Saturday, July 14, 2018

Top 3 Reviews

Review 1: GreenWorks 25302


The GreenWorks 25302 works as most of the other reviewers as stated when it works. I like that it is very quiet and couldn't start any easier. I've only mulched with it, and it does a fair job as long as you don't try to cut too much with it. One battery usually lasted me for my whole fenced in area, so I was pretty happy with that. It is also light and I could easily transport it to cut my mother's grass when needed. I've had several people ask me about it and I told them how much I liked it.

So, you're probably wondering why the three star review*. Well it was working fine and I turned it off for just a minute. It wouldn't start after that. After calling GreenWorks, they had me take it to the closest repair dealer that is an hour away. I should have been tipped off at how bad experience I was going to have when I wheeled the
GreenWorks 25302 into their shop and they said "Oh no, not one of those." I was told it would be three weeks to repair.

After three weeks, I called and they said they hadn't had a chance too look at the
GreenWorks 25302 yet as they only have one technician certified to repair it. I called several days later, and was told the technician looked at it but couldn't figure out what was wrong and to call back later. Several more days passed and I called again and was told they had to order a part. Never once did this repair facility call to update me on the status of the repair and I didn't have any options to have it repaired also.

Two more weeks passed. I called again and was told the part was on backorder. Getting very frustrated, I called GreenWorks and they agreed to send me a new replacement
GreenWorks 25302 lawn mower. That was three weeks ago. I was originally told it would take up to two weeks to replace. I called GreenWorks to see where it was and they referred me to the repair shop as they said it is there responsibility to fill out the paper work. Then I called the repair shop and was told it was faxed to GreenWorks and they should know if it is approved and being shipped.

I can't get a straight answer from anyone and they are all saying it is the other parties responsibility. Maybe someday I'll get my replacement. At this point, I don't expect to have one until the end of October. So for $370, I got three months of use and no lawn mower to use. It took two hours round trip to take it be repaired and probably 15 phone calls so far. I'm still not done with the process yet.

So if you get lucky and don't have any issues, you should be very happy with the
GreenWorks 25302. Just be prepared if something goes wrong to be without a Greenworks lawn mower for a very long time.

***EDIT***

Just wanted to follow up. I received the replacement GreenWorks lawn mower. It took about 10 weeks since I dropped it off at the repair shop. I'd advise anyone buying the
GreenWorks 25302 lawn mower to find out where you'll have to take it for repairs before buying to make sure you know in advance what you'll have to do. I only buy products with four star ratings on Amazon so I rely heavily on other reviews. Hopefully you will have no issues. It's a good lawn mower as long as you don't need to repair it. I upped the rating to two stars since I finally got a working lawn mower, but it was a horrible process to go through.

***Update May 2015***

Decided to keep the replacement
lawn mower instead of putting it on Craigslist. It has worked well for three weeks and I'm keeping my fingers crossed it holds up. The good thing about getting the replacement is that the repair company let me keep the batteries and charger, so now I have four batteries and two chargers. At least something good came out of the hassle I went through.

I strongly suggest that you find out where your local
GreenWorks 25302 dealer is in case you have to use them. Mine was 50 miles away. Hopefully they will be better at repairing them as more and more come in.

Rating: 3/5
 

Review 2: GreenWorks MO40B410

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NOTE: This is for the 20" GreenWorks lawn mower only! Apparently Amazon merged several mower sizes into this one product.

My wife and I wanted a lawn mower that wasn't as loud and noisy as a gas lawn mower, didn't require burning oil, and didn't vibrate as much. This GreenWorks MO40B410 fulfilled all of our wishes. We have a 1/3 acre lot, and this lawn mower with two batteries works just fine. The only time we need to recharge the batteries half way through mowing is when we wait way too long between mowings, and the motors need to do some extra work to chop down the tall weeds. This GreenWorks MO40B410 is fairly easy to push, since it is much lighter weight than a gas lawn mower. We also bought the electric trimmer that uses the same battery system, so we were sure to buy that kit with an extra charger and battery. Sometimes we use the extra battery, but it is nice to have just in case. Overall, I would buy this GreenWorks MO40B410 lawn mower again and am quite satisfied.

Review Update 5/17/2014


Still using this GreenWorks MO40B410 all the time, and it still works great. I've taken to only using one battery at a time, and keeping the other on the charger while mowing. Not sure it makes a difference, but I like it anyway to take a little break while mowing to switch batteries. When done mowing, I do tip the GreenWorks MO40B410 lawn mower on its side and clean the underside. Some more expensive lawn mowers have a water hose attachment to clean the underside, but I'm not sure I would spray water into the motor on this unit. :-) Using a stick works just as well, and seems to keep things working better.

Review Update 9/25/2014


So, I may have let the lawn go a little. I ignored the grass for a few weeks thanks to overtime at work, family matters, and just generally being lazy when I got home. The grass in the back yard made it up to a good 8-10" tall. I thought for sure I would need a gas lawn mower to power through that. Sure enough, my battery powered GreenWorks MO40B410 powered through it. Sure, I had to empty the silly bag way more often than I wanted (I never mulch), but the GreenWorks MO40B410 never stopped mowing because it was too thick. I'm still impressed, and still happy. Only thing I'm looking for is a grinder to sharpen the blades. Apparently a set of two replacement blades cost less than a "jackson" on Amazon with Prime shipping. I've found if I wait until the afternoon to mow when the grass is more dry, there is no need to clean the underside of the lawn mower. Still 100% satisfied with this GreenWorks MO40B410, and 100% recommended.


Rating: 5/5


Review 3: GreenWorks mo12b00

I'm updating this to 5 stars because even given the issues below, I would buy this GreenWorks mo12b00 again over any competitors I could find in this product category of lawn mowers. I've used this for 4 years now and it still works the same as it did new. I remarked below on poor cut quality in some scenarios where blade speed can fall too low which is still a problem, but this really only occurs when mulching. Cutting thick or tall grass with the discharge open improves the pace and cut quality in this scenario but there are limitations, mowing fields is still going to produce a crappy cut no matter what you use.

Let's get a few things out of the way, these do not impact the product score, as they are common to all products in this category:

1. This is a corded lawn mower. Dealing with the cord is sometimes a pain. If you have a lot of trees or obstacles you may want to consider something else.


2. Maximum power is limited to a 120V outlet and what can safely make it out an extension cord (about 1650W, for reference 1HP is ~745W).


