Greenworks 40V 16" Review
Cordless Lawn Mower with 4.0Ah Battery and Charger
94Superb!
4.4 / 5 from 9547 users
$249.99$299
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We spent 9.5 hours reading reviews from customers and experts. In summary, here's what users think:
12 reasons to buy
The Greenworks 40V 16" mower's design is narrow and light, making it easy to handle and maneuver around the yard. This feature is particularly useful for reaching tight spots that a larger mower might struggle with, allowing for more precise and efficient lawn care. (44 reviews)
“It is narrow, light, can be height adjusted on the fly and can reach the places a heavier mower would need considerable strength and stamina with minimum effort.”
“It is very light and easy to handle”
“It is crazy light ... and on a lot with some serious slopes like mine, this is where the mower earns its keep.”
“I was amazed at how easy this mower is to handle.”
“I wanted something that was lightweight, easy to assemble and use”
“But it was so light and maneuverable that it was truly fun to use.”
“The lawn mower is incredibly strong, but it is also very simple to navigate.”
“This thing is light. It’s easy to push.”
“Maneuvers more easily than a heavy gas mower”
“Its surprisingly quiet and pretty light weight.”
Multiple reviews highlight that the battery holds a charge well, with quick charging times and a long lifespan if properly maintained. (44 reviews)
“This one holds a charge well and charges relatively quickly.”
“The battery seems to hold up great”
“When it was new it could easily mow my entire lawn on a single charge”
“The battery charges surprisingly quickly. ... it will get most of the way back to full in 2 or 3 hours.”
“The 40V battery provides enough power to mow my entire lawn on a single charge.”
“It takes me about 40-50 minutes and the battery is always still kicking”
“The battery arrived with a smidge of a charge and was easy to charge up — it was ready to go in a couple hours.”
“There was still life left in the battery when I finished my yard, so I went next door and started in on their yard.”
“My yard is so small, I can get it done on 1/2 the battery charge.”
“Battery holds up pretty well - no cords!”
The mower runs quietly, making it less disruptive to the user and the people living nearby. (41 reviews)
“The mower is extremely quiet”
“it’s light, it’s quiet”
“It is spookily quiet. You can listen to music easily while using this thing.”
“This electric mower is quiet and clean, aligning perfectly with my efforts to be more environmentally conscious.”
“Speaking of noisy, I didn't mention how quiet this thing is. It sounds about like a box fan set on high and it has absolutely no vibration.”
“It’s a very quiet mower which is nice.”
“FAR quieter than gas”
“Its surprisingly quiet”
“Much, much quieter than a gas mower...my neighbor didn't know I had mowed the lawn while she was sleeping!”
“The mower is much quieter than a typical gas powered machine.”
Most users have found the mower easy to assemble, requiring only a few minutes and no special tools to get it up and running. (22 reviews)
“I assembled it in just a few minutes with no trouble at all”
“The mower came mostly assembled, and I had it ready to go in minutes.”
“easy to assemble”
“Setup was a breeze”
“Set up was easy, just unfold the arms and tighten them down, charge the battery and insert. Insert the catch bag.”
“easy to assemble and use”
“No problems in assembling”
“Arrived mostly assembled.”
“When I took it back out it was ready to go in an instant.”
“Set up was quick and easy”
The Greenworks 40V 16" mower features a quick and easy cutting height adjustment system, allowing users to modify the grass length seamlessly while mowing, with minimal interruption. (20 reviews)
“can be height adjusted on the fly”
“I love the quick 5-level adjust”
“The height adjust mechanism is sensible and sturdy.”
“The adjustable height settings provide perfect control for a clean and even cut.”
“Easy to use, easy to raise and lower the blade, easy to push.”
“It has FIVE height levels, and you can adjust the whole mower with 1 hand!”
“The adjustable height setting works great”
“Different length settings are easy to initiate”
“The deck height adjustment works easily and quickly. I keep mine at the "4" level, which gives me about 2.5" of grass”
“One lever to adjust the height”
Being electric, the mower does not emit fumes or require gasoline, making it an eco-friendlier option compared to traditional gas mowers. (19 reviews)
“it’s clean, it’s better for you (and the environment if you’re into that kind of thing)”
“This electric mower is quiet and clean, aligning perfectly with my efforts to be more environmentally conscious.”
“Finally convinced a family member to get an electric lawnmower and they love it.”
“No gas! No going to the gas station! Nor do you smell like exhaust afterwards - just a little grassy!”
“I love NOT having to ever mess anymore with gas or oil”
“I was very excited at the thought of kissing my days of broken carburetors, smelly gas, and difficult to start mowers goodbye”
“Great Product for lawn and need no gas!”
