20 Best Zero Turn For Homeowner (2023 Updated)

I purchased the Kohler version of the 52″ IKON-X in September of 2018. I mow about 2 acres once per week in the upper mid-west. I have accumulated about 55 hours in 1. 5 seasons. I initially noticed that it struggled to go in a straight line when on flat pavement.

I read through some reviews and noticed that this was common. In order to go straight I have learned to compensate by not pushing the right handle all the way forward, I also noticed after the first 10 hours that I had an oil leak.

Turns out that this is common with the Kohler 7000 engines and is covered by warranty but it is a major inconvenience to have to trailer this 650 pound behemoth to an “authorized” service center. The gas tank in this thing is tiny, 2.

8 gallons is barely enough to cut a little over 2 acres. My estimate is that it burns a gallon every 30 minutes at full throttle. I would also like to mention that there is no visual indicator of the fuel level.

You have to lift the seat and watch the level rise as you fill it. Be careful though. As soon as it gets near full it will begin to “burp” and may over fill if you aren’t careful. Oil changes – Have fun with that.

It comes with an 18″ oil drain tube for a reason and the oil filter is crammed up against the heat guard. I have not figured out how to avoid spilling oil everywhere when changing the oil and filter.

As others have stated, the plastic Ariens emblem at the back of the mower fell off. For me it happened the spring after I purchased it when it had about 12 hours on it. Cheap plastic emblem with double sided tape could be replaced with an even cheaper decal and it would look just as nice and not fall off.

The grip tape on the foot rests also began to peel at about 30 hours. I am looking for a removeable laser fitted foot mat that will cover that entire area. Overall, I feel that it is well built and cuts well but there are things that could definitely be improved.

This mower is a game changer for lawn care. It turns on a dime has great horse power, it does take practice if you have never driven a zero turn. It also has a lever to adjust the cut of the grass which is a big help.

The only thing I didn’t like was the directions were pretty vague but youtube has tons of videos if you need help. It comes with different speeds from rabbit to turtle so that’s helpful. It’s comfortable to drive and has a cup holder for hot days.

It starts right up and it hasn’t stalled out while I’m cutting grass. But the absolute biggest thing is to practice driving it, you don’t want to get hurt or hit the mower off anything. Once you get the hang of it you will never want any other mower.

Bought this thing last year, loved it. Cut way better than my old JD ridin mower, and a little more rugged in comparison. However, first cut this season and I hit something in my yard that jarred the middle blade enough to break the spindle from the deck.

I walk my yard regularly, remove debris (limbs/rocks etc) and keep things tidy, so this was totally unexpected. Now what?? I got a buy an entire new deck to remount the spindle?? This is potentially going to be insane.

Nevermind that the people at Lowes did not have the manual available for me at purchase. =/.

We have roughly 3. 5 acres of grass and a little over a hundred trees throughout. In the summer with ideal conditions that could mean cutting and trimming weekly. I’ve had my ZT1 42 a year now. It takes a little practice to get used to the handling but once you’ve mastered it, nice and easy to manouver and has cut down my riding time.

Does a great job around trees and shrubs however be prepared, if your lawn surface is not smooth and level your in for a bumpy ride at higher speeds. One other thing with the engine behind you, I suggest wearing sound cancelling gear as it can get to you after several hours running, that or reduce the throttle speed a tad.

Main problem with bagger that I bought with unit. Chute did not fit properly and destroyed it on 1st running mower. Very hard time finding the proper one but finally did on ebay. Mower tracked crooked to start off with but got adjusted after a little while.

Learning curve to figure out how to drive without tearing up lawn. Mower works great, cuts evenly and quick. Looking forward to a long lasting quality mower.

My husband (Garry) has had a difficult time mowing our yard with the push mower. He has has a tough time breathing and we purchased this mower. It would have to take him 3 hours and lots of resting to mow the back yard.

With this Toro he mows it in about 30 minutes. This is a God send. He was just diagnosed today with a type of lung cancer. So I will be learning how to mow with this great machine as well. He has only mowed twice, but I do enjoy watching him mow with this machine!.

