Greenworks 25322 G-MAX 40V 16″ Cordless Lawn Mower Review
Greenworks is a lawn equipment company that primarily specializes in high-quality electric devices. Their Greenworks G-MAX 40V 16-Inch Cordless Lawn Mower uses the same 4 Ah lithium-ion batteries that you find throughout much of their line.
This gives it the ability to cut up to 7,000 square feet on a single charge. Though if you are a Greenworks fan, and you own other devices, you could certainly swap batteries for even more total run time. By the same token, if you still have charge left in the mower battery, you could simply put it in the trimmer to work around the landscaping.
The Greenworks G-MAX 40V 16-Inch Cordless Lawn Mower has 6-inch front wheels and 7-inch rear wheels which help it navigate across an average lawn. The cutting deck has five adjustable height settings, which lets you dial it in for the current turf conditions.
Greenworks includes a bagger attachment in the initial purchase. This lets you capture a significant volume of clippings to reduce thatch buildup while giving you additional nitrogen-rich organic material for the garden or compost pile. Though if you prefer, it can also be set up for side discharge.
Key Features
- 16-Inch Cutting Deck
- 40 Volt 4 Ah Lithium-Ion Battery
- Batteries Compatible With Other Greenworks Tools
- Up To 7,000 Square Feet On A Single Charge
- 5 Cutting Height Settings
- 4-Year Tool Warranty
- 2- Year Battery Warranty
- Bagger or Rear Discharge
Performance
The Greenworks G-MAX was designed to be lightweight to make it easy to operate. With 6-inch wheels in the back and 7-inch wheels in the rear, it’s designed to glide across the turf. The 40 Volt 4 Ah lithium-ion battery powers the push mower for up to 7,000 square feet on a single charge. Though it is not self-propelled. Greenworks also designed it for minimal vibration while the blades are engaged.
One of the really convenient things about this electric mower’s lithium-ion batteries is that they are also compatible with up to 25 other electric power tools in their line. So, if you need to mow more than 7,000 square feet, you can simply swap over to another battery from another device for even longer total run time.
Ease of Use
As an electric lawnmower, the Greenworks G-MAX is much easier to use and maintain than a gas-powered mower of the same size. You start it with a single press of a button. It’s also light enough that you can easily push it. Though the 7-inch wheels in the rear might be a little small for uneven or bumpy turf.
The height of the cutting deck is also very easy to adjust. There’s a single large lever that feels confident in your hand as you shift it into your preferred position.
Cut Quality & Options
The 40 Volt electric motor powering the blades does a good job of cleanly cutting even thick blades of grass. It is capable of cutting as low as 1-1/4-inches to as high as 3-3/8-inches. This is great for times of the year where the weather can impact how long you should leave your lawn.
During a prolonged dry spell or drought, you can dial the cutting deck up to the high end to help protect the underlying turf layers from the strong sun. Yet when the rains return, you can dial the cutting height back down again toward the 1-1/4-inch height to keep it from being over-grown.
The 16-inch cutting deck lets you cut a nice swath of lawn in a single pass. Being able to set it up for bagging or side discharge is a nice touch that lets you choose if you want to feed the compost pile. It would be nice if it came with a mulching feature to finely mince the grass clippings, to feed nitrogen back into the turf.
As it stands you can still do this, you just need to remember to mow frequently during wetter times of the summer. Smaller grass clippings are more likely to decompose quickly rather than dry into thatch which can choke your turf.
Maintenance
The Greenworks G-MAX is relatively low-maintenance. Especially compared to a similar size 16-inch gas-powered lawnmower.
You need to make sure that the battery is properly charged before using, and don’t overcharge it by leaving it too long on the charger. Just like any lawnmower, the blades will occasionally need to be replaced.
The bagger also needs to be thoroughly cleaned out after each use. If you leave a small volume of clippings in the deepest corners of the bag it could start to develop mold.
Safety Features
The Greenworks G-MAX comes with the standard hand-operated safety controls. The manual height adjustment lever was thoughtfully put on the other side of the mowing deck from the optional side discharge port.
Special Features
The ability to switch out the 40 Volt 4 Ah lithium-ion batteries with 25 other tools in the Greenworks line adds to the versatility. If you already own similar electric power tools in their line, you can swap them out as needed to extend beyond the initial 7,000 square foot range.
It’s also worth noting that Greenworks made it a point to design this lawnmower for low vibration. This is something you and your hands will come to appreciate during a long mowing session.
Cost Effectiveness
As an electric lawnmower, the Greenworks G-MAX is naturally going to be more cost-effective than a gas-powered competitor. Just make sure to give the batteries the time to soak up a full charge before each use.
The fact that it comes with a 4-year tool warranty and a 2-year warranty on the battery further lowers the cost of ownership. If something does happen to go wrong in the early years, you can rest assured that Greenworks offers a superior level of coverage compared to many competitors.