“I am definitely a supporter of cordless electric mowers”
“To save money and also to help the environment, I decided to try this battery operated lawn mower.”
“You don’t have to transport gasoline like you do for a regular lawnmower nor do you have to worry about changing the spark plug or anything else of that nature.”
It can be easily folded down for compact storage, taking up minimal space in a garage or shed. (13 reviews)
“easily folds down for compact storage”
“The folding handle makes storage a breeze, even in my crowded garage.”
“The handle has quick releases that with a simple twist allow you to fold it up over the mower, which as a carry-handle built in at the center of gravity so you can easily pick the whole thing up to store it somewhere”
“I like that the handle can fold down for storage”
“This "little Green" could be easily folded and transported in his car w/o the worry of gas & oil fumes or spills”
“I like that the handle is in two parts because it lessens the storage space.”
“it stores nicely in a contractor trash bag when collapsed (keeping everything clean).”
“Reduces space needed to store lawn mower and ancillary equipment (you can hang on wall without gas and oil dripping into your garage).”
“I like that the handle folds up for easy storage.”
“The cams on the mower handle saved time folding and unfolding the handle”
“I like how small and compact this unit can become when it is folded up. It sits squarely under the window unit of my swamp cooler when stored in the garage.”
“I love that it folds down with quick release points and being so light and small I can actually fit it in a larger size deck box. That frees up even most space in my garage.”
The mower is said to need almost no maintenance, except for sometimes sharpening the blades. This is handy for users who don't want to deal with regular servicing. (11 reviews)
“It is virtually maintenance free”
“The only maintenance it’s needed was a blade sharpening every other year and it’s worked flawlessly for, by my rough math, about 300 mowing sessions.”
“It's electric, so you have just one moving part other than the blade. The blade is the only thing requiring maintenance.”
“I definitely like not having to winterize or rebuild the carb of the gas mower every season.”
“I like that I don't have to worry about changing oil or fixing gas filters. It's so easy.”
“Keeping the blade sharp is easy if you throw it up on a table or tailgate (no oil to leak).”
“NO GAS NO OIL JUST CHARGE THE BATTERY AND YOU ARE GOOD TO GO!”
“Just the fact that I can pull this thing out of the basement in the spring, pop in the battery, push the starter and get it going without having to pull my arm off and drag it into the shop every year makes it so worth it”
“Very happy with this purchase. I did not want to deal with gasoline, oil, etc.”
“You don’t have to transport gasoline like you do for a regular lawnmower nor do you have to worry about changing the spark plug or anything else of that nature.”
The Greenworks 40V 16" mower has garnered commendable reviews from numerous users, with reports indicating that it functions effectively over several years with minimal issues, thereby demonstrating its durability and long-lasting build quality. (11 reviews)
“I bought this mower 9 YEARS ago.”
“Built with quality materials, the mower feels robust and is designed to last.”
“I've had this for nearly 3 years now”
“Bought first mower almost 3 yrs ago & couldn't be happier with its continued performance!!”
“I purchased this mower 2 years ago to mow around the parking lot of my BBQ restaurant. I figured I'd get a season or two out of it. I'm here to tell you, this is more powerful than I expected and still going strong.”
“Part of my property is kind of bumpy/brambly/rugged and this thing takes the knocks with no problem at all.”
“After a couple years of use, still pretty happy for the most part.”
“4 year update:After about 4 years the mower is still working OK”
The mower is made to run at a low speed when it's not cutting grass. It automatically increases its power when it hits thicker patches. This helps save battery and improves performance. (9 reviews)
“The feature that allows the mower to 'idle' until it starts engaging the grass works very well.”
“if it reached a heavier section of grass it would speed up to accommodate the heavier cut”
“The mower has some sort of "torque sense" feature to it, where it throttles up when it is having trouble churning through everything.”
“it increases the power and you hear the mower speed up”
“If you are cutting very thick grass or cutting more than two inches off of your grass (especially in "mulch" mode), the motor will sense the slowdown (which you'll hear) and it will speed up.”
“It has a cool feature where it will rev up when it senses a patch of thick grass.”
“Not once have I heard the machine bog down. It just seems to tackle any obstacle I've given it.”
“has yet to stall on tall grass”
“Two automatic speeds that switch from high and low when your mowing thicker grass.”
The battery can be swapped with other Greenworks tools. This is convenient for people who own more than one product from the brand. (6 reviews)
“I got this mower largely in part because I have two existing Greenworks tools that use a smaller but interchangeable battery.”
