Ryobi 40V cordless mower (RY40100A) from Homedepot

[bee-man]

Ryobi 40V cordless mower (RY40112A) from Homedepot

I got rid of my reel push mower because it was too much of a workout with multiple passes (~1500sqft lawn). A gas mower is overkill for my needs, so I'm looking for a cordless mower - I currently have my eyes on the Ryobi 40V model offered by Homedepot.

Here is what I view as important:
* Small (for storage)/light under 45 lbs.
* $450 budget
* Performance/reliability
* Light is nice
* 2 batteries

The Makita LM430 would have been ideal since I have a bunch of 18V batteries from their power tools, but it is not sold here. WHY? WHY? WHY!
The Stihl RMA 370 is also very nice but it will cost over $700 with batteries. Yikes!

There are mixed reviews on B&D and Greenworks products, but it seems the Ryobi 40V mower sold at Homedepot has just what I need - yet, I haven't found any mention or reviews of it on this forum - is there a reason why? Does anyone have experience, comments or feedback on this mower? Any reason why I shouldn't pursue this purchase? Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[MowerMike]

Well, first off I believe the model you want is the RY40112A, which includes the two batteries and charger for $349. The Model 40100A is the mower only w/o batteries and charger, and would cost most if you bought the batteries separately.

I do not have any experience with the Ryobi branded 16-inch mower, but own the identical Greenworks branded mower Model 25242, which differs only in the batteries. The Greenworks comes with a single 146 Wh battery, instead of the two 93.6 Wh Ryobi batteries. I can get about 40 minutes run time with my battery, so I would expect longer with the two Ryobi batteries. I've had no problems with mine in the nearly 2 years I've owned it other than the original battery being a dud and having to deal with Greenworks on a replacement. The mower cuts and bags well. My biggest complaint is that the maximum cutting height is only 2-3/4 inches and the mower slopes downward in the front and is hard to push in thick grass with the tiny 6 inch front wheels. I replaced mine with 7 inch wheels, which increased the max cutting height to over 3 inches and made it much easier to push. Another annoyance is that the rear wheels are wider apart than the front, which makes it difficult to cut close to boundaries or wall/fences and also difficult to follow parallel tracks.

Before making your decision, you might want to consider the new Black & Decker 16 inch lithium-ion mower that I've posted in this thread:

http://www.lawnmowerforum.com/elect...ker-16-li-ion-battery-powered-lawn-mower.html

My experience with Black & Decker products and customer support has been very good.

The Greenworks Model 25322 16 inch mower can be bought with the new G-MAX 40 volt battery for $270 from Amazon or CPO Outlets.

 

[bee-man]

You are right, I posted the incorrect title in my thread - I updated the title to reflect the correct model, even though the mower itself is the same.

Excellent points about the Ryobi... cutting height is not an issue for me, but the small staggered wheels are a concern.

The Greenworks Model 25242 has been discontinued, according to Amazon & MowersDirect. It may have been succeeded by the Greenworks 25322.

The B&D mower is definitely looking like a contender; it is currently available on Amazon for $329, but I am hoping that a local store has one in stock since I would have the comfort of a return. Also, I am hesitant to be an early adopter, but it looks very appealing.

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[exotion]

Call your different home depot branches for black and Decker the HD by my house doesn't have them but the one out in the valley does

 

[bee-man]

OK, made a trip to Homedepot and the Ryobi was lowered to $359. I grabbed it because there were only 3 left, and I know that an unopened return would be no problem if I ended up ordering the B&D. Here is my dilemma:

* B&D has many satisfied users throughout their cordless line
* B&D front and rear wheels are the same width
* B&D is newer
* B&D is lighter by 2 lbs (38 vs 40)
* Ryobi has lower cutting height .75" vs 1"
* Ryobi has 3 yr warranty vs B&D 2 yr
* Ryobi is easier to return
* Ryobi batteries are marginally larger than B&D
* Ryobi is more proven since it has been out almost 2 years

Not sure which mower is narrower (for storage) or which company has better customer support. The Ryobi seems to have a considerable edge on the list, but there is something about the B&D CM1640 that interest me. It is literally 7 clicks away on Amazon. Decisions, decisions...

 

[exotion]

OK, made a trip to Homedepot and the Ryobi was lowered to $359. I grabbed it because there were only 3 left, and I know that an unopened return would be no problem if I ended up ordering the B&D. Here is my dilemma:

* B&D has many satisfied users throughout their cordless line
* B&D front and rear wheels are the same width
* B&D is newer
* B&D is lighter by 2 lbs (38 vs 40)
* Ryobi has lower cutting height .75" vs 1"
* Ryobi has 3 yr warranty vs B&D 2 yr
* Ryobi is easier to return
* Ryobi batteries are marginally larger than B&D
* Ryobi is more proven since it has been out almost 2 years

Not sure which mower is narrower (for storage) or which company has better customer support. The Ryobi seems to have a considerable edge on the list, but there is something about the B&D CM1640 that interest me. It is literally 7 clicks away on Amazon. Decisions, decisions...

The weight won't make a difference. The lower cutting height is actually unnecessary noone should cut there lawn that low. B&d has been doing electric and cordless mowers longer than ryobi

 

[MowerMike]

Also, given the small size of your lawn (1500 sq ft), the difference in battery capacity between the Ryobi and B&D is unimportant. You can probably mow your entire yard on a single battery with either mower.

 

[bee-man]

I have this unopened Ryobi box staring me in the face, and it's very tempting to open it... it's a good thing the weather has not been cooperating for the past couple of days (front passing). I was so set on the Ryobi; however, I can't believe I let strangers talk me into this...



If this doesn't work out, be it on your heads (just kidding)! My only concern with the B&D is that the design has not been in the field (literally) long enough to expose design issues, and the run time for my needs (battery looks tiny compared to Ryobi).

HD has officially cut the price on the Ryobi by $20 - I wonder if a newer model is around the corner? It seems over due.

 

[bee-man]

Received the B&D. The least I could do is write my thoughts and impressions so I decided to update MowerMike's thread located here.

Can't wait to mow! Thanks again!

 

[redfish9]

If your area to mow is that small use a weed eater