries (model airplanes and such) when the OEM batteries wear out. More dangerous (fires during charging) but far cheaper. Keep them in an ammo can for safety. Normally quite high performance. I own an electric chain saw but I run it off of the electric tractor with an inverter.

[Just Joe]

Had another thought about this: Your electric mowers will run on any battery chemistry as long as the voltage is the same as the original. 24V, 36V, or maybe 48V. Usually won't go much higher than 60v b/c I believe it is 62V is the threshold where DC batteries start to shock you. Below that voltage and you won't feel it. So a safety thing.

How long your battery runs the mower is related to the amp-hours. My ancient electric tractor runs a battery back that is 36V and 170AH.

I can power that tractor with any sort of battery that can be assembled into a pack that is 36V and at least 170AH. There are some antique electric tractor enthusiasts that run x3 12V batteries for a total AH of some number perhaps half of the original 6V battery pack (assembled to make 36V). The biggest short coming of the x3 12V batteries is a much shorter run time.

An option for my old tractor was an extra battery box that bolted to the rear of the tractor. It held x3 12V batteries that were connected to the tractor's original battery pack in parallel extending the run time. Everything was lead acid.

With a modern electric mower you may have lead acid batteries or lithium batteries. You can add more batteries in parallel for more run time. You could switch from lead acid to a lithium battery pack for more run time but you'll need to buy another type of battery charger b/c chargers are not the same for lead-acid and lithium. And that risk of lithium fires.

And idea for you: buy an ebike battery. Won't be cheap. It is easy to find 36V and 48V ebike batteries. You can double them up I believe but don't connect them when one is charged and the other is not. Sparks, battery cell damage, BMS damage, etc. There is an $200 battery adapter that allows you to connect multiple batteries at once regardless of the battery charge status.

My ebike battery is 48V 14AH. What is your mower battery? If it has same voltage and less than 14AH, my ebike battery would power your mower. If your mower battery has 24AH, then you'll need a larger battery. They make larger AH sizes.

Benefits: lead acid battery wants to be kept above a 50% charge or it will damage the battery. Use it and  charge it to 100%. Any lithium battery is happiest between 20% and 80%. Laptops, phones, electric cars, and electric bikes. All the same. Give you more run time on a charge and more years of use than a lead acid battery. They age slower.

Hope this was helpful. If you have any question, PM me and I'll be happy to help you find answers. I'd like to hear what you decide to do. And there are videos on YouTube where people convert things from Pb to Li. I'll be doing that with my antique lawn tractor when it needs batteries. 

[rothwem]

So I think this mower might be done for, at least in my house.

My .28 acre yard took two cycles of the 7.5ah battery and two cycles of the 3.5ah  to complete two weeks ago, and yesterday, I swapped on an EGO brand “long runtime” blade, but I couldn’t finish even the front yard with two cycles of my 7.5ah and two cycles of the 3.5ah battery. In addition, it’s bogging every 100 feet or so with the battery flashing red, it didn’t used to do that.

I’m wondering if my issue all along has been the mower itself slowly dying—I remember when I first got it how invincible it felt going through tall grass, now I can’t even mow normal grass.

Fingers crossed for the warranty, but I’m not sure if I’ve got any left. I might have to get a cheap gas mower to finish out the season.