TLDR: A strong, sturdy, quiet battery mower for consumer lots under 1/3 acre.
***Since i've seen relatively few professional or consumer reviews for this mower, I wanted to be quite thorough for anyone considering it
I like this mower so much that i've stopped manual reel mowing.
About two months ago, I needed to replace my Toro Recycler gas mower because my father liked it so much that he essentially started keeping the mower at his house. I figured at the least, i'd just buy a new one for myself. Like many homeowners, i've migrated to battery OPE...with the exception of my mower. My last experience with a battery mower, a Kobalt, thoroughly underwhelmed me, but the battery mower market changed greatly in three years. I've got Ryobi and Milwaukee 18 volt equipment, and eventually, I figured that if the Milwaukee Mower wasn't powerful enough, then nothing else would be and I'd return to gas. My wife's only requirement: get the quietest mower you can find.
I walked into my local big box store with the intention of buying the Milwaukee, and then saw the Makita XGT 40V mower...on sale for $699. I didn't even realize that Makita had released a heavier duty, steel deck mower. After quickly scanning a few reviews, I discovered that the Makita had a dedicated quiet mode at 2300 rpm, which would allow me to mow early mornings and late evenings and avoid warmer parts of the day. So I shocked myself...on a whim, I walked out with the Makita, and figured if it didn't work out, id return it and go back to Toro gas. I couldn't justify spending $400 more on the Milwaukee no matter how much I tried to convince myself.
I'm glad I didn't convince myself.
And I can't believe i'm admitting this, but mulching aside, the Makita is better than my former Toro in every way. And that certainly isn't a knock against Toro--for nearly $1K before the applied sale, it should be better than my $429 Toro. But as I mentioned, the Makita does such a good job that i've stopped reel mowing with my Scotts 18" manual reel.
This mower rolls easier and more smoothly than any mower ive used. I didn't realize this when I bought it, but the wheels have bearings rather than simply rolling on the connecting bars. For flat yards on regular maintenance cuts (like my backyard), the self propel function isn't even a necessity. The self propel speed adjuster dials in very well, and it easily tracks straight ahead. Coming from a FWD mower, not having to manage torque steer like i'm driving a 300hp Civic is a nice change! This one is more like driving a Cadillac. Another nice touch--the self propel poses almost no resistance when not in use, so it's very easy to maneuver in tight spaces, mow small sections in reverse, etc.
The cut quality is outstanding. I'm mowing Centipede on the lowest setting (1.25"), and it leaves virtually no stragglers. The cut is shockingly flush for a rotary mower. I have to overlap about an inch because of the deck and wheel placement, but its a true 21" cut. The standard blade is designed for bagging and side discharge, and it does a great job lifting and bagging both tall and short grass. I've mowed my father's St. Augustine at a higher setting and it performed well there also. It's not an outstanding mulcher at lower mowing heights, which has been an adjustment for me coming from Toro, but the mower is so smooth and the cut quality is so good that adapting to bagging isn't an issue. One note--prepare to sharpen the blade before the first cut, as it's not sharp at all from the factory.
The ergonomics and small touches are very well laid out. I like the arrangement of the bail and self propel bars, and it's very easy to adjust to. All of the wires are protected and encased and there isn't any noticeable slack or sloppiness to them. The mulching plug tightly seals off the mower deck--no clippings come through. When bagging, the bagger flap seals tightly, and no clippings come through. My Toro nor my Kobalt could boast that. The mower offers three cutting modes--high speed/lift by default, automatic, and quiet mode. Aside from testing the other two modes, I cut on quiet mode all the time, and i've never wanted more power from the mower. On high speed, it's got enough power to cut thick, tall St. Augustine, and it chews through my Centipede like nothing's there. The quiet mode is startlingly quiet--if I don't mention anything to my wife, she doesn't even know i'm mowing the lawn. I can mow at 6 am and not wake up any neighbors, and at 7 p.m. and not disturb neighbors trying to enjoy outdoor activities. In comparison to two of my neighbors with a Craftsman and Ryobi mower, this one is much quieter.
It's not all perfect. The battery life and management system leave a lot to desire (though this doesn't detract from the mower's performance). I got the mower kit with 2 40V, 4ah batteries, and they cover my roughly 8500 sq ft. lawn when using quiet mode (which thankfully still has plenty of power). But for people with 10k+ sq ft, or for those who don't mow every 2-3 days like I do, that kit won't suffice. You can upgrade to a kit with 2 40V, 8ah batteries, which of course comes with an upgraded price. Makita also offers a 36V version with 4 18V, 5ah batteries at the same price, but i'm not sure if that's the exact same mower. Nevertheless, considering that it essentially comes with a 40V, 8ah battery, the battery life is underwhelming. The mower also automatically cuts power down when the battery reaches 10% or less, but won't automatically switch to the fresher battery, which is quite a flaw. So by that math, each battery more closely approximates 3.6ah, not 4 ah. Because i'm currently mowing two additional smaller yards, I had to purchase two more 4ah batteries...which isn't a problem considering I got the mower on sale, so the price evens out.
That's another detriment with this mower--the price when not on sale is $999 for the kit with 2 4ah batteries. I can't say that's worth it for a contractor who needs a push mower for smaller side lots and parkways. I'm not sure it's worth it for the average homeowner with 1/4 acre who mows once every 5-7 days and isn't utilizing a low HOC. I'm also not sure it's worth $200+ more than a Toro SR 60V, and at $999, I don't know if the savings is worth it over the Milwaukee Mower either.
What I can say is this--I absolutely love it. For the average homeowner that wants a powerful, very quiet battery mower with a steel deck and smooth operation, I find this mower very difficult to surpass. This might be a very particular niche, but this is a particularly great mower.
