Greenworks Pro 60V Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Cuts More Than an Hour
The 60V line has been the most successful for Greenworks in our opinion. The original mower was a nice upgrade and now we’re a couple of generations in with the Greenworks Pro 60V 21-inch self-propelled lawn mower. Upgraded features, a durable steel deck, and excellent runtime highlight this all-around excellent performer.
Pros
- 21-inch steel deck
- Standard and high-lift blades included
- More than an hour of runtime with two 4.0Ah batteries
- Turbo mode calls on additional power when you need it
- Everything you need to bag, mulch, or side discharge included
- Easy handle release for height adjustment and vertical storage
Cons
- You need to roll the mower forward a touch to disengage the drive wheels when backing up
Greenworks Pro 60V 21-Inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Design
21-inch Steel Deck
Greenworks goes with a 21-inch steel deck with a 20-inch blade on this model. With all the sand we have in Florida, we prefer having the steel deck, especially on self-propelled models where the extra weight isn’t as big of a deal.
Single-Point Height Adjustment
Like many battery-powered models, the Greenworks Pro 60V 21-inch lawn mower features a single-point height adjustment. Rather than having to set the cut height at each individual wheel, this conveniently lets you adjust the height with 7 positions from 1.38 to 4 inches.
Greenworks Pro 60V 21-Inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Updates
Dual-Port Power
One of the more interesting new features of the Greenworks Pro 60V 21-inch self-propelled mower is its dual battery port. Several push mowers have implemented dual ports, but not all feature automatic battery switching the way Greenworks does. When the mower senses that one battery has run out of juice, the mower begins to draw power from the second battery.
When the mower switches over, you’ll know it. There’s a brief surge in the drive pace as it shifts from a nearly depleted battery to the other at its full charge state.
We really like the battery level gauge on the handle. It indicates which battery pack the mower currently draws from, and how much power each battery has at any given time. This feature is a dramatic improvement over bending over, opening the battery compartment, and mashing the button on the battery to figure out how much power you have left to work with.
Greenworks isn’t playing games with their kit option on this mower. It comes with two 4.0Ah Ultra Power batteries so you don’t have to buy a second battery to use both ports. They also include a dual-port charger so you can set it and forget it until it’s time to mow again.
Turbo Mode
When you run into thicker grasses, the new Greenworks Pro mower adjusts the speed of the blade to maintain cutting performance. It’s yet another benefit of having a brushless motor. However, this mower features a Turbo Mode as well.
Say you’re running over your septic tank where the grass tends to grow thicker. The auto speed adjustment might kick the blade RPM up, but there’s a governor limiting the top end to help you preserve the best runtime. Turbo Mode acts like a manual override that tells the mower to engage its full cutting potential regardless of efficiency.
For those of us who keep up with our lawns regularly, this might not be a feature we’ll likely ever need to use. In fact, we were able to complete all of our testing in Bahia and St. Augustine without engaging it. However, it’s a great feature to have if when the weather or vacation keeps you from staying on a regular schedule. The extra power reduces your runtime, so only use it when you need it.
Vertical Storage/Handle Adjustment
The older version of this mower was perfectly capable of vertical storage. The new 60V lawnmower improves this feature significantly by changing the handle mechanism. Rather than having to bend over to the base of the mower to release or adjust the handle, Greenworks now provides two latches toward the top of the side bars. Simply pull the latches up with the fingerholds, move the handle to where you want it, and release. The handle locks into place. The same mechanism lets you completely fold it over for storage.
Greenworks Pro 60V 21-Inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Performance
Blade and Self-Propel Controls
The handle and control system is new for this version. Rather than using the standard dual bars to engage the self-propelled mode and blade, Greenworks opted for a pair of levers. They work independently of each other, so you can hold down either or both sides to engage the blade and drive systems.
Compared to the dual metal bars on a lot of mowers, the new control levers require very little effort to engage, so they make it a bit easier to use. The downward sloping handles in combination with two handle heights also seem to help everyone on our testing team find a comfortable grip.
The speed range is just about right. The lowest let us slow down to cut really thick patches without cutting half-swaths and the top end had enough speed for our tallest tester in the lightest grass.
Like we saw on the 25-inch version, the back wheels don’t disengage as soon as you release the drive levers. You need to push it forward a bit to unlock them. It can be a bit frustrating if you have a lot of areas that require you to mow forward into and then pull out.
Power and Runtime
Overall, mowing with this mower is a pleasant experience. The 60V mower rolls smoothly and the self-propel drive is confident in thick grass. Though it feels sturdy, it doesn’t necessarily feel heavy. Of course, it’s a lot quieter than gas mowers and you’re not dealing with emissions, yanking on a pull cord, or gas cans.
We cut our lawn to 5 inches before starting our testing. With the mower set to 3 inches on the deck height, it gave us a range of light to moderately thick grass and the mower did a great job keeping its RPMs high enough to cut well. We didn’t have to kick it into Turbo, but there were certainly sections we chose to in order to get the best mulching.
As far as runtime goes, we were able to cut for 35 minutes before the first battery switched over. The second took us a total mowing time of 1 hour, 4 minutes—a little more than Greenworks’ estimate of 60 minutes.
Cut Quality
Greenworks packs everything you need to bag, mulch, or side discharge. It’s effective at mulching and bagging, and they improve a bit in Turbo mode.
The side discharge doesn’t distribute grass as widely as a gas mower does, though. It seems to keep most of it within a mower width or two.
If you don’t need the full hour of runtime, consider swapping out the stock blade for the high-lift blade Greenworks includes. You’ll lose some runtime, but pick up more efficient bagging and mulching. For most lawns 1/4-acre or less, we’d recommend making that switch. You shouldn’t need any additional batteries to finish the lawn on one set.
That blade should help with your cut evenness as well. While we had a handful of stragglers popping up with the standard blade, the high-lift blade did a better job of pulling them up and leaving a cleaner look.
We’re not disappointed with the results in cut quality, but this is an area Greenworks can improve to match the top battery mowers available.
Greenworks Pro 60V Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Price
The Greenworks Pro 60V 21-inch self-propelled lawn mower is available at The Home Depot. It comes as a kit with one 5.0Ah battery and a charger for $399, or with two 4.0Ah batteries for $509. It comes with a 4-year warranty on both the mower and the battery.
The Bottom Line
Greenworks did a nice job with the design of their 21-inch self-propelled mower and it’s a good all-around option, though the wheel release when you’re backing up may be a frustration for some folks. If your lot is under a 1/4-acre, the 5.0Ah kit is really compelling for less than $400. If your lot is larger, step up to the 2 x 4.0Ah kit or possibly consider the 25-inch model.
Greenworks Pro 60V 21-inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Specifications
- Model: Greenworks 2531702 (MO60L424)
- Voltage: 60V
- Deck Size: 21 in.
- Deck Material: Steel
- Height Adjustment: Single-point
- Cutting Height: 7 positions
- Front Wheels: 8 in.
- Rear Wheels: 10 in.
- Vertical Storage: Yes
- Discharge Features: Mulching, bagging, side discharge
- Battery Capacity: Kitted with 5.0Ah high capacity battery
- Warranty: 4-year warranty on tool and battery
- Price: $509
Learn more at Greenworks’ website.
