HOLLAND (WZZM)-- The Ego 20 inch 56 Volt cordless lawnmower is powered by a rechargeable battery that's said to be the most power Lithium-Ion battery in the lawn equipment industry. The makers say it's the first cordless lawnmower to deliver the cutting and mulching performance of premium gas mowers.
I brought it to Holland home owner and plastics engineer, Jabez Waalkes. Her lawnmower was a hand-me-down that she's had for over a decade. Her mower is made of steel, heavy and takes several pulls and gas priming to get it started. She's thought about buying a new mower and was interested in trying out the new battery operated Ego. You may have seen them on display and in commercials for Home Depot.
As a plastics engineer, Jabez was impressed by some of the Ego's functionality. The battery easily slides in, everything adjusts smoothly and it's just easy to use. You can adjust the handle to fit your height, the blade height adjusts to 5 different settings, and it's a 3-in-1 mulching, bagging or side discharge mower.
Jabez thought it was much quieter than her mower. It was also much lighter and easier to push and maneuver than her old mower. The only thing she didn't like is the safety bar that you squeeze when you're mowing had to be gripped a little too tightly, and that was uncomfortable on her hands. But other than a few things she'd tweak, Jabez was impressed by it, especially how easy it started with just the push of a button.
The battery takes 30 minutes to charge and should last for 45 minutes. Jabez was able to mow her front yard and entire back yard on one charge.
She also tried out the Ego cordless blower. Jabez has an electric blower she plugs in and has to use two extension cords and still can't reach her whole yard. The cordless blower was so much nicer for that reason. She said it was a bit heavier because of the battery. She thought an added handle or strap would help. She also thought a more narrow blower head would help direct the air better, but she said not having to run an extension cord was a big plus.
The Ego lawnmower sells for $499, the blower $199. We found them at Home Depot. Jabez thought that was a bit steep since she was looking to spend no more than $250 for a new gas mower, but not having to ever buy gas has her considering it.
The Ego equipment comes with a 5 year warranty, the batteries have a 3 year warranty.