The 54 inch cut Cub Cadet zero turn mower places many conveniences and performance in the users control. The Kohler engines is famous for it’s performance and is a major reason I chose this zero turn.

But also the cutting deck size and the blade arrangement make this mower work better than my old zero turn. I have a few acres to cut with some trees to circle around and fences to get up close to. The ZT1 handles this fine.

Additionally the tires are larger and frame a little larger than my old 20 horse 50 inch. I can cut with this mower at higher speed and tge ZT1 is almost as maneuverable. This may be due to the “swirl blades” and the four inch greater cutting width.

I have some rough areas to cut and done uneven ground. The larger tires on this model allow for a smoother cut over this terrain. Oh, the foot adjustable mower deck is nice. You raise and lower the deck with your right foot and leg, and dial up the curing height.

Works well! A few things as I compare this ZT1 mower against my older model, I found while maneuverable this mower is on the larger size. It will not go several places the 50 inch smaller frame mower would drive and cut right through.

Also, while safety glasses are a must on mowers, they really are absolutely needed at all times if the blades are engaged. This mower with these blades has great “lift”. Cut grass, gravel, sweet gum burs and so forth fly out very strongly from this mower! Much more than from my old 50 inch! A great mower and I am very happy with the power, performance, speed of mowing, and general operation.

Let me start by saying the ZT1-54 by Cub Cadet has been a beast since I purchased it. It’s fun to use while mowing our 6 acres of uneven pastures and farmhouse yard. So far, so good. As for Cub Cadet, their delivery and customer service could use some work.

I called two separate dealers, who both told me they couldn’t order this particular mower because they were out of stock at the factory. Wrong. There were 1500 units available to ship at the factory, so I ordered one direct.

Once ordered, I probably had to call the company’s 800-number 6-7 times to get any sort of updates, to finalize shipping, and to get them to authorize the use of the lift gate on the delivery truck. I wish I had a forklift to unload it, but sadly I don’t own a factory, so I don’t have a forklift in our garage.

I honestly wish I could post photos here. The mower came in a wood frame crate, not steel and not solid, just pieces of wood stapled and nailed together on a pallet. To make things worse, they stack them on top of each other.

These things weigh hundreds of pounds, so the frame was smashed, and the mower had some damage. Lastly, when I wrote a review on the Cub Cadet website, their internal staff reviewed it and cut half the post so they wouldn’t have a negative sounding review.

How about some honesty and transparency? Overall, I would just appreciate Cub Cadet owning up to this. Will they? I think we all know the answer to that question.

First test run was a little rough riding but once I let the tire pressure out to the recommended pressure it was much better. I had an orange zero turn made by a company that also makes chainsaws. Both 24hp but with this heavy duty deck design it handles thick grass much better and at a faster speed.

The old mower would take two passes at times no matter how slow I went. Wish it had a switch for the lights, why? Also an hour meter for oil changes would be good. The only thing else would maybe be flat free tires on the front, was an issue on old mower, we’ll see on the cub cadet.

Old zero reduced mowing tome from 5-6 to about 4-5 hrs depending on grass height. The cub cadet should be in 3-4 hr range. First test run is fairly thick, lot of rain and it’s handling it great. Turns are much smoother, one of the things I like was the hard rubberish handles vs.

the foam covered type on most the others. Foam doesn’t last long in the Texas sun. Thick grass doesn’t bog down or even kill the engine like the old mower would and like I said both are 24hp. Haven’t evaluated the fuel use, use to use 5 gallons on 3 acres.

Not quite done so not sure of total gallons on cub cadet. Headlights was another thing I liked because there are times in the Texas summer when that as close as you get to pleasant mowing weather.

My first Toro Zero Turn was a Z4200 and I kept it for 12 years and never had any problem and I resold it used for a decent price. My lawn was less than a ½ acres at this time but when we built our new house, 2 years ago, the lawn became 2.

