Cordless lawn mowers, or battery-powered mowers, have one obvious advantage: they eliminate the hassle of a cord while still providing the power of an electric mower.
To be certain that a cordless mower is right for you, you need to know all the benefits and setbacks of using this mower type.
In this guide, I’ve shared the pros and cons of cordless lawn mowers that you should know about.
✅ Key Takeaways:
The advantages of cordless lawn mowers are that they’re not restricted by a cord, they’re affordable and lightweight, they don’t make a lot of noise, and they don’t need much maintenance.
The disadvantages of cordless mowers are that they have a fairly short battery life that limits run time, they’re not great at mowing rough terrain and long grass, and they’re more expensive than corded mowers.
Table of Contents
👍 Cordless Lawn Mower Pros
Here are the advantages of cordless electric lawn mowers compared to other mower types:
🔌 They Don’t Have A Cord
The biggest advantage of a cordless battery-powered lawn mower is that it doesn’t use a cord.
Instead, cordless mowers use a powerful battery that can be recharged before you plan to mow your lawn.
The cordless design of a battery-powered lawnmower means you have much greater mowing flexibility. You can take your mower to any location, regardless of whether or not there’s a power outlet. As long as the battery is charged and ready to go, you can use this mower in an allotment, a garden across the road from your home, or anywhere you want without being tethered by a cord.
Cordless lawn mowers are also safer to use than corded electric mowers because there’s no risk of running over the cord. This protects the cord from damage and protects you, the user, from electrocution.
Plus, mowing is easier and faster due to the lack of a cord. You don’t have to navigate around the cord and move it from one side of your mower to the other as you mow. Simply switch on the mower and start mowing freely.
- Brand: Flymo
Price: ££
Power source: Battery
Cutting width: 34cm
Cutting height: 25-65mm
Weight: 11.2 kilograms
Grass box capacity: 35 litres
Dimensions (DxWxH): 47.5 x 39 x 95cm
Power: 40-V battery (2x 20V)
🏁 They’re Quick And Easy To Start
Another big benefit of battery-powered mowers is that they take just seconds to start up.
Most cordless mower models have a simple push-button start. Some have a lever that you press, but it achieves the same result: to send power into the motor from the battery and prompt the blades to spin.
Unlike petrol (gas-powered) mowers, cordless mowers don’t have a starter rope to crank, and unlike corded mowers, they don’t have a cord to unravel and plug in – and potentially an extension lead to set up – before they can get going.
All you have to do is make sure the battery is charged and ready to go, then simply switch on the mower by pressing the power button or lever.
If you want to save time and get your mowing duties out the way as soon as possible, a cordless electric lawnmower will tick your boxes.
💰 They’re Affordable And Budget-Friendly
Battery-powered lawn mowers are much cheaper than petrol or gas-powered mowers. The average cost of a cordless battery mower is £170-£250. A gas mower costs about twice the price and has higher maintenance costs, too.
If you want a mower that’s suitable for smaller budgets and is low-cost to run, a battery-powered lawn mower is a great choice.
You can get a great deal on one of the best cordless lawn mowers, especially if you have a small lawn and don’t need a hefty machine.
🛠 They Don’t Need Much Maintenance
For folks who don’t enjoy putting in the time to maintain their lawn mowers between uses, cordless lawn mowers are ideal. That’s because these mowers require virtually no maintenance, especially compared to petrol or gas mowers.
There are only a few maintenance jobs involved in owning a cordless battery mower:
Recharging the batteries
Cleaning the mower after every use
Sharpening the blades when necessary
Buying replacement batteries when the original batteries lose their effectiveness
There’s no fuel or oil to top up, and you don’t have to worry about repairing or replacing a cord because there isn’t one.
With a battery-powered lawn mower, you can spend less time doing the boring maintenance jobs and more time admiring your tidy lawn.
♻️ They Don’t Produce Emissions
Another major advantage of a cordless battery-powered mower is that it doesn’t produce emissions as gas lawnmowers do.
Battery-powered mowers don’t run off fuel, so they don’t release fossil fuels into the atmosphere and they’re more environmentally friendly than conventional petrol mowers.
So, if you want to reduce your carbon footprint or you just don’t want to breathe in harmful fumes while you’re mowing, a cordless mower is a great mower for you.
Our tip: If you want to really do your bit for the environment, we recommend stepping even further away from gas-powered mowers to manual reel mowers, which are the most environmentally friendly choice because they don’t use petrol or electricity.
📡 They Offer A Variety Of Functions
Don’t think that your options are in any way limited if you buy a cordless battery-powered mower.
Cordless lawnmowers have all the same features as other mowers, including:
An adjustable cutting height (usually with 3-5 height adjustments)
A grass collection box or bag in various sizes
Multiple cutting widths to choose from based on your lawn size
Edge cutting
Different blade types (rotary is most common)
Features to keep you safe, like a guard to protect your feet from the blade and a safety switch, which shuts off the mower blades if you let go of the handle
A mulching function (not available on all mowers)
You can use a cordless lawn mower in pretty much the same way that you’d use any other mower type – the only difference is that this mower doesn’t have a cord and doesn’t need to be plugged into a power outlet.
🎧 They’re Quiet To Run
Cordless lawnmowers use a much quieter engine than petrol or gas-powered models, which means they don’t produce anywhere near as much noise pollution.
You can use a battery-powered lawnmower without having to worry about disturbing your neighbours, even if you have a small garden and live in close proximity to other people.
