Recharge Mower 20" lithium

logistiker

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How do you like it and how long does the battery last? Would you say it's worth it for being almost double the price of a similar gas mower?

I've had 3 versions of the tractor: two in 2012 and one in 2013 (warrantied replacements). It was a real pain in the arse initially (i.e. the 2012 version - see Steering fix for Rechargemower G2 and Transaxle replacement for Recharge Mower G2) because it was plagued with failures of random parts in 2012. RechargeMower fixed a lot of these problems in the 2013 model and it's quite a bit better. The 2012 version battery did not last very long (maybe 1/8 acre) before needing a recharge. I think that was due to the potentiometer (accelerator) taking too much power since it was either go or stop with almost nothing in between. The 2013 version fixed that issue and it now has a very wide adjustment in speed. That change is quite noticeable because it now mows about an acre on a full charge (it might be a little less if the grass is real thick). I haven't had any failures yet on the 2013 model except the battery charger died (warrantied replacement).

I've probably mowed about 8 times this season with about 1 1/2 acres to mow and I mow my entire lawn with about 1.25 charges. I have also hauled several full trailer loads of manure so it's quite capable of pulling a heavy load (albeit not as heavy as a GE Elektrak - I've seen that youtube video). The one downside with the tractor which wasn't improved in the 2013 version is the seat. It's horribly uncomfortable if you have to ride on it for almost any amount of time. If you get the tractor, I would definitely recommend that you replace the seat with a suspension seat (around $300 for the seat). I documented how I replaced the seat in the Rechargemower G2 Seat Upgrade thread. In addition, it would probably be best to order it direct from the RechargeMower. You definitely don't want a 2012 version (it's pretty easy to tell the difference since the width of the front of the mower is wider on the 2013 version (27 inches) than on the 2012 version (26 inches)) but rather a 2013 version with the triangle welded to the cross beam connecting to the battery box under the seat.

You can have confidence that you won't be an early adopter since people like me have worked out most of the problems of the initial version and the manufacturer has listened to us and fixed them permanently. Is it worth it? That's for you to determine. I don't buy gas but I expect to replace the batteries in 5-7 years since they're deep cycle sealed lead acid batteries. I'm hoping in that time, the prices of batteries will come down further and I'll potentially replace it with some sort of lithium chemistry battery (LifePO4? Lithium Sulfur?). My mower is significantly quieter than all my neighbors and it doesn't require ear protection to mow the lawn. When I turn my mower on for the first time in the spring, it just turns on and I go with no fiddling with an engine (cold start, carb problems, etc). I don't have any exhaust fumes to smell and there aren't any belts to replace. The two main maintenance items are essentially the blades (cheap to replace) and replacing the batteries when they die (easy to remove).
 
Joined
Jun 8, 2012
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I've had 3 versions of the tractor: two in 2012 and one in 2013 (warrantied replacements). It was a real pain in the arse initially (i.e. the 2012 version - see Steering fix for Rechargemower G2 and Transaxle replacement for Recharge Mower G2) because it was plagued with failures of random parts in 2012. RechargeMower fixed a lot of these problems in the 2013 model and it's quite a bit better. The 2012 version battery did not last very long (maybe 1/8 acre) before needing a recharge. I think that was due to the potentiometer (accelerator) taking too much power since it was either go or stop with almost nothing in between. The 2013 version fixed that issue and it now has a very wide adjustment in speed. That change is quite noticeable because it now mows about an acre on a full charge (it might be a little less if the grass is real thick). I haven't had any failures yet on the 2013 model except the battery charger died (warrantied replacement).

I've probably mowed about 8 times this season with about 1 1/2 acres to mow and I mow my entire lawn with about 1.25 charges. I have also hauled several full trailer loads of manure so it's quite capable of pulling a heavy load (albeit not as heavy as a GE Elektrak - I've seen that youtube video). The one downside with the tractor which wasn't improved in the 2013 version is the seat. It's horribly uncomfortable if you have to ride on it for almost any amount of time. If you get the tractor, I would definitely recommend that you replace the seat with a suspension seat (around $300 for the seat). I documented how I replaced the seat in the Rechargemower G2 Seat Upgrade thread. In addition, it would probably be best to order it direct from the RechargeMower. You definitely don't want a 2012 version (it's pretty easy to tell the difference since the width of the front of the mower is wider on the 2013 version (27 inches) than on the 2012 version (26 inches)) but rather a 2013 version with the triangle welded to the cross beam connecting to the battery box under the seat.

You can have confidence that you won't be an early adopter since people like me have worked out most of the problems of the initial version and the manufacturer has listened to us and fixed them permanently. Is it worth it? That's for you to determine. I don't buy gas but I expect to replace the batteries in 5-7 years since they're deep cycle sealed lead acid batteries. I'm hoping in that time, the prices of batteries will come down further and I'll potentially replace it with some sort of lithium chemistry battery (LifePO4? Lithium Sulfur?). My mower is significantly quieter than all my neighbors and it doesn't require ear protection to mow the lawn. When I turn my mower on for the first time in the spring, it just turns on and I go with no fiddling with an engine (cold start, carb problems, etc). I don't have any exhaust fumes to smell and there aren't any belts to replace. The two main maintenance items are essentially the blades (cheap to replace) and replacing the batteries when they die (easy to remove).

Thanks for the review! This will help lots of people. :thumbsup:
 
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