5 acres and I needed an upgrade. I went with the 50” because it fits in my utility trailer and it’s very convenient if I have to take it to the dealer for repair. I was targeting a slightly larger deck but discovered that the engine is more important than the deck.

With the 42” and the 19HP it had, if the grass is high you can not cut a full deck width as the engine suffers to keep up, so I end-up overlapping by ¼ to a ½. With the 50” and the 24. 5HP it’s a game changer.

If the grass is taller than it should be you can still cut the full deck width. This is the biggest time saver for me. I needed 30 mins to mow in the old house with a small yard that was square to less than 2 hours with the new yard that is not square at all.

The deck attachment has been improved and it’s much easier now to remove it, including the belt covers. I use 2 sets of blades so I have time to sharpen them between full deck clean-up that I do after spring (end of sticky grass) and end of the season.

I do all the maintenance myself and the oil change is easier now with the tube system. I was not asking for MyRide Suspension but the model available had it and I ended up liking this feature. It really makes the ride more comfortable.

After 2 years and 60 hours, there are 2 things that could be improved. The starter and clutch control are close to each other and I always pull on the starter when I want to engage the blades if I don’t look at it.

Switching position of these 2 controls could prevent that. The other thing is the grass deflector, as I don’t mulch and don’t bag, I use it. This part is way too long and rigid so you end-up breaking it very quickly.

I have seen other brands doing something with flexible rubber. Another solution could be a system to lift it when you come close to an object and it’s on the way. Overall very satisfied with this Zero-Turn and looking forward to many years of service.

I tried my neighbor’s Toro TimeCutter last year and realized it was time to change from a lawn tractor rider to a zero-turn mower. I visited my local dealer (Dombrowski) who sells Toro’s as well as other brands.

They asked me about my yard and recommended the Toro TimeCutter. Now I had to select from standard 50” model or the one with shock absorbing seat. It was not an easy decision but my yard is very bumpy and I went with the upgrade.

OMG…this mower makes me want to mow my yard at least twice a week. The steering took a few tries but it is easy. I’ve cut my mowing time by nearly 40% and let me tell you…the shock absorbing seat is amazing!!! For a 67 year old guy that was getting his back pounded on a lawn tracker, I am in Heaven with this machine and I feel good afterwards.

A friend who lives down the road complimented me the other day that my yard looks like a baseball field, all straight line! Love it! The quality of the product and cut is outstanding. I know I made the right decision!!! Thank you!.

Cuts nice and is very comfortable. However, it is not good on slopes over about 8 degrees. This is the reason for the 3 stars, everything else about this mower is 5 stars. The documentation on this mower says its safe up to 15 degrees and I disagree.

My yard slopes to about 12 degrees and the mower struggles to stay stable. It can go up the slope fine but will slide going down unless I go backwards. I can go across the slope very slowly, but it tears up the grass because it wants to slide sideways down the slope.

I put lug tires on it but it only helped a little. This mower is not safe on slopes over 8 degrees. Since the end of the slope in my yard is a road, I will need to switch back to tractor style mower.

I slide out onto the road once so thankfully no cars were coming by at the time. The main reason I purchased this mower was for the MyRIDE system, which is awesome. Unfortunately, I cannot return it since I used it.

I’ll need to mow about half an acre with a push mower until I can sell this one.

Wife and I purchased a new Cub Cadet Ultima ZT1 50 to replace an aging Husqvarna Z4818 that served us very well (566 hrs). We have both mowed our 2 acres with the mower and feel we can provide a good early review.

Pros: Sturdy construction and good design – welded tubular steel frame is as solid as it looks. No flex at all; thus no metal fatigue. The deck is welded rather than stamped steel like the Husky. Although I would have liked a heavier gauge steel, it should be more than adequate for residential use.

Because the frame is so strong, there is no need for a lot of other structural sheet metal that makes cleaning difficult and inhibits cooling of transmissions. Asymmetrical front wheel alignment may be unique and allows you to cut closer to obstacles.

