EGO 52" Electric Zero Turn Mower - An Ongoing Review

[MegaVan]

I "fired" the mower up this spring. There were no issues. No squeaky bearings or anything.

My batteries had self discharged so I threw them in the mower and ran around cutting high spots as my lawn started growing unevenly.

Then I gave it a full charge. Since then I have done two full mows on the property and tooled around doing work for 4-6 hours. This brought the battery down to 12%.

I would say there is little to no battery degradation at this time.

Just a short update.

 

[billconner]

Did you leave batteries in mower - subject to freezing temps - or stow inside for winter? Apologies if you said.

 

[MegaVan]

Did you leave batteries in mower - subject to freezing temps - or stow inside for winter? Apologies if you said.

No. Once the weather turned I pulled them and put them in the basement. They're probably exposed to a couple freezing nights a year that I cannot control, but since they don't charge or discharge during that time and it's not a deep freeze I'm hoping they're OK.

Since I'm lazy I just drive the mower up to the basement door and leave two batteries in to drive it back to the shed. Then I only have to carry 2 batteries back to the basement and not 6.

 

[Steve_P]

Good review. I recently bought an Ego blower and am impressed; it has more power than my ancient handheld Echo PB200 2 cycle blower. I have a .57 acre lot with 700+ feet of edging to do (lot is in the center of a "circle"), and it's no problem for it to clean everything up after trimming and edging. I do have leaves to deal with, so I'll still need the Echo, but it's so nice to just grab the Ego and blow off the driveway, deck, porch, garage floor in a minute or three. And to not smell like 2 cycle exhaust fumes when finished!

 

[MegaVan]

I thought I was going to fully deplete the battery last night. Mowed the full property twice (2 acres) and used it for hauling bricks around and a few other around the yard tasks.

The battery got down to 5% but it kept on mowing. I thought the shutoff was around 6 or 7% but I guess not.

When I pulled into the shed, 5 of the 6 batteries were blinking red (empty).

 

[mike93lx]

I thought I was going to fully deplete the battery last night. Mowed the full property twice (2 acres) and used it for hauling bricks around and a few other around the yard tasks.

The battery got down to 5% but it kept on mowing. I thought the shutoff was around 6 or 7% but I guess not.

When I pulled into the shed, 5 of the 6 batteries were blinking red (empty).

Did it slow down? On my walk behind, it noticeably throttles back when the battery is nearly dead

 

[bluedog225]

Subscribed. Glad it’s working out. I hear not great warranty service and I’m hoping you have good luck if something comes up.

 

[MegaVan]

Did it slow down? On my walk behind, it noticeably throttles back when the battery is nearly dead

I didn't have any slow down. It's possible that the 12AH batteries have a higher amperage output from the BMS.

It's also possible that if I had the blades on high and the speed on high I could have noticed more.

 

[FMC1959]

We are into July, any updates or new feedback to relate? BTW, thanks for all the info to date.

Knowing what you know now, if you were to do it all over again, would you buy the Ego again, a gas or diesel ZTR, or gone back to a tractor style mower, like your previous Kubota.

 

[MegaVan]

We are into July, any updates or new feedback to relate? BTW, thanks for all the info to date.

Knowing what you know now, if you were to do it all over again, would you buy the Ego again, a gas or diesel ZTR, or gone back to a tractor style mower, like your previous Kubota.

We are in July now.

I'll have to check the hour meter on the mower.

Only new thing is I ran into a piece of rebar on the last mow. No lasting damage but I'm planning to buy a set of blades to swap out - so I'll be interested to see how that procedure goes compared to the Kubota.

There's no apparent battery degradation - I end with between 30% and 60% charge left depending on the mow (wet, long, etc) - I'm not usually in any rush so the 60% is when I'm speeding along and the 30% is when I'm going slow and careful and avoiding kids etc.

I pulled the Handozer around the driveway again and cleaned it up. Still no issues with that either.

If I started again - I'd go with the Ego again, they've been $500-1,000 off this summer. I don't miss the maintenance, the belts, the fuel transport in the Mini Cooper.

