A lawn trimmer not a mower - avoid at all cost
Just awful. I have a 10mx4m kikuyu lawn and it struggles every single time, I mow every week during growing season so it does not get too long, but this is still incapable. The wheels are not wide enough to support the mower, so it sinks into the lawn and then the battery/motor is not powerful enough to cut the grass and it stalls. I have to remove catcher, flip it over and clean it about 10 times every time I mow. It does not even have sufficient power to blow the cut grass into the catcher fuller and ends up blocking the chute. I own a LOT of 18V+ Ryobi tools and have since about 2002 when they were NiCad only and this is the ONLY tool I've bothered to review because it is just so bad. I mistakenly bought this as a kit with blower and edge trimmer, both those are ... MoreJust awful. I have a 10mx4m kikuyu lawn and it struggles every single time, I mow every week during growing season so it does not get too long, but this is still incapable. The wheels are not wide enough to support the mower, so it sinks into the lawn and then the battery/motor is not powerful enough to cut the grass and it stalls. I have to remove catcher, flip it over and clean it about 10 times every time I mow. It does not even have sufficient power to blow the cut grass into the catcher fuller and ends up blocking the chute. I own a LOT of 18V+ Ryobi tools and have since about 2002 when they were NiCad only and this is the ONLY tool I've bothered to review because it is just so bad. I mistakenly bought this as a kit with blower and edge trimmer, both those are good units for my sized yard, but the mower, terrible. Spend the extra and buy the 36V version.Only gave it 1 star because I can't give zero!... Show more
John
originally posted on bunnings.com.au
Excellent ease of use
It's very cheap, it won't rust, it's wonderfully quiet and it's so light I can pick it up with one hand even when the catcher is full. You will need to buy a battery for it if you don't already have a good-sized +One. A 4ah battery is more than enough for our small suburban lawn but my other 1.5ah battery won't do the whole thing in one go. I like how it cuts off immediately when your hand comes off the trigger bar thing. You can also put it on its side to clean the bottom of it without petrol leaking out all over the show. Moving from a heavy petrol mower this Ryobi feels flimsy but it does the job and doesn't feel like it's going to break so I don't think that's an issue. Using it feels about halfway between using a petrol mower and doing the vacuuming. Downsides? ... MoreIt's very cheap, it won't rust, it's wonderfully quiet and it's so light I can pick it up with one hand even when the catcher is full. You will need to buy a battery for it if you don't already have a good-sized +One. A 4ah battery is more than enough for our small suburban lawn but my other 1.5ah battery won't do the whole thing in one go. I like how it cuts off immediately when your hand comes off the trigger bar thing. You can also put it on its side to clean the bottom of it without petrol leaking out all over the show. Moving from a heavy petrol mower this Ryobi feels flimsy but it does the job and doesn't feel like it's going to break so I don't think that's an issue. Using it feels about halfway between using a petrol mower and doing the vacuuming. Downsides? Maybe you could question the longevity of the batteries, so that's part of the equation if you're focused on the money side of things. If I was getting really picky I would suggest that a better designer could have given it a better folding handle. Otherwise, this is an excellent product.... Show more
Killerbee
originally posted on ryobi.co.nz
Fit for Purpose
So far fit for purpose. Only have a small area, about 30 sq mts, Very light, no need for petrol or oil. Can upend or check underneath without being worried about spilling petrol or oil. Easy to store. Five cutting levels Assembly intructions a bit lacking. Possible to install handles wrong way around, which I did. Cutting level adjuster very stiff and requires an amount of effort to set on the highest level... Show more
GerryM
originally posted on ryobi.co.nz
Gets the job done
Bought the lawn mower skin without the battery because I already had a 5.0Ah battery from the Ryobi One+ leaf blower. It is very light weight and super easy to manoeuvre. I have a small size lawn and it gets the job done with ease. If the grass is too thick or long, you have to go twice by setting the length to the maximum at first go and then to the desired length in the second go. The catcher is small and fills fast and may need couple of emptying during the mowing. Very environment friendly and worth every penny paid considering the convenience - no smoke, no fuel burned, not heavy and most importantly no sound pollution.... Show more
Nidhin
originally posted on bunnings.com.au
Good features, but some bad, too.