3. With no batteries to wear out or engines to refuel/re oil, this is very cheap to operate. Running this GreenWorks mo12b00 lawn mower at peak output generally costs 8-25c/hour. You also hit an advantage in purchase price as gas or cordless lawn mowers with the same features generally cost 50-100% more.


4. Short of hitting something, bogging down an electric motor generally allows it to produce more power and speed back up again (unlike a gasoline engine).

So, what's good about this GreenWorks mo12b00? Well:

1. 21" Steel deck. The actual blade is 19.5" leaving you a little less than an inch on either side of the deck that won't be cut. You can get a much closer cut with this than the B&D plastic models that have a very thick plastic housing. It's also going to survive rocks/sticks much better than the plastic ones. Both the discharge cover and bag seem to attach easily and solidly. It also makes it look more like a lawn mower and less like a big kid's toy.

2. Light (<55lbs). Since you're not carrying your power source onboard it will be lighter than any other GreenWorks lawn mower in this size class (compare to 75-90lb for gas or battery electric). Larger rear wheels give easy maneuverability. Single lever height adjust works well and is spring loaded so you can raise or lower it with one hand.

3. 3 in one operation - A lot of electric lawn mowers whether they're cordless or corded are limited on power, most get around this by using more efficient blade designs that generate less lift but mulching can be slower. With a reasonably well manicured lawn it doesn't matter much, but cut quality and performance drop off a lot if mulching tall or really thick grass. Since this GreenWorks mo12b00 has a side discharge that remains an option for thick grass and improves cut speed significantly without wasting your clippings, quite a few electrics don't have a discharge option.

The bad?

1. Wheels/axles could be shielded a little bit so the cord doesn't tend to wrap around it and go under.

2. Mulching anything thick is slow, mowing through thick grass can take quite a bit of time (and tends to clump the output.) I think this is more related to the blade design, when you move fast through thick patches it will cut but leave a few standing, if it had more lift I think it would draw these up (and also help propel the discharge better). Unfortunately the blade seems to have proprietary mounting holes so that's hard to do.

Now, into the nitty-gritty:

This GreenWorks mo12b00 lawn mower is powered by a brushed DC electric motor (Globe 7080). Brushed DC motors are lighter and cheaper than AC synchronous motors or induction motors. However they're generally less durable or efficient.

The Globe 7080 has a peak efficiency (their spec) of 68%. Peak efficiency at 3500RPM (590W output at 7.3A), Peak power at 2245RPM (860W output at 13A). Here's why that's a problem:

Lawn mowers are generally limited (by agreement) to a maximum blade tip speed of 19000 feet per minute (for safety of items that may be thrown from the GreenWorks mo12b00). Higher blade speeds give more lift helping the grass get lifted into the cutting path and making cleaner cuts. At max efficiency RPM the blade is moving about 17,800FPM on this lawn mower. If you start cutting too fast you'll bog it down. Because it's electric it picks up torque so it will keep spinning but you don't hit peak power until about 11,600FPM. This is far too slow and you'll start seeing missed cuts and ragged lines (I noticed this in actual usage).

So since you can't really cut that slow, maximum usable power is closer to 600-650W, or less than 1HP. By comparison, a Honda GCV160 engine at 3600RPM (a common governor setting for push mowers) outputs about 3425W, falling to around 2800W at 3000RPM.

Obviously there are electrical supply limitations to a lawn mower like the GreenWorks mo12b00. It's perfectly serviceable but nothing amazing, if they ran a brushless motor in here it would undoubtedly cost more but the efficiency could be much higher (>85%) and could be designed for peak power much closer to the ideal blade speed.


Rating 5/5

Thursday, June 28, 2018

GreenWorks MO14B00 Review

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Best GreenWorks MO14B00 Review

We have a small front yard and didn't want to spend a lot of money to keep it cut. I had been using my GreenWorks weed trimmer to mow the lawn, but the cut came out more uneven than we preferred. After looking around for an inexpensive electric lawn mower we came upon this unit by the same manufacturer as my weed trimmer. Since we were satisfied with the GreenWorks brand, we decided to give their lawn mower a try.

The GreenWorks MO14B00 is lightweight and easy to maneuver. While the collection bag is small, our lawn is small so it only needs to be emptied a couple of times per lawn mowing sessions. While dealing with a 100 ' cord while mowing is a bit of a hassle it beats shelling out a couple of hundred dollars more a battery operated lawn mower. Also, since the
GreenWorks MO14B00 has no battery it is lighter to push around than a battery operated version.

I have used the
GreenWorks MO14B00 lawn mower seven times without issue. The lawn mower is height adjustable and cuts the lawn evenly on each of the levels I've tried. The biggest issue I have with the GreenWorks MO14B00 are the small wheels. Any rut or divot in your lawn will cause the wheels to hang up a bit while mowing. If the wheels were a little bigger, this wouldn't be an issue.

For a small yard, I find this
GreenWorks MO14B00 a practical solution for somebody on a budget. If the wheels were a little bigger, I would give this mower a five star rating. It gets the job done for a reasonable price.

Rating 5/5 

GreenWorks 25012 Review

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Best GreenWorks 25012 Review

I hear these electric lawn mowers are good for the environment. I like the environment, it's where all my stuff is, so that's pretty cool and whatnot.

But I bought this GreenWorks 25012 mainly because I am lazy and hate doing yard work. With a corded electric lawn mower, I don't have to drive all the way to the gas station to get fuel. Then I don't have to worry about the fuel going bad because I'm only going to use the thing 5-6 times a year. There's also no oil to change, or gaskets to go bad because it's been sitting around too long, or air filter to forget about cleaning or replacing. Something about spark plugs too, I don't even know.

Go through all that hassle with a gas lawn mower and the stupid thing still won't pull start. Normally I would just quit at this point, but every summer I end up getting notices from the city because the weeds in my yard are a "fire hazard" or some such nonsense. So then I have to call my dad, who's good at this sort of thing and always has a perfect yard. He doesn't say anything, but I feel bad about wrecking his weekend, and I imagine he feels like a bit of a failure for raising such a lazy son that doesn't even have any basic small-motor maintenance skills. Honestly, who's going to be motivated to do any yard work after all that heavy emotional stuff?

So I got this GreenWorks 25012 lawn mower delivered to my house today and I decided to take it out back just to see if it worked. Plugged it in, turned it on... and ended up mowing my whole back yard like it wern't nothing at all. Took like 30 mins maybe; a fraction of the time it would have taken to even realize that my gas lawn mower (which has been sitting under a tree for a year because I never bothered to put it away last summer) probably needs to be completely rebuilt again.