I gave the Kubota to a young man this year and he's stoked. I don't care if he sells it but going through the procedure with him I realized all I was doing to keep it alive. It still started and ran well but there was a lot of "no, no, the glow plugs only run if you have the key just so, listen for the fuel pump running to confirm", "you'll need diesel 911 as this is the first tank of the summer", "ah, look one of the PTO belts is worn, you'll need one of those, here is the part number", "just watch the temperature gauge if it is working and if it hits the red mark park in the shade for a bit".

I miss the tractor, I don't miss the associated items.

Alternatively to above I'd consider a B-series sized tractor as a multi tool - I just don't have the barn to house it yet.

No regrets from me so far.

 

[weldtoride]

Thank you for sharing your real experiences with this mower.

Would you care to update since last July?

Like you, I am nursing a great old lawn tractor, a gasoline Cub 1864 hydrostatic unit that was far from new when the century calendar turned pages. I regularly mow 2-3 acres and occasionally knock down more.

My vintage mower consumes a lot of my time out of the seat, but I do all my own repairs and know it inside out and intimately. Not necessarily a good thing, however, as my time out-of-seat on it some years is considerable, and never at a convenient time.

My better half bought an electric push mower (Ryobi) to replace our 30 year pusher to trim around different areas 2 years ago, and I am sold on little electric push mowers. No messing around each spring with tune-ups, quieter, etc, all good.

I'm getting tired of breathing old mower fumes also.

However the jump to an electric rider is a bigger gamble, and I appreciate reading your experiences so far, thank you.

 

[Retired dozer fixer]

How many of these so called planet savers are going to be working in 10-20 or years? Seems like most of you run mowers that long or more. I know I do. At 10-20K for replacement that is something I don’t do often

 

[billconner]

Electric motors seem to last much longer than ICE. And these are right at $6000 now.

 

[Buckaroo5]

I have the carbon fiber pole saw, 18" chain saw, blower, hedge trimmer and grass trimmer that I started accumulating 7 years ago. Great tools - I run them with two 2.5Ah and one 5 Ah batteries. The chainsaw really won't run on the 2.5's. I just put a new chain on the chain saw and bought the Oregon equivalent - cuts like new. My pole saw which is the newer model uses a 56 link chain (older model uses 40) and seems that Ego is the only one selling it at the moment. I would like to get some add'l batteries down the road but they are expensive. Does anyone have any info on how long they last?

 

[billconner]

I have exactly the tools you list and no problem in several years. I'm expecting 8-10 years.

 

[mike93lx]

How many of these so called planet savers are going to be working in 10-20 or years? Seems like most of you run mowers that long or more. I know I do. At 10-20K for replacement that is something I don’t do often

Running electric OPE isn't just about being a tree hugger. There are other benefits, like noise and maintenance

 

[Steve_P]

I agree that the battery riders or zero turns are a bit of a gamble right now. I have several neighbors that have older gas riding mowers and have switched to battery push mowers for the small areas, and then battery trimmers and blowers. My neighbor across the street is obsessed with his yard and has a backpack Stihl 2 cycle blower and runs it incessantly- probably 100+ hours a year; the noise drives me nuts sometimes.

 

[Packard V8]

I've mowed fifty years with three ICE riding mowers. Looking back, the maintenance has usually on the electrics, not the mechanicals.

I'm at the stage now, should the Toro ZT die, it will be less expensive to hire the mowing than to invest $6k in another mower.

jack vines

 

[Retired dozer fixer]

Running electric OPE isn't just about being a tree hugger. There are other benefits, like noise and maintenance

So your electric OPE will still be working in 20 years? Will your electric chargers for your cars and tools work when the grid collapses because it’s a hot day and everyone turns on their air conditioning?? How’s that working out??

 

[mike93lx]

So your electric OPE will still be working in 20 years? Will your electric chargers for your cars and tools work when the grid collapses because it’s a hot day and everyone turns on their air conditioning?? How’s that working out??

I have no idea if it will and I don't care if I have to replace it in 20 years. That's not my top priority, but it may be yours.

