thinking of getting a Ryobi one+ 18V lawn mower with a 4.0Amp battery.,
does anyone here have any first hand experience with these mowers,
I have a lawn about 10m x6m
any advice and thoughts
Thinking of getting a Ryobi One+ 18V lawn mower
Archi on 21/11/2017 - 13:39
Comments
I have one, but yeah if your lawn gets a bit long and lush it konks out on you because it cant handle it.
So keep your lawn short and it should be fine. The longer the lawn the faster the battery runs out also coz it has to work harder. I usually mow my lawn on the number 3 setting - Number 2 seems to make it struggle.
cool how long does the battery usually last…
I mean really depends on the lawn thickness as I mentioned. But I have done my yard (not very large) in around 40 mins or so and It usually has 2 bars left on the battery. If its a bit thick and I have to go over it twice I end up with 1 bar….So I mean….an hour?
If you were going to pair it with the battery line trimmer, you could struggle doing it all in one day But if you do it fast you might get away with it
^can confirm this. this happens to mine too
I have the Ozito brushless, it sounds like a similar proposition when on the lowest of 3 settings. What I do to get around this is I put the front on the next one up, so I essentially get the lowest cut but the mower doesnt struggle as much.
I have the 36v one and it is awesome. I have a pretty big lawn and it does me fine.
For the same price, you can get a petrol 4 stroke Victa. Won't need to wait to charge and will last years.
you still have to buy the fuel… and oil to maintain
Putting 200ml of oil into a 5L jerry can of petrol, once per year, isn't a big deal. I never understood why people think it's so much 'maintenance'. On the other hand making sure the battery is fully charged before mowing every time would frustrate the bejesus out of me
adding oil to petrol will be indicating a 2 stroke mower. most modern lawn mowers have a separate oil compartment with dip stick..
just like a car engine only smaller,
so regular service in cleaning air filter as well maintain oil levels in your mower would be recommended,
doesn't take much time but according to @pformagg just buy the lawn mower and that's it
@Archi: Oh sorry, I misread 4 stroke as 2 stroke.
You sound like you know your way around an engine so you have a good grasp of what is required. For others reading this I maintain all of my small engines and motorbike once per year (new spark plugs, clean/replace filters, change oil, fluids in the bike) and it takes 2 hours. But realistically they don't need to be maintained every year. Fair point that it has to be done at some point, probably every 3 years to keep the engine life up. So there is some time involved in the maintenance, or more likely for those who don't want to learn the basics maybe they have to send it to a mower shop.
I still think there is a hassle with maintaining the charge levels of cordless batteries and there are plenty of times I see rain coming and think 'I'll give the yard a quick mow before the grass gets wet' which I wouldn't be able to do with a battery-powered mower because I'm not the type of person to leave a battery on charge 24/7
@tomclancy:
LOL.. on so many occasions the battery in cordless tools go flat when you want to use them.why cant they all be powered by eneloops as well… solve my problems hahaha
LOL.. on so many occasions the battery in cordless tools go flat when you want to use them.
Exactly this
@tomclancy: Since I've had lithium battery tools (over 5 years) I haven't had that happen. Just got to charge after you use them, and it doesn't hurt to recharge a partially used battery, you don't need to wait for them to go flat. Lithiums should hold charge better than eneloops.
Of course it helps that I have lots of different tools and several batteries. They are fairly safe to leave on charge for a little as well. I often pop them on and forget about the for a day or three and they don't appear to have suffered yet.
To give you an opinion from the other side.. I've been using a 80V battery mower for 2 years now. Previously used a 24V 'Ecomower' for about 8 years.
I'd never go back to petrol mowing again if I had a choice. The amount of 'maintenance' I do with batteries is:
1) Sharpen the blade once a week before mowing (usually takes 30 seconds)
Thats it.
The modern batteries for these mowers are Li-ion - so you charge the battery when you are finished with using it and leave it on the shelf - it takes months to discharge (and you end up using it before then).
On the plus side:
- I don't bother buying petrol in small jerry cans (and deal with the fumes in the car)
- I don't have to store petrol at home
- I don't have to buy oil (if it was a 2 stroke)
- When mowing, I can actually talk to people over the mower.. it's really not too loud
- Reduced allergies due to mowing behind the fumes (i.e none) on a battery mower
If you had a really big block (> 1500 sqm) then I would concede that a good petrol mower, preferably self propelled or even a ride-on is probably a better deal. For the average/standard suburban block.. I'd pick a battery mower every day now..
