REVIEW: EGO Power+ 56V Mower

REVIEW: EGO Power+ 56V Mower

Cut the grass without the pollution.

Disclaimer: The folks at EGO very generously provided a mower for this review. As always, the opinions are my own.

I’m great with electronics, but generally terrible with mechanical objects. This is why I have an unbelievable amount of respect for my dad.

True story: a few weeks ago, I drove my Dad to Home Depot to grab a part for a project we were working on. As we drove, he noticed the loud screeching noise coming from the brakes of my 2001 Ford Explorer. Although the noise was particularly bad that week, I heard it for about a month before that, and just assumed the noise was coming from wet tires (it was raining a lot then, and yes, I’m an idiot.). We pulled into a parking lot, and as you probably already have guessed, my rear brake pads were completely worn down, to the point that the screws were dramatically eating into the rotors of the wheels. I can only imagine the pyrotechnic display that was occurring for weeks every time I hit the brakes. My dad rolled his eyes, and helped me get them fixed that night

As I said, if it has a motor, I really don’t get along with it. So what does that have to do with a lawnmower?

I’ve had a standard push mower for years, but as with other gas powered tools in my garage, I’ve done a horrible job of maintaining it. In fact, I’ve been paying someone to mow my small lawn for more than a year, largely because my mower is so gummed up and fickle to start. I just hate messing with it.

In an effort to get back into the landscaping habit, I’ve been researching some of the newer electric power tools over the past few months. Reviews seemed to point to most as underpowered for the job, and then I stumbled across EGO’s Power+ lineup that uses an (insane) 56v battery system. I’ve been testing their mower for a month now, and I think you’ll be intrigued by the results.

What Does It Claim to Do?

The Power+ 56v Mower is the cornerstone of EGO’s 56v landscaping tool lineup, and a fairly unique product in the marketplace. It’s claim to fame is all of the power and features you would expect from a high-end push mower, but powered by a 4Ah 56v battery that charges in 30 minutes and can power the mower for up to 45 minutes.

Specs:

  • 20″ cutting capacity
  • 45-min run time on the included 4Ah 56v battery
  • Includes bagging and mulching attachments
  • Folds flat for upright storage
  • LED headlights
  • Simple, push button start

So, can an electric mower possibly live up to the task? Read on to find out!

The Mower Box

Look and Feel

Out of the box, the Power+ Mower scratched by gadget-geek itch in all of the right ways. It ships compact and folded flat, making it a cinch to unbox and set up. The Mower requires no set up whatesoever(!); you simply slide it out, remove the marketing flyers from the Mower’s body, put the handles in place, and you’re ready to mow.

All of the components, out of the box

It seems odd to rate a lawn tool on it’s appearance and UI, but this thing is just a pleasure to look at and in use. The mechanism for raising and adjusting the handle from the folded position is solid and straightforward, as is the height adjustment, which I found to be a revelation compared to my old Craftsman mower; smoothly sliding a handle to adjust the cutting height is dramatically more handy than fiddling with rusted clasps attached to each individual wheel.

The Mower is built from a thoughtfully sturdy polycarbonate material, and it’s as solid as they come. Lauren said she wanted to mow with it simply because “it looks like something out of TRON,” and I couldn’t agree more.

Performance and User Experience

“Yeah, yeah… it’s a cool looking tool. How on Earth do you start this thing?” Glad you asked!

Charging the Battery

The version I acquired includes a large 4Ah 56v battery pack and a “quick charger” that must use technology akin to nuclear fusion… It charges that ridiculous battery in 30 minutes flat. It’s astounding, and it works without a hitch every single time. Once the (pleasantly green) status lights let you know the battery is full, it’s time to get to work.

Getting things going is one of the simplest interactions I’ve ever had with a lawn tool. Simply pop the battery into the, uh, “green battery dome,” push the start button near the top of the mower, and squeeze the safety handle. Boom! The mower springs immediately to life with a pleasantly quiet hum that immediately puts a smile on your face. For the first 10 minutes I was using it, I couldn’t get over how oddly quiet it is. It’s definitely a pleasant surprise.

Another surprise is how well it cuts. On my first time out, my yard was a day or two overdue for a mow, and the Power+ took the grass down like a champ. I mowed with a 4/5 height that day, and the Mower plowed evenly through my unruly lawn, even while showing a yellow “slow down” light as I pushed on to my particularly thick bermuda grass back yard. It was there than the battery gave out abruptly about 23 minutes in to my first cut; in fact, it actually took me 3 charge cycles to get my 1/5 acre lawn mowed that first time, which was a little disappointing to be honest.

After reading the manual, I learned that especially tall and thick grass like my bermuda can cause the mower to work twice as hard. Whenever it’s having a tough time, the mower’s progress light will turn yellow, indicating that you need to take it slow, or even consider choosing a higher cut setting. The latter is what I tried a week later, during which the mower made it through the whole yard in 38 minutes or so, with power to spare. I don’t know how much of that is due to the battery getting broken in, or just smarter usage on my end, but the Power+ seems to be living up to its name.

I’m not much of an attachment guy, but I’ve experimented with both the mulching and bagging attachments. The mulching works as expected (who does this?), and the bag worked great (although it tended to fill up every 5 minutes or so). I can’t see myself using either again in the future, but they’re certainly nice to have.