Paint quality seems excellent. Deck height adjustment provide small increments and very easy to set. Easy of handling – turning bars feel very good. Controls are very responsive and smooth. You soon forget you are driving the mower.

You just look where you want to go and it seems to go there on its own. I particularly appreciate the large rear tires. Power – 23 hp Kawasaki engine is more than adequate. We let the native grasses in a large area of our yard mature and set seed in the spring at which time the grass is very thick and 30″ high.

The new mower made a pass at 4. 5 (max deck height) and a second pass at 3. We cut at walking speed and full deck width with no bogging and excellent clearance of the cuttings. The engine didn’t change its tune at all.

Engine makes about the same noise and uses the same amount of gasoline as the B&S on the old Husky. Cons: Seat durability?: Seat is comfortable, but nothing special. It has softer foam padding and a pullover vinyl upholstery that may not be as durable as a molded seat.

Headlights: They are a nice feature, but one popped out of its opening when bumped by a tree limb. Glad they are there though. Final thought: We bought from a local family owned mower shop. It was great to meet them, and I know where I can buy belts, blades, and service as needed.

Big Box stores don’t need the money and won’t service the mower. Buy from your neighbors and at the same price.

So it’s been a year of using my mower. Would I buy it again ? Absolutely. Read a number of complaints about vibrations from the mower deck must be poor installation or unbalanced blades. I have had zero issues with vibration or any part of the mower.

I have 1 acre of grass tons of trees some flat areas some very steep areas and the mower exceeds all of my expectations. Does an excellent job cutting the grass(nice stripes). Did my oil change after 10 hrs of use last year and again the begining of this year no metal shavings visible from break in.

Dealership in Vernon BC(Timber Star) was awesome to deal with would highly recommend them as well. Only complaint hard to drink a beer while mowing with a skid steer but I’ve figured it out :).

IšverstiShow in original languageCouldn’t be happier it works Great. I cut around 4 acres and its takes around 2 hours once a week, it handles it perfectly and has a great cut. Love the deck height selector system its fast and easy to do.

Make sure to adjust the deck peddle to further hole if isn’t already especially if have longer legs. The adjustable levers help get that perfect fit to your arms just make sure they are tighten good I mean really good or the lever will come undone.

Its weird and takes a second to relize whats happening, I was going under mulberry branches and it cause me to go all up in them it was actually pretty funny well I laughed. the only down fall well not really but dumb is that it doesn’t come with the hour meter have to purchase separate.

I bought at same time cause thats important to have and should be already on it like the older models. The oil drain plug what ever the red crap they used or He-Man put it on!!! It would not come off I actually broke a box end wrench trying to get it off, Had to use longer wrenches for more leverage.

So I clean all that out and used Teflon tape and its just fine now. also the arm rest should be on it too with the price of these things other than that its a fantastic mower.

I am so impressed with this mower. Delivery was great easy to put the last few things on the mower. Started right up. Mowing just became so much easier.

IšverstiShow in original languageNew to the zero turn mowers. Starting it up and driving it on the trailer was a treat I wish I would’ve got a video of. Definitely worth a few chuckles. I kicked around making this purchase for a long time.

My girlfriend finally helped me pull the trigger. We have 2 acres that I’ve turned into an orchard so with your conventional rider it was taking quite some time. So first time out little hesitant on what my capabilities would be.

Backing up turns out to be really tricky for me haven’t put enough hours on it. maybe have an hour and a half on it. With this being said there is no hour meter on the model (only 60in. Model) bummer.

So hour meter is on the way $100 later from my toro app available in the playstore. Also purchased the recycling/ mulching kit from from third party thru tractor supply co. Reason behind getting the recycler is because the chute is quite large and keeps you further away from objects tends to be in the way and forces you to make a lot of left turns so you weren’t blowing the grass everywhere you do not want it.

Also makes the mower more sleek and now right turn capable. The bagger was just to big and bulky so that was a no go. And the mulched tips is great for your lawn. Love the feel of the mower like I said I’ve only ran it for about an hour but after going around our berries and 20+ fruit trees it was a breeze I felt comfortable after about 10 minutes.

