EGO Zero-Turn Ride-On Mower Line Adds 52-Inch Option
The team at EGO sparked our interest in the ZT they were working on a while ago. After successfully entering the market with their 42-inch EGO battery-operated zero-turn ride-on mower, there is now a 52-inch option for larger lawns.
Check out our video review of the EGO Z6!
advantage
- Uses the same 56V ArcLithium battery as other EGO lawn care products
- Onboard fast charging system
- LED lights cover daytime safety and low/no light mowing
- Adjustable seat is comfortable for a variety of heights/weights
- Front view LED charging status indicator
- 5 drive and cutting speeds
- Powerful cutting complements cutting experience with the gas-powered residential ZT
- Easily cuts 1-1/2 acres on charge and 2 acres with backup battery pack
shortcoming
- Unconventional 1/3" deck height increments
Perhaps most importantly for current EGO users, they keep their riding mowers on the same battery platform as the rest of the 56V line. Each mower can hold up to six batteries.
The included 10Ah battery on the 42-inch model gives it a potential capacity of 3360 watt-hours. The kit comes with four batteries out of the box, so you can use 2240 watt-hours of power.
The 52-inch model has six 12Ah batteries for a total capacity of 4032 watt-hours.
Let's not overlook the importance of EGO design. By using their 56V battery and peak power technology, they use the same battery as other tools. You can pop them out for use with other EGO 56V tools, or use batteries you already have to extend the run time of your mower. You can also swap out the batteries if you're covering a larger area than a single battery pack.
If you want to change to another package, you need to meet the minimum capacity. We tested it with 10Ah, 7.5Ah, 5.0Ah and 2.5Ah batteries and any combination of at least 15Ah revived the mower.
Charging the EGO 56V Battery-Powered Zero-Turn Ride-On Lawn Mower
Another impressive part of the system is the charger. It's capable of charging up to six batteries simultaneously, and keeps them charged while they're on the mower.
Four 10Ah batteries take 2 hours, and a full load of six takes 3 hours. For the 52" model, expect it to restore all six 12Ah batteries to 100% within 4 hours.
After just 15 minutes of charging, EGO tells us, you can get enough juice to cover a 1/4 acre of grass when you need to get done but don't want to wait for a full charge cycle.
We dropped the mower's charge down to 6%, at which point it goes into limp mode and encourages you to return to the charger. Since then, it took 1 hour and 53 minutes for the four 10Ah cells to recover to 100 percent—slightly faster than EGO's estimate.
The charger is solid. However, there is a keyhole on the back so you can hang it on the wall, and the cord has a total reach of 15 feet.
EGO 56V Battery Powered Zero Turn Riding Mower Other Highlights
traditional design
The mower maintains the traditional ZT shape, with independently controlled 18-inch drive wheels on the rear and 11-inch 360° casters on the front to help you make tight turns with a lap bar.
As with most ZTs, the mower's long wheelbase becomes apparent when you're mowing around objects. It's certainly capable of tight zero-radius turns, but getting the cutting deck to hug smaller trees, buried tank covers, and other obstacles is a challenge.
LEDs for vision and safety
From the front, you can see the LEDs. They're always on when the mower is powered on, but by pressing the light button on the control panel, you'll activate even more to help you mow in low-light or even no-light conditions.
There's another set of LED lights on the back that flash when you're backing up, to get the attention of anyone who might walk in your path.
height adjustment
Moving to the driver's right, you'll find the manual deck height adjustment lever. It adjusts the 42" steel deck between 1-1/2 and 4-1/2" in 10 levels.
These levels end up in 1/3 inch increments. It's kind of weird, but not a big deal once you find the height you want to stick to.
The situation is similar for the 52-inch model. Besides the width difference, it's a fabricated deck, not stamped.
Device storage and charging
EGO's battery-operated zero-turn ride-on mower gives you a convenient storage area with a magnetic closure and internal USB charging. It's big enough to store your phone, wallet, and keys if you so choose.
Next to it is a welcome glass holder, which comes in two sizes and can hold water bottles, malt drinks and even oversized mugs from your local corner store.
If you want to use the phone faster, there's a slot on the right side of the control panel that you can slide it securely into.
seat arrangement
At the center of it all, EGO has placed a comfortable seat with swivel armrests. In fact, it's the most comfortable of the residential battery-operated ZTs we've tested.
Clint was able to find a good setup for his much lighter frame, but bottomed out in the bumpy area. Twist it a few times to tighten it and he's good to go.
On the other hand, I'm 6'2" and 200 lbs and need to add tension and recline the seat a bit. However, I was also able to find a suitable one with room to spare.
Most of EGO's competitors use non-adjustable spring systems that are not very comfortable for especially light or heavy riders.
Eye forward charging indicator
Looking forward from the driver's seat, an LED indicator between your feet lets you keep an eye on the charge level without taking your eyes off what's ahead. It's great and we love it!