You clearly have no interest in an actual discussion on this, so why bother? Go troll somewhere else

 

[Retired dozer fixer]

You can have your opinion but I can’t??

 

[mike93lx]

You can have your opinion but I can’t??

Yes, that is exactly what I said

 

[Retired dozer fixer]

Yes, that is exactly what I said

So don’t be saying I’m a troll. Merely stating an opinion. Just because I don’t agree with you? Everyone has opinions and they share them here every day

 

[billconner]

I have a lot of electric and electronic stuff over 20 years - some over 50 - that works fine. Not worried.

 

[ATC]

Electric makes sense to some people. Definitely not for me though. I don't think the OP was fair in using a $10k Kubota as a comparable model, as a <$2k box store ICE mower would easily do his yard for many years.

 

[ATC]

I have a lot of electric and electronic stuff over 20 years - some over 50 - that works fine. Not worried.

It's the batteries that one should "worry" about. I think we all know how many bench/pedestal grinders, mills, lathes, etc., are out there that are 50+ years old and working fine.

Although some of the circuit boards and sensors on the newer stuff could easily become obsolete... planned obsolescence and all...

 

[mike93lx]

So don’t be saying I’m a troll. Merely stating an opinion. Just because I don’t agree with you? Everyone has opinions and they share them here every day

You are trolling. Worrying about power when people turn on air conditioning? It's a ridiculous strawman argument against something you perceive as being pushed on environmental grounds. The same FUD used against EV crowds

 

[JeepYJ]

So your electric OPE will still be working in 20 years? Will your electric chargers for your cars and tools work when the grid collapses because it’s a hot day and everyone turns on their air conditioning?? How’s that working out??

Here’s a crazy idea- we make more electricity to meet demand. Problem solved.
If you’re really concerned you could even make your own electricity.

 

[weldtoride]

Here’s a crazy idea.........you could even make your own electricity.

Not crazy, as one of the many facets of my electric mower hunt is that I am also looking hard at solar electric panels for my yard. A tough hunt, as apparently there are some shifty companies out there right now.

Since I am in Illinois, the grid has to accept every watt I would produce, but only pay me (wholesale, I know) for up to the amount I use that month. The more watts I use, the more the solar pays for itself.

I installed dual function mini-splits 3 years back as this old farmhouse never had A/C, so currently using more juice there (but lot less propane), and any more increased electrical use would help offset initial solar cost.

As mentioned above, I see other plusses from electric mowers like fuel savings, noise reduction, yearly maintenance, etc.

I do concede that battery replacement will be a significant cost, one that is trending down, however.

My biggest concern regarding electric riders now isn't the motor: electric motors are long-proven entities as many above have stated. A huge concern for me is the electronics. I spent several years as a line tech for 2 different auto manufacturers and know that simply diagnosing a computer problem can often require proprietary diagnostic equipment.

Ask a farmer right now about R2R, "right 2 repair" and ask about wait time for some John Deere electronic parts...…

 

[JeepYJ]

My biggest concern regarding electric riders now isn't the motor: electric motors are long-proven entities as many above have stated. A huge concern for me is the electronics. I spent several years as a line tech for 2 different auto manufacturers and know that simply diagnosing a computer problem can often require proprietary diagnostic equipment.

Ask a farmer right now about R2R, "right 2 repair" and ask about wait time for some John Deere electronic parts...…

I don’t think a basic lawnmower is going to be affected by R2R. The locked down parts of equipment is typically emissions devices and fuel systems and transmissions. Basically the things they don’t want someone unlocking and tuning which could void warranties and make other parts of the machine overworked. Electronics on an electric lawnmower would be basic and basically disposable replaceable parts, IMO.

 

[weldtoride]

"Electronics on an electric lawnmower would be basic and basically disposable replaceable parts, IMO."

Absolutely agreed, 100%.

But how do I know which electronic component is faulty? Can't afford to replace them one at a time until I pass go. Can't pop into AutoZone for a free code reading.

