My Review of the EGo Electric Lawnmower (LM2135SP)

[Montecfo]

For those who aren't planning to use the self propelled feature getting the push version might be a consideration. I have both and the push version is lighter, cheaper, and simpler.

That would be my approach. I like to get some exercise.

But my 12 year old Toro always starts easily and cuts well. I think these batteries have a way to go before I will find them competitive.

 

[Qs Laptop]

That would be my approach. I like to get some exercise.

But my 12 year old Toro always starts easily and cuts well. I think these batteries have a way to go before I will find them competitive.

One of the main reasons I settled on the EGo lawnmower is because their batteries are considered superior to other brands (at least at this time.) In tests they last longer and charge more quickly. Also they have standard voltage and physical sized batteries across their entire product line meaning you can swap the battery for your weed whipper into your leaf blower, or your leaf blower into your lawn mower. Also, most of their hand held devices and push mowers use only one battery.

But yes, battery technology has room for improvement.

 

[RetMD21]

I have both versions and generally prefer push version for reasons you state but one drawback with Ryobi mowers is that the push version is not available with dual blades which is a feature that I also prefer. That said, the single blade Ryobi gives a very clean cut in my experience.

I have dual blades only on the self propelled EGo but I seldom see visible grass clippings even with the single blade mower unless the grass is unreasonably long. It has been wet and my grass has been growing like crazy.

 

[ncbill]

Considering electric for our cabin in the mountains...at ~3,400 feet elevation the grass can grow tall between visits but coverage is sparse.

Lot is mostly level...simply push electric mower instead of self-propelled?

Models people like?

 

[FIREarly]

Thanks. I have been considering getting one, although my Honda is still running.

Is it light enough that I could lift it up and put it in the back of my Tesla model Y?

Can you lift 55 lbs.? Then yes.

You can store it vertically in your garage so it takes less of a footprint to store it.

@joesxn3 do you mean #FSD won't put the eGo mower in the car for you!?!

 

[Montclairbobbyb]

My EGO is awesome...

...mower, that is. I have 1.5 acres to cut, and for the parts that are less practical for my Simplicity lawn tractor to mow, I use the EGO. It's super light, quiet and I can mow FAST. I'll never go back to a gas walk-behind... The EGO was a game changer for me. Was skeptical at first; now a true believer!

 

[Walt34]

I'm seriously considering the Milwaukee electric lawn mower but I'm hard pressed to justify why, considering that I have a gas-powered Toro that works just fine. Perhaps this belongs in the BTD thread. I'm partial to the Milwaukee just because I already have lots of those tools and batteries so I wouldn't have to stop to recharge. The quality of other Milwaukee tools is high, although I see many reports of the mower having an unexplained stopping issue. When they get that issue fixed I'll be more open to buying one.

 

[joesxm3]

@joesxn3 do you mean #FSD won't put the eGo mower in the car for you!?!

Good point. Once I get my Optimus robot it can load it for me. Optimus can lift 70 pounds.

 

[NXR7]

It's a bit late for people who recently bought but...

Check with your local Regional Air Quality Board to see if they participate in a program known in Ohio as "Mow Greener". Other states (TX, CA and CO) were found when I looked at this.

I was trying to see the proper way to dispose of a gas mower and stumbled across the CO program. I started looking and found one in TX, and finally found the one for our county in Oho.

1. Register for their program FIRST. Some are ending on June 30th.

2. If they have spots still available you are told you're approved.

3. Drop your gas mower at a local scrapyard and get a receipt saying "gas mower". I was paid $3.50 for mine.

4. Buy your battery mower.

5. Submit the receipts to the program.

6. PROFIT!

I got a $100 VISA prepaid card a few weeks ago.

For example, here is a link for Colorado: https://raqc.org/program/mow-down-pollution-residential/

A California link: Residential Lawn Mower Rebate Program

 

[Carbon8]

I bought the EGo LM2135SP battery powered lawnmower on sale for $599...
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I started out with the 7.5Ah 56 volt battery fully charged.
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I'm curious to see how long the battery lasts and how tough the mower itself is. The battery comes with a 3 year warranty and the mower comes with a 5 year warranty.

I purchased my EGO LM2130SP in 2021 and have been very happy with the performance. It came with the dual "mulching" blade which I use vs. bagging most of the time.