Also, I'm very tall and have kind of a bad back, and I found this GreenWorks lawn mower to be surprisingly comfortable to use. Push mowers usually leave me hurting pretty bad. The one-lever height adjustment also gets my fat, tired, and lazy seal of approval.

So, yea. If you're not the kind of weirdo that enjoys screwing around with gas-motorized junk, than a corded electric lawn mower is an alternative that is probably even superior. I went with GreenWorks 25012 because they seem to have a decent reputation for reliability, which is backed up by the better-than-average warranty put on their products.


Rating 5/5

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

GreenWorks MO40B410 Review

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Best GreenWorks MO40B410 Review

NOTE: This is for the 20" GreenWorks lawn mower only! Apparently Amazon merged several mower sizes into this one product.

My wife and I wanted a lawn mower that wasn't as loud and noisy as a gas lawn mower, didn't require burning oil, and didn't vibrate as much. This GreenWorks MO40B410 fulfilled all of our wishes. We have a 1/3 acre lot, and this lawn mower with two batteries works just fine. The only time we need to recharge the batteries half way through mowing is when we wait way too long between mowings, and the motors need to do some extra work to chop down the tall weeds. This GreenWorks MO40B410 is fairly easy to push, since it is much lighter weight than a gas lawn mower. We also bought the electric trimmer that uses the same battery system, so we were sure to buy that kit with an extra charger and battery. Sometimes we use the extra battery, but it is nice to have just in case. Overall, I would buy this GreenWorks MO40B410 lawn mower again and am quite satisfied.

Review Update 5/17/2014

 
Still using this GreenWorks MO40B410 all the time, and it still works great. I've taken to only using one battery at a time, and keeping the other on the charger while mowing. Not sure it makes a difference, but I like it anyway to take a little break while mowing to switch batteries. When done mowing, I do tip the GreenWorks MO40B410 lawn mower on its side and clean the underside. Some more expensive lawn mowers have a water hose attachment to clean the underside, but I'm not sure I would spray water into the motor on this unit. :-) Using a stick works just as well, and seems to keep things working better.

Review Update 9/25/2014


So, I may have let the lawn go a little. I ignored the grass for a few weeks thanks to overtime at work, family matters, and just generally being lazy when I got home. The grass in the back yard made it up to a good 8-10" tall. I thought for sure I would need a gas lawn mower to power through that. Sure enough, my battery powered GreenWorks MO40B410 powered through it. Sure, I had to empty the silly bag way more often than I wanted (I never mulch), but the GreenWorks MO40B410 never stopped mowing because it was too thick. I'm still impressed, and still happy. Only thing I'm looking for is a grinder to sharpen the blades. Apparently a set of two replacement blades cost less than a "jackson" on Amazon with Prime shipping. I've found if I wait until the afternoon to mow when the grass is more dry, there is no need to clean the underside of the lawn mower. Still 100% satisfied with this GreenWorks MO40B410, and 100% recommended.


Rating 5/5

GreenWorks 25242 Review

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Best GreenWorks 25242 Review

I really wanted to give this GreenWorks 25242 a five star rating, but some issues emerged that dropped it to only three stars.

First, the battery I received is a dud. After charging it fully it lasts less than 20 minutes under very light duty mowing conditions. I recharged it several times with the same poor results, and when I checked it with my voltmeter it shows virtually zero voltage and several ohms internal resistance, so clearly there is something amiss with it. After charging, all 4 battery LEDs light up, but within 5 minutes of use there are only 3, after 10 minutes only 2, after 15 only 1 and shortly thereafter it dies and the GreenWorks 25242 stops running. I've emailed GreenWorks customer support about this issue, so I'll have to wait for their reply to see how they respond. I was expecting about 40 minutes run time based on the manufacturer's specifications, and it takes me about 30 minutes to mow my 3/16 acre lawn, including landscaped and tight areas.

Second, the GreenWorks lawn mower website states that the blade height adjustment range is 1-1/2" to 3-1/2", which is perfect for my needs. In fact, it is only 7/8" to 2-3/4" (20cm - 70cm) as stated in the manual, which I verified by measurement. Also, the bottom of the deck is not level, sloping towards the front, where it sits about 1/4" lower than the rear. Since the height adjustment does not permit independent adjustment of the front and rear wheels, there is no way to correct thus. So, even though there are 5 adjustment positions, only the top 2 are useful, and it lacks a sufficiently high position for long summer cutting. Also, the smallish wheels require high effort to push the GreenWorks 25242 through anything but the lowest grass height, so this lawn mower is useless for any clearing operations.

Both these issues are unfortunate, as there is otherwise a lot of good to say about this GreenWorks lawn mower. Mulching quality is excellent with its wavy blade and round deck shape, due to the mulch plug and lack of a side discharge. Also, there is minimal buildup under the deck, which simplifies cleanup. Changing from mulching to bagging is a 10 second operation, and the bag is well made and easy to empty. Overall quality and durability is excellent, and I cannot see any parts falling off or failing under normal use. Many parts are common hardware items, such as cotter pins to secure the wheels and tubing clamps (aka P-clips) to secure the rear stone shield. Key fasteners are identified in the parts list, such as the M10X1.25 hex nut that secures the blade.

The battery issue is probably an isolated random problem, which hopefully will be rectified promptly by GreenWorks. The height adjustment and high rolling effort issues could be easily solved together by using larger diameter wheels. Simply increasing the wheel diameter by 1 inch would increase the maximum cutting height by 1/2 inch, which would be a significant improvement. There appears to be ample deck clearance for this.

Update on 4/23/2012 - I've downgraded this product to two stars because of the major hassle I'm having getting a replacement for the defective battery. I called GreenWorks customer support this morning and was informed that I needed to take the battery to an authorized service center for repair. According to the GreenWorks person, these batteries are repairable/rebuildable and they won't simply ship me a replacement under warranty. The closest authorized service center is nearly a 30 miles drive from my house. I drove to the service center with my GreenWorks 25242 battery and charger, and was informed that they did not do any electrical repairs and could only order a replacement for me. They then informed me that these batteries are on backorder from the Chinese factory, and are not expected to be back in stock for several weeks or even over a month. Also, they were not sure they could warranty it, since the battery manufacturer, Dixie, could not cross-reference it to the GreenWorks lawn mower model number. However, they agreed to order it for me and try to sort out the warranty issues later. So, best case scenario I get a replacement no cost under warranty, but still need to wait for weeks and burn about $30 in gas driving twice to the service center. Meanwhile, I can run my mower for about 15 minutes at a time with the crippled battery. What a hassle.

