Atlas 56992 80v Lithium-Ion Cordless Brushless Electric Lawn mower Review
Key Features
- 80 Volt Brushless Electric Motor
- Self-Propelled
- Rear Wheel Drive
- 21-inch Diameter Cutting Deck
- 3-in-1 Versatility
- Mulch, Bag & Side Discharge
- 7 Deck Height Settings
- 10-inch Diameter Flat Free Tires
- Automatic Load Sensing For Optimum Performance
- Adjustable Handle With 3 Height Positions
- Folding Handles For Compact Storage
- Tool Only, Batteries Not Included
Performance
The Atlas 80 Volt Self-Propelled Lawn mower was designed to run up to 80 minutes on a single charge with two batteries installed. Though this particular package does not come with batteries or a charger.
The brushless electric motor is impressively quiet, which can be a major priority if you have a suburban lawn or you want to cut the grass while the kids are napping. You can also use the 3-in-1 adjustability to better manage grass clippings and avoid long-term problems with thatch buildup in your turf.
One of the really great features about the Atlas 80 Volt is that the “Automatic Load Sensing” feature. It monitors how the blades are doing. If you happen to hit a patch of thick grass, it adjusts the performance to maximize the harvest rate. If you then move back into thinner density grass it throttles back to optimize the run time.
The 10-inch rear wheels and the rear-wheel-drive self-propulsion are also very handy. It will travel over most suburban lawns with ease. It also does a great job of handling changes in terrain and modest changes in grade.
Ease Of Use
The Atlas 80 Volt was designed with ease of use in mind. Since it is battery-powered, it starts with just the press of a button. The 3-in-1 functionality is easy to change out, which is handy if you notice one setting is leaving too many grass clippings behind, and you want to switch out to another.
The 21-inch cutting deck can be adjusted through 7 different settings. All four wheels are linked to a single easy-to-operate lever. This lets you change the cutting deck to match the current lawn conditions without having to stop and change each individual wheel.
Being able to adjust the height of the handles also makes it easy to maneuver the Atlas 80 Volt. Especially if you need to turn it around tight landscaping features.
When you are done mowing, you can fold the handles down for compact storage. Since it’s a cordless electric lawnmower you can store it standing up against a wall or even on a heavy-duty garage shelf. Just keep in mind that it weighs around 65 pounds, which might be a little much to lift onto a second-level shelf.
Special Features
The automatic load sensing system on the Atlas 80 Volt is one of the special features that stands out the most. Not only does it help optimize the performance of the mower for the conditions, but it also adjusts to provide more power to the cordless electric motor when you go through thicker grass. This is great if your lawn has a mixture of different grass types, or changes in grade cause water to allow certain areas to grow thick faster than the rest of the lawn.
The 3-in-1 versatility lets you choose whether you want to bag, mulch or side-discharge the harvested grass clippings.
The brushless electric motor might not seem all that “Special” but it runs quiet, which is usually a high priority if you have a suburban lawn and don’t want to disturb the neighbors. It also produces much less heat during operation, which translates into longer motor life and a better return on your investment.
Cut Quality & Options
The Atlas 80 Volt allows you to customize your grass cutting in two different ways. First, it lets you adjust the height of the 21-inch diameter cutting deck through 7 distinct settings. This lets you leave the grass a little longer during a prolonged dry spell or cut it exceptionally short when a combination of rain and sun has your lawn growing almost too fast to keep up with.
The other way it offers custom cutting is via the 3-in-1 versatility to better manage the harvested grass clippings. You can leave it set up as a side discharging lawn mower if you have the time to cut frequently, or your lawn is growing slow during a dry spell.
If you have a compost pile, or you like side-dressing your garden plants with grass clippings, you can set it up as a bagging mower. If you want to feed nitrogen back into the upper layers of your turf, you can set it up as a mulching mower to puree the harvested grass clippings, making it easy for them to decompose back into the lawn.
Maintenance
As a battery-powered cordless lawn mower, the Atlas 80 Volt is easy to take care of. The 10-inch tires are solid-state and won’t ever suffer a flat, and the electric engine doesn’t require any oil changes or spark plug replacement.
The flat-free 10-inch diameter tires don’t need to be checked and have no pneumatic core to worry about.
Though you will need to occasionally replace or sharpen the cutting blades.
Safety Features
The Atlas 80 Volt has the standard safety hand controls that you find on most walk-behind lawn mowers. The fact that you can adjust the handle height also gives you better manual control for times when you need to deftly turn the mower to avoid accidentally hitting a stick or a rock.
Cost-Effectiveness
The biggest thing to note about this particular package is the fact that it doesn’t come with the two lithium-ion batteries that power the brushless electric motor. This can be very helpful if you already have the compatible batteries and the charger. If you don’t, then this is going to add to the initial investment.
The rest of the Atlas 80 Volt is very cost-effective. The ability to customize the cutting height and choose between mulching, bagging, and side discharge will go a long way toward preventing thatch build-up. This will further reduce the potential time and cost that come with seasonal aeration.