***Since i've seen relatively few professional or consumer reviews for this mower, I wanted to be quite thorough for anyone considering it
I like this mower so much that i've stopped manual reel mowing.
About two months ago, I needed to replace my Toro Recycler gas mower because my father liked it so much that he essentially started keeping the mower at his house. I figured at the least, i'd just buy a new one for myself. Like many homeowners, i've migrated to battery OPE...with the exception of my mower. My last experience with a battery mower, a Kobalt, thoroughly underwhelmed me, but the battery mower market changed greatly in three years. I've got Ryobi and Milwaukee 18 volt equipment, and eventually, I figured that if the Milwaukee Mower wasn't powerful enough, then nothing else would be and I'd return to gas. My wife's only requirement: get the quietest mower you can find.
I walked into my local big box store with the intention of buying the Milwaukee, and then saw the Makita XGT 40V mower...on sale for $699. I didn't even realize that Makita had released a heavier duty, steel deck mower. After quickly scanning a few reviews, I discovered that the Makita had a dedicated quiet mode at 2300 rpm, which would allow me to mow early mornings and late evenings and avoid warmer parts of the day. So I shocked myself...on a whim, I walked out with the Makita, and figured if it didn't work out, id return it and go back to Toro gas. I couldn't justify spending $400 more on the Milwaukee no matter how much I tried to convince myself.
I'm glad I didn't convince myself.
And I can't believe i'm admitting this, but mulching aside, the Makita is better than my former Toro in every way. And that certainly isn't a knock against Toro--for nearly $1K before the applied sale, it should be better than my $429 Toro. But as I mentioned, the Makita does such a good job that i've stopped reel mowing with my Scotts 18" manual reel.
This mower rolls easier and more smoothly than any mower ive used. I didn't realize this when I bought it, but the wheels have bearings rather than simply rolling on the connecting bars. For flat yards on regular maintenance cuts (like my backyard), the self propel function isn't even a necessity. The self propel speed adjuster dials in very well, and it easily tracks straight ahead. Coming from a FWD mower, not having to manage torque steer like i'm driving a 300hp Civic is a nice change! This one is more like driving a Cadillac. Another nice touch--the self propel poses almost no resistance when not in use, so it's very easy to maneuver in tight spaces, mow small sections in reverse, etc.
The cut quality is outstanding. I'm mowing Centipede on the lowest setting (1.25"), and it leaves virtually no stragglers. The cut is shockingly flush for a rotary mower. I have to overlap about an inch because of the deck and wheel placement, but its a true 21" cut. The standard blade is designed for bagging and side discharge, and it does a great job lifting and bagging both tall and short grass. I've mowed my father's St. Augustine at a higher setting and it performed well there also. It's not an outstanding mulcher at lower mowing heights, which has been an adjustment for me coming from Toro, but the mower is so smooth and the cut quality is so good that adapting to bagging isn't an issue. One note--prepare to sharpen the blade before the first cut, as it's not sharp at all from the factory.
The ergonomics and small touches are very well laid out. I like the arrangement of the bail and self propel bars, and it's very easy to adjust to. All of the wires are protected and encased and there isn't any noticeable slack or sloppiness to them. The mulching plug tightly seals off the mower deck--no clippings come through. When bagging, the bagger flap seals tightly, and no clippings come through. My Toro nor my Kobalt could boast that. The mower offers three cutting modes--high speed/lift by default, automatic, and quiet mode. Aside from testing the other two modes, I cut on quiet mode all the time, and i've never wanted more power from the mower. On high speed, it's got enough power to cut thick, tall St. Augustine, and it chews through my Centipede like nothing's there. The quiet mode is startlingly quiet--if I don't mention anything to my wife, she doesn't even know i'm mowing the lawn. I can mow at 6 am and not wake up any neighbors, and at 7 p.m. and not disturb neighbors trying to enjoy outdoor activities. In comparison to two of my neighbors with a Craftsman and Ryobi mower, this one is much quieter.
It's not all perfect. The battery life and management system leave a lot to desire (though this doesn't detract from the mower's performance). I got the mower kit with 2 40V, 4ah batteries, and they cover my roughly 8500 sq ft. lawn when using quiet mode (which thankfully still has plenty of power). But for people with 10k+ sq ft, or for those who don't mow every 2-3 days like I do, that kit won't suffice. You can upgrade to a kit with 2 40V, 8ah batteries, which of course comes with an upgraded price. Makita also offers a 36V version with 4 18V, 5ah batteries at the same price, but i'm not sure if that's the exact same mower. Nevertheless, considering that it essentially comes with a 40V, 8ah battery, the battery life is underwhelming. The mower also automatically cuts power down when the battery reaches 10% or less, but won't automatically switch to the fresher battery, which is quite a flaw. So by that math, each battery more closely approximates 3.6ah, not 4 ah. Because i'm currently mowing two additional smaller yards, I had to purchase two more 4ah batteries...which isn't a problem considering I got the mower on sale, so the price evens out.
That's another detriment with this mower--the price when not on sale is $999 for the kit with 2 4ah batteries. I can't say that's worth it for a contractor who needs a push mower for smaller side lots and parkways. I'm not sure it's worth it for the average homeowner with 1/4 acre who mows once every 5-7 days and isn't utilizing a low HOC. I'm also not sure it's worth $200+ more than a Toro SR 60V, and at $999, I don't know if the savings is worth it over the Milwaukee Mower either.
What I can say is this--I absolutely love it. For the average homeowner that wants a powerful, very quiet battery mower with a steel deck and smooth operation, I find this mower very difficult to surpass. This might be a very particular niche, but this is a particularly great mower.
