Greenworks has moved through a seeming identity crisis since their initial 40V line hit the market with solid success. We’ve seen 24V, 80V, 82V (part of their commercial series), and now 60V. To be fair, Greenworks has been part of the lithium-ion OPE conversation from very early on and the multiple voltages are the result of working on separate solutions for Pros and consumers. So where does the new Greenworks 60V lawn mower fit into that conversation? And more importantly, how well does it perform?
Before we can answer those questions, we need to consider the mower as a whole – its feature set and how well it cuts in a variety of conditions. There’s nothing new to that methodology if you’re a PTR regular, so let’s jump right in.
Key Features
Battery Platform
As the name tells you, the Greenworks 60V lawn mower is on a new 60V platform. It’s not compatible with any of the other voltages you may see from the brand. Greenworks (via parent company Hongkong Sun Rise Trading) is sharing their 40V and 80V lines with Kobalt, but the 60V line seems to be Greenworks alone. That’s a positive move in my opinion. It eliminates confusion over different price points, battery compatibility, and minor design differences.
Greenworks calls the 60V platform their Pro line, but they clearly state that it targets homeowners. That might be a little confusing, but talk to any commercial lawn care crew and you’re unlikely to see a push mower on the trailer. So this is more a product for the needs of homeowners that want better performance than you need for a small 1/8 acre city lot.
There are several batteries available on the 60V line – 2.0, 2.5 and a 5.0 amp hour. While it’s not available separately, a 4.0 amp hour pack comes with the kit. Presumably, the 4.0 is upgrading to the 5.0 and is being discontinued. The mowers are likely being kitted with the 4.0’s that are still in the factory until they’re gone or were simply already packaged up with the mower and ready for sale.
Brushless Motor
It’s 2017 – if you’re buying cordless OPE without a brushless motor , it’s time to ask why. Greenworks packs a brushless motor in this unit, extending runtime, lifespan, and eliminating the need to replace carbon brushes.
3 Discharge Options
For some reason, several mowers on the market are either bag/side discharge or bag/mulch only. Greenworks has the power to do the mulching and also gives you the option to bag your clippings or use a side discharge.
21-inch Steel Deck
The deck is steel construction. That means it’s going to be heavier than the plastic options out there. But like most material decisions, that’s a tradeoff. If you live in an area where there’s sand, it will eat through the plastic deck of any mower eventually. That’s a consistent issue in Florida with their sugar sand and I have to content with the Georgia clay. Even though the mower weighs more, it still rolls well. Greenworks reduces the friction in the wheels enough to overcome that weight. And overall, there’s a nice stiffness to the build that’s even a notch better than my gas mower.
A 21-inch deck is somewhat of a luxury with a cordless lawn mower. Most are still in the 18 – 20-inch range. While the deck is 21 inches in diameter, the blade is a little smaller, measuring closer to 20 inches. Still, every extra inch means fewer passes with the mower before it’s cold beer time!
Cutting Positions
You get 7 cutting heights to work with ranging from 1-3/8 to 3-3/4 inches. Like many cordless mowers on the market, the Greenworks 60V lawn mower features an easy-to-use lever to move the entire deck up or down. This is an obvious benefit over other mowers that require an adjustment on each wheel.
Fold Up Design
Like many cordless mowers, the frame folds up on this model as well. The handle doesn’t collapse or telescope down like some, but it does make the footprint more compact for storage. There’s a simple twist pin to release the handle and swing it forward. Release the pin and it locks in the storage position.
Performance
The mower arrived just a couple of weeks before my wedding. I had let my lawn grow a little too much and there was also yard work to do at the farm where my wife is a riding and drill team instructor. The wedding was hosted on the farm, so it had to look as perfect as we could make it.
My lawn is mostly bahiagrass and with all the rain coming through, it’s been growing fast. With the grass well over 6 inches tall, it took everything the mower has to cut through it. Most of the time, I had to slow down as I cut. You can hear the brushless motor adjust to the higher workload. Working that hard definitely affected my runtime, but I didn’t hit thermal shutdown for either the battery or mower. As a point of comparison, the Greenworks 60V mower cuts through that high grass just about as well as my gas push mower.
The lawn around the farm house is mostly Bermuda grass and this just needed a normal maintenance cut. Here, the Greenworks 60V lawn mower really shined. The ease of pushing the mower was obvious and it did a great job making a clean cut. Even my 10-year old nephew was able to help out a bit (with supervision, of course). It didn’t need to push into too high a power level to adjust.
When it comes to runtime, it’s all about how high the grass is. Greenworks claims you can mow up to an hour with that 4.0 amp hour battery. But with my experience, 45 minutes is a more reasonable expectation with how quickly the grass is growing right now.
The Bottom Line
Greenworks did a nice job with their new mower. It’s easy to push, maneuvers well, and has the power to handle maintenance cutting with ease. I really like having 3 discharge options to cover a variety of needs and the fold up design.
Like any cordless mower currently on the market, you want to keep your grass level reasonable. Cutting thick, overgrown grass isn’t in any cordless mower’s wheelhouse at the moment. If you do get into a situation where the grass is too tall, take your time and cut half swaths. It will take more time, but the Greenworks 60V lawn mower has enough power to use that method and it will help alleviate thermal shutdown.
If you have Greenworks 60V batteries, you’re looking at $269 for just the mower. The kit with charger and 4.0 amp hour battery is $399, which is right in the middle of this class. While there are other cordless mowers out there that may be lighter weight, have more power, a lower price, or more features, this is a nice balance somewhere in the middle.
From what I’ve seen so far, it looks like the 60V line from Greenworks is going to be their best all-around system for homeowners. I’d recommend it for lawns in the 1/4-acre range. If you’ve got a second battery, it’s a good fit for up to a 1/2-acre.
Greenworks 60V Lawn Mower Manufacturer’s Key Features
- Provides the power you need with up to 60 minutes of run time on a fully charged 4Ah battery*
- High efficiency brushless motor engineered to provide more power, torque, quiet operation and longer motor life.
- 21″ Steel deck provide durability
- High-efficiency brushless motor maximizes runtime and extends motor life
- 3-1 feature offers mulching, rear bagging or side discharge capabilities
- Push start engine provides quick, effortless startups and eliminates the hassle of pull-cord starts
- 4Ah Li-Ion battery and charger included
Greenworks 60V Lawn Mower Specifications
- Model: Greenworks MO60L410
- Power Source: Greenworks 60V Battery Pack (4 AH Included)
- Run Time: Up to 60 Minutes
- Deck Size: 21″
- Deck Material: Steel
- Cutting Heights: 7 Positions
- Vertical Storage: Yes
- Smart Cut Technology: Yes
- Discharge Features: 3-in-1, Side Discharge, Mulch, Bag
- Tool Warranty: 4 Years
- Battery Warranty: 2 Years
- Price: $399