Integration with Other Tools

The Power+ Mower would be nice enough as a one-off tool, but its integration with EGO’s fantastic tool ecosystem makes it especially attractive. It’s battery can be used with their excellent weed eater (review coming soon!) and other tools from their lineup, although its larger size can feel a little heavy in a tool designed for a smaller battery. Its quick charger can be used the same way, powering up the batteries of the other tools in the blink of an eye. All of this makes it a worthwhile investment in my eyes.

Build Quality and Reliability

As mentioned earlier, the Power+ Mower is expertly constructed with an obvious premium feel. What I have to brag on here is its reliability…

I can’t tell you how nice it is to start up a lawn tool with no stress whatsoever. I don’t have to worry about gas. I don’t have to worry about the oil I haven’t changed, or “that weird sound” it was making last time. When it’s time to mow the lawn, I simply unfold the mower, press a button, and I’m off. If you’re like me, that will probably be its biggest selling point.

Affordability

At $449, the Power+ Mower kit costs slightly more than an equally equipped gas mower, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. You’ll never have to buy gas, it comes with every attachment you could want, and it is super easy to clean and store.

It’s especially attractive if you’ve already bought into the EGO 56v ecosystem, where its battery and charger will definitely come in handy. Already have a battery? You can buy the mower on its own for only $329.

Conclusion

Despite some concerns about battery life for tougher jobs, I couldn’t be more happy with my EGO Power+ Mower. If you’re looking for low maintenance and a greener lawn care solution, look no further.

Look and Feel
Performance and User Experience
Compatibility with Other Tools
Build Quality and Reliability
Affordability
OVERALL
RECOMMENDED

Despite some concerns about battery life for tougher jobs, I couldn't be more happy with my EGO Power+ Mower. If you're looking for low maintenance and a greener lawn care solution, look no further.

Author

Eric is the creator of At Home in the Future and has been a passionate fan of the future since he was seven. He's a web developer by trade, and serves as the Director of Communication and Technology for a large church in Nashville, TN (where he and his family are building a high tech home in the woods).

6 comments

  • “At $449, the Power+ Mower kit costs slightly more than an equally equipped gas mower, ”

    Slightly more? Other than LED lights on the front, it sounds as if my 250 dollar mower from Lowes has all the same features without the 30 minutes wait time to use it and without a concern about 3 or 4 wait times if I let my grass get to high.

    At 200 dollars difference and gas being just over 2 bucks a gallon right now (realizing this will change).. I can cut my yard fully more than 100 times (takes slightly less than a gallon of gas for me to finish my yard) before I would be at break even, assuming electricity were free.

    If your not into mulching and really grooming your yard with the tools, then it jumps up to about 125 times. Even if I mow once per week for an entire season, it would take over 4 years (and realistically more than 5) to realize that break even point.

    I’m completely on board with electric motors (really hoping to own a Tesla in the next couple of years), but I don’t think I could recommend an electric mower right now to anyone with more than 15 minutes of lawn to mow.

    Good review read. Hopefully they come out with a longer lasting battery in the future and can find a way to get the price down a tiny bit.

    • You’re looking at the kit that includes the battery; if you’re already invested in the ecosystem (or own a battery from another tool), you’re in for dramatically less. It requires no maintenance, no oil, is much quieter, and lowers your carbon footprint. You also don’t have to leave you house in search of gas when you run dry. It starts without fail every time, without yanking your arm off or messing with an engine that’s gunked up. Those are the trade-offs for the cost.

      • Keep in mind you’ve had limited time to review this mower. Everything you mentioned is a pro. But the cons are so annoying it doesn’t matter. Imagine I had invested in the ecosystem. Now I’m doing multiple hours of yard work for 30 minutes at a time? Does the battery life go down over time? How long will it last in that 4th year when my gas powered mower is still going strong with VERY little maintenance. Power assist is also a feature I think may be missing that a lot of cheaper push mowers come with.

        The response to a criticism of cost probably shouldn’t be to buy more stuff so the battery cost per item is reduced. Especially if the battery degradation means from discharging it more often forces me to buy more batteries. What little I’ve read (and I thank you for spurring me to do the research with your review) is that batteries can be unusable after just a couple of years if you don’t take perfect care of them.. meaning you can’t fully discharge them…. meaning I can’t even go the advertised 30 minutes.

        I can only speak for myself though. Others may not find the battery life or the upfront cost an issue at all. Tesla overcame the obstacle of battery life in cars, so I believe it can be done pretty soon by lawn mower manufacturers at some point. Honestly, I’d rather pay an additional 50-100 dollars if it meant I could get my entire yard done without stopping for any reason.

        And if going green is the ultimate goal, why not get a reel mower? Cheaper, greener, more reliable than any other mower available.
        http://www.lowes.com/pd_613404-87721-MJ500M_1z0wgdc__?productId=50236367&pl=1

  • Hello!
    Fiancee and i just bought our first house in October visualize new and different seems natural meats need
    to the grass soon! I’ve no idea what I’m looking because it for you to
    lawn mowers, but have been seeing much of electric ones much
    better reviews and having good business.
    My yard is 1.26 acres, and it is basically toned. Any tips or things I should look meant
    for? Should I holds true ! gas or go electric?

    Agreenhand declared the best lawn mower for me is a corded power
    grids.

  • Hi, I love people share their experience with others and inspire them to have such excellent deal. It is really great to know other users experiences when buying things.

    I appreciate your post, this is so helpful for a new customer. Thanks for sharing.

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