Ryobi Smart Trek 20″ Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Review

Ryobi Smart Trek 20″ Lawn Mower Known for Value and Quiet Operation

We recently did a head-to-head test of 24 lawn mowers, looking at both gas-powered and battery-powered models. We even considered commercial lawn mowers and ones that are more suitable for homeowners. Ryobi sent 2 versions of the latest lawn mower. Today's muse is the Ryobi Smart Trek 20″ self-propelled lawn mower. There is also a 21-inch version, which you can read about here.

advantage

• Single point height adjustment
• Quiet operation at 80 dB(A)
• Efficient battery usage
• High Value Score ($449 kit with 6.0Ah battery)

shortcoming

• Self-driving takes time to get used to
• Capable of cutting, but stronger than some of its competitors

Performance

We use a variety of sophisticated testing methods and data analysis to arrive at our lawn mower rankings, but we don't necessarily want to bore you with all the details here. But if that's what gets you out of bed in the morning, feel free to check out our cordless lawn mower shootout!

cutting speed

Maintaining a fast tip speed is important for a lawn mower because it ensures both the suction that pulls the grass up onto the deck and the power to actually cut.

We first measured the no-load speed of each mower to get a good baseline reading of each mower's capability. This Ryobi Smart Trek 20-Inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower spins at 2574 RPM and reaches a tip speed of 145.4 MPH. That's the slowest no-load speed we've seen from a self-propelled battery-powered mower.

With a brushless motor, we would expect an increase in speed when the mower encounters resistance. As the job gets tougher, the electronics of the brushless motor will provide more power to the blade to keep up with the job.

So we hooked up each lawn mower to our light-duty mock-test designed to replicate weekly maintenance cutting conditions. The Ryobi Smart Trek 20-Inch Lawn Mower actually dropped a little speed here. It spins at just 2521 RPM at the tip, giving it a speed of 142.4 MPH. That makes it last at this point.

We then put the mower through a heavy-duty test, increasing the load applied to the blades. While we did see a 19.5 MPH increase, this Ryobi model still came in last with 2867 RPM and 162 MPH blade tip speed.

take away

3000 RPM is what we like to see when cutting for the best mulching and bagging characteristics. However, that's about 160 – 190 MPH a blade tip depending on blade diameter, and the Ryobi does hit the bottom of that range.

The tradeoff here is that lower speeds allow you to use the battery more efficiently while leaving a cut that isn't as clean as a model with higher speeds and lift.

cutting area

Another important aspect of a battery powered lawn mower revolves around its runtime and power management. With a gas lawn mower, you simply pour more fuel into the tank. But with battery power, you can rest for a long time if you run out of juice and don't recharge the backup battery. Getting the maximum cut area out of a battery is a big deal.

We got 48 minutes of run time from the Ryobi Smart Trek 20″ self-propelled mower’s 6.0Ah battery during maintenance break conditions. With its 19-inch blades (yes, this “20-inch” mower machine uses a 19-inch blade) and a runtime of 48 minutes while walking at a constant 2.5 MPH, you can clear up to 16,720 square feet on a single charge. To be more specific, that's about 0.38 acres.

From a runtime perspective, it's not bad at all. We'd like to see at least 45 minutes or so, unless you're maintaining a small city. The Ryobi gives you plenty of cutting time for lawn maintenance, up to 1/3 of an acre or so. By adding a second battery, you can easily do 1/2 acre jobs.

battery efficiency

How efficient is Ryobi's battery usage? With its 40V, 6.0Ah battery, we expect a total of 216 watt-hours. The Ryobi ran for 56 minutes with no load and 48 minutes with light load, which is 85.7 percent of the no-load speed, which is actually the highest percentage we've seen.

Keeping in mind that its blade speed is also the slowest for maintenance cutting, it clearly prioritizes efficiency.

Cutting 16,720 square feet on a single charge, we saw this mower cut 77 square feet per watt-hour.