The reduced noise pollution also means that you shouldn’t have to wear ear protection while you mow – although you should check the manufacturer’s advice in the user manual to be certain of this.
Of course, since this mower isn’t entirely silent, you still shouldn’t use it at antisocial hours (typically before 8am or after 8pm) out of respect for those living near to you. If you enjoy the thrill of midnight mowing, you’ll need a manual push mower.
🏋🏻 They’re Lightweight And Maneuverable
Battery-powered models are lighter and easier to maneuver than petrol or gas-powered mowers because they don’t contain a heavy engine.
These mowers are relatively small and compact, and can be easily stored in your shed or outhouse when not in use.
Manouvering a battery-powered lawnmower is easy, and there are small models available that are specifically intended for small lawns with limited turning space.
Because of their lightweight design, cordless lawn mowers don’t take too much effort to push, and they’re relatively portable, too. You should be able to fit this mower in the boot of your car if you need to mow an allotment or a family member’s garden.
🧱 They’re Durable And Reliable
Cordless battery mowers are designed to last a long time – over 10 years if you perform the proper maintenance and look after the mower well.
You can rely on a battery-powered lawnmower to provide an excellent cut quality and a powerful performance throughout its lifespan.
That means you get more value from your initial investment, without having to spend money on a brand-new mower or an expensive repair job just a few years into your mower ownership.
Of course, quality depends on the mower brand and up-front price, too, so make sure to read customer reviews and don’t buy a mower if the deal seems too good to be true.
👎 Cordless Lawn Mower Cons
Some of the setbacks of cordless battery-powered lawn mowers are:
🔋 They Need Frequent Battery Charging
The biggest disadvantage of a cordless lawnmower is that the battery needs to be charged after every use.
The average run time for a battery in a cordless push mower is 35 minutes. The average charge time, on the other hand, is 60 minutes.
If you’re looking for a mower that you can put away and forget about between uses, you won’t quite get that with a battery-powered lawnmower.
You’ll need to remember to charge the battery in advance of cutting your lawn. This could be a hassle if you just want to get the job done without any advanced preparation.
🏞 They’re Not Recommended For Larger Lawns
Because of the issue with battery charging and limited battery life, battery-powered lawn mowers aren’t the best solution for larger lawns.
Even if you bought a stack of batteries so you could switch them out during mowing, you’d have to make sure they were all charged first, which would mean buying a separate charger for each battery or waiting around 1 hour for each battery to charge before charging the next.
Plus, having to constantly interrupt your mowing to swap out batteries is a hassle, and you might not want to spend money on multiple batteries on top of your initial mower purchase.
For that reason, most lawn mower manufacturers recommend their cordless electric models for gardens up to around 400 square metres. There are some exceptions, but most models are suitable for smaller lawns only.
💪 They’re Heavier Than Corded Lawn Mowers
Cordless battery-powered models might be lighter than gas-powered mowers, but they’re still heavier than corded mowers.
These mowers contain a heavy lithium-ion battery that adds about 5 kilograms to the mower’s weight. Some large batteries may weigh up to 10 kilograms or more.
You should still find it generally easy to operate a cordless electric lawn mower, but if you have mobility limitations and you’re looking for the most lightweight electric model, you’ll be better off with a corded mower.
📏They’re Not Ideal For Long Or Thick Grass
A cordless battery lawn mower can handle long and thick grass in theory, but it’s not as powerful as gas models or even corded electric lawn mowers.
The problem with a battery-operated mower is that it doesn’t deliver the same power output as a mower that’s powered by petrol or mains electricity.
That means there isn’t as much power from the motor to turn the blades, and this could mean that the blades struggle to cut through thicker or longer grass.
If you want the most powerful model that will cut grass regardless of terrain and height, battery lawn mowers aren’t the best available option.
💰 They’re More Expensive Than Corded Mowers
Finally, a battery-powered mower costs more than a corded lawn mower, which isn’t what you’ll want to hear if you’re trying to stick to a small budget.
I mentioned above that a cordless battery lawn mower costs around £170-£250. In comparison, a corded lawn mower costs about £75-£150.
If you want to keep your budget below £100, you probably won’t find a battery-powered push mower within your preferred price range.
You’ll also need to factor in the cost of new batteries every 5 or so years, depending on the battery quality and the mowing conditions.
📊 Pros And Cons Of Cordless Lawn Mowers Chart
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| No restriction from a cord | Limited battery life |
| Quick and easy to start | Not recommended for larger lawns |
| Affordable and budget-friendly | Heavier than corded mowers |
| Low maintenance requirements | Not ideal for long or thick grass |
| Environmentally friendly (no emissions) | More expensive than corded mowers |
| Various functions available | |
| Quieter operation | |
| Lightweight and maneuverable | |
| Durable and reliable |
⚖️ Are Cordless Lawn Mowers Worth It?
So, now you know the pros and cons of a cordless battery lawn mower, is this mower worth your money?
In my opinion, yes, cordless lawn mowers are worth it for people who specifically want a mower that’s not restricted by a cord and can be used anywhere, without the hassle and extra work of a manual mower, and without the expense, toxic fumes, and bothersome maintenance of a petrol mower.
However, the answer to this question depends on your personal preferences. It’s worth comparing cordless lawn mowers to the other lawn mower types and deciding on the best lawn mower for your budget, lawn size and grass type, mowing preferences, and more.