Customer Reviews

Earthwise 60120 20-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Electric Lawn Mower

5 star:		(92)
4 star:		(50)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(17)
1 star:		(30)

 

 

I got tired of messing with gasoline, oil, and the mixing, pouring, and spilling of the two, so I gave all my lawn equipment away and hired a gardener - 2 years later realize what a mistake - all gardener does is mow grass every 2 weeks and charge $$$$ for everything else. So I decided to to take back my yard and went online to research electric mowers and decrease my carbon footprint.

I was all ready to purchase a corded model when I came across the Earthwise 20" 24 volt cordless rechargeable. I must admit that I was very apprehensive about cordless, I've owned many gutless cordless power tools. During my research of the Earthwise I ran across a video that showed the lawnmower in action - I was sold. I purchased immediately and have been extremely pleased.

This mower has all the power that I could ever need to take care of my yard (approx. 1/4 acre of grass, with some on a slope). The battery came fully charged and I had the mower out of the box, fully assembled (very easy), and out mowing withing 20 minutes. Used the grass catcher just to see how it worked (did a great job), then took it off and have mulched ever since (this machine turns your grass into the minutest particles).

It is very well constructed (the deck is metal - this is good), the height adjustment could not be easier (one lever adjusts all wheels - again, very good), it pushes very easily (thanks to the ball-bearing wheels), and the handle folds to make for very compact storage.

My yard and I am happy again!

This review is based on the same but differently branded Homelite UT13122 Cordless Mower (sold at Home Depot). My other mowers are an MTD electric and a Brill reel mower. I never own a gasoline-powered mower for the obvious reasons.

OPERATION:
- Push and turn around when necessary. Any problem is behind the mower.

PROS:
- Strong and powerful motor (it cut down 12"+ moist-grass! Haha, it's May 17 and I just did my first mowing of the season here in Virginia)
- Plenty of juice in one charge,
- 1-click removable battery makes it easy to charge the battery off-board/indoor with the included adapter cable and charger -- the same charger works for on-board and off-board charging,
- LED display for battery level is on deck at the rear, very easy to see while pushing the mower,
- Easy on and off; the safety key is secured to the control unit with a lanyard (no need to kneel down and get to the key like the Neuton),
- Dust/water cap for charging plug is included and secured with a lanyard,
- Wide cutting path,
- One-lever height adjustment,
- Maximum cut height is taller than most (haha, I like my lawn taller),
- Complete with bag, side discharger and mulch plug

CONS:
- Battery maintenance is not that simple. Per the manual, the charger is NOT a smart, trickle charger and MUST NOT CHARGE MORE THAN A MAXIMUM OF 24-HR. Yet, the manual and the yellow warning tag also warn that you MUST CHARGE THE BATTERY EVERY 30-DAYS during the off-seasons. Who's going to remember to do this religiously? The 1-click removable battery makes it possible to do charge it indoor, however, the owner must still remember to plug and unplug the the charger to heed the recommendation of no-more than 24-hour and at least once every 30 days. I have a programmable wall timer to take care of this (UPDATE: I am using a third party smart charger instead), but it would be so much nicer if the charger was a smart, trickle charger that can manage on its own. A smart charger circuitry is so easy to manufacture and it would add only a few dollars to the final price (and it would pay off in the long run given not too many owners would heed the warning, and many would end up with dead batteries, giving the product a bad rep).
- The handle is not foldable for quick storage. It's removable with the knob screws, but a foldable handle would make it much easier.

MAINTENANCE TIP:
- Get a programmable timer to help the dumb charger maintain the battery better (see cons above) -- UPDATE: I am using a 24v smart charger)
- Spray the blade and the bottom of the deck (well, all over) with Jigaloo or other similar spray lubricant. It will make it slicker and less grass will stick, keeping it cleaner and easier to blow after every use.
- UPDATE #2: store the battery at a cool place to minimize discharge, and don't let it discharge fully too often and don't leave it discharged too long. Sealed lead acid batteries are happier when they're fully charged (but they're not happy if they're overcharged with bad chargers either).

UPDATE: I opened the battery pack (8 screws) and saw two green, sealed lead acid (SLA) batteries with this printed on them:

6-DZM-20 (12V20AH)
3-Step Charge Method
Step 1: Constant Current Charge: 2.4 - 3.0A
Step 2: Constant Voltage Charge: 14.7 - 14.9V
Step 3: Floating - Constant Floating Voltage is 13.7 - 13.9V. Converting current: 550-600mA.

Note: if you are looking for an aftermarket smart charger, make sure you look for a 24v charger, because the batteries are placed in series (so double the voltage). The charging current can be lower than the spec above; it'll just take a longer to charge. I found mine from batteryspec dot com.

