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New Kobalt Li-Ion Lawn Mowers at Lowe's

Jan 16, 2014#1

MowerMike

I was checking the Lowe's website for a toilet that I had ordered and has arrived for pickup, and when I perused the cordless electric lawn mowers there were two new "Only at Lowe's" Li-Ion mowers listed under the Kobalt house brand. They appear to be near identical clones of the Greenworks 19" single blade and 20" twin-blade Li-Ion models, other than the change from a green to blue color and the brand name. Even the pricing is the same. Lowe's used to list the Greenworks 20" twin-blade model as a "Lowe's Exclusive", but no longer does, and neither the 19" or 20" Greenworks models have been in stock for many months now. So, I'm thinking that Lowe's went to the Chinese factory that makes the Greenworks mowers and had them make their own house brand models. Given the choice of buying direct from Lowe's and not having to deal with Greenworks customer support when there's a problem is a definite plus. Anyway, the 19" Kobalt is shown to be in stock at my local Lowe's, so I'll check it out tomorrow when I go there to pickup my toilet.

Jan 16, 2014#2

lawn mower fanatic

They actually look nice! :thumbsup: I like the color scheme. Time will tell if they are the same quality.

Jan 16, 2014#3

MowerMike

lawn mower fanatic said:
Time will tell if they are the same quality.

I see no reason why the quality should not be exactly the same, no better, no worse. They are no doubt made on the same assembly line in the same Chinese factory as the Greenworks mowers, using the same internal parts. The biggest difference is in the batteries, which will only fit their products or use their charger, so you cannot mix and match with other brands. Home Depot did this with the Ryobi 16" Li-Ion mower, which is a Greenworks 16" mower that is identical, except for the batteries and charger. OTOH, my guess is that other wear items, such as blades are completely interchangeable. Anyway, this is just a marketing ploy by Lowe's, since Greenworks sells their products online mostly.

Jan 17, 2014#4

MowerMike

Today I saw the 19" Kobalt cordless Li-Ion mower at my local Lowe's store, and it appears to be the same design as the Greenworks 19" Li-Ion mower. They also had a Kobalt 21" corded mower that appeared the same as the Greenworks 21" corded mower. Not surprisingly, they no longer have any Greenworks electric mowers in that store.

Mar 8, 2014#5

4

4acres

It looks impressive enough, and the Kobalt brand has a lifetime warranty according to the Lowe's Kobalt support phone no. 888-356-2258.

Mar 17, 2014#6

X

xdoomsongx

My riding mower that came with my house finally broke for good last season, and I have been wanting to try electric. I was looking at a Greenworks or Black and Decker, but then stumbled on this one. I like the warranty coverage at Lowes over having to drive some where etc. I just have a couple of concerns, my yard isn't huge by any means, maybe three to three and a half tennis courts (I've never checked the square footage). I have also never had to mow it with a push mower before. Would a cordless provide enough juice to get it all mowed in one go? This is really my biggest concern, I hate yard work with a passion, and I don't want to have to spend more than one day every week or two mowing the yard. I am hoping this mower would be adequate in that regard. Thanks for any help!

Mar 17, 2014#7

MowerMike

xdoomsongx said:
I just have a couple of concerns, my yard isn't huge by any means, maybe three to three and a half tennis courts (I've never checked the square footage). I have also never had to mow it with a push mower before. Would a cordless provide enough juice to get it all mowed in one go? This is really my biggest concern, I hate yard work with a passion, and I don't want to have to spend more than one day every week or two mowing the yard. I am hoping this mower would be adequate in that regard.

Based on your size estimate, it sounds like your yard is less than 1/4 acre, which you should be able to mow on a single charge with either Kobalt mower. I would get the larger 20" mower to reduce the time it takes to mow, due to its wider cutting path. It also has the advantage of carrying both batteries onboard while mowing, so you don't have to stop in the middle of mowing to change the battery when the first one runs out of juice. Both mowers are supplied with 2 batteries.

I think the Black and Decker is too small for your yard.

Mar 19, 2014#8

B

BrandonG

From everything I've read, including hundreds of reviews, sounds like the 4Ah battery lasts approximately 35mins in "mulching mode" and 45 mins otherwise, depending on if the grass is tall or wet. I'm guessing 1/4 acre is about how long the battery would last. The 2Ah battery doesn't last as long.

Greenworks (same thing as the Kobalt, just rebranded and slightly modified) claims 75 minute runtime for both batteries that it comes with, the 4amp hour and 2 amp hour.

So that would be like 50mins and 25mins.