It seriously cut my mowing time in half. I loved it. The MYride suspension felt like I was in my rocker just jamming away on my 3m worktunes. Thus far I’m happy with my purchase and I would recommend if you are on the limb about going from a conventional rider to a zero turn make the jump.

IšverstiShow in original languageSave your money and get something better! less than 100 hrs and its breaking down. Needs new battery already and one of the throttle arms just free floats with no tension because one of their cast parts snapped.

Its a minimal stress part and it broke. Needs to be sent in for repair (they say). The blower guard is brittle plastic, turn to close to a tree or any obstruction and it doesn’t bend out of the way, it just snaps and cracks off, already on my 3rd one.

DOES NOT LIKE TO START! They don’t know how to tune their motors, you have to crank it over and over and over and over and over and over and over before it starts. I’ve had to adjust the carb multiple times but it doesn’t seem to like starting.

And probably the most frustrating part, is it gets 0 (ZERO) traction. Flat level ground and it will just spin a tire when trying to turn. If the grass is damp or you’re on the slightest of inclines, FORGET IT.

Save yourself some aggravation and a broken lawnmower in the first year by looking to higher quality.

IšverstiShow in original languageTires tend to slip even in dry grass. The gas tank is small at only 3 gallons but will do right around 1. 5 acres. Overall, this mower has a superior cut and the deck clean-out ports do work (follow the owners manual on their use).

Seat is very comfortable. The easy ride system helps with rough yards but will require you to adjust to how it works during your mowing sessions (you tend to feel like you’re swaying at first). I would buy this unit again but like I noted, a larger tank and better gripping tires would be something to keep in mind.

My previous mower was a 20+ year old ExMark, so this change came rather reluctantly. I’m not disappointed.

I waited to do this review on purpose because you have to use the machine for a while to comment. I am the grounds manager at a small university and use many brands of zero turn mowers of commercial grade to get the job done nicely.

I have mowed 5 acres of my own property for 15 years with a 42 inch cut lawn tractor that cost $2000, so when I could afford my own zero turn I was a tough critic. My only complaints that matter about my Titan mower is that going down any sizable slope, the hydros are a challenge to keep a straight line, the other complaint is the rear tires on this model look cool but slide down any slope! The best news about this review is that this Titan model 75313 cuts as good if not better than any mower I have been on in 16 years at the University, including ExMark, John Deere, Hustler and other Toros.

Comfort, reputation, reliability and a company that stands behind their products were my primary reasons for choosing the Titan. The seat is very comfortable, the mowing speed is great and Toro builds a quality machine.

As for the warranty is excellent and my dealership experience was much better than I could have ever expected. Since picking up the Titan, I have mowed our St. Augustine backyard a couple of times and our 4 acre bahia lot twice.

I felt the cut quality on the St. Augustine was a very good, clean cut. The bahia, comes out well, but takes a bit more effort if the grass hasn’t been mowed in several weeks. The mower doesn’t bog at all, but I do have to make a first pass at say, 5″ cut height, then back over it at 3.

5″ cut height in order to get my best cut. Overall, I am very happy with my choice to go with the Titan Max. The power is great, it’s a low maintenance mower, very heavy duty, comfortable and looks good.

If you are in the market for a great zero turn at a reasonable cost, you should consider the Titan Max.

Purchased the mower in March of 21. It had 24 hours on it and needed blades. The quality of steel used for them was low. When replacing them two of the blade bolts had seized in the spindle shafts. The spindle shaft are a bad design with no taper for the pulleys.

So when the factory put the blade on they ran the pulley nut down and stripped those threads as well. When I received the new spindle shafts I drilled holes in them for a spanner wrench so I wouldn’t have the same problems again.

And the blades I purchased are quieter then the factory ones. I mow about 4 acres. It was taking me about 2 1/2 with “old blades” the blades now take about 1 1/2. If anyone reads this be prepared for this.

The engineers dropped the ball on this. The rest of the mower is great. Strong engine and deck. Comfortable seat and controls.