“The 40V battery provides enough power to mow my entire lawn on a single charge. Plus, it's compatible with other Greenwork tools, adding to its convenience.”
“Since I could use the same battery that came with the mower it was a huge plus for me”
“I have plenty of the 40v batteries.”
“The 40 V lithium gets recharged relatively quickly, pops into the mower, and away you go.”
“Moving into a new house I didn't want to go through the expense of buying another battery right away - so I've been using the one battery that came with the mower for both tools.”
It has safety features like a slow startup cycle to avoid accidents and a mechanism that stops the blade right away if the bail is released. (2 reviews)
“The slow startup cycle is a great safety feature as well as if the bail is released the blade stops immediately.”
“I can trust my kids with this one since once you let go of the lever it stops”
5 reasons not to buy
Some reviews of the Greenworks 40V 16" mower mentioned that it may not be ideally suited for larger or denser lawns, particularly if the grass has been left to grow for an extended period beyond two weeks. In such situations, this mower might require more power to cut through the thicker grass, potentially leading to quicker battery drainage. (27 reviews)
“It takes me about 4 charges to do my half acre if it is a bit dense (week and a quarter or so).”
“The electric mower definitely did not have as much power as the gas mower, and the 16" width meant I had to make more passes.”
“I definitely like it, but if I had any bigger of a lot, I would like to upgrade to a bigger deck and possibly an 80V system.”
“Small cutting path (I highly recommend going up to the 24" or larger if possible)”
“I do wish I had bought a slightly wider version because our backyard takes the full battery to mow”
“It took me three charges to do my 1-acre lot.”
“If you are cutting very thick grass or cutting more than two inches off of your grass (especially in "mulch" mode), the motor will sense the slowdown (which you'll hear) and it will speed up.”
“Don't skimp and go for the smaller model unless you have a VERY small yard. ... I needed 4 fully charged batteries to get through my 1/6 acre yard with the 16" model.”
“Now with a much larger yard this 16" model is too small, too weak, and too basic to tackle my growing needs.”
The mower is not self-propelled, which could be a downside for some users, especially when mowing larger yards or slopes. (16 reviews)
“It is very light and easy to handle even though it's not self-propelled.”
“His is a little bigger and has the self-propelled feature, and this one doesn’t but I don’t mind because our lawn is a smaller size”
“This thing is light. It’s easy to push.”
“Due to it being mainly plastic (lightweight), you literally can push it with one hand.”
“It's lighter and easier to push than a standard gas giant”
“Even though it does not help you push forward I still gave it 5 stars for durability.”
“It weighs next to nothing. I felt like I was pushing a toy vacuum I had when I was a kid- easier than pushing my Dyson”
“Super light - I don't miss the self propelled feature (my lawn is perfectly flat)”
“Pushing it around my front yard gives my shoulders a workout”
“Easy to move around even without a drive function because it is so light.”
A big drawback people mention is the cost of extra or replacement batteries. For those with bigger yards, more batteries might be needed, which can add up to a lot of extra cost. (15 reviews)
“If you have a good size yard and this would be your only mower you would need spare batteries which are expensive.”
“That leaves me with a dilemma, buy a new (very pricey) battery for my perfectly good but aging mower in the hopes it will last another 9 years, or upgrade to an 80v mower.”
“You'll just end up spending more when whatever inferior battery type you went with dies, and you end up buying the expensive lithium one anyway.”
“As a bit of advice however, if your yard normally takes more than an hour to cut, you should consider buying an 40V additional battery as a time saver.”
“But the thought of purchasing another battery (Greenworks brand) is an additional $100.”
“The battery only lasts about 40 minutes so if you have a large lot, you'll want more batteries”
“I was just getting time to change the batteries again and had to weigh a couple hundred dollars for batteries (the good ones anyway)”
“I will be purchasing another battery so mowing the backyard doesn't take 4 or 5 hours.”
“I may need to buy an extra one to fully cut my entire yard.”
“I also ordered a second battery so I can keep one charged at all time”
“If you are doing a large yard buy a second battery so you can finish the yard while you are in the mowing mood”
“I like this lawnmower though and I plan on buying an extra battery so we don’t have to wait for the battery to charge halfway into mowing.”
“Of course, I may decide to buy an extra battery, so that when I want to continue working I can.”
“I didn't have the money for a extra battery at the time of purchase.”
The grass clipping bag is called 'laughably small,' meaning it's not good for bigger lawns because it would need to be emptied often. This might make the mower less practical for people who like to bag their clippings. (13 reviews)
“The grass clipping bag is laughably small. I would NOT want to bag much more a town house sized lawn, for fear I'd wear my shoes out with the amount of walking around it'd take to empty it so many times.”