I'm going to be using this Kobalt mower and the other "Max" tools (where the battery is interchangeable between all the equipment), in my new commercial startup. I just won't be able to do larger properties until I make enough to consider an electric battery powered zero-turn for larger properties. I'll just stick to properties around 1/4 acre or so and less.

Mar 19, 2014#9

1

1 Lucky Texan

BrandonG said:
From everything I've read, including hundreds of reviews, sounds like the 4Ah battery lasts approximately 35mins in "mulching mode" and 45 mins otherwise, depending on if the grass is tall or wet. I'm guessing 1/4 acre is about how long the battery would last. The 2Ah battery doesn't last as long.

Greenworks (same thing as the Kobalt, just rebranded and slightly modified) claims 75 minute runtime for both batteries that it comes with, the 4amp hour and 2 amp hour.

So that would be like 50mins and 25mins.

I'm going to be using this Kobalt mower and the other "Max" tools (where the battery is interchangeable between all the equipment), in my new commercial startup. I just won't be able to do larger properties until I make enough to consider an electric battery powered zero-turn for larger properties. I'll just stick to properties around 1/4 acre or so and less.

there's no reason you couldn't take multiple batteries to a larger property. As long as you have charged batteries, you can mow.

Mar 19, 2014#10

B

BrandonG

Absolutely.

For just starting out, 6-8 extra batteries could last the mower for all my lawns for the day, plus the fact that they recharge quickly, PLUS the fact that the batteries will work with the mower, trimmer, blower and a hedge trimmer.

But the fact is, for larger properties, time is an issue. Someone can do an acre or 2 with a large zero turn and charge $60-$80 or whatever, while I'd have to charge like $300 for 2 acres because it would take me 6 hours on a push mower.

Of course it's not as time efficient as gasoline either, but I'll take the trade off any day.

Time will only improve the efficiency of these batteries, and I believe this is the future of lawn care.

Mar 19, 2014#11

1

1 Lucky Texan

BrandonG said:
Absolutely.

For just starting out, 6-8 extra batteries could last the mower for all my lawns for the day, plus the fact that they recharge quickly, PLUS the fact that the batteries will work with the mower, trimmer, blower and a hedge trimmer.

But the fact is, for larger properties, time is an issue. Someone can do an acre or 2 with a large zero turn and charge $60-$80 or whatever, while I'd have to charge like $300 for 2 acres because it would take me 6 hours on a push mower.

Of course it's not as time efficient as gasoline either, but I'll take the trade off any day.

Time will only improve the efficiency of these batteries, and I believe this is the future of lawn care.

yeah - got it. Even if you can afford the extra batteries, the pay-off diminishes when you are only cutting 19" wide so, you're right.

Mar 19, 2014#12

B

BrandonG

1 Lucky Texan said:
yeah - got it. Even if you can afford the extra batteries, the pay-off diminishes when you are only cutting 19" wide so, you're right.

However, this Mean Green Mowers from Mean Green Products | Green Industry Pros is on the market.

It's expensive...and the battery is expensive...but I guess if you had the client base for it, and had the extra money to spend, this is an option.

Battery is said to last 8 hours on a full charge, but takes a long time to re-charge it. I believe it is lead acid.

EDIT: I dug up the email I got from Mean Green with price quotes.

The CXR-60 they want $11,900 for it, plus $9,600 for the battery that lasts 6 hours, plus $495 for the battery charger.

You're looking at $22,000 for a 60" electric mower. Cost efficient or not? I wouldn't think so.

Mar 19, 2014#13

MowerMike

Finally, a promo video:

Can you find the narrative error in the video ?

Also, they don't seem to have those annoying and unnecessary safety keys you find in all the other cordless mowers. :smile:

Mar 19, 2014#14

B

BrandonG

No, didn't hear anything. Maybe "It chews up grass and spits it out!" When I heard that, I kept thinking it will chew up your lawn...in a bad way...LOL

I called Lowe's customer care today, to ask if my local store in MI will be getting any soon. They found out that the closest distribution center has 352 of the Twin Force model. That's the only model I asked about. So I am guessing they will be in stores soon.

Mar 19, 2014#15

MowerMike

BrandonG said:
No, didn't hear anything. Maybe "It chews up grass and spits it out!" When I heard that, I kept thinking it will chew up your lawn...in a bad way...LOL

I called Lowe's customer care today, to ask if my local store in MI will be getting any soon. They found out that the closest distribution center has 352 of the Twin Force model. That's the only model I asked about. So I am guessing they will be in stores soon.

