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Push or self-propelled: what the drive costs in battery
Updated
A self-propelled mower spends some of its battery turning the wheels. EGO puts a number on it. Its 21 inch push mower claims up to 55 minutes on a 56V 6.0Ah battery. The self-propelled version of the same mower claims up to 50 on the same battery. That is 9 percent less. Buy the drive for slopes, a big lawn or a bad back. Skip it for a small flat yard.
What 5 minutes means on the lawn
| EGO LM2114 (push) | EGO LM2114SP (self-propelled) | |
|---|---|---|
| Claimed runtime, 56V 6.0Ah | 55 min | 50 min |
| Minutes we plan on in normal grass | 44 min | 40 min |
| One charge covers (our estimate) | About 12,700 sq ft | About 11,600 sq ft |
The gap is about 1,100 sq ft per charge in our estimate. The claim does not say how hard the drive was working. On a steep yard the drive works harder, so expect the gap to grow. We have no maker figure for that.
When the drive is worth it
- Slopes. The owner summary for the LM2114SP mentions it handling hills.
- Heavy mowers. The steel deck Greenworks 60V 21 in SP is 65 pounds. Its rear wheel drive has variable speed, so you set the pace.
- Long sessions. If the calculator says your lawn is 38 minutes or more, pushing gets old.
When to skip it
- Small flat yards. A 37.5 pound mower or the 29.1 pound WORX is easy to push, and there is less to break.
- Yards full of beds and corners. You stop and turn so often that the drive is off half the time.
Drive speed
EGO lists the variable drive on one of its 21 inch self-propelled models as 0.9 to 3.1 mph. That is a useful reference for pace in the calculator. If you mow with the drive near its top speed, enter 3. If you stroll, enter 2.
Slopes and safety
The American Academy of Pediatrics says to mow across the face of a slope with a walk-behind mower, not up and down, so you cannot slip under it. A drive helps you hold a line across a slope. It does not make a steep or wet slope safe. If you would not walk it comfortably, do not mow it with a walk-behind.
Work out your own lawn with the mowing time calculator, or compare all six picks on the roundup page.