10+ years of doing just that.
As a bonus, the battery is compatible with the chainsaw..
@jason andrade: Plus 1, only had my Ozito brusless 18v a fee months and I would be hard pressed going back to petrol. You did miss some points;
The mower is much lighter because there is less to it so its easier to push around and get in tight spaces (with the trade off being that its a bit narrower)
It should also last a very long time as no moving parts (and comes with a 5 year warranty)
Doesnt take up as much space in the shed
No pulling the cord to get it started. Pretty much anyone can use it. No need to maintain a battery for key start.
No smelling dirty exhaust while mowing
I love the electrical one, clean and less noise. use the 36V one, using the 5Amp battery. Bunning is good with battery warranty.
EGO electric power tools have a bit more grunt in my experience
https://egopowerplus.com.au/products/power-49cm-lawn-mower?b…yeah looked at those.. but was looking at getting a small collection of tools to run off the same batteries as well…
Bunning's have a lawn mower and leaf blower kit for $399
I have one and it always conks out on the 2nd highest setting.
I always have to start the grass on highest setting.With this mower you'll have to do multiple passes. Embarrassment when people drive past and it conks out or when the neighbour can hear that your machine just can't manage grass.
This model is not ready for prime time unfortunately. Not enough grunt.
It will work and will do the job if you can handle the annoyances that come with the machine.
If you mow every week and keep it low, it should be fine. Anything more than a week and it becomes annoying.IMHO: don't get one if u don't mow every week.
really… Hmm would that have something to do with the length of grass you are cutting…
It won't mind maintained grass but when you start getting big patches of grass in one specific area it will conk out. As you pass over big concentrated patches of grass, you'll hear the machine starts slowing down first then it conks out.
We have the 2x 18V model.
The last petrol lawn mower that I used did not have this problem.
hmmm the idea of a maintained lawn sounds good… but i'll probably get lazy…
I have been wondering how good these are for a long time. I like the fact it is so light and it has big carry handle on top, no maintenance and also can use with my existing one+ batteries. Wish they were a bit cheaper though, especially as it sounds like they would struggle in tough grass.
That is a fairly small lawn though so I can see why you are thinking a small cordless mower.
What sort of grass do you have? I think the 18v model will struggle with kikuyu or buffalo but be fine for cooch. I use the 18v line trimmer and it does the job, but again works hard with thicker patches. The 4ah battery will do about 260m of edging on one charge, including the thicker bits.
I have the 36v model and it will do the most with ease, but it struggles a bit with thick areas of buffalo or kikuyu if it is a bit long. When the going gets too tough it cuts out, but will always start back up if you clear the thick area. I have a 5ah battery that will do the whole yard (355m2) if its kept in check, but once the grass gets too long, I use a second smaller battery to finish it off.
I'm never going back to petrol yard equipment, battery is way better. No messy petrol or oil. Instant start and stop. Quieter, lighter. Tip it over to check the blades without spilling fuel. Lift it up over steps, retaining walls easily with no burns. Charge it when your done is about the only maintenance required.
The "18v" one uses 2 x 18v batteries for 36v.
The old one used to. The current one at bunnings seems to only have one battery. https://www.bunnings.com.au/ryobi-one-18v-4-0ah-lawn-mower-k…
I'd happily use a 2x18v one, but got a second hand 36v for $250.
Oh that sucks.. 18v will be a struggle to use.
I think its buffalo…
the previous owner had kept the lawn quite nice and manicured… so I was hoping that I wont be too lazy and continue doing so.. motivation is that most of the houses around me have nice gardens..
I have kikuyu and regret getting the 18v. Should've gone with the 36v as it struggles in certain patches (on a 4-5 setting).
At least get the 36v one that uses two 18v batteries together for versatility on other one+ tools. But yeah, lack of grunt if you leave your grass long or if it's wet.
I bought the EGO 56v one from Masters and it's been only good/OK performance. I mow frequently and sharpen blades and it still can't handle some thatchy areas. I will need to borrow a 4 stroke to scalp next year.
However I do like my EGO for its convenience. Store it upright to save space, no maintenance, battery lasts a while, half the loudness.
If you want cordless go for 36V in any brand. The old 18v spec doesnt last the distance. But you cant beat petrol lawn mowers.
But you cant beat petrol lawn mowers…
…for power. I reckon battery is better in every other aspect.
