Customer Reviews

Earthwise 50120 20-Inch 12 amp Electric Mulching Lawn Mower with Grass Bag

5 star:		(61)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I just used this Earthwise mower for the first time today, first cut of the year. I live in the Cleveland, OH area and my yard is 100% Kentucky bluegrass. I live in a new home on your typical new-home-sized lot (read; not large). I don't recall the exact dimensions, but I believe it's something like 120' x 90' total, including where the house sits.

I bought the mower and an extension cord on a Saturday using Amazon prime and had it shipped overnight. It was on my porch Monday when I got home from work. Nice! However, I see now that it's price is less than I paid for it just 4 days ago, but whatever. Total price to my door including a 100' 12ga yellow extension cord was right around $250. Great service from Amazon.

Assembly is cake, just unpack the mower and install the handle. I'm 6'6" so I installed the handle in the highest position and it's very comfortable for me. Much better than the old Craftsman gas mower I'm replacing. That's all there is to the assembly.

Now, on to the actual mowing. It's been raining here for the last few days, and the grass today was still a bit wet. Very long though between all the rain and a TruGreen treatment, so I figured it would be a good challenge for this mower.

First, let's talk about the cord. Things like this pull some pretty serious power I would imagine, so I bought a real heavy duty cord. The 12ga is a very thick cord and doesn't really fit well in the cord retainer hook, but it still works. Just fold the cord in half and stuff it into the retainer and don't worry about the hooks. It stays put just fine. Now, as far as mowing with the cord, it's not a big deal as long as you pay attention. Know where it is at all times and you'll be fine. Quite frankly, if you buy a corded mower and then complain about the cord, well, I can't help you. Know what it means to have a corded mower: You need to deal with the cord. I've never used an electric mower before, and I was mildly concerned about dealing with the cord, but a little thought ahead of time is all it takes. The best way to cut is to start near the outlet and work your way out. Make sure the cord is always laying on parts you've already done. Also, using a cord that's NOT GREEN is a good idea too. Mine is yellow, very easy to spot. If you get tangled or run out of slack, just turn the mower off, get it set, and fire it back up again. It's as simple as pulling and releasing a handle. Be careful around shrubs and plants; again, just pay attention to where it is at all times.

Really, the only thing I don't like about dealing with the cord is having to reel it up and unreel it. Mowing with the cord is not a problem. I think I'll buy another shorter cord and keep one in the back yard and one up front so I don't have to spool it up and carry it around to the back. If you're pulling a long length of cord, like towards the back of the yard, just hold the cord between the handle and your hands and it's no problem to pull it along.

As far as power, it is plenty strong for cutting long, somewhat damp grass. It plowed right through every blade, mulching it all with no issues. It bogged down a tiny bit on really long grass, but so did my gas one. Just go slow. I won't comment on the side discharge or bagging because I don't do either. Bagging is pointless and a total hassle. The mulching this mower does is MUCH better than my old Craftsman which left piles of grass all over. Not this one, the grass is buried down in there. It's not self propelled, but it's light and has nice wheels with bearings that roll very easily. No problems whatsoever. The height adjustment is awesome too, all four wheels with one spring loaded handle. Very easy.

Overall, I'm 100% satisfied with this mower. It's powerful, light, VERY quiet compared to gas, clean, no fumes, no maintenance, the list goes on. Just know what it takes to use a corded mower. I'll never go back to gas.

ADDED 04/08/10:
I forgot to come back to this with an update. The bagger works fine if I allow the weedwacked grass/weeds to dry first. Unfortunately, during the growing season, that means that the underlying grass/weeds grow up too high for the mower to handle, but works fine after the real fast growth stops.
NOTE: the guard attached to the rear of the mowing deck was chewed up very quickly due to it folding under the mower when backing up = two choices: 1) don't back up while the mower is in operation (one-direction mowing), or B) quickly loose the guard.
Still like and recommend this mower.

Replaced my Sears cordless mulching mower (I'm a green kinda guy) as I needed more power and no mulching. Bought this because it's the newer model (didn't know what differences there were, but NEWER! I mean, COME ON!).