Update on 5/3/2012
- I received a phone message from the service center folks at Northern Tool + Equipment that they had received the replacement GreenWorks 25242 battery and that it was covered by the warranty, so I just needed to bring in the defective battery for exchange. Another 60 mile round trip later and I had the replacement battery, which fortunately is good. It had two of the four LEDs lit and charged for about 2 hours before showing a green light on the charger. I ran the GreenWorks 25242 lawn mower for about 20 minutes before dark, and it had two LEDs lit when I stopped. It took less than an hour to fully recharge, so it appears that it still had at least half of its charge remaining, and I should be able to get about 40 minutes run time from a full charge to empty, which is more time than I need to fully mow my yard. The GreenWorks 25242 seems to run stronger with the new good battery and the battery doesn't get hot the way the bad one did. So, while I'm pleased that this has all been resolved and that I now have a fully functional lawn mower, I still feel that the cost and inconvenience has been unacceptable and will not revise my rating.

Update on 7/14/2012 - I have replaced the stock 6" front wheels with 7" wheels that I bought from Harbor Freight Tools (#98951). I've uploaded some photos at the top of the Amazon listing that show how the mower is now level, whereas before it tilted down towards the front and it has also gained nearly 1/2" maximum cutting height at the leading edge of the blade from 2-3/4" to a more useful 3-1/4". Another advantage of the larger front wheels is that they make it easier to push this nose-heavy lawn mower, especially in thicker grass. The only quality issue to date with the GreenWorks 25242 has been tearing of the foam grip, which I have fixed with electrical tape.


Rating 2/5

GreenWorks MO40L02 Review



Best GreenWorks mo40l02 Review

Gave this  GreenWorks mo40l02 lawn mower a few uses before I decided I absolutely needed to write a review. I decided to write this in the hopes that I can prevent people from making the same poor decision I made by purchasing this lawn mower. It is plain and simply put a deficient piece of garbage. Batteries lose their juice way too fast to be productive at all. I have a total of three batteries I purchased and it’s still not enough to complete my front lawn and back without at least 3-4 charges. I’m on less than half acre lot.

The engine constantly shuts off when mowing over longer grass. I constantly have to restart the GreenWorks mo40l02 just to do simple mowing. I even spent about another $100 bucks to buy the 40 volt 5.0 AH battery thinking that would help with the torque. But sorry to say that hasn’t helped at all. The GreenWorks mo40l02 just doesn’t have enough power to tackle my lawn. And I have a regular lawn, not some super challenging landscape.


I think the battery powered tech just might not be too advanced yet when it comes to lawn mowers at least. I’m gonna cut my loss and the $500 I spent altogether on this piece of junk. I’m going back to the power and reliable power of a gas lawn mower.


Rating 1/5

Best GreenWorks mo40l02 Review

Bought this lawn mower a few months ago from Menards when it is was not yet available from Amazon. On the whole it is a great lawn mower. The motor has plenty of power to cut even thick grass and it is really quiet. But you will need a second battery unless you have a really small yard. I also like that the handle folds down and locks. This makes the GreenWorks mo40l02 easy to pick up with the folded handle and put into a vehicle for transport.

A couple minor design issues that are annoying: The side discharge shoot is not really held on securely and will come off if you bump into anything with it. I know I am probably old fashioned to even use it, but I don't like bothering with a bag and using it in mulching mode slows it down and uses up the battery too fast. Also, the battery is very difficult to remove from the
GreenWorks mo40l02 lawn mower. You have to press on the release bar while pulling it out, but the battery does not stick out enough to get a good grip on it. I have found that a paint can opener provides just the amount of extra leverage to get the battery out. Keep the paint can opener in the spare battery compartment. 

Also a peculiarity with the GreenWorks mo40l02 battery charger: I don't know if this is normal or just an issue with the one I have, but if you have just run down the battery while mowing and then put the battery on the charger right away, the charge light will turn green very quickly and it will not charge. I have to let the battery rest 10-15 min before putting it on the charger.

Rating 5/5

GreenWorks MO12B00 Review


Best GreenWorks mo12b00 Review

I'm updating this to 5 stars because even given the issues below, I would buy this GreenWorks mo12b00 again over any competitors I could find in this product category of lawn mowers. I've used this for 4 years now and it still works the same as it did new. I remarked below on poor cut quality in some scenarios where blade speed can fall too low which is still a problem, but this really only occurs when mulching. Cutting thick or tall grass with the discharge open improves the pace and cut quality in this scenario but there are limitations, mowing fields is still going to produce a crappy cut no matter what you use.

Let's get a few things out of the way, these do not impact the product score, as they are common to all products in this category:

1. This is a corded lawn mower. Dealing with the cord is sometimes a pain. If you have a lot of trees or obstacles you may want to consider something else.


2. Maximum power is limited to a 120V outlet and what can safely make it out an extension cord (about 1650W, for reference 1HP is ~745W).


3. With no batteries to wear out or engines to refuel/re oil, this is very cheap to operate. Running this GreenWorks mo12b00 lawn mower at peak output generally costs 8-25c/hour. You also hit an advantage in purchase price as gas or cordless lawn mowers with the same features generally cost 50-100% more.


4. Short of hitting something, bogging down an electric motor generally allows it to produce more power and speed back up again (unlike a gasoline engine).

So, what's good about this GreenWorks mo12b00? Well:

1. 21" Steel deck. The actual blade is 19.5" leaving you a little less than an inch on either side of the deck that won't be cut. You can get a much closer cut with this than the B&D plastic models that have a very thick plastic housing. It's also going to survive rocks/sticks much better than the plastic ones. Both the discharge cover and bag seem to attach easily and solidly. It also makes it look more like a lawn mower and less like a big kid's toy.

2. Light (<55lbs). Since you're not carrying your power source onboard it will be lighter than any other GreenWorks lawn mower in this size class (compare to 75-90lb for gas or battery electric). Larger rear wheels give easy maneuverability. Single lever height adjust works well and is spring loaded so you can raise or lower it with one hand.

3. 3 in one operation - A lot of electric lawn mowers whether they're cordless or corded are limited on power, most get around this by using more efficient blade designs that generate less lift but mulching can be slower. With a reasonably well manicured lawn it doesn't matter much, but cut quality and performance drop off a lot if mulching tall or really thick grass. Since this GreenWorks mo12b00 has a side discharge that remains an option for thick grass and improves cut speed significantly without wasting your clippings, quite a few electrics don't have a discharge option.

The bad?