Oh yes. Thats why all the professionals use petrol. Perhaps you should let them know. Be prepared for a laugh
Petrol is more powerful, but battery is quieter, easier to start requires much less maintenance. They are also lighter and stop as soon as you let go of the handles. Ok, you can refill a petrol and keep it running for hours, but a battery powered that can do your lawn in one charge is enough run time to do your lawn as often as a householder would want to (even daily).
Yes, petrol is better for a professional because it need to run all day, everyday but that isn’t the case for home use.
No, it’s because they aren’t the most intelligent people on the planet
Check out AEGs video faking a 56v battery chainsaw for being petrol, to fool the petrol heads.
I can see where One Nation voters come from….
I have this one, used on an ~8x8m lawn so almost the same area. Not exactly sure what the grass i have is, but i think it's kikuyu.
Anyway, i love it. And it works a treat for me. I much prefer having electric - it's cleaner, simple, quieter, no need for storing combustible liquids, plus i know sfa about engines. If a petrol engine ever broke, i'd still have to pay someone to repair it, so the "petrol engines are better" mantra doesn't work for me. Sure, it'll never be as powerful as the 36v, or a petrol mower. But even if you manage 1 cut a week you'll have little drama with it i think. I'm still learning how to best maintain, I have a couple patches that are thicker, but i reckon that's thatch. If you thought you had a lot of that crap, you could hire a vertimower to clear it out. If / when it conks, just start it up again and carry on, takes 2 seconds! I've read that coming into late winter / early spring, you should cut lower (lowest i've cut so far is setting 3), then cut a bit higher (4 or 5) during summer for that lush look when it grows back. Takes me about 10 mins or less to cut. I can get two cuts from a full battery, unless i'm deliberately cutting lower. FYI, i notice that the battery drains if left in the mower when not in use, even with the key out. Don't know why, but would recommend removing it every time.
In addition to that, i have other ryobi 1+ tools that the battery works with, so it's even better.
tl;dr It is what it is. Have one, no regrets.
thanks, I bit the bullet and bought it… $399 in a combo with a blower and 4amp battery, and I also but a line trimmer with 2.5amp battery kit,
Let us know how you go. I'm considering getting one too!
not too bad… I mowed the lawn last night, I can see where people comment that it struggles if the grass is too long or you try to cut too much off at the same time.
you can see where the grass is slightly longer or thicker when you are mowing and you have to either slow the pace down and not force your way through it or raise the height of the cut and mow over twice. once at a high level and once at the desired level… I did that once and the other time I just lifted the front a little to get the top off and then go over it again.
I had about 40 square meters of lawn and the 4amp battery did that comfortably. but if you had only one battery and you wanted to use the blower and edge trimmer, you might be struggling, you would definitely need 2x 4amp batteries. the mower lasted about 30 minutes of mowing on the 4amp battery. having said that my lawn wasn't that long. I'm guessing the battery will be in a better condition as I get use to mowing with the mower and the grass is better maintained.
the grass looks well cut and not butchered by a blunt blade, having said that I would probably take the blades off and sharpen the hell out of them to get a better and clean cut especially where the mower struggles you can see the grass gets a bit torn and not cut.
if you have a small lawn and plan to maintain at least once every 2 weeks. then I would be an awesome tool. but if you are lazy and like to leave your grass long.. then a petrol mower will be best,
things I liked about it,
* relatively quiet compared to a petrol mower.. I could talk to my wife with a normal voice and not yell for us to have a brief conversation.
* light and very easy to manoeuvre
* no fuss and easy to start
* turns off straight away as soon as you lift the trigger
* collapsible catcher
*comes with mulcher attachmentthings I didn't like
* very plastic, would prefer if the height lever was metal. felt flimsy probably would be the first thing to break if you use it a lot.
* the wheels feel like a toy lawn mower,
* however the comments above contribute to the fact that it is plastic and that why it is so light,
* you need to constantly hold the trigger down.. no lock for the trigger however the trigger doesn't require a lot of force to hold down.
* haven't read the manual on how to clean the mower.. I would suspect you can still use a hose on it like a normal mower.Thanks for posting such a detailed review
I had one and sold it of. IF the grass is too long (10cm) and thick the machine will just go dead. I now have a Victa petrol mover and its so much better.
I’ve got it & use dual 5ah batteries
Handles long grass no problem.
Cuts a lot more than 60sqm
Dont't waste your money with this one.
Suggest u get one with electrical.