Nope. They claim that the 20" twin blade model has 7 height adjustment positions, whereas it actually has only 5. The 19" single blade model does have 7 height adjustment positions, however. They've been available in stores down here for two months now, but our mowing season starts earlier than yours.

Mar 20, 2014#16

1

1 Lucky Texan

5 year guarantee

wish those batteries were compatible with my GW.

Mar 27, 2014#17

MowerMike

Kobalt Li-Ion hand held garden tools battery deal at Lowe's

Just wanted to alert y'all that Lowe's is offering a free second 40 volt 2 Ah Li-Ion battery with the purchase of any of their Kobalt hand-held cordless garden tools (string trimmer, blower, hedge trimmer etc.) through March 31st. The battery normally retails for $99.

Shop Kobalt Handheld OPE at Lowes.com!

Apr 10, 2014#18

X

xdoomsongx

I finally got the 20" model in from my order. I tried it for the first time this morning. Initial impressions are very good, it isn't any louder than a vacuum, and it mowed down the lawn without any problems.

Now for the problem, and it's a big one. The batteries, which I had fully charged, only lasted about 35 minutes. This is less than half of the stated run time, and judging by how much of the lawn I got mowed I am going to need at least an hour of run time (it stopped with one, yes ONE freaking strip of uncut grass in my front yard leaving me a little less than half done

. I am not familiar with Lithium battery technology, so before I throw this thing back in the box and take it back ASAP, can anyone tell me if it will improve after a couple of charge/discharge cycles? If that is the case I will happily give it more time, if not, it is back to gas for me. Thanks for any feedback.

Apr 10, 2014#19

MowerMike

xdoomsongx said:
Now for the problem, and it's a big one. The batteries, which I had fully charged, only lasted about 35 minutes. This is less than half of the stated run time, and judging by how much of the lawn I got mowed I am going to need at least an hour of run time (it stopped with one, yes ONE freaking strip of uncut grass in my front yard leaving me a little less than half done . I am not familiar with Lithium battery technology, so before I throw this thing back in the box and take it back ASAP, can anyone tell me if it will improve after a couple of charge/discharge cycles?

AFAIK, Li-Ion battery performance does not improve after several charging cycles. How hard was your mowing ? Was the mower running at full speed the whole time ? How long did each battery last ?

Apr 10, 2014#20

1

1 Lucky Texan

xdoomsongx said:
I finally got the 20" model in from my order. I tried it for the first time this morning. Initial impressions are very good, it isn't any louder than a vacuum, and it mowed down the lawn without any problems.

Now for the problem, and it's a big one. The batteries, which I had fully charged, only lasted about 35 minutes. This is less than half of the stated run time, and judging by how much of the lawn I got mowed I am going to need at least an hour of run time (it stopped with one, yes ONE freaking strip of uncut grass in my front yard leaving me a little less than half done . I am not familiar with Lithium battery technology, so before I throw this thing back in the box and take it back ASAP, can anyone tell me if it will improve after a couple of charge/discharge cycles? If that is the case I will happily give it more time, if not, it is back to gas for me. Thanks for any feedback.

Does the Kobalt come a a 2Ah and a 4 Ah battery?

Any 'sense' or guess which battery may be discharging too quickly? There have been some reports of people getting bad batteries when buying the Greenworks mower.

Or, maybe your mower failed to switch over to the other slot?

perhaps try using and timing the small battery first, then use the large battery and time it. Indeed, you may need to try using/depleting the small batery first, put it on the charger, then use the large battery. When the large batt is depleted, the small batt may have 10-15 minutes of new energy.

But, you could have a discussion with Lowes about whether they want the entire package back, or just swap batteries if you can determine a battery is bad.

what run time does Kobalt advertise?

Apr 10, 2014#21

X

xdoomsongx

AFAIK, Li-Ion battery performance does not improve after several charging cycles. How hard was your mowing ? Was the mower running at full speed the whole time ? How long did each battery last ?

I have been thinking about it more, and I may have been working it more than expected. It didn't seem bogged down, but it was certainly working compared to its full tilt sound. I have it set up for mulching, and I plan on switching over to bag when I get home, perhaps that will give me better efficiency. I want to make this work, as otherwise I have been very impressed by it. It has the ability to run both batteries at once, and that is what I did, I may start running it with the 2ah battery first, then switch to the 4 when it is done and put the 2 on to charge while I mow with the 4. Might get a little longer life out of it that way. I will give these ideas a shot and report back this evening when I can try it out after work.