1. Wheels/axles could be shielded a little bit so the cord doesn't tend to wrap around it and go under.

2. Mulching anything thick is slow, mowing through thick grass can take quite a bit of time (and tends to clump the output.) I think this is more related to the blade design, when you move fast through thick patches it will cut but leave a few standing, if it had more lift I think it would draw these up (and also help propel the discharge better). Unfortunately the blade seems to have proprietary mounting holes so that's hard to do.

Now, into the nitty-gritty:

This GreenWorks mo12b00 lawn mower is powered by a brushed DC electric motor (Globe 7080). Brushed DC motors are lighter and cheaper than AC synchronous motors or induction motors. However they're generally less durable or efficient.

The Globe 7080 has a peak efficiency (their spec) of 68%. Peak efficiency at 3500RPM (590W output at 7.3A), Peak power at 2245RPM (860W output at 13A). Here's why that's a problem:

Lawn mowers are generally limited (by agreement) to a maximum blade tip speed of 19000 feet per minute (for safety of items that may be thrown from the GreenWorks mo12b00). Higher blade speeds give more lift helping the grass get lifted into the cutting path and making cleaner cuts. At max efficiency RPM the blade is moving about 17,800FPM on this lawn mower. If you start cutting too fast you'll bog it down. Because it's electric it picks up torque so it will keep spinning but you don't hit peak power until about 11,600FPM. This is far too slow and you'll start seeing missed cuts and ragged lines (I noticed this in actual usage).

So since you can't really cut that slow, maximum usable power is closer to 600-650W, or less than 1HP. By comparison, a Honda GCV160 engine at 3600RPM (a common governor setting for push mowers) outputs about 3425W, falling to around 2800W at 3000RPM.

Obviously there are electrical supply limitations to a lawn mower like the GreenWorks mo12b00. It's perfectly serviceable but nothing amazing, if they ran a brushless motor in here it would undoubtedly cost more but the efficiency could be much higher (>85%) and could be designed for peak power much closer to the ideal blade speed.


Rating 5/5

GreenWorks GLM801602 Review

Best GreenWorks glm801602 Review

There are a few reviews of the GreenWorks glm801602 that complain of failures very soon after purchase. Here is my take. I am a former electronic tech so I know what I am talking about. When you see the word "brushless", it means the manufacturer has chosen a much better way of making the GreenWorks lawn mower, but there is a trade off. Allow me to explain. Hopefully I won't bore you to tears ;-)

Motors work (you are looking to click away right now aren't you? - hang in there one sec :)). Motors work by using a magnetic field to make a rotor turn. There are a number of ways to do that. The most common for DC motors (think battery powered) is to use an outside magnetic field and a contact called a stator which connects the outside magnetic field to the inside field in such a way as to make sure they are always pushing against each other and making the motor turn. This type of motor uses a "brush" to do that "inside to outside field" connection. It rides against the stator while the motor turns. See the image below to know what I am referencing (this is not the motor in the
GreenWorks glm801602 lawn mower, its just one I had in my shop for educational purposes).
The thing is, those brushes (made of graphite) will eventually wear down and the motor will stop working. Brushless motors fix all that by using permanent magnets on the rotor and by using a special electronic circuit to control the outside magnetic field so that it chases the rotor around to make it spin. No brushes to wear out and as a bonus, more control over the GreenWorks lawn mower motor (variable speeds, load sensing torque, etc...). The trade-off is that there is a fairly complex circuit board with a bunch of transistors in there for the thing to work. This is the way electric cars like the Tesla work.

The reason there are reviews that say "the GreenWorks glm801602 died totally after xxx time" is that when the controller fails, that's it. It must be replaced in order for the lawn mower to work again. Now the companies that make these controllers  (like GreenWorks) to try to make lawn mowers as robust as possible, but as with all electronics, it either works for 20 years or it dies in 2 weeks. It just seems like there is no in between. If I have a choice, I will always choose brushless because they are just better period. Since this GreenWorks glm801602 lawn mower is warrantied for 4 years, I can hardly see a reason not to buy it.

My experience with the
GreenWorks glm801602 and the blower which I purchased together has been just great. They mow and blow just like my old gas powered tools. I'm never going back to gas!!

Rating: 5/5

Saturday, June 23, 2018

GreenWorks 25142 Review



GreenWorks 25142 Review Update: 

It's been a few weeks since my initial, glowing, 5-star review. (included below) Since then, I've had a chance to mow my entire yard again completely; I also loaned the GreenWorks 25142 lawn mower to a friend to try and even mowed my neighbor's yard to try it out under various conditions. So far, I haven't found a single hidden flaw with this GreenWorks 25142, yet I continue to be impressed by more features of the very thoughtful design.

First of all, I finally tried out the grass catcher bag. I had SO underestimated how useful it is! It really should be called a vacuum bag; it puffs up like an old Hoover vacuum cleaner as the
GreenWorks 25142 sucks up everything in its path. Using the bag instead of the mulching plug, the vacuum effect also makes the mower work like a Flow-Bee, sucking the blades of grass upright so the GreenWorks lawn mower will cut them more precisely, and it also helps catch straggling blades of grass along the edges. Best of all, it completely eliminates the need for any sweeping (or dreadful leaf blowing) along walkways, streets, or driveways; the mower vacuums everything up, leaving the area perfectly clean and manicured, like the lawn just walked out of a barbershop!

I was also surprised at how much the vacuum bag can hold; the
GreenWorks 25142 lawn mower chops up everything finely and blows it all to the back of the bag; it takes much longer than I expected to fill it up. The bag is remarkably simple to attach and remove from the lawn mower and exceedingly easy to empty, it also easily unclips from the heavy steel frame so it can then be turned inside-out and rinsed clean.

It's important to know that if you attempt to mow grass that is particularly wet, it may tend to accumulate around the blade. (as can happen with any lawn mower!) This
GreenWorks 25142 is normally very quiet; so if it seems to slow down or start to sound noisier than usual, stop and turn it over to see if there's an accumulation of grass around the blade. If so, simply remove it manually before proceeding.

I discovered an additional benefit of the folding handle when attempting to mow under a tree with low hanging branches. When temporarily folded down, it becomes possible to mow beneath such obstacles. Larger lawn mowers and/or lawn mowers without easily folding handles could never do this! The manufacturer probably doesn't officially sanction using the
GreenWorks 25142 this way, but if you're careful, it's a another wonderful feature!