Our yard is what I like to call California Native (most plants of which of course aren't native at all but introduced 200-years ago by the Spanish to feed their livestock), but it's really a big weed patch to most folks. There's two 8-ft X 30-ft side sections and a 60-ft X 40-ft back yard. It was a horse pasture prior to our house being built so the majority of true grass is rye. Late winter & early spring we get mostly Oxalis sour grass (extremely wet and high content of oxalic acid), the bright yellow flowers that coat the coastal hills, and some California poppies. This always is the toughest mowing season as the oxalis clumps together - I can actually ring out cups of liquid from the clumps (which is why I cannot use a clumping mower)!
Anyway, the rye had gotten to about 6-ft high, so I got our my trusty Troy-Built electric weed-wacker (fantastic product, BTW!!) and knocked down all to about 4-inches (I left as many CA poppies as possible '). BTW: the oxalic acid is "atomized" during weed-wacking and it is a terribly uncomfortable thing to inhale - but I digress: It was time to see how this mower would cut and hopefully bag the "yard". It did cut but didn't bag... I had to hand-rake as always ' Very good aerobic exercise, but not exactly a lot of fun!

PROS:
1: Power! This mower won't quit. It slowed some, but never so much that cutting was hampered. NOTE: I have a 100-ft 12/3 extension cord that I use with my weed-wacker, and I bought a 50-ft 12/3 for this mower per manufacturer (and other reviewers) recommendation. However, I did not notice any difference in power using either cord, and the 100-ft one is easier to keep out of the way during mowing so I'll use it in future.
2. Ergonomically designed! The weight and handle and switch and cord are very easy to work with.
3. Easy to adjust wheel height, and the wheels roll easily. This model also has 8-inch rear wheels, even though that isn't clear in the description.
4. Solid construction.
5. Easy to clean, so far. Just wiped-out the clumps and swept off the cuttings.

CONS:
1. Even on the dry grass, the bag doesn't work. I don't know why, but it just doesn't. I'll come back to this when it's further into the spring/summer and my "grass" is really dry.
2. The side discharge doesn't work either! Seriously, dry or wet, the cuttings just drop out of the bottom!!! Which may also be the bagging problem.
3. Cuttings gather in the space for the bag. There's a flap that covers the bag hole when not using the bag... the hole has depth, it's not just a hole through the 1/8" body, and it fills with cuttings.
4. The cord holder is too small for a 12/3 cable, at least the ones I can buy.

Bottom line? Powerful motor, cuts through anything I can throw at it, but inconvenient for yard clean-up as bag doesn't bag...

I purchased this mower in May along with a 100 ft 12 gauge extension cord (as recommended in the user manual). For about 3 and a half months this thing worked great. The grass in my yard is incredibly thick and grows quickly so using the mulching feature was never really an option. Once the grass starts to build up underneath the mower it gets clogged and the blade stops cutting. However the side attachment was working great. The mower never seemed to have a problem cutting the grass as long as the side attachment was installed.

Unfortunately about 2 weeks ago I went out to mow and after a few minutes I began to notice an electrical burning smell and the mower simply stopped cutting. I could still start it up on the driveway and everything would seem fine, but once I pushed it into the grass the motor would lose power. And when I released the safety handle the blade wouldn't come to an immediate stop, it spun down very slowly.

I called the Great States Corporation at the 800 number listed in the user manual and was told to take it into a service center. The mower is only 4 months old and it came with a 2 year warranty so what could possibly go wrong, right? Well 2 weeks after I dropped the mower off I received a call saying that the motor was burned out and that the company was refusing to honor the warranty. When I asked why they told me that it was my fault the mower broke due to the extension cord I was using. WHAT?! I nearly threw the phone against the wall. I purposely spent over $50 purchasing a high quality 12 gauge extension cord because it was recommended in the user manual. And now they're trying to say that it's my fault? I was then told that there was nothing they could do and it would probably be cheaper to buy a new mower than to repair it.

I finally called the Great States Corporation back and described the problem to them. They told me to call the service center back and have them contact someone in the tech department and they'd make sure the warranty was honored. So at this point I think that everything is going to be resolved but what a hassle! It's a great mower until it breaks and then you end up wishing you'd never purchased the thing. If you do end up purchasing this mower just pray it never needs servicing.