We've had ours for a little over two years, and it's been great for our small lawn. However it does struggle in patches where the grass grows best, even on a weekly mow, as it's pretty significantly underpowered compared to petrol mowers. So there are some places where we have to raise the cut to the third lowest height to get it to work at all, but that's fine for what we need.About a year in, one of the trigger handles broke, and while we were able to glue it back together, it's not as strong and comes apart at the same spot regularly. We're also starting to get some flaky electrical problems, where it loses power randomly, then kicks in again.While I prefer an electric mower for the small lawn we've got, I just know that this Ryobi isn't going to live as long ... MoreWe've had ours for a little over two years, and it's been great for our small lawn. However it does struggle in patches where the grass grows best, even on a weekly mow, as it's pretty significantly underpowered compared to petrol mowers. So there are some places where we have to raise the cut to the third lowest height to get it to work at all, but that's fine for what we need.About a year in, one of the trigger handles broke, and while we were able to glue it back together, it's not as strong and comes apart at the same spot regularly. We're also starting to get some flaky electrical problems, where it loses power randomly, then kicks in again.While I prefer an electric mower for the small lawn we've got, I just know that this Ryobi isn't going to live as long as any of my past petrol mowers. I'd be very surprised if it made it to 5 years, and not at all surprised if it didn't make it to 3 (it's 2.5 years old now).It's got enough going for it to recommend it, and I'm not sorry I bought it, but people shouldn't expect a long life based on our experience.... Show more
*JK*
originally posted on ryobi.co.nz
Good Mower For The Price - Works As Expected
I give this mower the 'thumbs up'. I had a more expensive battery-powered Ryobi a few years ago, but had to sell it because of an overseas move. I came back this year, but due to retirement couldn't afford the equivalent Ryobi. I therefore bought the cheapest 'other brand', which had to be plugged in. After 6 months I got sick of moving the extension cord after every pass. Having to regularly move the cord also wasted a lot of time. I then recently purchased this cheaper model Ryobi which is battery powered.I noted with interest some of the negative reviews on this site. The point I have to make is that maybe some peoples' expectations are too high. This mower is what it is. It's only $279. If you want a better mower buy a $800 unit.I have a small yard area, and ... MoreI give this mower the 'thumbs up'. I had a more expensive battery-powered Ryobi a few years ago, but had to sell it because of an overseas move. I came back this year, but due to retirement couldn't afford the equivalent Ryobi. I therefore bought the cheapest 'other brand', which had to be plugged in. After 6 months I got sick of moving the extension cord after every pass. Having to regularly move the cord also wasted a lot of time. I then recently purchased this cheaper model Ryobi which is battery powered.I noted with interest some of the negative reviews on this site. The point I have to make is that maybe some peoples' expectations are too high. This mower is what it is. It's only $279. If you want a better mower buy a $800 unit.I have a small yard area, and the 5 Ah battery is sufficient to last the 20 mins it takes me to mow the front and back yards.It doesn't have the power to mow through long, tough grass. But if you mow your lawn once per week you shouldn't have any trouble.I don't have any criticism of the height adjustment switch, as noted in one review.I recommend this mower. It works well for small lawns. Just don't let the grass get too high. It matches my expectations.... Show more
Marty
originally posted on bunnings.com.au
Great little mower
Lightweight - easy to carry from garage to lawn to nature strip and back. Mowed grass (total about 25 square metres) on one fully-charged battery - twice! Grass catcher only needed to be emptied once. Grass catcher indicator worked as expected. On/off trigger is comfortable to hold (whether you're right- or left-handed). Height adjustment lever was a little awkward to use first time - but once I knew how to use it, relatively easy to change height (used 5 - maximum for 1st cut; changed to 4 for 2nd cut) Isolator key good idea - stops unauthorized activation of mower (if you remove/replace it every time away from mower - e.g. emptying grass catcher)... Show more
Graeme
originally posted on bunnings.com.au
Small light but weak
Very light weight and easy to push, but it’s a narrow lawn mower and it took twice as long to mow compared with my old petrol one, also it’s much weaker than the old petrol mower and at times it got stuck as it was unable to cut the grass in the area that was too thick or too long. The battery lasts a long time. I mowed a fairly large lawn on a single 4wh battery. Overall I am quite happy with it because I got fed up pulling the cord to start the petrol mower which often tired me out before I even started to mow. Just wish I had bought a larger diameter version to save going over the lawn so many more times... Show more
IQ1
originally posted on bunnings.com.au
So much easier than my corded mower
Bought as part of a combo pack - great value. While it can dig in on soft uneven grass, and stall on heavy grass, overall it has been very easy to use and gave a really neatly cut lawn. I have used a corded mower for the last 10+ years and this is so much easier to use. Very easy to carry down a path to a lower grass platform too. Great for a smaller yard.... Show more
GJC55
originally posted on ryobi.co.nz
Very useful piece of kit for steep slopes
Bought a month ago to mow very steep slopes which were impossible even with self-propelled mower. This gives a better cut than using a line trimmer. Very easy to use and surprising cutting power and endurance with an optional 9Ah battery. Can be used one handed. I see some find the catcher doesn't catch well but as it mulches well I don't use it. Impressed by the nice even cut. It looks like a toy but does the job well.... Show more
Tim
originally posted on bunnings.com.au
