Customer Reviews

WORX ECO WG780 19-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Electric Lawn Mower

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

Our old gas mower keeled over halfway through the lawn last weekend ... and then it rained every day all week. By Saturday, the grass was sopping wet and ankle deep.

We unpacked the Worx cordless mower from the box and - wow! - it gobbled through that grass! It cuts beautifully, neat and even, and the motor doesn't complain even when you run over sticks (not that you are supposed to run over sticks, but sometimes it happens). The mulching function makes the clippings literally invisible.

We knew we wanted a cordless electric mower. There are half a dozen choices on the market now; this is one of the more expensive ones, but it's worth it. As other reviews have noted, it's very thoughtfully designed. There's no assembly needed - it unfolds ready-to-go out of the box (and folds back down, with the squeeze of a lever, for storage). Yes, it's 80 pounds, but the better gas mowers are up there too, and great ergonomics mean you won't strain yourself pushing it. At 5'0", I particularly appreciated the height-adjustable handle and easy-to-hold deadman switch. The grass height adjuster is a giant joystick, easy to see and reach. It starts instantly with the push of a button - get used to just letting go rather than letting it idle when you stop to think or sneeze; it's not like a gas mower where you worry about starting it up again. It's so quiet you can hear your iPod over it, and best of all - you smell nothing but sweet cut grass.

One great virtue of this model is that it has a removable battery. That means you can charge the battery indoors, if your mower lives in an unelectrified shed. It also means that the battery can winter indoors, where it will be safer and last longer. If you have acres and acres of lawn, you could even buy a second battery and swap it out when the first is spent. The battery compartment is well-designed and easy to access; the battery has a carrying handle (it's heavy!) and a connector that snaps on in only one way. It's just like charging your cell phone, only bigger.

The battery has a charge indicator - full, halfway, and empty. Our house sits on a ~7000 square foot lot. I mowed all the grass, front and back, and the indicator light went from full to half. (I don't know if it really started out tippy-top full, though, because I didn't charge it - I just unpacked and mowed). The ad copy says it'll go 17,500 square feet per charge. From what I've seen so far, I'm not worried.

The downside: the manual is confusing. It talks about a "mulching attachment", but really you mulch by leaving the only provided attachment off, not by putting it on. And of course it would be even better if cordless lawnmowers used NiCad batteries rather than lead acid (longer life, less pollution, much less heavy), but no manufacturer's doing that yet.

So far this has been a great mower, it is easy to push and works well. It came basically fully assembled, all you have to do is tighten the knobs for the handle. The battery appears to hold a charge for the listed time, maybe more. And one key point to me is the battery is removable to be charged, unlike the Black and Decker where the battery has to be charged in the mower. I will try and update this over time to comment on how the battery holds up over time. The design is wonderful and with the safety key you should never have a problem with it turning on unwanted. It mulches well too. It is also very quiet, probably 1/3 to 1/2 as loud as a gas mower. Overall everything is easy and appears good so far, we'll see how it holds up over time.

PICTURES: http://maurinewatkins.com/worx.htm

We'd really let the lawn go. When we tried to use our old Craftsman 6.0 gas lawnmower, it made noises like ball bearings were spinning around inside the engine. And, of course, it spat out a horrid amount of smoke. Seemed like the time to finally consider going green.

After much online research and then thoroughly checking out the items we could find locally (the sales people were truly surprised at just how thoroughly we went about this!), we decided on the Worx Eco.

Before I started to cut the worst of the grass, I had one of my daughters hold a tape measure so we could see just how high the worst tufts of lawn were (22 to 28 inches!). Then I mowed a swath and took more pictures.

The mower never choked on any of the grass, though there were times it did slow way down; when that happened, I backed off a bit and let the blade spin up to speed before going forward again. The mower never stalled.

I went back over it at my preferred height and now the lawn looks great. I've been able to mow our entire yard three times and the battery still shows full on its one charge.

I couldn't be happier.

--John Elliott, Albany, Oregon

My mower worked fine upon arrival, but then the battery wouldn't charge. I thought it was the charger, but tests with a friend's Worx mower showed it was a defective battery. It was nearly impossible to get through to customer service, as they put you on hold and then hang up on you when there are many callers in line. The first Worx customer service rep I finally reached was very unhelpful, telling me I had to return the whole item to Amazon. That didn't make sense, since the 100 pound mower was already used and mostly functional except the battery. When Amazon couldn't help me with replacement parts, the second Worx customer service rep was nice, and she hooked me up with a rep at the company that supplies the parts and accessories. I have a standing order for a new battery, but it's taking weeks. I called again, and the ETA is September. Ridiculous, since I got this new mower for this summer season. Update: My new battery is now due to arrive June 12, thanks to my pestering of the rep and his subsequent attention. If I could edit the star rating I would put it back to 2 or 3 stars, but this process has still been frustrating. The mower, when it works, is admittedly nice.