Here are a few tips for those of you who are undecided about an electric mower.

1. If you need a 100 ft extension cord to reach all of the sections of your lawn then don't purchase an electric mower. Your lawn is too big and there's too much power being drawn by the motor, even on a 12 gauge cord. Your motor is bound to experience some type of failure at some point.
2. Avoid mowing really tall grass. If you're going to own this mower then you'll probably need to mow twice a week just to keep the grass at a manageable length. The longer the grass the harder the motor has to work and the greater risk you run of damaging it.
3. Forget the mulching and just use the side attachment. Again, the more grass that builds up underneath the mower the harder the motor has to work. Shooting the grass out the side keeps the amount of grass underneath the mower at a minimum.
4. Don't buy anything less than a 12 gauge extension cord. In case you're not familiar with the AWG system, the smaller the number the thicker the wire. A 12 gauge cord is actually thicker than a 14 gauge cord.
5. If anything goes wrong with the mower make sure that you immediately point out that you were using a 12 gauge cord as specified in the user manual. And if for some reason the service center tells you that the damage isn't covered by the warranty don't give up. Call the Great States Corporation and insist that they fix or replace the mower and that you followed their instructions exactly regarding the extension cord.

I love using an electric mower. I never liked having the gasoline in the garage and I definitely didn't like trying to get a gas powered mower started.
This mower is perfect for my small yard. It's lightweight and easy to maneuver. Adjusting the height is a breeze. Another thing I like is that the back flap that drags along the ground doesn't get chewed up by the blade when pulling the mower backwards.
Since it has been so wet this spring, I was concerned that it would get all clogged up underneath. But it did an awesome job of mulching and didn't bog down. I haven't used the bagger or side discharge - probably won't as I prefer to mulch.
One more thing, I loved having it delivered to my door. Sure beats trying to fit one in my Civic!

This is my first and only mower. I was very happy with it for the 4-5 cuttings that I got out of it. During the last cut the motor just locked up and burnt on me. I had cut the grass just a couple of weeks before. The mower locked up on old/new mulched grass in my backyard. I take good care of all my equipment and handle with care.
It was still under waranty and I mailed/called Earthwise up who directed me to take the mower to an authorized repair shop. The repair shop is 20 miles from my place, and they have now sat with the mower for 4 weeks. Every time I call them they are getting parts from Earthwise or waiting for claim approval. The feedback I got from the repair shop is that electric mowers are new and takes a while for Earthwise to process the claims). I still wait for the mower, and am deciding if it will be cheaper to just buy another one.
I like the mower and the fact that it is 'more' environment friendly, but am very disappointed with the service I have received.
If you buy this mower, I hope it never breaks down on you. Good luck.

Great product and great service from Amazon - Ordered the Earthwise 20-inch on May 16 and was cutting grass on May 21. Our area of patio homes provides lawn care but our front yard has several large planting areas as well as two landscaped trees. The lawn service insists upon using walk behind mowers with large tires and limited maneuverability. They therefore produce weird mowing patterns and scalp occasionally. They weed-wack what they can't cut with the mower ! The blades, I think, were last sharpened in 2004 or maybe 2005!! Therefore, you get that brownish grey cast which dull blades leave. The Earthwise has now made me proud of the front yard again. One pass and the grass is level and GREEN - not grey ! No need to cut and re-cut and no need for the bag. The blade is sharpened all the way across and the impeller above the blade keeps the clippings swirling until they end up as dust. This is a well constructed and well engineered machine, light in weight and easy to store in the garage. And it is quiet ! It sounds very much like a vacuum cleaner. Lowe's house brand looks almost identical and the Home Depot Homelite is very similar, also - each costing $ 40 - $ 50 more (plus sales tax) than what I paid at Amazon. Compared to the Black and Decker, Earthwise is a 20-inch cut; Black and Decker's is a 19-inch cut. The Black and Decker is plastic and seems flimsy and cheap alongside the Earthwise. In summary, so far, a great mower.