“The grass catching bag fills very quickly and only allows you to empty it from the narrow end making it difficult to empty.”
“The grass catcher fills up fast but is easy to remove and hook back up so it's a quick action.”
“Grass catcher is very small.”
“Bag is small so will have to empty more often compared to the standard gas mower”
“It had been about a month since I last mowed, so I had to empty the grass catcher three times total.”
“Small grass catcher.”
The Greenworks 40V 16" lawn mower requires a specific 'key' (an electrical jumper) to operate. If this key is misplaced, obtaining a replacement could become challenging as time passes, potentially causing inconvenience for users of this model. (1 review)
“It requires this little "key" (electric jumper is more accurate) to operate. I would NOT want to lose that.”
Bottom Line
The Greenworks 40V 16" is a user-friendly electric mower ideal for small to mid-sized yards. It's lightweight, easy to maneuver, and assembly is a breeze. Its battery is long-lasting and interchangeable with other Greenworks tools. Running quietly and requiring minimal maintenance, it's an eco-smart pick that stores compactly. It's not great for large or hilly lawns due to the non-self-propelling design and small clipping bag. Extra batteries can be pricey, but overall, a durable choice for regular lawn care.
Facts
| Brand | GreenWorks |
|---|---|
| Cutting Width (in) | 16 inch |
| Features | Electric Start, Mulching, Bagging |
| Max Cutting Height | 3-3/8" |
| Min Cutting Height | 1-1/4" |
| Power Source | Battery |
| Category | Push Mowers |
| Warranty | 1 Year Warranty |
| Weight | 37.5 lbs |
Video Reviews
Special Features
- Cordless Freedom: No more tripping over cords or filling up with gas. Just charge the battery and you're good to go.
- 40V 4.0Ah Battery: The battery lasts long enough to mow small or medium-sized lawns on one charge, which is about as long as a soccer match.
- Quick Charge: You can get the battery from empty to full fast - grab a coffee and by the time you're done, you're ready to mow.
- Lightweight 16” Cutting Deck: The mower is light and easy to push around, even in tight spots, which means less sweat and strain for you.
- Easy Push Button Start: You can start the mower with just a button - no yanking a pull cord over and over.
- Single Lever 5-Position Height Adjustment: Adjusting the cutting height is a breeze, so you can chop the grass just right whether it's short or tall.
- 2-in-1 Mulching and Rear Bagging: You can either naturally fertilize your lawn by mulching or collect all the clippings in a bag for a tidy yard.
- Virtually Maintenance Free: Forget about the mess and fuss of regular mower upkeep. This one's a no-brainer to take care of.
- Quiet Operation: It's much quieter than gas mowers, so no more noisy weekends and angry neighbors.
- 3-Year Battery Warranty: The battery (not the mower) has a solid warranty for 3 years, which means less worry for you.
- Everything Included: It comes with everything you need right out of the box - the mower, bag, battery, charger, and how-to-use guide.
FAQ
- Q:
Is the grass catcher bag included with the 16, 19 and 20" models?
- A:
Yes, it is included, and very easy to empty and put back.
- Q:
Does it have a battery level indicator?
- A:
There is a battery level indicator on the battery. You press a button and a series of green indicator lights show how much charge it has.
- Q:
How well does this mower cut? Does it provide a nice, even cut like a gas mower?
- A:
It cut as well as any gas mower, and the dual blades cut sweet. But you may need to occassionaly sharpen the blades to get a nice cut.
- Q:
Does this mower use a cutting blade? Or does it use a cord like a trimmer?
- A:
This mower has twin blades.
- Q:
What is the start and stop procedure of this mower?
- A:
Please ensure you follow the steps in the following sequence. The unit will not turn on in any other order.
To start the mower:
- Press and hold the safety lock-out button.
- Pull the bail switch upward to the handle to start the mower and release the button.
To stop the mower: Release the bail switch.
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| Name | Greenworks 40V Lawn Mower, Blower and String Trimmer Combo | SnapFresh 16" Electric Lawn Mower | Sun Joe iON16LM | LawnMaster CLMF4817E | EGO Power+ LM2101 |
| Final Score | 90 Great! | 93 Great! | 87 Good! | 87 Good! | 98 Superb! |
| Category | Push Mowers | Push Mowers | Push Mowers | Push Mowers | Push Mowers |
| Power Source | Battery | Battery | Battery | Battery | Battery |
| Cutting Width | 16 inch | 16 inch | 16 inch | 16 inch | 21 inch |