Why Ryobi Electric Push Mowers Are Basically Taking Over Suburbia

You’ve seen them. That specific, almost radioactive shade of neon green—technically "Hyper Green"—peeking out from under garage doors or huming across a neighbor’s lawn on a Saturday morning. If you’re still pulling a cord until your shoulder aches, watching that little puff of blue smoke drift from a gas engine, you’re probably wondering if Ryobi electric push mowers are actually legit or just expensive plastic toys.

I’ll be honest. A decade ago, battery power was a joke for anything larger than a postage-stamp yard. But things changed. Fast.

The shift happened because of lithium-ion density. Ryobi, owned by Techtronic Industries (the same massive conglomerate that handles Milwaukee and Hoover), leaned hard into the "One+ 18V" and "40V" ecosystems. They didn't just build a mower; they built a battery platform that happens to cut grass. If you already have a Ryobi drill or leaf blower, you’re already halfway to a lawn mower purchase. It’s clever marketing, sure, but the tech has finally caught up to the hype.

The Reality of Cutting Grass with a Battery

Gas purists love to talk about "torque." They aren't wrong. A gas engine provides a raw, mechanical force that doesn't care if the grass is damp or six inches high. It just grinds through. Ryobi electric push mowers handle power differently. They use brushless motors that communicate with the battery in real-time. If the mower hits a thick patch of fescue, you can actually hear the motor "rev up" to maintain blade speed. It’s digital torque.

But here is what most people get wrong: they buy the cheapest 18V model for a half-acre lot and then get mad when it dies in twenty minutes.

You have to match the voltage to the acreage. The 18V One+ mowers are meant for tiny townhome strips. If you have a standard suburban yard, you’re looking at the 40V system. The 40V lineup is the sweet spot. It mimics the power of a 140cc to 160cc gas engine without the carburetor headaches. You aren't mixing oil. You aren't stabilizing fuel for the winter. You just slap a brick-sized battery in and go.

It's quiet. Really quiet. You can mow at 7:00 AM on a Sunday without being the "jerk neighbor." You can hear a podcast through standard earbuds while you work. That lifestyle shift is usually why people switch, more so than the environmental stuff.

📖 Related: That Annoying Samsung Sticker for TV: Should You Actually Peel It Off?

Understanding the Ryobi 40V HP Brushless Difference

There is a huge gap between the base models and the "HP" (High Performance) versions. If you see "HP" on the side of a Ryobi mower, it means it has extra communication pins on the battery. This allows the mower to pull more current when the going gets tough.

I’ve seen tests where the 40V HP brushless models outperformed entry-level gas mowers in "mulch-to-exhaust" tests. Basically, they don't clog as easily because the blade speed stays high. Ryobi uses a "Cross Cut" multi-blade system on their higher-end units. It’s two blades stacked on top of each other. The first blade cuts, the second one pulverizes. It makes the clippings smaller, which means they disappear into your lawn better.

Wait. Is it all perfect? No.

Plastic decks are a point of contention. While brands like Toro or Honda often use steel or cast aluminum, many Ryobi electric push mowers feature heavy-duty polymer decks. Some pros call them "plastic junk." But honestly? Plastic doesn't rust. If you live in a humid climate or near the coast, a steel deck is a ticking time bomb. The polymer is light, which makes pushing the mower feel more like pushing a vacuum cleaner than a piece of farm equipment.

Batteries are the Elephant in the Room

Let's talk money. The mower itself is reasonably priced, but the batteries are the gold inside the machine. A 6.0Ah or 7.5Ah Ryobi 40V battery can cost $200 or more if bought separately.

• Heat is the enemy: If you mow in 95-degree heat and then immediately throw the battery on the charger, you’re killing its lifespan.
• Storage matters: Don't leave your batteries in a freezing shed all winter. Bring them inside.
• The 80/20 rule: Lithium batteries hate being at 0% and they aren't crazy about sitting at 100% for months. Keep them around 50% for off-season storage.

