Greenworks Lawn Mower Reviews
The lawn mowers produced by Greenworks are meant to be more environmentally friendly than gas powered mowers, as well as easier and less expensive to maintain. The mowers promise power than is similar to what you’d get from a gas mower, without the hassle of gas. Available models are either powered by rechargeable batteries, a power cord or by you. They are usually recommended for smaller lawns, since the length of the cord or battery life limits how far they can go. One top model from Greenworks is the 25302 G-MAX 40V Twin Force Cordless Lawn Mower.
What to Know About Greenworks Lawn Mowers
Greenworks produces several electric lawn mowers. Their mowers come in a variety of powers, from 40v to 80v. They also have a number of plug-in mowers and manually powered motors. As you might guess from its name, Greenworks aims to provide homeowners with an eco-friendly alternative to gas-powered mowers.
Saving the planet aside, there are a few other benefits to choosing an electric or manually powered mower over a gas-powered mower. While you might be all too familiar with the roar of a gas mower way too early in the morning on a summer’s day, electric mowers are much quieter. They operate with a gentle purr, rather than an ear-rattling roar.
Along with being quieter, Greenworks lawn mowers are typically lower maintenance their their gas-powered cousins. You don’t have to purchase oil or gas to refuel your mower, nor do you have to worry about replacing spark plugs or air filters.
Since there is less to maintain and no need to purchase replacement parts, Greenworks lawn mowers typically have a lower cost of ownership compared to gas-powered versions. The one thing you need to pay attention to with a Greenworks mower is the blade. Like any lawn mower, the duller the blade, the worse the job the mower will do. Keeping the blade sharp is key to keeping it working well.
Generally speaking, Greenworks mowers are usually recommended to people who have smaller lawns. Corded models can only reach as far as their cord will stretch, while it’s easy to tire out quickly using a manually powered model. Even battery powered mowers can only go so far before their batteries need a charge.
Greenworks Lawn Mower Features
First, here’s a great video walkthrough of the model we mentioned above:
Greenworks has a number of different mowers in its lineup. Understanding the different features available with each mower and what the features mean will help you pick the best one for your lawn.
You’ll find cordless Greenworks mowers in voltages ranging from 40v to 80v. The higher the voltage, the more cutting power the machine has. You might notice a considerable difference in the cut quality of an 80v machine compared to 40v mower.
Since the cordless mowers run on batteries, you do need to allow them to charge between the uses. The length of a battery’s charge can have an effect on how efficiently you’re able to mow your lawn. Typically, the longer the battery can operate off of one charge, the better. The quicker the battery charges, the better, as well.
Some mower models are corded, meaning you need to plug them into an outlet to power them. If you use a corded model, you’ll have to be sure to purchase an extension cord that’s rated for outdoor use. The size and gauge of the extension cord also matter.
The more amps the mower has, the lower the gauge of the extension cord. You also want to choose a lower gauge for longer extensions cords. Longer cords, such as 100 feet cords, aren’t recommended for mowers with amps over 12.
Some of Greenworks mowers are manually operated. That means they don’t use electricity or gas, but instead rely on power from you. You’ll never have to charge a manually powered mower or worry about choosing the right extension cord with one.
Another feature to pay attention to when choosing a Greenworks mower is the cutting height. Most mowers offer a range of cutting heights, usually from around 1 inch to more than 3 inches. The more cutting heights available, the more likely you’ll be to find the height that is just right for the type of grass you’re growing.
The width of the mower is another thing to pay attention to. The wider the mower, the more area of lawn it can cut at one go, and the fewer passes you’ll need to make over your yard. But, wider mowers can also be more difficult to push and maneuver than narrower ones.
How to Use a Greenworks Lawn Mower
First things first, if you’re using an electric Greenworks mower, make sure your lawn is completely dry first. Although it’s never really a good idea to mow on wet grass, it’s a particularly bad idea when you’re using an electric mower.
The first time you use a battery powered mower, you want to make sure that you fully charge the battery before operating the mower. Using a partially charged battery will not only affect its lifespan the first time you use it. It will also keep the battery from fully charging in the future.
Most of Greenworks electric mowers aren’t self-propelled. That means you’ll have to put a bit of muscle into it to push them across your lawn. You might need to go over the same area a few times to get the cut you want, especially if you have a tough or coarse grass. Mowing frequently and not letting the grass get too long will help make mowing easier on you.
Highly Rated Greenworks Lawn Mowers
One of the most highly rated lawn mowers from GreenWorks is the 25302 G-MAX 40V Twin Force 20-Inch Cordless Lawn Mower. Although it is only 40v, it features a SMART CUT Technology option that allows you to adjust the power based on the thickness of your lawn’s grass.
If you have coarser grass, you can adjust the SMART CUT feature to focus more on cutting power and ability. If you have more delicate grass and more ground to cover, you can adjust the feature so that you get a longer battery life and can cut more of your lawn on a single charge.
The mower doesn’t have just one 40v battery, it has two. That means that you can mow for twice as long on one charge. As soon as the power is low on the first battery, the mower switches over to the second.
The one drawback of the 40v Twin Force mower is that is has a limited number of cutting heights. Unlike other Greenworks models, it offers just five cutting heights, from 1 3/8 inches to 3 3/8 inches. That means you can’t let the grass get too long between mows.
If you’re looking for more power, the GreenWorks Pro GLM801602 80V 21-Inch Cordless Lawn Mower is the first 80v mower in the industry. It’s a heavy duty machine that will run for up to an hour on a single charge. Along with being more powerful than its 40v cousin, it also offers more flexibility when it comes to cutting heights.
If you don’t mind using a corded mower, the GreenWorks 25022 12 Amp Corded 20-Inch Lawn Mower is also highly rated and has a number of features not found in the 40v model. It has a total of seven cutting heights, as well as the option of bagging the clippings, spraying them to the side or allowing them to be mulched under. The 40v model has a rear bag or mulching option.
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Photo by Hedwig Storch licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0