Why TikTok Is Obsessed With The Kobalt Electric Lawn Mower
If you're in the market for a new lawn mower, you may be wondering how to figure out which is the right type of lawn mower for your grass and property. You may be tempted to consider a battery-powered device rather than a gas-powered device. After all, cordless battery models have improved significantly compared to those from several years ago, thanks in large part to improvements in the battery technology. In addition to not needing gasoline, battery lawn mowers have fewer maintenance requirements, as you don't have to replace the oil, air filters, and belts. These models do not create emissions because they don't emit carbon monoxide and other dangerous gasses. They're also quieter, as the electric lawn mower produces about 75 decibels of noise, while the gas-powered model produces about 95 decibels.
In fact, battery mowers are becoming popular enough that they're being featured regularly on sites like TikTok, where users put the devices through real-world cutting conditions. One of the mowers that is receiving a lot of attention is the Kobalt Gen4 40-Volt 20-Inch Cordless Push Mower, which is available at Lowe's for about $219 without the battery and charger and about $349 with the battery and charger. The product includes a bag, too. Are the TikTok videos fully explaining the benefits of this model, or are there some drawbacks to it? We'll discuss the pros and cons.
What do TikTok users especially like about the Kobalt battery-powered mower?
TikTok user Jennyfromthablok said that the Kobalt mower ran for an hour and took care of both the front and back yard on a single charge. Additionally, there's no need to struggle with pulling a handle on a rope to start it, as it simply begins running by pushing a button. There's no worry about having to have gas on hand, although you do need to have a fully charged battery ready to go.
Rather than making a rumble like you'd have with a gas-powered motor, the Kobalt electric mower makes more of a high-pitched humming noise, according to TikTok user Mommabearr67. This TikTok user liked the reduced noise with this model, saying it did not scare the dogs like some traditional gas-powered lawn mowers do, and also appreciated the long battery life that it provided.
TikTok user POG_Actual_1169 made a longer video showing the Kobalt lawn mower in action for both a front and back yard session. This video also shows off the 40V Kobalt battery-powered trimmer (available for about $100 at Lowe's without a battery) and the Kobalt leaf blower (available for about $100 at Lowe's without a battery) to help with the finishing touches and cleanup after mowing. All of these Kobalt devices can run from the same battery, which makes having the entire system extremely convenient.
Are there some drawbacks to the Kobalt battery-powered lawn mower?
While the TikTok videos focus on the positive aspects of the Kobalt Gen4 Electric Lawn Mower, such models do have some drawbacks. Some of the customers at Lowe's who left negative online reviews of this model pointed out that the battery life simply wasn't enough to allow the entire lawn to be cut before needing a recharge. Some users reported that the battery began to be unable to hold a full charge after a few uses, leaving it unable to complete the job on one charge. Other users were unhappy with the power for cutting that the lawn mower provided, saying that it required multiple passes to cut longer grass. (It is important to note that most of the customer reviews of this Kobalt battery lawn mower on the Lowe's website are positive, similar to what the TikTok users experienced.)
Most websites that published longer online reviews of the Kobalt lawn mower were pleased with the overall performance, especially for homeowners with average-sized yards. However, there were some drawbacks mentioned. One review pointed out that the 20-inch mowing deck on this Kobalt model didn't seem to actually cut a 20-inch wide swath of grass. Cutting less grass on each pass requires more passes. One review estimated a 32-minute run time with a fully charged battery, but that the run time drops dramatically with a taller-than-average grass height.