Kobalt 40-Volt Brushless Lithium Ion 20″ Cordless Electric Lawn Mower Review
The Kobalt 40-Volt 20-inch Brushless Cordless Electric Lawn Mower was designed to be lightweight and easy to maneuver. Yet it still has a 20-inch steel mowing deck to help you maximize the amount of grass cut in a single pass.
The electric motor that propels the blades is brushless, which makes for very quiet operation. It runs on a 40-volt system. However, there is no battery or charger included in the purchase. If you purchase the 5.0 Ah lithium-ion battery Kobalt recommends, you can get about half an hour of runtime out of a single charge.
This is also a versatile 3-in-1 electric cordless lawnmower. You can leave it set up for side discharge if you like. You can set it up as a mulching mower to reduce thatch buildup in the layers of your turf. If you have a compost pile to feed the garden, there’s even a large bagger you can use to collect the leftover grass clippings. You can adjust the height of the rear wheels with a single lever.
Kobalt also designed this cordless electric lawnmower for easy storage. The arms collapse down easily to create a compact package with a minimal footprint. Just make sure not to force the handle bolts, which are a little on the loose side to begin with.
Key Features
- 40-Volt brushless electric motor
- Quiet operation
- 20-inch steel cutting deck
- Cordless
- 3-in-1 versatility
- Bagger and mulching accessor included
- Collapses for easy storage
- Battery and charger are not included in the purchase
Performance
The Kobalt 40-Volt Brushless Lithium-Ion 20-in Cordless Electric Lawn Mower was designed to handle the average small suburban lawn. The 40-volt motor with a 5.0 Ah lithium-ion battery does a good job of powering the blades. The motor itself is brushless which makes for a much quieter performance compared to some of the competitors.
Ease of Use
Like a lot of cordless electric lawnmowers, the Kobalt 20-inch is relatively easy to use. Though it does take a little bit of extra time to install the mulching accessory. For what it’s worth the bagger iteration is very well balanced, which isn’t always the case with the closest competitors.
Cut Quality & Options
The single handle makes it easy to adjust the mower deck up or down for the conditions of your lawn. If rain and sunny days have made for vigorous growth, you will want to adjust the mower deck down low to keep the grass tamed. If your area has been hit by a stretch of dry weather, you can use the handle to adjust the mowing deck higher. The longer blades of grass will then essentially shade the turn to help it retain more soil moisture.
If you get the 5.0 Ah lithium-ion battery that Kobalt recommends for this mower, you should be able to get around half an hour of runtime out of it. Though you might get a little less if you have to slowly walk through thick or tall grass.
The 20-inch mower deck is also very nice. It lets you cut more grass in a single pass than you can with a lot of other electric lawnmowers. In fact, many of the closest competitors in this price range only have a 14-inch or 16-inch deck. With this Kobalt electric lawnmower, those extra few inches with each pass really do add up over the course of cutting a medium size lawn.
Maintenance
Right out of the box, there isn’t a lot to maintain with this Kobalt cordless electric lawnmower. However, there’s no battery or charger included in the initial purchase. So, you will need to buy one. Ideally, you want a 5.0 Ah lithium-ion battery, and a smart charger that won’t overcharge the battery.
When collapsing down the Kobalt 40-Volt Brushless Lithium-Ion 20-in Cordless Electric Lawn Mower for storage you want to take it easy on the handle bolts. They are a little loose, and if you are rough with them they can get looser over time.
Safety Features
This cordless electric lawnmower has the usual handlebar safety controls that you find on most lawnmowers. The side discharge also closes easily, which prevents problems when you want to use this mower as a mulcher or bagging mower.
Special Features
The brushless 40-volt electric motor truly is quieter than many of the competitors. It’s especially nice if you have small children in your home and you want to cut the grass while they are taking a nap.
You also have to like the 3-in-1 versatility that allows you to mulch, bag or choose side discharge. The bagger even feels well balanced, so you aren’t going to be lugging it around or making multiple trips to the compost pile just to empty it.
Cost-Effectiveness
Like a lot of other cordless electric lawnmowers, the long term cost of ownership, the Kobalt 40-Volt Brushless Lithium-Ion 20-in Cordless Electric Lawn Mower is cost-effective. Especially compared to a traditional gasoline push mower.
The problem with the Kobalt 40-Volt Brushless Lithium Ion 20-in Cordless Electric Lawn Mower is that it doesn’t come with a battery or a charger in the initial purchase. This can add an extra $150 or more to the initial purchase price. Once you pull that trigger though, you get a mower that can cut for up to half an hour, and does it without making a lot of noise or spitting out a bunch of fumes.