More information
There's a lot of other information on the control panel, including connecting to the mower using Bluetooth and calibrating left or right drift. It's the most advanced control system we've seen so far. Check your manual for more details on what's inside.
deck cleaning
The EGO includes a deck wash hose connection on the driver's left. Other than that, blowing away all the dry grass that has accumulated around the mower is nothing to worry about before putting it away.
Start the EGO 56V Battery Powered Zero-Turn Ride-On Lawn Mower
For their first ZT, EGO used a 42" steel deck that uses a pair of 21" blades. Its four independent brushless motors give it the gas equivalent of a 22 HP engine and a top transport speed of 8 MPH.
The 52" model features a 3-blade design with a 25 HP equivalent performance level.
To turn the mower on, make sure the key is inserted first. Pressing the power button gives you the charging status. Press and hold the power button to start the mower.
Press the left-hand parking brake with your foot and you're ready to go.
Control freak
The EGO battery powered zero-turn riding lawn mower has independent drive and blade speed controls. Each has four modes plus a bonus you can jump into by holding the button down for the highest level.
Travel speeds range from 3 to 7 MPH while cutting, and hold the button when it is in the high position for a maximum travel speed of 8 MPH.
For blade speeds, the bottom two speeds are good for light cutting in dry conditions, and the top two speeds are better for thicker, wetter grass. The blade has a turbo mode if you hold the button after reaching top speed. It's great for particularly tough patches, but we found it unnecessary for any of our cuts.
Three drive modes are available: Control, Standard and Sport. These define the aggressiveness of acceleration and cornering.
The control mode is useful if you are new to zero-turn mowers or need to be careful of surrounding landscape obstructions. Standard mode feels very much like most residential zero-in turns we've used, while Sport mode puts you in for the quickest acceleration and cornering. We were even able to spin the tires a bit in Sport mode.
We recommend sticking with Standard mode unless you're an advanced ZT veteran or need to dodge summer thunderstorms.
EGO 56V Battery Powered Zero-Turn Ride-On Mower Performance
to cut
Cutting a combination of Bahia and St. Augustine grass, the cut quality was excellent–reduced our proving grounds from 5 inches to 3-1/2 inches. At least that's what we're assuming the height is given those 1/3 inch increments.
For both mowers, there is plenty of power behind the blades. We could cut at the lower two speeds, but the lift and side kicks were much better at high speeds. This is where the mower most resembles a premium gasoline model. This is also the setup that should give you the best coverage if you add the optional plug.
EGO 56V Battery Powered Zero Turn Lawn Mower Run Time
We have about an acre of yard to cut and the run time is long enough to cover it. We ran our runtime tests in Standard mode with both drive and blade speeds set to level 4. That gave us enough power to mow in under an hour on the 42-inch model and the four batteries that come with it.
With the same setup and similar lawn conditions, you should be able to easily cover 1 1/2 acres. 2 acres is not an unreasonable assumption for a property where you do long runs between turns. Fill the battery capacity with two more 10Ah battery packs, and EGO claims you can chop up to 3 acres, which we believe is a realistic estimate depending on your situation.
With a larger deck and larger battery, you should expect to reduce even more area. With the mower set to the same (standard mode, blade and drive set to 4), we mowed for 1 hour and 15 minutes. If you could keep mowing as fast as you could, that would cover over 4 1/2 acres. At a more realistic average speed of 4 – 5 MPH, you are looking at 2 1/2 to 3 acres.
EGO Z6 Zero Turn Riding Lawn Mower Prices
The 42-inch EGO Zero Turn retails for $5,499 as a complete system with a new charger and four 10Ah batteries. Given that there are others currently available, this is a very attractive price for a Li-Ion ZT in the design they offer.
If the 52-inch model is more your needs, it retails for $6,999 with six 12Ah batteries.
Register your purchase and EGO covers the mower, charger and battery for 5 years.
the bottom line
The EGO 56V battery-operated zero-turn ride-on mower revolutionizes what you'd expect from a battery-powered rider. It's more expensive than some other options, but it's also a step up in design. In our opinion, the design team clearly did their homework, and EGO has delivered a top-of-the-line option for battery-operated residential zero-turning.
Have any questions or feedback? Let us know in the comments below!
EGO 56V Battery Powered Zero-Turn Ride-On Mower Specifications
- Models: EGO ZT4204L (42 inches), EGO ZT5207L (52 inches)
- Power: EGO 56V battery (minimum 15Ah combination required)
- Gas Engine Equivalent: 22 HP (42 in), 25 HP (52 in)
- Deck Material: Steel
- Deck Width: 42" or 52"
- Maximum coverage: 3 acres (42 inches), 4 acres (52 inches)
- Warranty: 5 years after registration
- 42-inch price: $5,499 with four 10Ah batteries and charger
- 52" Price: $6,999 with six 12Ah batteries and charger
Learn more on EGO's website.