Before I owned a battery powered mower, I assumed a gas mower and every feature on it spoke reliability and power.
How I found it
After buying several red ez stow mowers that started to smoke and spew oil from the exhaust port, while in the middle of cutting a customers' lawn. This caused me to question my core believe in what I considered reliable,powerful, and a trustworthy brand and yes I questioned if gas alternatives were all there is to restore what I lost.
What makes it actually work
I cut two lawns on one charge. Combined lawns were about a third of an acre. One of the lawns was overgrown with bahia. I actually purchased a Ryobi on sale, thinking if things dont go well at least I go a good deal. After a half a dozen cuts, Im enjoying that it starts every time with one button. No priming. No choke. No waiting for it to warm up. Just push the button and go.
Its whisper quiet. Its really quite the motor is a low hertz hum while it's running. No extreme vibrations or throttle seeking pulses. Just steady and consistent power. My neighbor who happened to be cutting his lawn at the same time. Couldnt help but peek over to see why I was pacing my lawn without a mower. He had no idea I was getting gas like power and response from 2 6ah 40v batteries.
Zero maintenance. No oil changes. No spark plugs. No carb cleaning every spring. I stow it upright, no worrying about what the gas level is. I can put it away in October and start it in April without fear of rotten fuel lines or a rotten primer bulb.
The one thing to watch out for
The battery does take about an hour to charge, so if you have a big yard and need a second pass, you're waiting. It becomes worth it to get the model with the extra battery included. Worth every penny. Don't cheap out on that part. Also switch to Turbo when you feel a grass patch is a little tough. The onboard computer is actually intuitive in sensing when the mower needs more speed and torque while automatically disengaging when demand is less. That feature alone saves so much battery life. I was able to round out my day by cutting the tenth of an acre with one bar remaining. To save even more battery for powerful cutting, I only use the walk behind motor on a steep incline like a ditch but never just because I can.
Bottom line
Electric mowers have caught up. If you are doubtful on a budget, This one specifically is the one to get — push the button, mow the lawn, change your perspective, go back to your life.