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Competition in the cordless products class gets problematical each year as consumer become more wonted to untethering everything from earbuds to vacuums to chainsaws . Each year , lawn lawn mower brands roll out betterment in charging times , runtimes , power , and more . Ryobi , for case , late introduced its Whisper Series of lawn - and - garden tools , which is designed to be the subdued yet . I test the mower to incur out how meretricious it was , in addition to exploring its other notable feature .
Ryobi is a part of Techtronic Industries , and since 2000 , Ryobi has been an exclusive spouse of The Home Depot ( but it is not a steel of the dwelling betterment retailer ) . Techtronic Industries is also the parent company of Milwaukee and Hoover , so it ’s practiced at empathise what place melioration – disposed consumers and tradespeople require .
Photo: Beth Cranston for Bob Vila
The Ryobi 21 - column inch self - propelled all - roulette wheel - movement mower that I quiz is a part of the Whisper Series card . With some assistance from other mowers in my household , I mowed my lawn five times over 8 hebdomad , extending the time between mows to account for a particularly ironic spell in my area . My lawn is nowhere near being picture - utter , and once it uprise out , it has healthy and lush areas along with some spare , less - than - pristine spots . I used the Ryobi to cut it all , and here ’s how the mower performed .
Ryobi 21-Inch Self-Propelled All-Wheel-Drive Mower: At a Glance
Battery-Operated Favorite
Ryobi 21-Inch Self-Propelled All-Wheel-Drive Mower
Rating:8.5/10
Product Specs
Runtime : Up to 70 minutesDrive : Self - move , all - wheel - drive and rearward - wheel movement optionsDeck size:21 inchesWeight:77 pounds
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Photo: Beth Cranston for Bob Vila
What is the Ryobi 21-inch self-propelled all-wheel-drive mower?
As with most battery - power lawn - and - garden equipment , the Ryobi lawn mower is part of a suite of more than 85 lawn - and - garden product powered by Ryobi ’s 40 - volt ( V ) lithium - ion batteries . These battery also can be used in string trimmers , leaf blower , edgers , and more .
The Ryobi lawn lawn mower is a toilsome - tariff electric mower that shoot a line a brushless motor for first-class power efficiency and comes stark with two 40V 6 - amp hour ( Ah ) lithium - ion bombardment and a rapid battery charger . It boast an option to use all - steering wheel crusade or rear - wheel private road ( the late model , RY401015 , bid rear - wheel private road only ) , and it comes with a 21 - inch cut deck of cards with a two - leaf blade cutting system underneath .
drug user can line up the blades to cut skunk between 1 column inch and 4 inches tall ( a half - inch outstanding range than the previous mannikin ) , and seven tallness adjustment are controlled by a simple lever . It also admit three Gunter Grass - disposal options — bagging , mulching , or side discharge — as well as a new integrated mulch plug that toggles from mulching to bagging .
Photo: Beth Cranston for Bob Vila
To make mowing even less of a chore than with its predecessor , thisRyobi RY401210features Smart Trek ego - propel paddle designed to easily match the mower ’s speed to the exploiter ’s pace . paddle are correct on the handle , so substance abuser simply fight them to align propulsion . The paddle also move up or down to adjust their position for drug user comfort . A focal ratio chooser button , also on the grip , slides left to right so users have even more control over the mower f number . A childlike switch controls the drive scheme from all - cycle ( for hills and rougher terrain ) to keister - wheel ( for savorless terrain ) .
Bright light-emitting diode on the lawn mower deck of cards illuminate the surrounding space at sunset and around dense tree and thicket . Its light atomic number 13 hold folds down for more heavyset computer storage , and the mower can be salt away vertically for even more space - saving convenience .
How easy is the Ryobi lawn mower to set up?
There is almost no setup required with theRyobi . I simply pulled it out of the corner , elevate the handgrip , and adjusted the handle to one of the two height option . I then charged each of the batteries , although this had to be done one at a time since the charger only moderate one battery . While this is n’t a major downside , it could set a trouble if you draw a blank to charge one of the battery after a round of mowing ; the next clip you want to cut down your lawn , you ’ll stop up waiting for the bombardment to charge instead of merely channelise outdoors .
The batteries came about 25 percentage charge , with one solid taproom and one flashing bar out of four total saloon . Each battery took a little under an 60 minutes to charge fully .
The only other apparatus necessary is for those who want to use the side - discharge chute or the bag for clippings . After lift the side dither , I was capable to slide the side parachute into spot very easily . Attaching the collection udder to its frame was a bit cumbersome because the attachment clips were stiff and tight , but once it was on , it was easy to attach behind the deck .
Photo: Beth Cranston for Bob Vila
Is the Ryobi lawn mower easy to maneuver?
The ego - actuation on the Ryobi is formidable , and it ’s necessary for a lawn lawn mower of this weight . At 77 pounds with batteries , it ’s a hefty mower to maneuver on anything but flat terrain , and would be even more so in the absence of ego - propulsion . Though my total lot is just under a quarter - Accho , my lawn slope in three unlike directions and has small dips here and there , so my kinfolk and I have a unattackable penchant for self - propelled mower . While the Ryobi ’s weight is comparable to otherbattery mowers , I noticed a vast initial difference in maneuvering the Ryobi compared to my own mower , which weighs 15 British pound less .
Once I found a well-fixed speed mise en scene , however , maneuvering the Ryobi became much easier . The self - propel paddles took me some time to get used to using . The paddles are peculiarly sensible when the speed is set on high ; I barely touched them and the mower practically pulled me forward . I found that low- and intermediate - speed background were generally my scented spot , with the low - speed mise en scene everlasting for manoeuvre around my endocarp - lined industrial plant bed .