Does the Kobalt come a a 2Ah and a 4 Ah battery?

Any 'sense' or guess which battery may be discharging too quickly? There have been some reports of people getting bad batteries when buying the Greenworks mower.

Or, maybe your mower failed to switch over to the other slot?

perhaps try using and timing the small battery first, then use the large battery and time it. Indeed, you may need to try using/depleting the small batery first, put it on the charger, then use the large battery. When the large batt is depleted, the small batt may have 10-15 minutes of new energy.

But, you could have a discussion with Lowes about whether they want the entire package back, or just swap batteries if you can determine a battery is bad.

what run time does Kobalt advertise?

I am going to see what happens running each battery solo. IIRC the box states 85 minutes for run time, with both batteries running at once. Thanks for the thoughts.

Apr 10, 2014#22

MowerMike

I think you are incorrect in your assumption that it runs on both batteries at once. Even though both batteries are installed, it only uses one at a time and automatically switches over to the second battery when the first one is depleted. There should be a small red LED light in each battery bay that illuminates for the active battery. If both charged batteries are installed, it will begin using the battery in the left side battery bay as you see the mower from the rear, and then automatically switch to the right side battery bay when the left side battery is depleted.

Apr 10, 2014#23

1

1 Lucky Texan

MowerMike said:
I think you are incorrect in your assumption that it runs on both batteries at once. Even though both batteries are installed, it only uses one at a time and automatically switches over to the second battery when the first one is depleted. There should be a small red LED light in each battery bay that illuminates for the active battery. If both charged batteries are installed, it will begin using the battery in the left side battery bay as you see the mower from the rear, and then switch to the right side battery bay when the left side battery is depleted.

^^^^ my experience with my GW as well.

Apr 10, 2014#24

X

xdoomsongx

I think you are incorrect in your assumption that it runs on both batteries at once. Even though both batteries are installed, it only uses one at a time and automatically switches over to the second battery when the first one is depleted. There should be a small red LED light in each battery bay that illuminates for the active battery. If both charged batteries are installed, it will begin using the battery in the left side battery bay as you see the mower from the rear, and then automatically switch to the right side battery bay when the left side battery is depleted.

This is good to know. I wasn't sure how it utilized the batteries. Shouldn't be an issue then running them one at a time. I didn't notice a red led, but I'm not the most observant of people. Thanks.

Apr 10, 2014#25

M

mwhitlock

Maybe you were (inadvertently) only using the 2ha battery and got excellent usage.

I'm going by Lowes's in an hour to by the Kobalt 40-Volt Max 19-in Cordless Electric Push Lawn Mower. It's on sale at 25% off and with my Lowes card I'll get an additional 5% off of the sale price. I'll follow up in a few days to give my opinion.
I had a Black and Decker 18" 36v cordless for 2 years and took very good care of it. This past winter I took it apart to clean it to be like new. I even disassembled the motor an cleaned it up inside and out. Last weekend I started it up to use it for the first time and the motor is running backwards. Not sure how I did it but I'll wait until later to fix it. I really just want a new electric mower. 2 years ago Lowes only had a couple to choose from and now there are around 10. It keeps getting better and better.

Apr 10, 2014#26

X

xdoomsongx

Just an update, I got home and had both batteries fully recharged and ready to go. I pulled the mulch plug and put on the bag, then put the 2ah in the left slot. Pretty happy to report that I got just about 30 minutes of mow time this way, but it was in my back yard where the grass is thin for lack of a better description, I'm guessing that this lead to the longer than stated run time. I was able to finish up the other side of my yard with the charged 4ah battery. The bag fills up very quickly (I emptied it four times mowing the thin grass in my back yard), but the hassle of stopping and emptying a bag is much better than the hassle of messing with gas and oil. I think that I may end up getting another 4ah battery for it in order to get the mowing done in one go. For now, I'm keeping it around to see how it goes over several more uses. I have to say the looks from the neighbors as I mowed down grass with something that sounded like a vacuum has already made it worth the purchase :smile: .

Apr 10, 2014#27

exotion

You don't live in spokane do you? One of my customers just bought one of these machines and he seems to like it.

Apr 11, 2014#28

M

mwhitlock

I bought the 19" Kobalt 40v mower. It only has one battery bay but did come with one 4ah and one 2ah battery. I just mowed for about an hour on the 4ah battery and it showed to be on the last 10%. I'm happy with that for battery life and performance. I really like the way it uses more power when it's working harder.
I used the grass catcher too. I like the grass bag on this mower because of the very wide opening. Makes dumping the clippings into a yard bag very easy.

