Ryobi HP Brushless 21-inch Multiblade
The Ryobi is the ultimate jack of all trades, master of none among electric lawn mowers. While it doesn’t stand out as the best when it comes to any particular feature or category, it also doesn’t score poorly on any metric. Battery life, cut quality and maneuverability are all acceptable, and the Ryobi is a solid all-rounder for the price. You could do better, but also a whole lot worse when choosing an electric mower.
Pros:
- No wheel lock when disengaging self-propulsion
- Price to value is competitive
Cons
- Battery life lowered substantially when using Turbo mode for extended periods
- Doesn’t include a dual battery charger like some other brands do
- Ergonomics for self-propulsion could be improved. Not the most comfortable
EGO Power Plus 21-inch Select Cut XP
The Ego Power Plus 21-inch Select Cut XP was the biggest surprise during testing. The Ego brand is highly regarded in the electric power equipment market, and this Ego does indeed have some excellent features and design elements to boast about. Three different blade options are included in the box, something no other competitor offers. The single-point height adjustment is really well thought out; it’s IPX4-rated for a bit of weatherproofing and the phone holder is a nice touch.
However, in our testing, the Ego cut quality just wasn’t up to the standard laid down by its competitors. There was a noticeable mohawk effect evident on each pass, leaving strips of uneven grass on the edges of the cut. The Ego wasn’t alone in this regard, but many other mowers offer a High Lift, Boost or Turbo mode to reduce this effect and provide a more even cut, a feature that this Ego doesn’t offer. Additionally, while it’s an attractive machine, the Ego seems longer and wider than it really needs to be, affecting maneuverability around trees and other obstacles, while delivering a less even cut on sloped yards.
Pros:
- Three different lower blades included for different cutting options
- Excellent lever for easily changing cut position
- Overall fit and finish of the mower is ahead of many competitors
Cons
- Cut quality is disappointingly uneven, with lots of mohawking on the edges
- No Turbo or Boost mode
- Bulkier than many competitors, making it less maneuverable
Echo DLM-2100SP
The Echo DLM-2100SP has a lot of similarities to the higher-rated Greenworks Pro 60V 25-inch Dual Blade mower, which is both good and bad. Both have excellent self-propulsion controls, as well as dual battery bays and excellent battery life.
Not as good, the Echo, like the Greenworks, has the annoying wheel lock “feature” when disengaging the Self Propulsion system, requiring you to either wait a few seconds or manually push the mower forward to be able to reverse direction. The biggest differentiator between the Echo and Greenworks is the cutting radius, with the Greenworks offering the wider cut at 25 inches versus 21 inches for the Echo. Considering the Greenworks is $140 cheaper, it’s hard to recommend the Echo over it. That said, the Echo is the sharper-looking of the two, if looks are important to you.
Pros:
- Creates a nice stripping pattern
- Lightweight, with good propulsion levers and speed control
- Good battery level feedback indicators
Cons:
- Grass blade lift could be better, especially when mowing downhill
- Deck bottoms out easily at minimum cut height
- Wheel lock when disengaging self-propulsion is very annoying
Green Machine 62V 23-inch RWD
Green Machine is one of the lesser-known brands tested on this list, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see that change in the years to come. The Green Machine 62V 23” has a lot to offer on a price-to-value scale, but a few key drawbacks held it from ranking higher on this list.
The main drawback, far and away, was battery life. While the 45-minute stated runtime is theoretically attainable, use of the Self Propulsion system greatly diminishes that time. While most of the tested mowers on this list could cut my sloped, two-thirds of an acre yard in just two or three battery cycles, the Green Machine required four to five cycles. With a battery recharge time of 75 minutes, this made for a very long and tedious testing experience.
If primarily used on smaller, flatter lawns, the Green Machine is a solid budget option to consider.
Pros:
- Good build quality
- Attractive design
- Competitively priced
Cons:
- Not as maneuverable as other options in this price segment
- Not great lift from the blade, leaving the cut shaggy at times
- Easy to accidentally change the speed when turning the mower
- Self-propel drains the battery quickly
Craftsman V20 20-inch
The Craftsman V20 20-inch was the lightest of our tested mowers, and also the cheapest based on MSRP. It is easy to push and provides surprisingly long battery life for its smaller-sized battery, which helps with storage.
While these are all great features, it’s still difficult to recommend the Craftsman due to its lack of power and subpar cut quality. Its self-propulsion system is basic, with little variable speed control, with a simple pull handle either engaging or disengaging the system. The mower is also the least powerful of those tested. It can handle light trimming just fine, but high, thick grass is more than it can comfortably manage.
The Craftsman V20 would be best suited to small, flat yards, much like the Green Machine mentioned above. But there are better mowers that can be purchased for just a bit more money if you need self-propulsion. If you’re after the Craftsman’s lightweight design and compact size, the non Self-Propulsion version — $120 cheaper — would likely be a better fit.
Pros:
- Light and compact, easy to maneuver and store
- Lowest MSRP of any of the tested mowers
- Good battery life from 4.0Ah batteries
Cons:
- Not very powerful, with marginal cut quality
- Very basic self-propulsion system, with limited speed adjustment
What we updated:
May 2025: We changed how we test electric lawn mowers, updating the testing methodology and assigning a new tester and author.
June 2025: We retested these electric lawn mowers for consideration on our list: Milwaukee M18 Fuel 21-inch; Greenworks Pro 60V 25-inch; Toro Recycler 60V 22-inch; Stihl RMA 453 PV 21-inch; Ryobi HP Brushless 21-inch; Ego Power Plus 21-inch; Echo DLM-2100SP; Green Machine 62V 23-inch; Craftsman V20 20-inch.
July 2025: We retested the Ego Power Plus 21-inch 56-volt and removed it as the best overall pick.
July 2025: We recategorized Greenworks 25-inch 60-volt from the “best for consistent lawn maintenance” to the “best value.”
July 2025: We removed the Greenworks 19-inch 40-volt and the Litheli U20LM00-0A120 13-inch 20-volt from this list.
July 2025: We removed the Dewalt DCMWP233U2 21.5-inch 20-volt from this list because it’s currently out of stock.
August 2025: The former authors’ bylines (Steve Conaway, Chris Wedell and Macy Meyer) were removed from this page following new testing and evaluation.
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