UPDATE #2: I'm still doing some work on perfecting the charger setup. As it is right now, I'm charging the battery pack off-board because it's more convenient and the battery stays cooler in the basement. I'm thinking of either upgrading the charger to either a: 1) 24v Soneil Charger (a reliable deep-cycle charger used for scooters/wheel chair, much more expensive though!), or 2) install a DPDT switch so that, at the flick of a switch, the battery assembly goes from series (24v) to parallel (12v), allowing me to use much cheaper 12v smart chargers (like the touted Battery Minder or Battery Tender Plus, available here at Amazon). With the DPDT switch, I'll set the pack to 12v for charging, and 24v for operation. It will only need a length of wire and a DPDT switch from Radio Shack ($3.99 plus tax, catalog #275-691).

It sounds like a lot of work, but it's a hobby to me and from the negative reviews, the battery (but actually the charger) is the achiles heel of this otherwise excellent mower. I'll post an update.

UPDATE #3 10/2011: Two years later, the battery is still GOING STRONG - 3 green lights.

I've had this setup for two years now. I ended up getting a smart charger capable of outputting 12V 6A (I also use it to condition my car batteries in the summer - yes, summer is when the batteries take the most toll and get weak, and the problem would then surface in the winter). I ran some wiring that switches the battery arrangement from parallel (12v) to serial (factory 24v arrangement). First, cut out a small opening on top, put a DPDT switch and wired it. For charging, I switched it to 12v. For mowing, I switched it to 24v. Works great!! No worries about running on the wrong setting because 12v would be too weak for the mower (yellow/red lights), and the charger would light up the error light if it's incorrectly connected to the 24v.

As mentioned, I leave the mower outside, but keep the battery in the garage where the temperature is less extreme. It is plugged to charger, and I just carry it out to the mower whenever I need to mow. Easy peasy.

The charger is a Schauer CM6A: [...] (sigh, 2 years ago it was about 15 dlr cheaper than the current price).

I was very excited to give this a try. I have about a 1/3 acre with some slope. The machine is a bit heavy, but I'm a big tough guy, so I wasn't too scared. I mowed the front yard, and half the back yard (had not got to the slope yet) when the right reer wheel fell off. It broke away from the hub. I was not even turning a corner...just doing a row. Prior to that, the mower performed OK...it got really bogged down in heavy grass/clover, but a thinner swath seemed to help. I called customer service, got a real person, and they are sending me a new wheel. Hope that works. Oh...and two of the 3 green lights were out (1/2 discharded I'm guessing) after doing about 2/3 of my lawn. It should do the trick if I don't dilly dally. The materials seem a bit flimsy to me...likely made to last maybe a year or two...but we will see.

4/29/09 The other rear wheel fell off. I decided I had a bad unit and sent it back. Printed a return lable from Amazon.com, dropped it off at UPS and received the replacement the next day! It works fine. I've used it twice now and all the wheels are OK! Used less than half the battery to mow for about 30 to 40 mins. I ran through some pretty heavy stuff too...it was dry, but it handled it quite well. The height adjustment is excellent. I may up my review if all the wheels stay on this summer.

I purchased this mower based on the good reviews, and the fact that my old, 20 year old mower, was burning oil and generally not performing as well as I'd like it.

Personally, I'm a big fan of electric motors and other battery run items for the home (as opposed to gas), not for any green environmental reason, but because they tend to be much easier to maintain, and can be better for a given application than a gas driven motor. Since I have a relatively small lawn, this seemed like a good purchase.

I received the mower, unpacked it, and charged it up per the directions with no problems. Tried out all the accessories, and they were easy enough to put on and take off. Went out and mowed the lawn. My impressions were that the motor generated more than enough torque to do the job. It was a little heavy for moving around, and I personally did not like the start lever -- it felt cheap and loose to me. I would have preferred that the start level be a bit more solid. Compared to the old mower (even with the old mower having a sharpened blade) it did a fairly nice job with the lawn.

After finishing, I cleaned the unit off, and plugged the unit in to recharge, initially, it seemed to be working correctly. I went out to do some trimming, and when I returned, I noticed the charger flashing a red light at me (which I assume means there was a problem, it wasn't detailed in the manual as to what exactly it means). Overnight, it failed to charge the battery, so I called the provided number, talked to some people who didn't really seem to know what they were doing, and eventually was told to bring it to location x for service.

I bring it over there and drop it off. During the next three weeks, nothing can get accomplished. Essentially, the people at location x have to call the Earthwise people to get the parts to perform warrantee work, except the Earthwise people never seem to respond. I talked with the owner of location x, and he said that it was always like that with Earthwise. I called another location from the Earthwise web site (nearby) and they essentially said the same thing.