Ryobi usually offers a 5-year tool warranty and a 3-year battery warranty. That’s actually better than many gas mower warranties, which often focus on the engine but ignore the deck or drive system. But you have to register the tool. If you don't register it, getting a replacement battery from Home Depot or Ryobi's customer service can be a total slog.

What Nobody Tells You About the Cut Quality

If you’re a "stripes" person—someone who wants their lawn to look like a Major League Baseball field—Ryobi might frustrate you. Because these mowers are lightweight, they don't always "set" the grass in one direction as well as a 90-pound gas beast. You might need to add a DIY stripping kit (basically a heavy roller) to the back to get those deep, alternating green lines.

👉 See also: Why Every Metre to Foot Converter Eventually Fails You (and How to Fix It)

Also, the blade. Ryobi factory blades are often "efficiency" blades. They are designed to be thin and light to save battery life. They work fine, but they dull faster than a heavy-duty steel blade. Most serious users swap them out for a "high-lift" blade if they are bagging clippings. It sucks more power, but it packs the bag tight.

Why Buy a Ryobi Over a Milwaukee or EGO?

It’s about the "Home Depot factor."

If your mower breaks, you can't exactly mail a 21-inch deck back to an online retailer. Ryobi is the house brand for Home Depot. This makes returns or warranty swaps significantly easier than dealing with some of the boutique electric brands.

EGO is probably Ryobi’s biggest competitor. Honestly, EGO might have a slight edge on raw power and charging speed. But EGO is also more expensive. Ryobi targets the homeowner who wants 90% of the performance for 70% of the price. If you’re already in the Ryobi ecosystem for your leaf blower, string trimmer, or even your cordless power tools, staying with Ryobi electric push mowers is a no-brainer. One battery for everything.

Common Misconceptions and Pitfalls

"It won't work on my big yard."

Look, if you have two acres, you shouldn't be using a push mower anyway. But for a half-acre? You just need two batteries. Mow the front, swap the battery, mow the back. By the time you’re done with the front, the first battery is usually halfway charged if you have the "Rapid Charger."

"Electric mowers are dangerous in the rain."

✨ Don't miss: Wireless phone charger for car: Why your setup is probably slow (and how to fix it)

Don't mow in a downpour—that's bad for the grass anyway—but a little dew or damp grass isn't going to electrocute you. These units are rated for moisture. The electronics are sealed.

"They don't last."

The motor in a brushless mower will likely outlast the mechanical components of a gas engine. There are no spark plugs to foul, no carburetors to gum up with ethanol, and no pull cords to snap. The "death" of an electric mower is almost always a battery reaching its cycle limit, which takes years of regular use.

Making the Switch: Actionable Next Steps

If you’re ready to ditch gas, don't just grab the first green box you see.

First, measure your lawn. Use a tool like Google Earth to find your actual square footage of grass. If you have more than 5,000 square feet, skip the 18V models entirely. You need the 40V system.

Second, check your existing tools. If you have a stack of 18V Ryobi batteries for your drill, realize that they will not work in the 40V mowers. The systems are completely separate. However, Ryobi does make some "dual 18V" mowers that use two small batteries to create 36V of power. These are okay for small yards, but the 40V platform is much more robust for serious work.

Third, look for the kit. Never buy the "tool only" version for your first mower unless you already own several 40V batteries from a leaf blower or chainsaw. The kits come with the 6.0Ah or 7.5Ah batteries, which are much cheaper when bundled than when bought solo.

Finally, plan your storage. You need a spot in your garage or house that stays relatively temperate. Putting the charger on a workbench in a climate-controlled area will double the life of your batteries compared to a scorching hot shed.

The transition to Ryobi electric push mowers isn't just about being "green." It’s about the sheer convenience of pushing a button and walking. No gas cans in the car. No oily stains on the garage floor. Just a quiet, efficient cut. If you can get past the bright green color and the initial cost of the batteries, you probably won't ever go back to gas.