Ryobi HP Brushless 21-inch Multiblade Andrew Collins/CNETThe Ryobi is the final word jack of all trades, grasp of none amongst electrical garden mowers. While it doesn’t stand out as the perfect on the subject of any explicit characteristic or class, it additionally doesn’t rating poorly on any metric. Battery life, reduce high quality and maneuverability are all acceptable, and the Ryobi is a strong all-rounder for the value. You may do higher, but in addition a complete lot worse when selecting an electrical mower. Pros:No wheel lock when disengaging self-propulsionPrice to worth is competitiveConsBattery life lowered considerably when utilizing Turbo mode for prolonged periodsDoesn’t embody a twin battery charger like another manufacturers doErgonomics for self-propulsion could possibly be improved. Not essentially the most comfortableEGO Power Plus 21-inch Select Cut XP Andrew Collins/CNETThe Ego Power Plus 21-inch Select Cut XP was the most important shock throughout testing. The Ego model is very regarded within the electrical energy tools market, and this Ego does certainly have some wonderful options and design parts to boast about. Three completely different blade choices are included within the field, one thing no different competitor provides. The single-point top adjustment is very well thought out; it’s IPX4-rated for a little bit of weatherproofing and the cellphone holder is a pleasant contact.However, in our testing, the Ego reduce high quality simply wasn’t as much as the usual laid down by its rivals. There was a noticeable mohawk impact evident on every cross, leaving strips of uneven grass on the sides of the reduce. The Ego wasn’t alone on this regard, however many different mowers provide a High Lift, Boost or Turbo mode to scale back this impact and supply a extra even reduce, a characteristic that this Ego doesn’t provide. Additionally, whereas it is a gorgeous machine, the Ego appears longer and wider than it actually must be, affecting maneuverability round bushes and different obstacles, whereas delivering a much less even reduce on sloped yards. With the Ego Power Plus 21-inch Select Cut XP, every cross left a visual mohawk impact, with strips of uncut grass alongside the sides. Andrew Collins/CNETPros:Three completely different decrease blades included for various chopping optionsExcellent lever for simply altering reduce positionOverall match and end of the mower is forward of many competitorsConsCut high quality is disappointingly uneven, with numerous mohawking on the sidesNo Turbo or Boost modeBulkier than many rivals, making it much less maneuverableEcho DLM-2100SPThe Echo DLM-2100SP has numerous similarities to the higher-rated Greenworks Pro 60V 25-inch Dual Blade mower, which is each good and unhealthy. Both have wonderful self-propulsion controls, in addition to twin battery bays and wonderful battery life. Not nearly as good, the Echo, just like the Greenworks, has the annoying wheel lock “feature” when disengaging the Self Propulsion system, requiring you to both wait just a few seconds or manually push the mower ahead to have the ability to reverse route. The largest differentiator between the Echo and Greenworks is the chopping radius, with the Greenworks providing the broader reduce at 25 inches versus 21 inches for the Echo. Considering the Greenworks is $140 cheaper, it’s exhausting to advocate the Echo over it. That mentioned, the Echo is the sharper-looking of the 2, if appears to be like are vital to you. Andrew Collins/CNETPros:Creates a pleasant stripping sampleLightweight, with good propulsion levers and velocity managementGood battery stage suggestions indicatorsCons:Grass blade carry could possibly be higher, particularly when mowing downhillDeck bottoms out simply at minimal reduce heightWheel lock when disengaging self-propulsion could be very annoyingGreen Machine 62V 23-inch RWDGreen Machine is likely one of the lesser-known manufacturers examined on this record, however I wouldn’t be shocked to see that change within the years to come back. The Green Machine 62V 23” has lots to supply on a price-to-value scale, however just a few key drawbacks held it from rating larger on this record. The fundamental downside, far and away, was battery life. While the 45-minute said runtime is theoretically attainable, use of the Self Propulsion system drastically diminishes that point. While many of the examined mowers on this record may reduce my sloped, two-thirds of an acre yard in simply two or three battery cycles, the Green Machine required 4 to 5 cycles. With a battery recharge time of 75 minutes, this made for a really lengthy and tedious testing expertise. If primarily used on smaller, flatter lawns, the Green Machine is a strong finances possibility to think about. Andrew Collins/CNETPros:Good construct qualityAttractive designCompetitively pricedCons:Not as maneuverable as different choices on this worth phaseNot nice carry from the blade, leaving the reduce shaggy at timesEasy to unintentionally change the velocity when turning the mowerSelf-propel drains the battery shortlyCraftsman V20 20-inchThe Craftsman V20 20-inch was the lightest of our examined mowers, and in addition the most affordable primarily based on MSRP. It is simple to push and supplies surprisingly lengthy battery life for its smaller-sized battery, which helps with storage. While these are all nice options, it is nonetheless troublesome to advocate the Craftsman on account of its lack of energy and subpar reduce high quality. Its self-propulsion system is primary, with little variable velocity management, with a easy pull deal with both partaking or disengaging the system. The mower can be the least highly effective of these examined. It can deal with mild trimming simply high quality, however excessive, thick grass is greater than it could actually comfortably handle.The Craftsman V20 could be greatest suited to small, flat yards, very like the Green Machine talked about above. But there are higher mowers that may be bought for only a bit more cash in the event you want self-propulsion. If you’re after the Craftsman’s light-weight design and compact dimension, the non Self-Propulsion model — $120 cheaper — would probably be a greater match. Andrew Collins/CNETPros:Light and compact, straightforward to maneuver and storeLowest MSRP of any of the examined mowersGood battery life from 4.0Ah batteriesCons:Not very highly effective, with marginal reduce qualityVery primary self-propulsion system, with restricted velocity adjustmentWhat we up to date: May 2025: We modified how we take a look at electrical garden mowers, updating the testing methodology and assigning a brand new tester and creator.June 2025: We retested these electrical garden mowers for consideration on our record: Milwaukee M18 Fuel 21-inch; Greenworks Pro 60V 25-inch; Toro Recycler 60V 22-inch; Stihl RMA 453 PV 21-inch; Ryobi HP Brushless 21-inch; Ego Power Plus 21-inch; Echo DLM-2100SP; Green Machine 62V 23-inch; Craftsman V20 20-inch.July 2025: We retested the Ego Power Plus 21-inch 56-volt and eliminated it as the perfect total choose.July 2025: We recategorized Greenworks 25-inch 60-volt from the “best for consistent lawn maintenance” to the “best value.” July 2025: We eliminated the Greenworks 19-inch 40-volt and the Litheli U20LM00-0A120 13-inch 20-volt from this record. July 2025: We eliminated the Dewalt DCMWP233U2 21.5-inch 20-volt from this record as a result of it is presently out of inventory. August 2025: The former authors’ bylines (Steve Conaway, Chris Wedell and Macy Meyer) have been faraway from this web page following new testing and analysis.
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