I wonder about cleaning after use though. Is it ok if water is getting into the battery bay? I cleaned the mower by spraying it down with a garden hose and very little water got into the bay (battery was removed) but it's pretty dusty in there. I used a damp rag to clean it this first time.

Apr 11, 2014#29

MowerMike

mwhitlock said:
I wonder about cleaning after use though. Is it ok if water is getting into the battery bay? I cleaned the mower by spraying it down with a garden hose and very little water got into the bay (battery was removed) but it's pretty dusty in there. I used a damp rag to clean it this first time.

Well, the Owner's Manual specifically states "do not expose the mower to water" and common sense would tell you that no electrical tool should be soaked with water. Sooner or later you are going to ruin it that way and may cause a short circuit. I clean mine after mowing with my leaf blower, and if there's any buildup under the deck, I use a plastic windshield ice scraper.

Apr 11, 2014#30

exotion

Shop vac works good to

Apr 15, 2014#31

M

mdgrimes

Hey all! I just bought the 19" Kobalt this weekend and used it today for the 1st time. I was wondering if anyone has had an issue with the mulching operation. I noticed that it spits out a lot of clippings just above the side discharge cover and also onto the trail shield in the back. The manual states that the mulching plug should fit snugly, but this one does not; it seems rather loose. Has anyone else noticed this with theirs? I love this mower, but I'm not thrilled about this at all.

Apr 15, 2014#32

MowerMike

I'd take it back to Lowe's and exchange it for another unit. It may just be sloppy quality control in stamping the steel deck. Also, if you don't use the side discharge feature, I'd consider getting the larger 20" twin blade model which works a lot better at edging, because it doesn't have a side discharge.

May 4, 2014#33

D

Dary

I just signed up to ask this "not so smart" question

Would Lowe's price-match this (Kobalt KM2040X-06) mower with (GreenWorks 25302) or (Craftsman 25081) since they are all identical mowers but just rebranded? Not sure if there are any other clones out there though.

Thanks,

May 4, 2014#34

1

1 Lucky Texan

Dary said:
I just signed up to ask this "not so smart" question

Would Lowe's price-match this (Kobalt KM2040X-06) mower with (GreenWorks 25302) or (Craftsman 25081) since they are all identical mowers but just rebranded? Not sure if there are any other clones out there though.

Thanks,

past experience tells me no. Price matching is normally for precisely the same model numbers.

Doesn't mean some individual manager might not try to adjust the price to get your business. But that would fall into the definition of 'negotiating', not 'price matching' I'd think.

May 4, 2014#35

L

LoCo86

Dary said:
I just signed up to ask this "not so smart" question Would Lowe's price-match this (Kobalt KM2040X-06) mower with (GreenWorks 25302) or (Craftsman 25081) since they are all identical mowers but just rebranded? Not sure if there are any other clones out there though. Thanks,

If they're identical then get the one with the best price.

May 4, 2014#36

MowerMike

LoCo86 said:
If they're identical then get the one with the best price.

How about differences in warranty ? The Kobalt mower has a 5 year total "no hassle" warranty on the mower and 3 years on the batteries and charger. The Greenworks and Craftsman mowers are only 4 year limited warranties on the mower and 2 years on the batteries and charger.

How about return of a defective or broken mower ? Lowe's gives you 90 days to return it no questions asked to the store for a 100% refund or replacement. The Greenworks is now sold only online and if you buy it from vendors like CPO Outlets, you will have to pay for return shipping, which can easily exceed the $39 you supposedly saved over buying the Kobalt from your local Lowe's store.

Also, the batteries and chargers are all different, so you can't interchange batteries among other tools such as trimmers and blowers.

So, basically, I would pay the extra $39 for the Kobalt just for the convenience of dealing with Lowe's instead of Greenworks when problems occur.

May 4, 2014#37

D

Dary

MowerMike said:
How about differences in warranty ? The Kobalt mower has a 5 year total "no hassle" warranty on the mower and 3 years on the batteries and charger. The Greenworks and Craftsman mowers are only 4 year limited warranties on the mower and 2 years on the batteries and charger.

How about return of a defective or broken mower ? Lowe's gives you 90 days to return it no questions asked to the store for a 100% refund or replacement. The Greenworks is now sold only online and if you buy it from vendors like CPO Outlets, you will have to pay for return shipping, which can easily exceed the $39 you supposedly saved over buying the Kobalt from your local Lowe's store.