The final result? The Ryobi Smart Trek 20″ lawn mower finished our efficiency test in second place behind the Greenworks Commercial model and nearly tied with the Kobalt's 80V.

noise level

With gas power, we assumed that every mower would be noisy (which is almost universally true, with the exception of the Honda HRC216 we tested). The benefit of battery-powered lawn mowers is that they run more quietly, so we thought it was worth comparing.

This Ryobi self-propelled lawn mower is just 80 decibels(A), enough to earn us fifth place in the shootout, just 2 decibels above first place. Regardless, if you're going to work early on Saturday mornings, your neighbors will appreciate you choosing Ryobi.

feature set

Smart Trek Drive

We like the idea of Ryobi's Smart Trek drive, but it's a change that takes time to get used to. Here's how it works: As you walk forward, you naturally depress the spring-loaded handle. This is your throttle—the faster you go and the harder you press on the handle, the faster the mower will move forward.

The difficulty is that the drive jumps a little forward or brakes hard. There's no really easy transition from slow to fast or fast to slow, and the movement feels jerky. By flexing your elbows, you learn to roll with the changes like a mountain biker or skier tackles a challenge. But there is definitely an adjustment period.

deck material

We understand why some teams use the plastic poly for their mower decks – often, it reduces the weight of the mower and makes it easier to move it around. But we prefer steel for its durability. The Ryobi 20″ Smart Trek Self-Propelled Lawn Mower has gone the plastic route.

Height Adjustment and Range

We really like the height adjustment on this Ryobi Smart Trek mower. It's a one-point adjustment, but while other one-point adjustments still require you to lift while adjusting, this one can indeed be set one-handed without much effort.

It has 7 available positions ranging from 1.75 inches to 4.5 inches. In some cases, you might want to go a little lower at the bottom end of the range, but this mower can handle the vast majority of grass species you'll come across.

handle position

You can actually slide the handle to where you feel most comfortable instead of setting it with two or three fixed positions. #win.

discharge option

Right out of the box, you can bale or mulch with the Ryobi 20″ Smart Trek Self-Propelled Lawn Mower that fits most situations. If you prefer a side discharge option, Ryobi offers accessories separately.

Additional features

• Easy lift release and lock bagging system
• Additional battery storage (inactive)

value

The Ryobi RY40LM30 kit with the 6.0Ah battery and charger is $449 at The Home Depot. It also offers a 5-year warranty on the mower. It scores well for value thanks to a budget-friendly price and adequate performance.

One of the reasons we love the Ryobi tools so much is because of how deep their lines are. The 40V lines are not the same depth as the One+ 18V lines, but there's still plenty to choose from. Ryobi has string trimmers, blowers, leaf extractors, snow blowers, cultivators, lawn mowers, chainsaws, sprayers, hedge trimmers, chainsaws and multi-head power systems on a 40V platform.

the bottom line

Ryobi Smart Trek 20″k Self-Propelled Lawn Mower The Ryobi Smart Trek 20″k works best if you generally keep the grass high at all times and prioritize pressure reduction and low noise. If that's you and your house sits on a 1/3 acre max, pull the trigger. Cover 1/2 acre with confidence with an extra battery.

We'd love to see more feedback on the Smart Trek system and if Ryobi decides to make any tweaks to it. As a highlight feature on both of their battery-powered lawn mowers, it's a huge change from traditional drive systems that take time to get used to.

• Model: Ryobi RY40LM30
• Battery: 40V 6.0Ah
• Drive type: Smart-Trek rear wheel self-propelled
• Drive Speed: Variable, up to 2.9 MPH
• Deck Size: 20″
• Cutting Height: 1.5″ – 4″
• Deck Height: 7 Points
• Start type: button
• Cutting options: covering, bagging and side discharge
• Recommended yard size: 1/2 acre max (PTR recommends 1/3 acre)
• Weight: 45 lbs
• Warranty: 5-year limited
• Price: $449

For more information on the Ryobi 40V series, please click here.