We bought this model on sale at our local hardware store and ended up spending less that what it was offered for at the time on Amazon, which was bout 2 weeks ago, the price has since dropped.
I am 6 months pregnant and we needed a mower that I could operate without the stress, strain, and the expense of a gas mower, and I have found it. It cut through grass that was about 4 inches easily. The opening from the lawn mower to the bag could have been a bit wider to allow more grass to go through, which would be handy if you want a perfectly manicured lawn. I maintain no such illusions about my dedication to our lawn, so I just clipped on the side blower and mowed away. I kept the bag on to save clippings for my compost pile, and simply removed the bag and dumped afterward. I like the fact that I can take my time without having to worry about refilling the tank all the time, and the lack of pull-cord start is a definite plus.
If you're not a "yardie" but you still need to maintain a lawn, grab this one up before the end of the season. It's worth it.


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November 10th 2010. Another season has come and gone, and this mower is still going strong. I cut the lawn about once a week, and now bag the grass for the compost pile exclusively. You will need to stop at least twice to empty the bag, which for me means cutting the front lawn, stopping to empty and then cutting the back lawn. I use a 100 ft cord, as my yard is mediumish and I didn't want to want to strain the connectors as I hit all corners of the lawn. Just clean out every time you mow and the blades will stay sharp. Also does a decent job of mulching leaves as you run across them.

I purchased the 60120 model in May. Last week both back wheel broke and the mower is inoperable. The back wheels sit on a plastic casing that is a whopping 1/8" thick, bearing the weight of the mower. After checking my "two year warranty" I called Earthwise to request replacement parts. After waiting for 25 minutes on hold, I was told that I was not a sufficient judge to determine that this was a defective part and that I would have to take it to the nearest service dealer, which happens to be 30 miles away. When I asked to speak with the supervisor I was told that there were "lots of people ahead of me" and I would be better off calling the service dealer. Or my other option is now to purchase the replacement parts(from them) for this unit. After spending $330 on this thing just five months ago, I'm pretty resentful. I mainly bought this unit based on the reviews here, so I thought I should let people know.

Just a few tips and observations:

*Reading the other reviews and the included manual gave me an idea of how to handle the cord. It took me about 15 minutes to put the techniques into practice and to become natural. If you don't handle the cord right, an easy job becomes harder work.

*I like the light weight. It's far lighter than my gasoline model and I can handle it easily under trees with one hand. It's light enough that I find myself almost running behind it using the same energy that kept me plodding slowly with my gas model. I think the electric mowers with a plastic cutting deck are even lighter than this metal Earthwise, but I like the metal deck. It's still light and seems more rugged than plastic would be. The motor is strong enough that I can go fast in moderate grass.

*Wheel height adjustment works like a charm. Just click and go.

*It makes about as much noise as a somewhat loud hair dryer, which is far less than a gasoline engine. I've ditched my earplugs and enjoy the lack of exhaust smell. It seems like an almost luxurious way to cut a small yard.

*You will need a cord that is rated for the amperage for the length of cord. A thin cheap cord will probably shorten the motor life due to voltage drop. I think I paid in the $30 range for a 100' one that had a 14 amp rating. Go ahead and get a good one. You can use it for everything.

I'm pleased with this mower for my city-sized lot. It's a keeper.

I bought the Homelite version of this product at Home Depot. In one of the other comments someone said that the Task Force mower at Lowes is the same. It isn't Earthwise and Homelite mowers are identical and come from Great States Corp. Task Force is from a different manufacturer. I called Great States customer service before I bought to find out about this since the reviews on Lowe's site for Task Force were terrible.

I agree with other reviewers about the cord holder. It's too tight for a 12 gauge cord. I don't use it. I hold the cord between my hand and the handle. Not a problem. Managing the cord isn't a problem either. Just pay attention to where it is and where you are.

I use the grass bag. Also no problem. The grass collects in the back where it should. I've always waited till the grass was dry. I haven't tried to mulch or use the side discharge.

One issue is distance. Customer Service told me they don't recommend more than 100' of cord. I have a long skinny yard and barely make it.

Added comment, February 2011: I have been thinking about spring and came back to look at my comment. I've used this mower through two full seasons now. I am just as happy with it as when I posted the original comment.