Also, the batteries and chargers are all different, so you can't interchange batteries among other tools such as trimmers and blowers.

So, basically, I would pay the extra $39 for the Kobalt just for the convenience of dealing with Lowe's instead of Greenworks when problems occur.

Yes, that's why I'm going to buy it from Lowe's. Beside I liked the Kobalt blue better than Greenworks' green. Sears out of stock in my town of the black Craftsman kind. I just wanted to drive the cost down.

May 5, 2014#38

1

1 Lucky Texan

MowerMike said:
How about differences in warranty ? The Kobalt mower has a 5 year total "no hassle" warranty on the mower and 3 years on the batteries and charger. The Greenworks and Craftsman mowers are only 4 year limited warranties on the mower and 2 years on the batteries and charger.

How about return of a defective or broken mower ? Lowe's gives you 90 days to return it no questions asked to the store for a 100% refund or replacement. The Greenworks is now sold only online and if you buy it from vendors like CPO Outlets, you will have to pay for return shipping, which can easily exceed the $39 you supposedly saved over buying the Kobalt from your local Lowe's store.

Also, the batteries and chargers are all different, so you can't interchange batteries among other tools such as trimmers and blowers.

So, basically, I would pay the extra $39 for the Kobalt just for the convenience of dealing with Lowe's instead of Greenworks when problems occur.

^^^^^^^^^+1

May 5, 2014#39

R

Ryanoscerous

I have 1/3 acre. This mower is very convenient and between the Long Run (4ah) and the Quick Charge (2ah) I have no problem finishing. I had an issue today however with the battery "popping up" and not staying seated in the mower. A quick call to customer service reveals that this is a known issue, and I should either shim the battery using cardboard or a wedge or I may return the mower for a refund. I haven't decided what to do yet because I really like using this mower. New buyers might wait until the next gen.

May 5, 2014#40

1

1 Lucky Texan

Ryanoscerous said:
I have 1/3 acre. This mower is very convenient and between the Long Run (4ah) and the Quick Charge (2ah) I have no problem finishing. I had an issue today however with the battery "popping up" and not staying seated in the mower. A quick call to customer service reveals that this is a known issue, and I should either shim the battery using cardboard or a wedge or I may return the mower for a refund. I haven't decided what to do yet because I really like using this mower. New buyers might wait until the next gen.

thanx for the report. I may attempt installing my batteries while holding the latch button down to reduce wear.

May 6, 2014#41

MowerMike

1 Lucky Texan said:
thanx for the report. I may attempt installing my batteries while holding the latch button down to reduce wear.

I don't think there's a problem with the Greenworks mower like some are experiencing with the Kobalt version. Not only have I not had this problem with my Greenworks twin blade mower, I have to struggle to remove the battery from the mower when I'm finished mowing in order to re-charge it.

May 6, 2014#42

1

1 Lucky Texan

MowerMike said:
I don't think there's a problem with the Greenworks mower like some are experiencing with the Kobalt version. Not only have I not had this problem with my Greenworks twin blade mower, I have to struggle to remove the battery from the mower when I'm finished mowing in order to re-charge it.

ugh - forgot what mower was referenced, I need to pay closer attention to what thread I'm in!

I sometimes find it helpful to push 'in' to unlatch my GW batteries from the mower or other gear.

May 10, 2014#43

X

xdoomsongx

I have 1/3 acre. This mower is very convenient and between the Long Run (4ah) and the Quick Charge (2ah) I have no problem finishing.

What kind of run time do you get from your batteries? I have measured my lawn finally, and I have about 1/3 of an acre, but I can't get more than 2/3 of it done before the batteries are done for. I've started mowing with just the 2ah battery first, then switching to the 4ah battery so I can charge the 2ah battery while mowing with the 4, however the 2 is often too hot to charge until well in to the half way point with the 4. This has lead to mowing being a two day event, and frankly I'm about to just say screw it and go back to gas. Thanks for any thoughts.

Jun 7, 2014#44

H

hangtimer

Ryanoscerous said:
I have 1/3 acre. This mower is very convenient and between the Long Run (4ah) and the Quick Charge (2ah) I have no problem finishing. I had an issue today however with the battery "popping up" and not staying seated in the mower. A quick call to customer service reveals that this is a known issue, and I should either shim the battery using cardboard or a wedge or I may return the mower for a refund. I haven't decided what to do yet because I really like using this mower. New buyers might wait until the next gen.

I am very happy with the products operation and ease of use however my stalling problem appeared on the third use.