More and more, the benefit of the smaller size and light weight of this
GreenWorks 25142 lawn mower becomes apparent. With the cutting height shifted into high, the little lawn mower gobbles up weeds and even moderate brush as it maneuvers in and around, over and under, various obstacles and edgings. The medium setting delivers a beautiful cut for most of my yard, but then you can tailor it down like a "bald-fade" to achieve a tightly cropped putting green look.

As I gained more experience with the comfortable, well-balanced "feel" of this
GreenWorks 25142, and the way it's so easy to adjust the cutting height for a precision cut, it began to remind me of the Andis Master Hair Clipper I bought not too long ago. Arguably the most respected hair clipper in its class, the truly beloved Andis Master is famous for delivering a very precise cut, and for having a beautifully balanced feeling that is delightful to use. (comparing a hair grooming product with a lawn grooming product makes sense, doesn't it?)

Original GreenWorks 25142 Review:

I'm very pleased with this Greenworks corded electric lawn mower. The 16-inch cutting width is slightly narrower than "full sized" lawn mowers; if you're looking to cut a vast expanse of lawn as quickly as possible, then choose a larger product instead of this
GreenWorks lawn mower.

PROS:


1- Smaller size and weight make the
GreenWorks 25142 very comfortable to use, carry and store. Fits through narrower areas and around obstacles easier than larger mowers.

2- Quieter and less vibration than other electric lawn mowers. (MUCH quieter than gas powered!)

3- Well-balanced handle has a soft padded grip, is height adjustable, and folds down instantly for storage.

4- Power switch requires two hands to start for extra safety, but then holding anywhere along the handlebar will keep the
GreenWorks lawn mower running.

5- Excellent height adjustment mechanism; large "gear shift style" control on top of the
GreenWorks 25142 moves smoothly and easily locks into the desired position.

IMPORTANT: Move the control to its highest setting when you first start out; adjust one-step-a-time lower until you reach the desired cut.

6- No assembly required, boxed with no superfluous packaging.

7- Thoughtfully designed and solidly built. Compared to other brands of electric lawn mowers, this guy is and excellent value; I'm impressed!

CONS: (considerations, actually)


1- Smaller than larger lawn mowers, will take more walking to mow large areas.

2- Grass catcher bag has limited capacity; when using that feature, the bag will require more frequent emptying. (but it'll be easier to do)

3- Needs electricity and an extension cord long enough to reach all areas to be mowed. (an otherwise identical Greenworks lawn mower is available in a battery-powered model #25242, priced a couple hundred dollars more)


Rating: 5/5

Sunday, June 17, 2018

GreenWorks GLM801601 Review



[4/13/2016 GreenWorks glm801601 update]

GreenWorks glm801601 was light enough to lug it down alone to the basement for Winter, and back up for Spring. Absolutely no preparation needed (no gas burn off, stabilizer, spark plugs, filters, etc.), aside from blowing off old grass clippings and covering for dust (cover interchanged with snow blower).


The 2 Ah battery just barely lasts my 1/4 acre mowing, so I'd recommend purchasing a second 2 Ah or 4 Ah battery to swap between. I now use the 4 Ah (bought a week after the mower) in the
GreenWorks glm801601 lawn mower, leaf blower, & snow blower (bought this past winter and also works great), and the lighter 2 Ah battery for the string trimmer & hedge trimmer. I now have the entire GreenWorks 80V line, except the chain saw. My corded Toro leaf blower stays in my basement, and I sold off my gas 2-stage snow blower in December.

5/18/2015 original GreenWorks glm801601 review


I've been holding off on purchasing this until the 4Ah battery bundle became available, but the monkeys swinging across my lawn jungle forced my hand. I decided to just use the 2Ah battery that I already had for my GreenWorks 80V leaf blower.

The shipping weight is 72 pounds (mower-only package), but the box was light enough to carry by myself. Packaging is minimal, yet sturdy, with cardboard spacers. The box contained the
GreenWorks glm801601, handle bar extension, manual booklet, and quick-start sheet.

The only assembly required were 1) attaching the handle bar extension using 2 bolt/knob combos and 2) snapping on the right-side mulch discharge chute. Alternatively, you can leave off the side chute, pull off the rear mulching block, and attach the clippings collection fabric bag. The entire handle assembly is adjustable to 3 heights using the pair of built-in 90-degree twist knobs. There’s also a lever to adjust to 7 different cutting heights.

To prepare to mow, simply lift the battery cover flap on raised protrusion on the center-top of the
GreenWorks lawn mower, push in the battery until it clicks into place (release button is used when removing the battery), then lower the flap.

No messy, smelly gas or oil needed. No nauseating exhaust! The electric motor is far quieter than a gas engine; my toddlers fell asleep fine during my lawn mowing. There’s none of the headaches of maintaining a gasoline engine: buy/store/pour jugs of gasoline, buy and keep engine oil topped off, buy fuel stabilizers, deal with spills, clean/replace spark plugs, burn off excess gasoline for off-season storage, etc.

To turn on, you push and hold the green button on the upper-right of the handle, then grasp the green lever arm together with the handle bar, then let go of the button. When you release lever, the
GreenWorks lawn mower turns off completely; there is no idle. To restart, you’ll need to repeat the hold-button and grasp-lever routine. There is no cord-yanking involved.

The
GreenWorks glm801601 is very easy to push (note it’s not self-powered), so I speed-walked most of the time. It’s easy to turn 180-degrees for parallel mowing. The blades cut very near to the outer edge of the wheels (see attached picture), so there’s minimal need for overlap. There’s a rubber rear skirt to protect you from any rock or debris projectiles, which is a godsend for my yard, full of landscape stones and sweet gum tree spike-balls.

The 2.0Ah battery from my leaf blower had plenty of power to mow the ¼ acre of greatly-overgrown grass and weeds (yesterday 5/17 was my first mow of the season), then power the blower to clean the
GreenWorks glm801601 lawn mower. It’ll probably still have enough power for the string trimmer (on backorder), but I plan on buying either the 4.0Ah battery once it’s available or another 2.0Ah.

For storage, the handle bars easily fold over at the base for fast, compact storage. I actually have my mower resting vertically in the garage for maximum space savings (see my first picture). I feel it’s also light enough for most people to carry it to the basement for winter storage.

I’m very happy with the 80V
GreenWorks glm801601 lawn mower and leaf blower so far. This Fall, I plan on selling my 24” gas snow thrower to replace with a GreenWorks 80V model as well.