I bought my first ZTR about 10 years ago, and continued to have issues with one of the spindles on the mower deck. This Spring, I traded my old machine in on a new Toro 50″ TimeCutter ZTR with MyRIDE suspension.

By far, the best purchase I’ve made in a long time. The MyRIDE suspension in state of the art, providing a smooth ride over rough terrain. I had all I could do to hold on to my old mower, while the Toro is like riding on a pillow! The TimeCutter rides closer to the ground for better control, and has all the power and speed I can handle.

I’ve been really pleased and super impressed with this new TimeCutter. My only regret is not trading up a few years earlier. Might have saved some wear and tear on my body! Great product. Thanks Toro!.

I purchased the z246 as my first zero turn. wish I never had. EVERY year it has issues even though I run it some through the winter. I can’t keep it running without forking out more money for parts and/or repairs.

for 3 grand you’d expect at least a few years of near perfect operation,.

Bought this mower and began using it. After several months I heard a rattling noise and found the front baffle broken by the forward mounting ear. I simply got a new baffle and replaced it. Same problem occurred about 3 months later.

Same baffle, same break. That’s when I found the second problem. Husqvarna doesn’t care even a little about customers. The reps did not even read my e-mails. I asked 5 questions neither the “expert” or the company man answered even 1 before saying “take it to a dealer”.

It,s a 40 mile drive to a dealer and the mower must be trailered. But it must be taken to a dealer for warranty consideration. It’s a $12 part. I’d rather just buy it instead of making that drive, I’d just really like the answers to my questions.

Husqvarna product a solid B+, customer service an F-. I regret not buying the John Deere I saw at the same retailer. I’ll never buy Husqvarna again.

I was the first person to buy the new EGO 52″ battery-powered mower at our local Ace Hardware store. Ace delivered it fully-assembled and ready to mow. My 16 acre farm property has about 3 acres of grassy areas and paths to mow.

For many years I’ve been using agricultural equipment, currently a 33 HP compact utility tractor pulling a 60″ flail mower. This rig can cut brush and very tall weeds as well as grass, but it is slow, hard to maneuver, loud, and challenging to maintain.

I wanted something more maneuverable, especially for around obstacles. I’d been considering ZTR mowers for years but waited for an EV model to meet my needs. This seemed like a more cost-effective way to do my bit for the environment than a pricey new EV truck or SUV.

So I was excited to learn about the new EGO 52″ model, which seems to be one of the few (maybe the only) battery-powered mowers with a fabricated deck this large and run times up to 4 hours (unless you get into one of the few, very expensive commercial EV models.

) Although this EGO mower probably is best suited to fairly level and smooth suburban lawns, in my opinion it also has potential for agricultural operations such as vineyards and orchards. It seems to be a good fit for my property (although it isn’t quite up to handling ditches, embankments, or heavily overgrown areas).

If you’ve decided a battery-powered “residential” ZTR is for you, then in my opinion, the EGO 52″ should be high on your list. That 52″ capacity and fabricated deck sets it apart from many of the residential EV alternatives.

Another great thing about EGO mowers is that the same batteries can be used all across their product line (in trimmers, blowers, etc. ) They can even be used in the EGO Nexus 3000 watt portable power station, which you can buy without batteries (in case you decide the ones in the mower are enough).

Unlike gas generators, the EGO power station can be operated indoors (assuming you’ve been careful to keep your batteries charged when power goes out). I’ve only mowed a few times with this machine. First impressions are very favorable for ease-of-use, cut quality, maneuverability, and build quality.

It is quiet yet very powerful too. The seat is very comfortable but the frame does not have a real suspension system (nothing like the optional “flex forks” that Hustler sells). So it’s a bit bumpy over rough terrain.

As is typical of many residential ZTRs, there is no ROPS bar. If you’ve never driven a ZTR mower, another potential safety issue is stopping the thing. You have to train yourself to pull pack on both levers to stop (like pulling in the reigns of a horse).