I am using a 6" length of 3/8" door stop to wedge my battery from the bottom toward the retainer clip. It is working fine for now, but I think I will be exchanging this unit for a new one soon.

Thanks for your post.

Jun 16, 2014#45

B

bxd20

Can anyone comment on the mulching quality of the Kobalt?

I have bagged clippings my whole life. We have a small suburban lot, around 0.2 acres. I frankly don't mind the extra work of bagging, as we have separate pickup for yard waste.

I just want the best lawn possible, whether that's by mulching or bagging.

Are the clippings small enough that they would decompose and feed the lawn instead of just smothering the grass? Is there a different cordless electric that mulches better?

Thanks
Brian

Sep 16, 2014#46

S

seanathen

BrandonG said:
From everything I've read, including hundreds of reviews, sounds like the 4Ah battery lasts approximately 35mins in "mulching mode" and 45 mins otherwise, depending on if the grass is tall or wet. I'm guessing 1/4 acre is about how long the battery would last. The 2Ah battery doesn't last as long.

Greenworks (same thing as the Kobalt, just rebranded and slightly modified) claims 75 minute runtime for both batteries that it comes with, the 4amp hour and 2 amp hour.

So that would be like 50mins and 25mins.

I'm going to be using this Kobalt mower and the other "Max" tools (where the battery is interchangeable between all the equipment), in my new commercial startup. I just won't be able to do larger properties until I make enough to consider an electric battery powered zero-turn for larger properties. I'll just stick to properties around 1/4 acre or so and less.

I currently use a Black and Decker 36V (and electric everything else except my backpack blower). I have a recharging station in my trailer with a marine battery, 1000W converter, chargers, etc. It takes a lot longer to charge the 36V than these lithium batteries. They claim 30 minutes recharge. With that in mind, if you just had one spare battery and the recharge system in your car or trailer, you could do just about any size lawn and just charge between yards. I can do three normal lawns with my B & D mower, just keeping it plugged in to the charging system at all times when not mowing. But I'm in Vegas, so not all my customers have lawns... My plan is to go all Lithium, and I'm thinking about the Kobalt twin blade for this. The other major benefit of the Lithium for me is that it's full blast on at all times until the battery is dead, unlike my B & D lead battery which just gets slower and slower as it dies.

Sep 17, 2014#47

1

1 Lucky Texan

Those lithium don't always begin recharging immediately - there is a temp sensor and often, I have to let the battery cool-off for several minutes before charging will begin. (I have Greenworks mower and other gear)

Dec 6, 2014#48

L

Lawnmowerwizard

xdoomsongx said:
I finally got the 20" model in from my order. I tried it for the first time this morning. Initial impressions are very good, it isn't any louder than a vacuum, and it mowed down the lawn without any problems.

Now for the problem, and it's a big one. The batteries, which I had fully charged, only lasted about 35 minutes. This is less than half of the stated run time, and judging by how much of the lawn I got mowed I am going to need at least an hour of run time (it stopped with one, yes ONE freaking strip of uncut grass in my front yard leaving me a little less than half done . I am not familiar with Lithium battery technology, so before I throw this thing back in the box and take it back ASAP, can anyone tell me if it will improve after a couple of charge/discharge cycles? If that is the case I will happily give it more time, if not, it is back to gas for me. Thanks for any feedback.

I think it's fair to say that manufacturers are quite generous when they quote the maximum running time figure. It's probably derived from them carrying out tests in absolutely optimum conditions (completely flat lawn, uniform grass density, low humidity etc etc) which, yeah ok might result in getting more than an hour out of it, but as you've learned the hard way, it doesn't work like that in the real world. Sorry to hear it's causing you frustration!

Aug 3, 2015#49

S

seanathen

I have an update. I bought the Kobalt mower about 4 months ago. I have the charging system set up in the back of my Explorer, with a marine battery and 1000w converter from Harbor Frt. I have to say, that this mower is the coolest tool I've ever purchased. This mower cuts through even the thickest of stuff, although when doing that, it does require a forward, then back over it cut. I only ever use it in mulch mode. I'm in Vegas, so the battery does get hot. I keep a small cooler (six pack size) with some re-usable ice packs in it. Throw the battery in there with one pack on the bottom and the other on top, 5 - 10 minutes later it's ready to be charged. And they charge pretty quickly. I've used the 4.0 and the 2.0 together and can do at least 2 houses, sometimes 3. Generally, I will mow, put the batteries on the charger, and by the time I blow that house and get to the next house, there's plenty of juice to keep going even if it's not fully charged. I also bought the chain saw, which I just returned today. I plan on getting another one, but the first one I got had chain issues. I hope it's not the design. The chain kept coming off the drive. I'd put it back on, set the tension, make a few cuts and it would just pop off again. After about 10 times, decided to take it back to Lowe's, which they took with no questions asked. I have had several guys who were doing other lawns and have come over just to see this mower. They are shocked at how quiet and efficient it is at mowing. I would definitely recommend to a friend, in fact, I did. My dad. And he loves it too.