R2R isn't really about emissions for farm equipment, it's about $$

"Until recently, manufacturer restrictions meant only company-authorized representatives could own and use diagnostic tools and make fixes when needed." (emphasis mine)

Several pieces of legislation are floating, some national, some state level. Here's Illinois' version: "The Illinois bill (SB2669) proposes to establish an agricultural equipment bill of rights. It would require manufacturers to make software, firmware and all other tools needed to repair machines accessible to independent repair shops and owners throughout the state at a reasonable cost."

As for the status of Illinois' bill, remember that John Deere is headquartered in Illinois: "The bill is languishing at the statehouse. According to a spokesperson from the Illinois Corn Growers Association in an email to Investigate Midwest, there’s no chance the bill will pass this year."

The above quotes from: https://wisconsinwatch.org/2024/04/...' long fight for the,say the tools fall short.

I can and do, diagnose my F100 or my Outback with an over the counter scanner, of which there are dozens to choose from. Can I do the same with an $5k on up electric mower?

So, if I can't, what's a service call gonna cost? Minimally I would have to trailer it to a guy.

And about that guy: FWIW, last year I looked at Ryobi riders b/c our small Ryobi battery lawn stuff was absolutely great. We have some EGO as well, and also trouble-free. HD sells Ryobi but cant service it. So I called independent local (40 mile radius) Ryobi service centers that were listed on Ryobi's site. None of the service centers did rider mowers yet, and one guy said he just quit Ryobi brand altogether b/c they weren't paying him on all his claims.

Then looked at battery Cub Cadets, as my old ICE Cub has been chugging along like a tractor, but a very old one. First of all the nearest Cub dealer now is 35 minutes away, and he actually steered me away from battery: "too new" The only Cub service center I found after lots of phone calls that had actually worked on one so far said he's only done one warranty claim, and that mower had 3 trailer rides within the first 50 hours of operation.

I feel fully up to servicing my own battery mower post-warrantee, but will the information and parts be accessible to me?

Why do I feel like I'm talking myself out of this....

 

[JeepYJ]

"Until recently, manufacturer restrictions meant only company-authorized representatives could own and use diagnostic tools and make fixes when needed." (emphasis mine)

CNH, Deere, Kubota etc all have proprietary programming that require a subscription and special hardware to diagnose problems and make repairs on certain parts. This has been brought up here on GJ countless times.
Unless you really know what you're doing you won’t be able to fix it even with all the special tools. Thats not unlike most modern vehicles today.

 

[Steve_P]

This is an Ego mower review thread. Not a debate thread on battery OPE. Don't ruin the OPs thread and have it locked. Start another thread to debate the merits of battery tools.

 

[Uofime]

Not crazy, as one of the many facets of my electric mower hunt is that I am also looking hard at solar electric panels for my yard. A tough hunt, as apparently there are some shifty companies out there right now.

Since I am in Illinois, the grid has to accept every watt I would produce, but only pay me (wholesale, I know) for up to the amount I use that month. The more watts I use, the more the solar pays for itself.

I installed dual function mini-splits 3 years back as this old farmhouse never had A/C, so currently using more juice there (but lot less propane), and any more increased electrical use would help offset initial solar cost.

As mentioned above, I see other plusses from electric mowers like fuel savings, noise reduction, yearly maintenance, etc.

From OPs report they’re using a little under 3kWh at most to mow their 2 acre yard. If you mow weekly and have a similar rate to me at 0.15$/kWh thats 1.80 a month.
That’s pretty similar to what I see, 300Wh for a third acre.
The electric stuff really does not use that much energy, they are way more efficient than gas stuff.

 

[mike93lx]

From OPs report they’re using a little under 3kWh at most to mow their 2 acre yard. If you mow weekly and have a similar rate to me at 0.15$/kWh thats 1.80 a month.
That’s pretty similar to what I see, 300Wh for a third acre.
The electric stuff really does not use that much energy, they are way more efficient than gas stuff.

When I was mowing mine, I was a little under 1kwh for my 1 acre lot. That included mowing, blowing and trimming and my rate is about 13.5c, so the total year was around $5-6

 

[weldtoride]

Uofime and mike931x, thanks for the numbers!