This was harder for me to get the hang of than the steering. In quite a few attempts, I was unable to get the iPhone app to pair with the machine over Bluetooth. This is necessary for firmware downloads.

Fortunately, a “Help?” label with a phone number is printed all over the manual, packaging, etc. I got through to the Help line pretty quickly, the assistant evidently was a native speaker of English, and EGO resolved the problem.

Another issue was that the control levers needed calibrating (because as delivered, it tended to pull a little to one side). The manual clearly explained a simple calibration procedure for this. The big question mark for me, going forward, is the quality and dependability of after-market service/support.

EGO has built an impressive retail sales network in the USA, and the Help line seems to be good. However, they may not have as extensive a network for local mechanical support, as some competitors (like Stihl and Hustler) do.

But then, AFAIK, the competition does not offer anything quite like this product.

Been using Toro ZTRs (42- and 50-inch) since 2005. Our place (3. 5 acres) requires mowing about once a week from May-Oct. I use a self-propelled Toro (22 inch) push mower for some steep areas. Physically, I am 6’3″ and weigh 220 pounds.

(I should note that I am a former helicopter pilot, and ZTRs are the closest I can come on the land to that experience. ) Toro ZTRs use belts, and we have a lot of trees (viz. twigs and gumballs) that periodically would dislodge the belts on the Toros, both blade and drive which led to downtime–sometimes for over a week.

The engines are loud (85dB) and kicked-up substantial amounts of dust so that I would need to wear a dust mask. Have been shopping for an EV for a couple of years, mainly because of the belt issues. Gravely was too expensive, and other makers’ models had questionable ability to climb inclines.

Other ZTRs are in development. One criteria I had is the width (with the chute-raised) had to fit through the opening in the mower shed. Lowes delivered the mower at the end of May, 2022 so I have mowed the entire area.

I could not get it to operate after charging so I went to the troubleshooting section in the manual and deduced that the seat safety switch was not connected. I removed the seat and reconnected the plug, and it operated properly.

It takes a couple of full charges to complete the mowing, which is similar to the refueling I had with the Toros. I am quite happy with the EGO because it is very quiet (75dB) and (so far) does not seem affected by the small twigs and gumballs.

Overall, the handling is precise, but I don’t think the EGO holds mowing on inclines as well as the heavier Toro. In the rougher parts of the yard, the deck tends to rattle excessively when bouncing (I mow at the lowest speed; though, it is speedy).

I did have an interesting situation that I backed-up while mowing and got raised up on a smooth rock wall so that the mower’s rear wheels would not propel. I had to remove the batteries (as per the operating manual) so that I could dislodge it from the rock.

The 4 acres of mowing on one charge must be for absolutely perfect, flat, treeless, dry, short-grass conditions. We’ve had our mower for about a month and mowed our grass ( about 2 1/2 acres of thick, fast growing grass that is getting a lot of sun, heat, and rain in June in Pennsylvania) 4 times, and the best I’ve done is about 130% worth of charge.

There is definately a sweet spot combo between mower speed and blade speed. Mowing thick grass with the blades on speed 4 takes a lot more power. The electric drive motors on the wheels are also MUCH more responsive than the old trannsmissions on our gas powered zero turn, which makes for a little bit of a jerky ride that takes some practice getting used to, so we’ve been using the control mode and not the standard mode and not even thinking about the sport mode (what’s that for anyway, lawn mower racing?) The mower is surprisingly fast, and has a lot more power than expected.

It does a great job cutting grass, although, like I said, when you cut the taller, heavier grass you need to use higher blade speeds, which really suck the battery power. On the other hand, charge speed is fast – 4 hours will charge the mower from 2% to 100%, with charging going much faster when the batteries are low, then slowing down as they get closer and closer to full capacity.

Mower deck design seems to accumulate a lot of cut grass that the deck wash doesn’t clean out. It’s weird being able to just get on the mower and go – no checking gas or oil, or greasing the spindles, or worrying about belts etc.

The quiet is great too. I still put in ear plugs when the blades are turning, but I’m not sure if you have to or not.