Aug 3, 2015#50

lawn mower fanatic

seanathen said:
I have an update. I bought the Kobalt mower about 4 months ago. I have the charging system set up in the back of my Explorer, with a marine battery and 1000w converter from Harbor Frt. I have to say, that this mower is the coolest tool I've ever purchased. This mower cuts through even the thickest of stuff, although when doing that, it does require a forward, then back over it cut. I only ever use it in mulch mode. I'm in Vegas, so the battery does get hot. I keep a small cooler (six pack size) with some re-usable ice packs in it. Throw the battery in there with one pack on the bottom and the other on top, 5 - 10 minutes later it's ready to be charged. And they charge pretty quickly. I've used the 4.0 and the 2.0 together and can do at least 2 houses, sometimes 3. Generally, I will mow, put the batteries on the charger, and by the time I blow that house and get to the next house, there's plenty of juice to keep going even if it's not fully charged. I also bought the chain saw, which I just returned today. I plan on getting another one, but the first one I got had chain issues. I hope it's not the design. The chain kept coming off the drive. I'd put it back on, set the tension, make a few cuts and it would just pop off again. After about 10 times, decided to take it back to Lowe's, which they took with no questions asked. I have had several guys who were doing other lawns and have come over just to see this mower. They are shocked at how quiet and efficient it is at mowing. I would definitely recommend to a friend, in fact, I did. My dad. And he loves it too.

Sounds like you really like the mower! Keep us updated, and also with the chainsaw.

Aug 8, 2015#51

C

ChuckDep

Ryanoscerous said:
I have 1/3 acre. This mower is very convenient and between the Long Run (4ah) and the Quick Charge (2ah) I have no problem finishing. I had an issue today however with the battery "popping up" and not staying seated in the mower. A quick call to customer service reveals that this is a known issue, and I should either shim the battery using cardboard or a wedge or I may return the mower for a refund. I haven't decided what to do yet because I really like using this mower. New buyers might wait until the next gen.

Sorry I'm replying to this post so late but I've used my Kobalt 19 inch for about 18 months without incident and today the battery "popping up" issue started. Did you (or anyone else on the forum) figure out a good shim/wedging solution? I jammed a piece of cardboard (about 3 in x 1 in) down in the battery bay and it worked...until I bumped into a tree. Is there a better, more permanent solution out there? Love my mower and don't want to return it if I don't have to. Thanks in advance for any help.

Jan 25, 2016#52

S

seanathen

I have another update. The replacement chain saw works flawlessly. I also now have the hedger and the weed eater. The hedger also is flawless. I just got the weed eater for christmas, so I'll have to give you an update after grass starts growing.
In total, I now have 5 batteries and 4 chargers. I'm pretty sure I can just have them all charged and do an entire day's worth of yards, since I don't use the chain saw or the hedger every day. I am super thrilled with how fast and long the batteries last, even in the cold and heat of Vegas. I have never had the battery pop out issue. However, if I did, I'd just take it back to Lowes for a new mower. It's one of the beauties of buying it from Lowes in the first place.
I bought a spare set of blades for the mower, and they are easy to get on and off. When new though, they are quite dull. I sharpened them before use.

Jun 22, 2016#53

S

seanathen

Another update. The weed eater works really well, but not perfect. I wish for two things. First, the string auto-advancer doesn't work all the time. I often have to stop and push the little advance button. I tried winding my own string on the empty plastic spool; disaster. Just buying factory ones from now on.

My biggest gripe is that there is no "lock on" button. I'm not sure that's the right term, but I'd like to have a button where it just locks in the on position. I'm sure it's a safety thing, but it would be a really really useful button.

I will say that it hands down beats my old 18v Black and Decker trimmer.

Dec 19, 2016#54

S

seanathen

Another update: The second chain saw did the same thing the first one did; the tensioning system on them is not good. No matter how many times I tried to fix it, it just kept moving and making the chain loose. I cannot recommend the chain saw due to this problem. I got a 20v battery operated sawsall with a 9" blade. Works way better for what I do with it, which is just light tree and branch trimming.

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