Do keep an eye on your battery behavior. There are actually some "smarts" in the battery itself that communicate with both the charger and the mower.
I have the 7.5Ah battery and it has been wonky almost since the git go. It will indicate on the charger and on the battery that it is fully charged. But 20-30 minutes into a cutting it will suddenly decide it is drained. You can tell this has happened because the blade does not stop spinning quickly like it normally does when you let off the safety bar. Instead, the blade spins down for 10-20 seconds with no braking.

Sometimes you can get the battery to reset itself by removing it from the mower and then pressing and holding the top button (on the battery) for about 8 seconds. If it flashes green it is rebooting its little brain. If it flashes red or alternates red and green then go to "plan B". Plan B is to put it in the charger for about 10-15 seconds. The charger and battery lights will show that it is mostly still charged and then you can drop it back into the mower. Occasionally you have to repeat these steps more than once to get it to recognize it's true charge state.

Yes, I really should call EGO and try to get the battery replaced but after I'm done mowing and have a cold one I kind of lose momentum.

 

[GaryInCO]

I had a self-propelled cordless Ryobi for 20-25 years. When it finally died and I couldn't resuscitate it any more, I got my first EGo. I recently got a second one, along with a leaf blower and string trimmer, and I just helped my son buy a set of his own. (On sale and with a "go green" rebate.) Like you, I'm a fan[atic].

One concern/warning: when I got my first EGo about 6 yrs ago, I choked on the price of a replacement battery. I thought, unless these things really last, it'll be too expensive to keep it running. I did some research and found that LiIon batteries were supposed to last for 500-1000 charge cycles. Hell, I thought, it'll outlive ME. No worries.

4 years later, the battery was on its last legs. Would only go for 10-15 minutes. That's when I discovered the 5-yr warranty covers the mower, but the battery has a separate 4-yr warranty...

I don't know if that first battery was defective, or what. I believe other people are getting much better battery life than I did. I've since learned that LiIon batteries don't like temperature extremes, especially when charging. So now I don't leave the batteries on the charger after it's done, and I bring the batteries in the house over the winter. Just in case.

So I sold the old mower to a guy with a tiny lawn -- he was tickled with 15 minutes. I got the newest model. My net outlay was about the same as buying a new battery, but I got a new mower along with it.

The new model works better than the old one -- it mulches MUCH better. It also handles thick grass much better.

I'm amazed your mower did almost your entire lawn. 200'x85' is 17000 sq ft, and you say 15000 is grass?? Only 12% of your lot is house, driveway, non-grass landscaping, etc? And your mower got through 12000' of early-season grass!? I have almost the same size lot (16550') but only 5000' is grass. My mower generally goes through about 75% of the battery in one mowing (about 45-50 mins), though thick early-season grass takes more. My first mowing this spring required an extra charge to finish. So I'm not sure how you got through most of your 15000' of early-season grass on one charge.

2. It’s not loud, but it’s not really quiet either. I’m guessing the noise doesn’t carry far, meaning I would say the neighbor approvement factor is high.

Definitely. You can barely hear it from 30-40' away.

Maybe its the newness factor but my 3 year old EGo mower will stall in tall grass just like a gas mower. If I turn down the self propelled feature to a crawl it will make it through.

You have an older model. If I remember right, my old EGo didn't handle thick grass well. The new one definitely does, spinning up the motor to plow through just about anything. That "turbo mode" eats through the battery quicker but it gets the job done. Sounds like it's about to take off, too.

Is it light enough that I could lift it up and put it in the back of my Tesla model Y?

I'm 66 and I have no trouble tossing it into my Model Y.

Yes, I really should call EGO and try to get the battery replaced but after I'm done mowing and have a cold one I kind of lose momentum.

Maybe try calling them sometime when you HAVEN'T just knocked back a cold one!!!

 

[mccl]

Lifetime of Batteries

I bought my Ego self-propelled 21" mower in late June, 2018. I really like it and would never to back to gas.

One thing to consider is the lifetime of the battery. I have a small, level yard of about 5,000 sq. feet. I use the self-propelled feature 100% of the time. This year is my 6th mowing season (in Indiana, so about 7-8 months of mowing per year). Just this year, the 7.5 aH battery has started giving out about 3/4 through mowing. I use a smaller battery from my eGo leaf blower to finish.

The batteries are expensive. $400 for the 7.5 aH. There are cheaper 3rd party knock-offs, but the user reviews are not encouraging.

Just something to consider for anyone considering buying a battery-powered mower. To me, the benefits outweigh the expense of buying a new battery every several years.

 

[Qs Laptop]

4 years later, the battery was on its last legs. Would only go for 10-15 minutes. That's when I discovered the 5-yr warranty covers the mower, but the battery has a separate 4-yr warranty...