However , realise atomic number 92 - turns at the ending of a row on the minor hill near my aluminium fence ( pictured above ) was a different matter . Mind you , this was just to change by reversal , not to mow ; the exploiter manual specifically submit to mow across the face of slopes ( which was already done near the fence , three rows cryptical ) , not up and down . disregarding of whether I used the self - propel feature on a low swiftness , changing counselling from down to up in this tight bout was a chore because of the lawn mower ’s weight .
Photo: Beth Cranston for Bob Vila
The mower also has rear - wheel driveway , which I could simply alternate to with the push of a clitoris . However , I did n’t notice much of a difference in the manoeuvrability or speed between the all - wheel - drive option and rear - wheel drive . Both options were comfortable to apply .
How powerful is the Ryobi lawn mower?
Three years ago , when I bought my currentelectric mower , I was happy to rid the family of a flatulency lawn mower and the alimony that accompanied it . What I lost , however , was business leader . This is a unwashed complaint among many owners of battery - powered tools : They do n’t have quite as much king as their gas pedal counterparts . My galvanizing mower did n’t quite foot up and cut all the blades of sess when the lawn had grown longer and denser .
But as my colleagues have noted in various puppet recap , battery - powered product have come a long way . The same can be said for theRyobi lawn lawn mower . It sliced easily and ( mostly ) equally through our long , dense speckle of lawn , although it did miss longer , thicker blade here and there . To be fair , there were a few redundant - tenacious ( 8- to 10 - inch ) patches of pasture , as I had to let the lawn grow longer during week without rain .
That said , the Ryobi moved through those denser patches more easily and evenly than my own lawn mower . It also mulch evenly and pass around clippings equally from the side slide — no clumps of dope were go out anywhere . Its power was undeniable .
Photo: Beth Cranston for Bob Vila
Together with formidable battery tycoon , the Ryobi ’s crabby - cut multiblade system deliver a good overall track . What is a transverse - cut multiblade system ? Underneath the deck is a stack brace of blades . One sword cuts at a high-pitched level and the other blade slash at a lower level , so the blades can work out together to raise even cut and okay clip — and therefore a better - looking lawn .
How long do the batteries last?
In the specifications for the lawn mower , Ryobi tell an official runtime of 70 minutes with both battery . While it does n’t take me that long to mow my smaller yard , it does take about 30 to 35 minute . After I mow the lawn with both batteries amply charged , one barrage was still in full charged while the other one sit down at about 25 percent . base on my experience , that runtime for certain seems workable .
How quiet is the Ryobi Whisper Series lawn mower?
Gas lawn mowers lean to run at about 90 to 95 decibels ( dB ) . found on their examination , my team member would say that all galvanic mower are quieter than flatulency - powered ones . It ’s one of the many advantage of going electric , in addition to less maintenance and defilement . To offer an instance , Ryobi has posted avideo comparisonof a gas foliage electric fan to an electric version .
While I did not have an earlier model to which I could liken this one , I did reach out to repp for heavy stats but do not yet have them as of publishing . Without that information on script , I determine to equate the Ryobi to my own galvanic mower with the NIOSH ( National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health ) sound m app . The Ryobi measured 77.5 dB compared to my own electric lawn mower , which came in at 75.1 dB — not a scientific measurement to be sure . Still , even without the measurements , I could say the Ryobi was a scrap louder , though not well so . For a compass point of mention , a emptiness is about 75 dB.
Even still , the Ryobi is much quieter than any gas lawn mower . Plus , I ’m inclined to chalk up Ryobi ’s bit of extra noise to its extra might .
Photo: Beth Cranston for Bob Vila
Should you buy the Ryobi Whisper Series lawn mower?
The Ryobi lawn lawn mower falls on the more expensive side for galvanizing lawn mowers at its current price of $ 749 . For that reason , if you have a pocket-size lawn that convey less than 45 minutes to mop and is fairly mat , this lawn mower might be more than you need . You might get a good fringe for your buck with theMakita XML03CM1 .
A lightweight mower might be a better wager for those who have tight turning radiuses to contend with or a hillier yard . In those cases , theEgo Power+ LM2102SP - Ais a capital option . It still bid the 21 - inch cutting swath but at a much lighter 62.61 Irish pound .
However , for those with larger K and heavy lawns , the Ryobi fits the handbill . It hand over a great - front cut with the least amount of maintenance both in terms of lawn care and lawn mower care ( less upkeep than petrol counterpart ) . The Ryobi easily handles lawns that go for extended periods between mowing , since this lawn mower slice everything into a okay mulch . Take pride in your lawn ? Take a facial expression at this Ryobi .
Photo: Beth Cranston for Bob Vila
Get the Ryobi 21 - inch self - propelled all - wheel - drive mower at The Home Depot for $ 749 .
Meet the Tester
As an editor atBobVila.com , Beth Cranston designs the testing guidelines and rubrics for the ware review team , having developed more than 300 rubric . She is a writer and editor with more than a decade of experience , with a focus on all things home since 2017 . She has covered everything from kitchen design idea to electrical plan . For her , dispirited - maintenance lawn - and - garden care is a must , so she has perennial - only works bed ; and if the pot want to turn longer for a stronger root system , that is just all right by her .
Our Best Advice for Beginner Gardeners
We ’ll help you set up your first garden — whether that ’s a few pots on your patio , a raised bottom , or an in - earth plot out back — and select the proper flora for your grease and neighborhood .
Photo: Beth Cranston for Bob Vila
Photo: Beth Cranston for Bob Vila
