Hart Self-Propelled Lawn Mowers Maintain Lawns Affordably
There are many battery-operated lawn mower options available today, and the area to mow is growing every season. Getting started can cost over $700 (a professional battery ZTR costs over $25,000!). However, not everyone who wants battery power has the budget for it. We take a look at the Hart 40V Brushless Self-Propelled Lawn Mower to see who should get this under $400 lawn mower.
There's no doubt that Hart is targeting the budget-conscious, and our entire take on this mower revolves around the fact that it's a $378 kit with a 5.0Ah battery. It's one of the cheapest models with a brushless motor and self-driving system.
Just because it's cheap doesn't mean it's cheap to build, though. The Hart 40V Brushless Self Propelled Lawn Mower comes with a 5 year warranty and they want it to last season after season.
Hart Mower Cutting Performance
We tested a mix of Bahia grass and St. Augustine grass around the store. Our grass grows quickly from late winter to late fall and needs to be mowed once a week. It left a wide variety of thicknesses and heights to cut for our testing.
When you're dealing with a typical maintenance cut (cutting off about 2 inches of grass), the Hart 40V Self-Propelled Lawn Mower cuts grass confidently and evenly. If you take off more than that, we recommend you switch to bagging, as the coverage becomes harder for the brushless motor to keep up. Side discharge is not an option for this design.
This isn't the battery lawn mower you want to use to tame overgrowth. If the lawn does get out of hand, mow at the highest deck height first, then do a second mow the next day to bring it back to normal.
Adjusting the deck height is easy thanks to the one-point system.
self-propelled drive
Hart placed the self-propelled control as a slider in the center of the handle. It's a convenient location to move around, and every member of our test team was able to find a comfortable walking pace.
There are no detents or stops on the slider. When you get an infinite position, if someone changes it, it can be challenging to get it back to the "just right" position.
Some self-propelled lawn mowers do not release the drive wheels when you pull the mower back. The rear wheels lock and you have to push the mower forward a bit to disengage them. That's not the case with Hart's self-propelled lawnmower, however. Even in tight spots with quick changes of direction, the wheels let go every time.
Runtime and battery life
Under ideal cutting conditions, you can get up to 30 minutes of run time from the 5.0Ah battery included in the kit. Almost 20 minutes of real world mowing on a Florida lawn like ours. Other parts of the country with less grass should be in the 25-30 minute range if you mow when the grass is dry.
The self-propelled drive certainly allows the Hart 40V Self-Propelled Lawn Mower to cover Florida-style lawns up to a quarter acre or so. The plan is to cover that large area with two batteries. You can see 1/8 of an acre of lawn on one battery.
Fortunately, Hart includes a storage rack on the mower for a second battery. You don't have to go back to the garage or shed to replace them, you can have a spare ready on board. It does need to be replaced manually, as the mower only draws power from the rearmost battery box.
Charging time will vary depending on the size of the battery you are using. The 5.0Ah battery pack will last a few hours, so you'll want to make sure you charge it before you're ready to mow.
Additional Field Notes
- 20" poly deck
- 1 1/2 – 4" deck height, single point adjustment
- Lightweight 58 lbs
- Battery compatible with all Hart 40V tools
- folds up for vertical storage
Hart 40V Self-Propelled Lawn Mower: Bottom Line
If you're in the market for a self-propelled battery lawn mower under $400, your options are pretty limited. The $378 Hart 40V Brushless Self-Propelled Lawn Mower is a combo for smaller lawns that can mow up to 1/4 of an acre if you have spare batteries in your budget, and the overall quality Better than other similar lawn mowers for the same price.
While it doesn't have all the features of the premium models, it's certainly capable of maintaining your lawn and is easy to use. If getting the job done within your budget is your top priority, Hart's attainable price and 5-year warranty should grab your attention.