Rating: 5/5

Saturday, June 16, 2018

GreenWorks MO40L410 Review



 ---To start out with --- let me explain what I bought, I bought the 20" GreenWorks lawn mower (the one that comes with one 4AH battery). The fact that I have to clarify is annoying and more on this later.. This one appears to be a newer version of the 19" (but still brushless) that came before.
 

On to the GreenWorks mo40l410 review

This GreenWorks mo40l410 is pretty awesome. I was a bit nervous cause there were so few reviews on it. I previously had and loved the brushed corded 16" lawn mower from GreenWorks... it worked so well that I decided to untether myself for my birthday. I was convinced after the corded electric lawn mower worked flawlessly and my 40v GreenWorks brushless weed eater worked so well.

So the mower went on sale on Prime Day and I jumped on it. First impressions are that the design engineers are clearly continuing improvements. The handle could fold on my corded lawn mower, but nowhere near as easily as this GreenWorks mo40l410 can... I don't even like this feature and wouldn't use it regularly, but I can still appreciate the improvements that other people may use. The battery bay holds two batteries... but here's the kicker, I mowed some tall thick St. Augustine grass and finished the front yard you see in my images with a single battery... I suspect that as the blade gets a bit duller i'll need to swap batteries or sharpen the blade again. But that was a pleasant surprise.

I also really like the large wheels of the GreenWorks mo40l410, the longer radius makes maneuverability a charm and it gets over bumps with ease. The bagging of blades works well too even though I only tested it momentarily (I've switched to mulching cause there's no need to strip the lawn of future nutrients). I haven't figured out what the side discharger is for exactly, but it looks pretty cool. Like an exhaust pipe on a racecar or something. The way I see it, you want to pick up the clippings or you want to spread them around the lawn... not spray the area you just mowed or are about to mow. But it just clicks into place if you want it and I appreciate them adding it, even if it raised the cost by a dollar or something.

The auto sensing lawn height feature is okay. I give it only 3 stars out of 5. It certainly works, but it kicks in about 2 seconds (or about 2 feet ) after you technically needed it. It's like the sensor or Ammeter has to measure taller grass for a few seconds before it kicks in. But by then your moving past that spot and might have missed a few clippings. It hasn't happened yet, but again, the blade is new and sharp. It would have been neater to have a sensor adjust on the fly up or down. It's all electric and the motor is brushless, there shouldn't be much wear and tear from constantly increasing and decreasing the motor speed to accommodate the lawn at that moment. Now, all this said, even on low speed the GreenWorks mo40l410 was cutting like a champ. I would walk slowly and then quickly while the lawn mower was on the lowest setting to see if it changed performance, and it was virtually the same.

All in all it functions exactly like you'd expect it to. I like the dual bay battery compartment. And the attention to details all over, like the cable runs have loops to pass through, the battery bay door has magnets to keep it shut, and details like that are visible all over, it's just very well thought out.

If I'm being extremely nitpicky, here are some things I'd change (aside from the auto-motor-speed change I mentioned above).


1) Amazon listing... I almost knocked a star because whoever is putting these things on Amazon has no clue what they are doing. I see random mowers paired with un-related mowers, yet the reviews are for both? And I don't see all the options on the same listing. For example, this GreenWorks mo40l410 lawn mower bounced around between listings multiple times in like 3 days. And this lawn mower has another listing identical to it, just without the battery and charger (the one I'm reviewing here)... yet somehow they aren't paired together? And it's not exactly clear how this GreenWorks lawn mower differs from the older version other than it's maybe a newer model? Is it better or worse?... it's a complete freaking mess and I'm extremely annoyed. But it's not actually the products fault... so I convinced myself to keep the star. Get your blank together.


2) The battery bay door doesn't open very far. In fact it doesn't even open to 90 degrees, I'd like it to go to 120 at least.


3) The lifter is on point. It's so easy and works so well. But it's fastened to the right side of the Greenworks mo40l410 or something and the left side is just a taddd looser. Even though it has zero impact on performance or usability or comfort. I could notice.


4) I promise I'm not too lazy to bend over and swap batteries. But two live ports would be neat (even though I had plenty of battery left on the first battery haha (like I said, nitpicking!)). But I wouldn't be willing to pay much more if it raised the cost alot.

The Pros:


1) I can't believe how easy it is to adjust. I have their corded GreenWorks mo40l410 mower and I didn't think it could get any easier... and here I am being proven wrong. I don't know if I was just scarred by my old gas honda lawn mower or what, but that thing was an absolute pain to change the deck height. I used it alot on my corded version because if I'm going to be busy the next two weeks, I can just drop it a notch an go an extra couple days without mowing. Or If I know I'm going on a 2 week vacation next weekend, I can raise it since I'm going to mow again right before I leave.
 

2) I knew the big wheels would help, but they help more than I thought. I hope they last as long as short wheels, since the moment is higher on them in general. But I'm glad they upgraded the wheels.
 

3) 20" deck means a 19" inch blade iirc. I appreciate the large mowing swath. Not only did mowing go faster cause I wasn't messing with a cord, but I was cutting larger swaths than my old corded 16" lawn mower, so I was done in like 40% of the time that it normally takes me.

4) The 4Ah batteries are great. I can weedeat the front in one go with it. and then use the other battery to mow in one go with it. And they charge so fast too. Not that I've needed them to come off the charger and go straight to the yard, but it's nice having that option.


5) It's silly but the black with green trim color scheme looks legit. I like it better than the opposite that my corded lawn mower has. (green with black trim).


6) Also, it mows evenly forward and backwards. My old GreenWorks mo40l410 lawn mower mowed about a third of an inch shorter when I pushed it forward than when I pulled it back (ostensibly because it was too light). So not only was I goofing around with the cord. But all even mowing had to be completed forwards. Not an issue with this Greenworks lawn mower.

Overall I'm thoroughly satisfied with the GreenWorks mo40l410. I'll comment back if longevity is ever an issue. But I expect a minimum of 5 years out of this guy... and I'd prefer if it was more like 10. That said, I'll cut the batteries some slack. I expect I'll buy a new pair in about 5 years to help me get to the EOL. They claim 2000 charges and I mow like once every 10 days during the summer... So maybe they'll go the full 10.


Rating: 5/5

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

GreenWorks 25322 Review




Best GreenWorks 25322 Review

I have to say I was skeptical when I decided to purchase the GreenWorks 25322. However, I have to say I am very happy with my purchases and very impressed with the quality of the equipment. All three pieces of equipment were very easy to assemble; I did not need to use the instructions that came with the GreenWorks lawn mower. There are some things to understand about these three pieces of equipment. Compared to gas powered equipment mower, blower, trimmer are all very very light. The lack of significant weight can be misleading and interpreted as a lack of power, however, this is untrue as all three pieces of equipment perform just as well as any gas-powered equipment that I have used.