Fortunately, I was lucky and still had the old mower to do mowing with. I ended up returning this to Amazon as defective, as, even if it could be fixed, I wouldn't want to be relying on this product as my sole mower, based on the repair experience. Heck, even I can take apart a lawn mower gas engine and repair most things in a day (assuming I can find any part I might need.) Grass doesn't stop growing while your mower is in the shop, and three weeks+ would have been a debacle if this were my only mower!

Again, my issues aren't with the mower itself, just that if it should break, you will probably have difficulty getting it repaired quickly, and I can't recommend the mower (or any Earthwise product) based on that.

If you do get the mower, one thing that I did discover was that if you remove the battery pack, it makes the rest of the mower much easier to handle (such as for unpacking, or lifing into the back of a vehicle for transport, or lifting back into the box to send back :-) ). I did like the design where the battery was self enclosed, and simply plugs into the mower.

After using a corded electric mower all last year, and gas ones previously in our lives, I promised my husband we could get a new cord-free electric this year. After extensive research, this is the model we chose. We actually ordered it at an online big box store due to delayed shipping on Amazon, and received it in a week. We had it for a couple weeks and so far are really happy with our purchase.

Pros:
Cuts really well on a mostly level lot
No stinky smell (gas, oil) or oil changes, etc., I used to get sick from the smell of a gas mower, now I can enjoy yard work!
Environmentally friendly
No cord to be constantly be adjusting
Bags great
Relatively quiet (noisier than our old corded, but quieter than gas mowers)
Battery is easily removed for charging indoors, or keeping at reasonable temperature during the winter (battery doesn't have to be removed for charging)
Mowing with the old plug-in electric (13" cutting path, doing the cord dance) used to take me 1.5 hours, the cordless only takes half an hour!
Battery indicator lets you know the charge level
Single adjustment for mowing height
Easy to turn on, easy off - no pull cord
20 inch cutting path

Cons:
Heavy . . . especially compared to a plug-in cordless
That's it!

I owned a Black & Decker cordless mower previously and after 10 years I just couldn't stand having little battery charge any more (on the original battery). It was time for a new machine. Since there are few cordless mower options out there (that are relatively affordable) I decided to take a chance on the Earthwise machine. I bought it at a local store on sale and thought I got a good deal. My initial reaction: HEAVY. This machine is made of steel and is a full 25 pounds heavier than the polymer constructed B&D. No big deal, right? It's on wheels. I found myself almost winded after using the machine. Not a deal breaker. One thing I DID NOT like, however, was the fact that they do not disclose that the charger is not a trickle charger. You have to remember to unplug it to avoid damaging the battery. The B&D was left plugged in. After 10 years of doing that, old habits die hard and I had visions of my garage burning down because I forgot to unplug the mower. Serious flaw in my opinion. The mower worked fine...although almost as loud as a gas mower (the B&D sounded like a big hair dryer). I noticed the rear wheel was a bit wobbly and told myself that I'd check it the next time I mowed. Well...my wife mowed the lawn the next time and came in all sweaty (heavy mower, remember) and ticked off. The wheel had fallen off! I said "The left rear one, right?" Nope. Front right. Upon closer inspection it appears that the weld had broken clean off. That was the straw that broke the lawnmower's back. We lifted the behemoth into our van and promptly returned it (thankfully) to the store we bought it from. I just ordered a new Black and Decker from Amazon. Black & Decker CMM1200 19-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Electric Mulching Lawn Mower If this one lasts half as long as the last one, it will still outlive several dozen of the Earthwise mowers.

I've used three different cordless mowers, but not this one. I Have the 20" Toro with 36 volts which works very well and a 19"/24V B&D, which I found to be adequate 80% of the time - with only 24V it struggled with tall grass. On paper the Earthwise looks pretty good on features but may fall short in power

<COMPARO>
I've put a quick guide of the most popular models on Amazon. All info reported by manufacturer. Amazon won't let me put prices in my review, sorry!

MOWER............Path/Volt/Watt-hr......WT............COMMENTS

Neuton CE5.3............14"/24V/240......48#....Plastic deck, Removable batt.
B&D CM1836..............18"/36V/NA.......64#....Plastic deck
Greenworks 25092......18"/24V/480......95#....Self Propel, Removable Batt
Worx ECO WG780.......19"/24V/408......80#....Removable Battery
Haussmann CLM46NU...19"/24V/NA........94#....Haussmann who?? Metal deck
B&D CMM1200.............19"/24V/432......76#....Update to our old CM1000
B&D CM1936...............19"/36V/360.......72#....Plastic deck, Removable Batt
Neuton CE6................19"/36V/360.......88#....Plastic deck, Removable Batt
Earthwise 60120..........20"/24V/480......92#....Metal deck, Removable Batt
Toro 20360.................20"/36V/432......77#....Metal deck
Solaris/Epic EP21H........21"/24V/NA......106#....Rmvble batt, self propel, steel

<FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS>

>>Why SHOULD I get a cordless electric mower? They are super quiet, clean, and convenient. No fumes or exhaust- because gas mowers don't have catalytic converters, they can pollute as much in a year as 43 cars!!!!. They aren't necessarily cheaper than a gas mower since they cost more up front but there is basically NO maintenance. (We spent $80 over 10 years for a set of replacement batteries.) Corded electric mowers are a cheaper but having a cord is a pain.