I don't know if that first battery was defective, or what. I believe other people are getting much better battery life than I did. I've since learned that LiIon batteries don't like temperature extremes, especially when charging. So now I don't leave the batteries on the charger after it's done, and I bring the batteries in the house over the winter. Just in case.

I will watch my battery closely and will treat it like a puppy.

I'm amazed your mower did almost your entire lawn. 200'x85' is 17000 sq ft, and you say 15000 is grass?? Only 12% of your lot is house, driveway, non-grass landscaping, etc?

Now that you mention it, I did not subtract the area occupied by the driveway, sidewalk and front landscaping. I'd estimate that to be 1,500 square feet. I estimate the footprint of my house/garage to be about 60 feet X 24 feet. So I'd guess I have 13,500 square feet of lawn. Here's an aerial view.

And your mower got through 12000' of early-season grass!?

As I mentioned in my review, I didn't make it through the whole yard on one charge. I mowed down to the dotted yellow line in the photo on one battery charge. I would estimate there was about 35 feet remaining from the yellow dotted line down to the bottom of the "gulley". So I did about 10,500 square feet on one charge. Remember, I didn't use the self-propelled function very much, only about 33% of the time.

I have almost the same size lot (16550') but only 5000' is grass. My mower generally goes through about 75% of the battery in one mowing (about 45-50 mins), though thick early-season grass takes more. My first mowing this spring required an extra charge to finish. So I'm not sure how you got through most of your 15000' of early-season grass on one charge.

Again, I'd estimate it was about 10,500 square feet on one charge.

Definitely. You can barely hear it from 30-40' away.

Can confirm. DW mowed the lawn on Saturday and I barely hear it when she was in the back yard unless she approached the house. This is with windows on the house open and me facing the back yard watching her mow. I imagine with the AC on and windows closed I wouldn't hear a thing.

 

[Qs Laptop]

I bought my Ego self-propelled 21" mower in late June, 2018. I really like it and would never to back to gas.

One thing to consider is the lifetime of the battery. I have a small, level yard of about 5,000 sq. feet. I use the self-propelled feature 100% of the time. This year is my 6th mowing season (in Indiana, so about 7-8 months of mowing per year). Just this year, the 7.5 aH battery has started giving out about 3/4 through mowing. I use a smaller battery from my eGo leaf blower to finish.

The batteries are expensive. $400 for the 7.5 aH. There are cheaper 3rd party knock-offs, but the user reviews are not encouraging.

Just something to consider for anyone considering buying a battery-powered mower. To me, the benefits outweigh the expense of buying a new battery every several years.

Yes, I quickly came to that same conclusion after only one use. The ease of maneuverability, lower noise, and lack of exhaust fumes alone is worth it.

 

[frayne]

Ego mower fan here as well and for the same reasons mentioned already. No more hauling gas cans, changing oil, filters and spark plugs for me.

 

[nap470]

I pulled the trigger today on the EGO LM2135SP for $599 at Lowes. It started raining on my drive home, so I started it up to see if it worked but no mowing yet. So quiet! I signed up for a Lowes credit card which gave me 20% off the sales price. I have been in a state of analysis paralysis for the past couple of years over-studying battery-powered mowers. I came close multiple times to purchasing one, but my 30-year-old gas-powered Toro started every time on the second pull, so I felt guilty abandoning the old girl. She will remain in the shed and be used at least in the fall to help with leaf cleanup. She has some duct tape and clamps holding a few parts together, but always reported for duty with no complaints. I'm looking forward to my first mow. I have about 13,000 sq. ft. of level yard, so I expect to charge at least once (7.5 AH) until I get a second battery. But I'm in no hurry. A 50-minute charge break sounds fine.

 

[Qs Laptop]

I pulled the trigger today on the EGO LM2135SP for $599 at Lowes. It started raining on my drive home, so I started it up to see if it worked but no mowing yet. So quiet! I signed up for a Lowes credit card which gave me 20% off the sales price. I have been in a state of analysis paralysis for the past couple of years over-studying battery-powered mowers. I came close multiple times to purchasing one, but my 30-year-old gas-powered Toro started every time on the second pull, so I felt guilty abandoning the old girl. She will remain in the shed and be used at least in the fall to help with leaf cleanup. She has some duct tape and clamps holding a few parts together, but always reported for duty with no complaints. I'm looking forward to my first mow. I have about 13,000 sq. ft. of level yard, so I expect to charge at least once (7.5 AH) until I get a second battery. But I'm in no hurry. A 50-minute charge break sounds fine.

