Ryobi finally has a Steel Deck 40V push mower ...

[dougmacm]

Back to the TITLE subject …

After seeing that the Greenworks built SNAPPER 82V mower now has a similar "STEP SENCE" drive system …
https://www.snapper.com/na/en_us/pr...ense-automatic-drive-electric-lawn-mower.html

… I went back to the HD web site to take a closer look at the Ryobi version. They have a pic of the underside which makes it look even more like a GW built mower … blade even has similar round & half round location notches like the older style GW blades. What is different though that I just noticed today is they have no SIDE DISCHARGE door like all the other GW built steel deck mowers, so one more differentiation to hide it's roots. They claim to offer a "Side Discharge Accessory" (sold separately), so it must attach to the bag discharge area somehow like some older Rear Bagger Lawnboys had in the 80's~90's.

Doug

 

[1 Lucky Texan]

yeah, my 'new' steel deck GW 21" has side discharge though I don't use it.

does that Ryobi have a flat squirrel cage fan like the GWs have underneath? (I have concerns about the longevity of that gadget, plastic typically doesn't last long in Texas and being exposed to 'debris' isn't going to help, at least it rarely gets direct sunlight)

 

[dougmacm]

yeah, my 'new' steel deck GW 21" has side discharge though I don't use it.

does that Ryobi have a flat squirrel cage fan like the GWs have underneath? (I have concerns about the longevity of that gadget, plastic typically doesn't last long in Texas and being exposed to 'debris' isn't going to help, at least it rarely gets direct sunlight)

If you go to the HD page (linked in 1st post) there is a picture of the underside. As you can see, the plastic blade mount / fan looks similar but it is definitely different.

This blade mount fan thing concerned me on my GW mowers a little too ... what concerned me more though is the diameter of the motor shaft that this plastic part mounts to (under 1", IIRC somewhere around 13/16").

The blade on these mowers is higher in relationship to the deck bottom than on any of my Lawn-Boys, and I think this is to protect the blade from hitting roots, etc. that could bend the motor shaft. I have yet to hit a fixed object with the blade of either of these mowers and I've got plenty of stumps & roots throughout my not very level lawn that I've hit in the past with the Lawn-Boys. My wife's office lawn is not much better, but has random gravel thrown in from the neighbor's gravel lot. As much as I try and avoid and/or kick the larger stones out of the yard, the blade on this mower has hit plenty of it over the past year of mowing and has the scars to prove it.

As far as my home yard, I hit a tree root hard enough years ago with an "F" engine LB that I bent the crank … which is the reason for my concern since replacing a motor shaft likely equals replacing the whole motor on one of these GW mowers !!

Doug

 

[1 Lucky Texan]

Among the reasons why we moved was to get away from 2 Bald Cypress trees. I hit 'knees' often and bent 2 blades on my old gasser.

A different house in the past had a lot of obstacles and I had to keep a fistful of spare flywheel keys for an old Tecumseh-powered mower I had at the time.

This new house had 2-3 old shrub/Crepe Myrtle stumps but I have removed them so, much safer for any mower now.

 

[videobruce]

FYI;
I contacted Ryobi regarding their new 40v 6ah battery pack. The one that is not listed anywhere. Not of Ryobi's or Home Depots websites. The reason being Ryobi has none in their warehouse and no known date when they will be available as a separate purchase. They couldn't even give me a retail price.

BUT, I did manage to get their model number of the new 6ah pack, its; a OP40601. (yes there is a '1' in that number).

Now, not to be outdone, probably more so for their typical marketing scams, the Chinese have flooded the market with all kinds of these (supposed) 40v 6ah 3rd party packs. Starting at $77 for a 'Bonacell' labeled pack (shipped from China) thru e-bay (where else) to what may be usable/workable choices also on e-bay and Amazon for between $110 and $120 under the following names;
Amityke,
Biswaye,
Bonacell,
Epowon,
Lasica &
Powerextra

Since I don't trust their usually inflated claims, I inquired into what the actual eights of these packs are in ounces. The only answers I received so far are the Bisway is 44 ozs and the Lasica is 48 ozs.
I (unfortunately) bought one of those $77 wonders (for $68) and that weighs in at 44ozs.
Compare that with the actual weight of the Ryobi 5ah at 51ozs. That Bonacell pack uses Vanon cells (if anyone ever heard of that name).