I switched to the mulching blades due to the very beginnings of the fall of leaves and pine straw. My yard is centipede and it’s still growing a bit and I don’t put on the mulching attachment until the grass growth slows…which will be in a few weeks. If the cells in the battery are deteriorating after 2 months I’ll certainly complain… the mower is obviously still under full warranty. Not to worry too much about having to push the mower. Once the battery level reaches 5% the blade motors automatically turn off and there’s plenty of juice to get back to the garage.