Packaged well, easily setup out of the box, battery was charged enough to cut enitre lawn (1/3 acre). Full charge allows me to cut the lawn almost three times before recharge is necessary. Front wheel setup prevents getting in close to edges along the front of the mower as does the side chute cover prevent close cutting along the right side of the mower. This leaves only the left side for close edge cutting. Handle height adjustment is good (I'm 6'2" and do not have to "stoop" over). Quiet, easy to push on small slopes, over roots and good maneaverability. Very pleased with the product.

I debated between this mower and the B&D CMM1200 for some time. The B&D seemed "safer" somehow, but I was drawn to the Worx mission and the "underdog" position. I finally decided to go for it, and bought the Worx about four or five mowings ago.

This thing is the best designed mower I've ever had. I am incredibly pleased. The single complaint I would have is that the bag is small, and in the heavier mowing season I have to empty it every one or two passes across my yard. However, I almost never bag the clippings, so it's not a major problem. A minor complaint is that you have to disconnect the battery connector in order to charge it, which is a little inconvenient, but also worrisome as to the lifetime of the wires.

The positives are several. It seems like there was a great deal of attention to the details of usability. The removable battery appealed to me, both because of the ease of replacement when that day inevitably comes, and because I can store it inside in the cold winter. The height adjustment, a perennial fight with the other mowers I've had, is smooth as silk and a single handle. The bag is amazingly easy to fit on and take off. It even came completely assembled. Even the folding handle showed attention to detail by the engineers who designed it.

It is rather orange, though.

I won't go into the advantages and disadvantages of the cordless electric vs. gasoline powered mowers. They've been well covered elsewhere. Suffice it to say that if you have a typical suburban lawn there is simply no excuse for owning a gasoline powered mower, and you should be ashamed of yourself if you do.

This mower has delighted me in many ways, both big and small. If your yard is a typical suburban size, and if you don't let it get out of control so a battery-powered mower will work for you, I can't recommend it highly enough.

I have not used this mower, but after 12 years with the B&D CMM1000 and a month with the Toro, I thought I'd add some info to help buyers.

Our CMM1000 struggled in tall or wet grass, but most of the time was adequate on power. It had 24V with a 19" blade. Our 36V 20" Toro has so far cut everything we've thrown at it, but lacks some of the nicer features the WORX or newer B&D have.

<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!

Before you consider buying this mower, please call the Worx helpline. I wish I would have! You will soon hear that your chances of actually talking to a help desk representative are slim to none. My mower worked great for 1 month, then the battery charger quit. Wouldn't it be nice if you could just go on their website and order a new charger? Never mind the warranty (which is still in effect). I would gladly pay for it! But that is not an option. Nor is getting a new charger, apparently, by reading some of the other reviews. A 110 volt AC to 24 volt DC, 1500ma charger is not something your local electronics store readily sells. So. the choice is up to you. If you never have a problem with your WORX ECO WG780 mower, your lucky. But if you do...... don't say you weren't warned!!

My wife and I decided to go green with our new mower purchase. I was cautiously optimistic that the mower would maintain power long enough to mow our yard. I've used it 2 times already and I must admit that it has the same low sound as when I begin. The mower does a tremendous job and is easy to re-charge as well as easy to adjust the heights. My overall feeling is great satisfaction and I have had several neighbors stop by for a preview. Everyone is pleasantly surprised with the quietness and quality of mowing. The only situation that I would mention is that when we received the mower there were no instructions on how to connect the mower to the battery, so I called the helpline listed in the owners manual at WORX only to be told that I neede to contact the source of my purchase. When I contacted the purchase source (Amazon) they immediately stated that they would ship me another unit-which was well and good, but all I wanted was a brief explanation on how to connect the unit to the battery. Upon receipt of the new unit I immediately worked to connect and was very successful. All in all I love the unit and would higly recommend it to anyone.

I did a good deal of research before purchasing the Worx. Looked into the Epic/Solaris - was attracted to the brushless motor but it weighs a ton. Would not get one without a removable battery which ruled out the B&D. The Worx is perfect - great ergonomics, NO VIBRATION, quiet and easy to use. Mows great. SO easy to start. All I can say is, this thing is the best. I truly look forward to mowing the lawn. Amazon free delivery worked like a charm. Thanks.

p.s. to the person who could not find the mulch attachment - I had trouble finding it too - it is pre-installed when the mower arrives.