Vehicles and equipment in every class, from power tools to heavy-duty trucks, are going electric, and the humble lawn mower is no exception.
Corded electric lawn mowers have been sold since the 1930s, but these were cute little things with limited power, suitable only for customers with very small yards, and/or those who lacked the physical strength to pull the starter cord of a gas mower. The first cordless mowers, clunky affairs powered by lead-acid batteries, appeared in the 1980s. The advent of the lithium-ion battery in the early 2000s finally made the cordless mower a practical product, but until recently, it remained strictly for the small-yard set, and there were some sadly flimsy products out there. I myself owned an early battery-powered mower for a brief time—it cut my grass just fine, but the plastic deck fell apart after about two years.
Today’s electric mower is quite a different beast. All the major lawn equipment manufacturers, plus a couple of electric-only brands, offer battery-electric models that are designed to match the power and ruggedness of their gas-burning counterparts, and we see electric and gas models sold side-by-side at most big-box home improvement stores.
Like the EVs we drive on the roads, the electric mower is a premium product that features several advantages over the legacy gas-powered mower—and commands a higher price. An electric mower makes less noise and no smoke, and it’s easier (maybe even fun) to operate. You don’t need to go to the gas station, you don’t need to store stinky gas and oil, you don’t have to have it serviced at the beginning of each growing season, and you don’t have to wrench your arm pulling the starting cord. Fuel and maintenance costs are lower, and although this probably won’t translate to a lower total cost of ownership, due to the higher up-front cost, this will eventually change as battery technology improves.
DeWalt was founded in 1924, and became a subsidiary of Stanley Black & Decker in 1960. Today, DeWalt sells over 200 different power tools, and hundreds more accessories. The company’s black and yellow livery is a common sight at professional job sites and residential workshops around the country.
We tested the new 60V MAX 21-inch Brushless Cordless RWD Self-Propelled Lawn Mower. This is DeWalt’s top-of-the-line electric mower, and it’s designed to match the performance of the company’s best gas mowers.
The 60V MAX is “built from the battery up for optimal electric cutting performance, and is engineered to tackle large properties.” Compared to DeWalt’s 40-volt models, this bad boy offers plenty of power to tackle the toughest clumps of grass, and customers have noted that all the parts are a bit more rugged.
Setting up the mower out of the box was a snap—literally. We snapped the bag to the frame, extended the handle, and we were ready to go. (The handle telescopes and folds down to make the unit up to 80% smaller for storage.)
The 60V MAX features a steel cutting deck, dual 21-inch blades, and three options for what happens to the clippings: mulching, side discharge or bagging. The rear-wheel-drive propulsion system allows you to adjust the speed to match your walking pace.
The mower comes with two removable DeWalt FLEXVOLT battery packs that deliver a total of up to 85 minutes of runtime. DeWalt has cleverly designed the swapping system for maximum flexibility. You can run the mower with either one or both batteries installed. To get through a medium-large lawn quickly, install both batteries, and when one becomes depleted, simply flip a switch to change to the other one. If you need even more runtime, install one battery, and run the mower while the other one charges.
The 60V MAX is like a luxury trim-level (pun intended) car—it’s loaded with features. The LED dashboard shows you the battery state of charge and other information. There are three driving modes: Eco mode gives you maximum runtime; Boost mode helps you power through tough grass; and AutoSense mode automatically adjusts the blade speed to cutting conditions. Did you get started a little late in the day? No worries—dual LED headlights let you keep mowing in low light.
There are six cutting height settings, and a cutting load meter shows you how hard the motor is working at any moment. Just like in an on-road EV, making the motor work at full power will cut into your runtime, so watch the load meter, and when you get into a patch of high or soggy grass, slow your pace or raise the cutting height to reduce the load on the motor.
Source: DeWalt