Pros and cons

The pros to all three pieces of equipment do not very significantly. All three pieces of equipment are light, easy to maneuver, and appear to be very sturdy. The GreenWorks 25322 mulches grass significantly better than most of the gas-powered lawn mowers I have used. I noticed a significant reduction in loose grass that was clumped and blown all over the sidewalk and driveway. One feature I particularly liked was the ability to start and stop almost instantly. This came in handy especially with the blower when needing to change direction. Finally, one of the pros is that the equipment is less intimidating than gas powered equipment. My wife ran the GreenWorks 25322 and the blower with ease considering this was the first time she ever cut grass. My mother came with two batteries and a charger while the blower came with one battery and one charger. This combination gave me one four-amp battery and two two-amp batteries. I have a small yard but the four-amp battery and one two-amp battery was more than enough to cut my grass, in fact the four-amp battery was completely used and the two-amp battery only used one green dot. The trimmer is as nice as any gas-powered trimmer I have owned. I especially like the edging feature, which works very nice.

I cannot find too many cons to any of the GreenWorks 25322 lawn mower. Certainly, it takes time to learn how to work with new equipment however, none of the GreenWorks lawn mower appears to be overly complicated. I did read some negative reviews of the string trimmer. Understanding that you have to release the throttle and wait for the spool to click which indicates an advancement of the line is a key to understanding how to operate the trimmer. I find the included trimmer line is somewhat light and I will change it out once I use it all.

Recommendation

I would recommend this GreenWorks 25322 to anybody who desires equipment that is easier to work with and wants to move away from using gasoline. I would eventually like to try the snow blower especially here in Pennsylvania during one of our typical winters. In closing I will say this if you are on the fence go ahead and go green you will not be sorry.


Rating: 5/5

GreenWorks 25022 Review



Best GreenWorks 25022 Review

I bought my first lawn mower when I bought my first house in 2004. It was a Black and Decker MM675 with a flip-over handle. That lawn mower served me well for about 5 years and never let me down. Then, one day I used it when my lawn was too wet and the motor started to smoke as it bogged down on wet grass! I could no longer get the MM675 model, so I went to Home Depot and "upgraded" to the MM1800, the 18" corded mulching/bagging lawn mower from Black and Decker. Immediately I was dissatisfied. It didn't feel as strong as my old mower, was more unwieldy, and had this awful plastic shroud that made it hard to maneuver. Everything on it felt cheap, and two years later, it died on me while mowing grass that was not that thick.

I decided to try a
GreenWorks lawn mower to leave the Black and Decker world and see what else I could find.

Bear in mind, I did not consider gas because I don't have the room to keep fuel around and I have a modest size yard. I did not want cordless battery power because I didn't want to have to keep batteries alive (some require charge/discharge cycles all winter) or buy new batteries.

Corded lawn mowers are a fine solution. Many complain about "cord management", but here's the trick. Your lawn never changes. Unless you are a professional landscaper (and if you are, buy a gas mower), then you always mow the same lawn. So the trick is to come up with a mowing pattern where you mow away from the outlet and never trip over the cord. Once you have a pattern, stick with it and you can mow quickly.

Which brings me to the GreenWorks 25022 20" electric bag/mulch/side discharge lawn  mower. It costs a bit more than the Black and Decker, but what a difference. First, the deck of the lawn mower is metal, not plastic! That means it is thinner than the B&D. Also, with more metal the top is not covered in bulky plastic. I have a sewer cleanout stand-pipe in my yard. My Black and Decker MM1800 could never mow close to it so I always had to get out the weed whacker. I was amazed that the GreenWorks 25022 could mow so close that there was no need to come back for cleanup. I did it all in 1 pass.

The amazing thing is that the GreenWorks 25022 lawn mower is 20" instead of the 18" of the B&D, meaning I could mow my lawn faster with fewer passes, yet it could also get closer to things due to the smaller shroud over the blade.

Other nice features include very large rear tires, what might be the largest in the industry. They make it far easier to maneuver than models with 7" or 8" wheels. Cord management is a snap with a nice pig-tail cord that secures nicely. The B&D model didn't have a pigtail, just a plug on the device itself, and the cord was harder to keep in.

This GreenWorks 25022 also permits side-discharge. I normally just mulch, but it is nice to have that as an option in addition to bagging.

The GreenWorks lawn mower activates with a simple bar that has a 1-button safety. The safety is easy enough to use to not be obtrusive and the bar is full length so you can grab it from either side.

The height adjustment of the GreenWorks 25022 is far higher quality than the B&D height adjust. Strong metal controls with positive stops made height adjustment a snap.

For the space limited, the handle folds very easily. The middle bar doesn't even need to be unscrewed as there are folding posts to "snap" it into place, and the screws on the bottom are retained in the unit when it folds so there are no parts to lose.

I am a happy convert from Black and Decker, and recommend you give the GreenWorks 25022 lawn mower a try!
 

Review Update from November 2011:

When I first reviewed the GreenWorks 25022, I commented that I was just mulching. This weekend I gave the bagging feature a try because I wanted to mow up the leaves all of my yard. If you mulch those you just make a mess, so I needed to bag. The bag installed easily - just lift the spring-loaded back door, remove the mulching plug, and the bag has 2 hooked to secure it. The bag filled up quickly which was to be expected given the large number of leaves I was mowing, but it was easy to empty. One thing I quickly noticed - the bag is narrow enough to fit between the handlebars. As a result, I could pick it straight up without bending over and pulling all the way back. I spilled less clippings and got it emptied far faster. The bag is obviously well thought out and rounds out a great tool that I recommend with no reservations.
 

Review Update from Spring 2013:

The GreenWorks 25022 lawn mower is still going strong. Just another note - I abuse this thing. I leave it chained under my deck all year long since I don't have a garage or a tool shed. It sits in the rain, the snow, the heat, and the cold. Amazingly, every spring I plug it in, squeeze the handle, and it starts right up. Can't say that for even lots of gas lawn mowers. Still gets my recommendation!
 

Review Update from Spring 2014:

I tried a Black and Decker mower this year that was battery operated. It lasted 2 weeks and died when the blade hit a root and bent 90 degrees. I went back over to my GreenWorks 25022. It's started to rust a bit (yes, I still keep it outside), but I plugged it in and cut my lawn in a snap. Still a happy customer!


Rating: 5/5