New rider of some sort is a definite. I am convinced maintenance and energy will be much less with electric, just concerned about break downs and my access to have it fixed if under warrantee, or of available info for me to fix it afterwards.

My old tractor and gas push mower sucked up well over $125 in fuel and oil the season I tracked it on approx 3 acres. That was several seasons ago. Add in trips to nearest Cub dealer (25 mi each way) for parts I needed in a hurry: more time and fuel.

Living with my old Cub has taught me breakdowns are to be expected, hopefully whatever new mower I end up with will re-program me...

 

[tak1313]

So for those who use electric zero-turns, I have two questions.

HISTORY. I normally clear our driveway (about 100ft) with a snow blower, but have used a plow mounted on a garden tractor in the past. Lately, I've been contemplating finding a used zero-turn and mounting a blade on one of those for two primary reasons - maneuverability, and the weight is at the right place (over the driven wheels) - plus it seems like it would be fun.

FIRST QUESTION. For those who have used a zero-turn with a snow blade - does it work well (I don't mind adding chains to the wheels)?

SECOND QUESTION. Would something like the EGO work - does it have enough power to push snow? I would assume so, given my garden tractor used to do it. How does it/would it do given that battery capacity goes down quite a bit in cold weather?

 

[Odd-job]

Hopefully OP hasn't forgotten this great thread they started.

Curious if anyone is running into any battery pack out of balance/degradation issues. My Milwaukee push mower definitely notices the tired battery packs as the weakest cog. Guessing a good rotation schedule is key, but with some of these multi tool battery platforms plus users with a lot of batteries with various life cycles it can be slightly more painful matching good batteries (not sure if this Ego mower runs off of one pack at a time?). I'm thinking of some sort of tiered system with the weaker batteries being left on single battery tools where the run time doesn't bother me.

 

[weldtoride]

FWIW, today I walked in the back door of a large Ace that sells EGO, and does a high volume of small engine services. I asked the tech about EGO riders, and he gave a thumbs-up. This tech also bashed a brand of ICE mowers I mentioned. Figure his opinions were honest b/c the brand he bashed is sold by Ace.

 

[MegaVan]

FWIW, today I walked in the back door of a large Ace that sells EGO, and does a high volume of small engine services. I asked the tech about EGO riders, and he gave a thumbs-up. This tech also bashed a brand of ICE mowers I mentioned. Figure his opinions were honest b/c the brand he bashed is sold by Ace.

Sorry to delay a response to you. I take a couple weeks off and things go crazy.

This is exactly what I did. Our ace has a very large OPE and sells more ICE OPE than your average ACE. I asked how many sold and how many serviced. They had 6 sold - 0 serviced and one bad battery (determined within the first month of ownership).

They are capable to work on it at their facility.

I don't miss having a gas can. The mower is always filled when I need it to be. I draws 12-14 amps so it's about the same as any heavy draw appliance. My grid has never failed due to plugging it in.

Charge time is ~2 hours.

Realistically it'll do 2-3 acres in one mow. If you have a wide open smooth field you could maybe milk it to 5 acres as advertised. I don't find myself in a rush so it always uses a bit more energy, but I had that expectation when I bought it. If I had more land I'd just mow on multiple days or twice on a Saturday. I had to do that more than once with an overheating Kubota.

I put the mulch kit on because I don't clean up clippings. That uses a small amount more as well. In total I'm still using pennies and I haven't run out for fuel in 2 years. I haven't worked on the mower, and most importantly, my wife is comfortable operating it.

These draw from two batteries at a time. I've run full speed and blades on level 5 (technically 4+?) for 20 minutes and the batteries still don't warm up.

I haven't had to think about anything. That's been really nice.

There are still some traction issues - I don't care about my lawn enough for that to matter. There are also reviewers who say it can plow through any thickness grass like a diesel. It cannot. I have some very thick areas by the road runoff that get full south and west sun, I do have to slow down for those areas as they can trigger the overload on the motors.

I'd do it again. But that's just me. Do you have any other specific questions I can support?