Not long ago, Greenworks shook up the battery-powered OPE market with its 25-inch commercial lawn mower. We pulled out the Greenworks Pro 60V 25-Inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower designed for homeowners to see how it stacks up against the best electric lawn mowers we've tested.
advantage
- Turbo mode provides excellent power for tough patches
- very good cut quality
- Dual active battery ports with auto-switching
- 23.75" cutting tape
- simple control system
- Simple handle release for height adjustment and vertical storage
shortcoming
- We would like to be a little slower on the low end when cutting thick patches
- When reversing, you will need to roll the mower forward a bit to disengage the drive wheels
- No side/rear discharge option
If you've seen the commercial 82V version of this mower, you'll immediately notice the similarities. If you're familiar with their latest generation 21-inch 60V self-propelled lawn mower, you'll notice that it comes with some benefits as well.
control
Starting at the top, here's the same control system and grip design used on the 21-inch model, including the Turbo button. The handle slopes away from the center at a comfortable angle, and the foam handle adds comfort to your hands.
Both battery ports have an LED level indicator that lights up when you press the power button, self-propelling lever, or blade lever.
control yourself
Kicking the mower into gear is pretty standard. Press the power button and pull the blade lever to speed it up. You also have the option to just use self drive when you need to get from point A to point B without first pulling the blade bar.
The funny thing is you can also reverse the process. Pull the blade or advance the lever itself before pressing the power button and the mower will still come back to life. I like. No need to remember the order you have to enter – just click on what you need.
Speed adjustments are front and center. Greenworks has done a good job of keeping the slider stiff enough that if you accidentally hit it or go over a bump, you won't knock it to a different height.
Self-propelled drives have a fairly stable speed range. Plenty of top speed to keep up with my 6'2" frame. I actually wish the low end was a little lower. It's fine most of the time. But when the grass is really tall and thick, I prefer to go slower.
energy reserve
Lifting the hood, we found two battery connectors. You only need one pack to run your mower. When the first battery dies, the mower switches automatically.
height adjustment
Moving to the deck, you can adjust the height with a single point adjustment. With larger designs and the heavier weight that comes with them, the move to 2 or 4 point systems is understandable. Instead, the design team simplifies it for you.
On a gas mower, a single-point adjustment can cause the frame to lose stiffness and wear down the attachment points of the system before the mower's life is over. Weighing around 86 pounds, this mower is on edge, but we didn't see any issues with its capabilities.
double blade
Under a 25" steel deck, the Greenworks Pro 60V 25" Self-Propelled Lawn Mower uses dual 12.5" blades to cover a true 23.75" cutting strip. Each blade is smaller and lighter than any individual blade used on other battery mowers, so they are able to power them on the popular 60V platform.
The blades counter-rotate and combine with the deck design to cut directly into the bag. It's a system that works.
If you're willing to give up a little run time for better lift and cut quality, Greenworks kits include a set of high lift blades.
Greenworks Pro 60V 25" Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Performance
One thing I really want to know is how much power this mower has, Greenworks labels the update as having "extra power". The mass of the blade may be less, but cutting nearly 24 inches at a time is still a tough job. After all, no other major player has such a large deck size.
After mowing a patch of grass to max on the mower, I put the deck all the way down to see if it would cut the grass. The idea is to find where its minimum effective cutting height is, we usually have to raise the deck a notch or two. Surprise, surprise—Greenworks cuts as small as 1 3/8 inches with ease.
When you get into those tougher cutting situations, you'll hear that the brushless motor needs more power to drive those blade speeds. This intelligent response provides more functionality when you need it and saves runtime when you don't. Of course, with this Gen-2 update, you can hit the Turbo button when things go wrong in standard mode.
The caveat is that it doesn't cover well when it has that much grass to cut and very little deck clearance to put it down. If you're in that cutting situation, plan on bagging.
Greenworks Pro 60V 25" Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Cut Quality
If you like mulching like we do, the dual blades and dual blades help cut the grass into finer chips than we've seen on many other electric lawn mowers.
This model does not have a side discharge option. This is no surprise to us. It makes the deck less interrupted in the airflow where the chute would normally be placed.
The cut evenness of the conventional cut is very strong. With two blades, it is possible to have a mowing hawk in the middle. However, Greenworks overlapping blades and their speed leave nothing behind.
It also looks like their lifts are tuned to pull the grass up, cut it at the same height, and effectively send it to the bag. It gets even better with high lift blades.
Greenworks Pro 60V 25" Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Run Time and Area Cut
So this begs the question of how much runtime do we get. With battery tools, more power usually means less run time. We charge the batteries in the kit – a pair of 4Ah Ultra Power packs. That's a bit better than the 2Ah/4Ah combo that came with the last model.
We use our Cub Cadet Pro Z 560 to mow the entire lawn at 5 inches, then run the Greenworks mower at 3 inches to see how long it runs while maintaining the cut. Most of our logging is in Bahia, with a small portion of our logging in St. Augustine requiring light to moderate logging.
The last version had 26 and a half minutes, but we beat it with just the first battery by limiting the top power to a separate mode. One battery switched at 33 minutes and the second finally failed after 1 hour and 9 minutes. This is a huge improvement!
During editing, we didn't need to go into Turbo mode at all. You're giving up runtime if you need it, so use it selectively to get the most out of the battery.
Using the batteries included in the kit, we think the Greenworks Pro 60V 25-Inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower is an excellent choice for mowing 1/2 acre on a regular basis.
Additional Field Notes
vertical storage
As with many battery-operated lawn mowers, you can fold the handle forward on this model and store it vertically. It's also a very simple system. Simply pull up on the green tab to release the handle and swing forward. They are the same version you use to switch between the two handle heights. The handle on the front gives you an easy point to pull it up.
push and pull
We noticed while cutting that you can't roll back immediately. Before you can pull the mower back, you'll need to push the mower forward so the drive disengages. It can be a little frustrating when you need to trim into one place and then back out.
LEDs have arrived
If you enjoy mowing in low light, you may have noticed that the latest version of this mower lacks LED lights. The new light bar changes that, illuminating your mowing path.
Greenworks Pro 60V 25" Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Prices
You can buy this model directly from Greenworkls for $599.00, and it comes with a pair of 4.0Ah batteries and a dual-port charger. It's available as a bare-bones unit for $439. Both the mower and battery have a 4 year warranty.
When you look at other battery-operated lawn mowers in this price range, the Greenworks is one of the most compelling models considering its performance and reach.
the bottom line
We've been impressed with Greenworks turning their commercial battery lawn mowers into residential options, and the Gen-2 upgrade really helps. With two solid self-propelled lawnmowers to choose from, the real question is deciding which is better for your lawn: 21-inch or 25-inch. This model is suitable for larger lawns thanks to its dual battery ports and wider deck. If you're keeping 1/4 acre or less, grab a 21" and go above 25".
Greenworks Pro 60V 25" Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Specifications
- Model: Greenworks 2531502 (MO60L427)
- Power source: Greenworks 60V battery
- Deck Size: 25"
- Deck Material: Steel
- Cutting Tape: 23.75 inches
- Blade Diameter: 2 x 12.5 inches
- Height Range: 1 3/8 – 4 inches
- Cutting Positions: 7
- Emissions: Mulches or Bags
- Warranty: 4 years on mower and battery
- Price: $599
Learn more about this and other battery powered lawn care products at GreenworksTools.com!