How Long Does One Battery Charge Last In An Electric Lawn Mower?

A mower is undoubtedly one of the most essential lawn tools for healthy, green grass, but if you're thinking of upgrading your gas guzzler to an electric model, battery life is probably top of mind. After all, if a single battery charge doesn't last long enough to mow your entire lawn, it probably doesn't make sense to make the switch. Fortunately, different models have different runtimes depending on a few factors, including battery capacity. Most battery-powered lawn mowers have a runtime of 30 to 60 minutes. However, high-capacity batteries on some of the longest-running battery lawn mowers can last up to 90 minutes on a single charge.

In addition to runtime, there are some things you need to know before buying an electric lawn mower. How long it takes to recharge a battery, the cost of spare or replacement batteries, the size of the mowing deck, and the type of mower (riding vs. walk-behind) are all things to consider. Once you've settled on a type and found a few models suited to your yard's terrain, it's important to have a decent understanding of the mower's battery before you buy.

When looking at a cordless lawn mower battery, you'll notice two important descriptors: voltage (V) and amp hours (Ah). Voltage measures electrical pressure. Higher voltage batteries are generally better suited for large yards and tougher jobs. That means if you have a big lawn with dense grass or patches of harder-to-cut weeds, going for a higher voltage is a smart move. Amp hours, on the other hand, give you a look into how much power a battery can deliver over a period of time. For example, a small 2.0 Ah battery-powered mower may only run for 20 minutes, while a 10.0 Ah battery may power a motor for up to 75 minutes on a single charge. (Although specific runtimes vary by model, so check before you buy.) This means if you're looking at batteries with the same voltage, you can use amp-hours to compare them. As long as the voltage is the same, the higher the amp-hours, the longer the battery is likely to last.

It's also important to note that mowing uphill, cutting through wet or super-tall grass, or cutting the lawn at a low height are all factors that can drain your lawn mower's battery a little faster than normal. So if you have a medium-sized yard but it's full of hills or rough terrain, you may need a battery with higher amp-hours than someone with a similarly sized but flat yard. The good news is that you can buy spare batteries for many electric lawn mowers, allowing you to switch them out if one dies on you mid-mow.