>>Why SHOULDN'T I get a cordless mower? They weigh a LOT more than gas mowers so if you have a hilly lot or have difficulty with physical exertion, forget it. They don't have as much power as gas and re-fueling means charging for a few hours so if your lot is over ˝ acre you may want to reconsider.

>>Why do they all come with mulching PLUS bagging? Electric powered mowers have come a long ways but mulching still takes a LOT more power than discharging, so bagging is pretty much a standard feature.

>>What is a watt-hour? It's basically how big your gas tank is - the more watt-hours, the longer you can mow before you have to recharge.

>>Is the cutting path a big deal? Yes - for two reasons. 1) The first thing manufacturers do when power is marginal is reduce the blade size, so I tend to see the smaller mowers as more likely to be underpowered. Second, when you consider that you have to overlap each pass by ~3", a 20" blade now effectively cuts 13% more on each pass. If you have a larger yard, you definitely do NOT want anything under 18" Also, my measurements show most mowers overstate their blade size by 1/2" (Our 20" measures 19-5/8, our 19 measures 18-1/2)

>>Why might I want a removable battery? If you have a large yard, this means you can have a second battery charging while you are using the first. A second battery typically costs $100-$150 but it can make the difference between going electric or not. Finally, if you keep the mower in a shed that doesn't have power, a removable battery will let you bring it in for charging.

>>How long will my batteries last? That depends on your climate and usage. We had a small lot for many years and were religious about recharging right after use. We also live in a cooler climate (Michigan) so it's cooler and the mowing season is shorter. Our batteries lasted ~7 years. Most people should get 3-4 years easily but if you're careless and live in Arizona, you might be able to kill the batteries in a year or two.

>>Why should I care about higher voltage? Higher voltage = more power, PLUS you can recharge the mower faster. With the same chemistry and current, a 36V mower will charge 50% faster than a 24V mower.

>>Metal deck or plastic? Metal rusts but with minimal care it's not an issue. Plastic ends up giving you a more stuff to trim since you can't cut as close to fences, etc.

If you've found this review helpful or have questions/comments, please let me know!

When I first got my lawnmower I did not experience any of the problems that some others have mentioned. The mower is very heavy but worth pushing to save the planet. I liked the fact that the mower is so much quieter than a gas mower. Still loud and no where near as quiet as my neighbors Newton mower. Several months into my mowing experience I had my first problem, the charger melted overnight as it was charging the battery. I called the company and after a half an hour of waiting got someone to send out a new charger. No further problems till this year when my mower stopped functioning for no apparent reason about 1/10th of the way into mowing the lawn. I called the number given for the warrenty. Thirty minutes of waiting rewarded me with a number of a near by shop to have the mower serviced. Only problem, the shop refused to work on it. 30 more minutes on the phone another shop that would not service the mower. Finally got some 45 minutes from the house agreed to work on the mower. Called the fix it guy later in the week and he had some very choice words for this company. Looks like I'll be driving to the next state if anything else goes wrong. The fix it guy tells me the company will not send him the part and is giving him the run around. He tells me he will fix the mower with a part from another motor he has and then will try to keep after the company to get the part replaced on his extra motor. He needs to get paid though and so I have to fork over $35 for work that should have been covered under the warrenty. I could wait to see if he can convince the company to send the part or take the mower back but the company doesn't have a part number of the part that is broken so it can't be broken cause it doesn't exist. With the lawn now a full 12 inches and an embarrassed wife, I chose to part with the cash to expedite things. I have glossed over the pain and aggravation this company has caused me and so many others. I can not stress how terrible of a company they are. I am thinking of calling my states attorney general to file a complaint. Do not under any circumstance purchase this product. All the positive reviews are from people who have not owned this mower over a year.

I bought the Earthwise mower as an environmentally sensitive alternative. I have a small, relatively flat lawn that is approximately 1/3 of an acre. It takes about 35-40 minutes of mowing time. So far I'm impressed by the power and battery life. After finishing my lawn, the power meter still shows 3 out of 3 lights which is a full charge. It is a fairly heavy machine, but rolls OK. It would not be good for heavily sloped lawns.

This lawn mower is great. I was very skeptical about this kind of thing-cordless, but boy im blown away. Very well built, metal base, weight in box was over 90 punds. Just put together-very easy assembly. I didn't even need to use the bag or side discharge, the mulcher just crumbles the grass into particles. Overall great buy. No messy oil or gas to mess with, or no long annoying electric cables to hook up. Great buy.