Please report back with your thoughts after your first mow.

I understand the attachment to the old gas model that has solderied on for decades. I gifted my 23 year old oft-repaired Lawn Boy to my son.

 

[nap470]

Please report back with your thoughts after your first mow.

I understand the attachment to the old gas model that has solderied on for decades. I gifted my 23 year old oft-repaired Lawn Boy to my son.

Reporting in after my first full mow of the front and back yards. I was VERY impressed with the EGO select XP cut and the 7.5 AH battery. So easy to start and maneuver. I mowed both yards on one charge which ran for 72 minutes! The caveat was that I did not use the self-propel at all on the front yard since the EGO was so light compared to my 30-year-old gas Toro. On the back yard, I used the self-propel about half the time. My backyard is long and straight but has a gradual slope away from the house. I used the self-propel when mowing toward the house and turned it off when mowing away from the house. That's how I got the excellent battery life. It was flashing red when I finished up. I used the mulching blade, and the cut was excellent. It cleaned up very easily since the grass was dry. When I placed it back in the shed next to the old girl, I think I saw a tear drop fall from the old Toro. Or it might have been a gas leak. I did pat my old Toro on the engine and told her she's earned a rest and to be ready for the Fall. We get a lot of leaves. I'm an EGO fan.

 

[jrgators]

I have the EGO LM2142SP. Uses 2 5 AH batteries. They advertise that it will last for 80 minutes. Yard is 1/3 acre. The self-propelled feature took some getting used to since i'm used to the gas mower kind where the self propelled was basically variable speed (ie, you can adjust the speed based on the pressure you apply). This one, you set the speed and then you either 'turn on' the self propelled or 'turn off' the self propelled. So I would just have it on the whole time and batteries ran out with about 5 minutes left of mowing to do. Now that I got the hang of things, have no problem with the batteries running out in the 50 minutes it takes me to mow the lawn. I do need to investigate the blade options. I dont bag and large clippings are left behind so I think I probably need to replace the blade with the mulching blade that they sell but i'll wait until next season to do that.

 

[Qs Laptop]

Reporting in after my first full mow of the front and back yards. I was VERY impressed with the EGO select XP cut and the 7.5 AH battery. So easy to start and maneuver. I mowed both yards on one charge which ran for 72 minutes! The caveat was that I did not use the self-propel at all on the front yard since the EGO was so light compared to my 30-year-old gas Toro. On the back yard, I used the self-propel about half the time. My backyard is long and straight but has a gradual slope away from the house. I used the self-propel when mowing toward the house and turned it off when mowing away from the house. That's how I got the excellent battery life. It was flashing red when I finished up. I used the mulching blade, and the cut was excellent. It cleaned up very easily since the grass was dry. When I placed it back in the shed next to the old girl, I think I saw a tear drop fall from the old Toro. Or it might have been a gas leak. I did pat my old Toro on the engine and told her she's earned a rest and to be ready for the Fall. We get a lot of leaves. I'm an EGO fan.

Thanks for the report. 72 minutes with judicious use of the self-propelled function is excellent! Now I'm thinking if I had decided to forego the self-propelled feature in the first 20 minutes of mowing I may have been able to finish my whole yard on a single charge.

Yes, the first thing I noticed was the ease of maneuverability due to the lighter weight. About 2 minutes into my first mowing session I was a convert.

 

[Retch The Grate]

So for my tiny yard (about 6'x20' of grass, we've landscaped everything else), my takeaway from the thread is all these electrics are overkill and I should just get the cheapest corded electric model I can find.

 

[nap470]

So for my tiny yard (about 6'x20' of grass, we've landscaped everything else), my takeaway from the thread is all these electrics are overkill and I should just get the cheapest corded electric model I can find.

Corded electric mowers are usually the least expensive, and for 6’x20’ would be my first choice. If you want cordless, there are some good 18” models by Ryobi or Greenworks.

 

[jimbee]

So for my tiny yard (about 6'x20' of grass, we've landscaped everything else), my takeaway from the thread is all these electrics are overkill and I should just get the cheapest corded electric model I can find.

If the grass area is really 6' x 20', I'd just use one of these.

 

[GaryInCO]

If the grass area is really 6' x 20', I'd just use one of these.

Agree 100%. With your tiny yard you don't need an expensive mower. A "you-powered" mower like that would do the job just fine, and give you a bit more exercise to boot. If you're past the days of pushing a very light mower, I'd just hire a lawn service or neighborhood kid.