XD 21 in. 82-Volt Lithium Ion Cordless Battery Self Propelled StepSense Walk Mower, battery and charger Not Included

20Aug20 This is the first battery operated lawnmower I have owned, so I was not sure what to expect. My brother has been using battery-powered lawnmowers for the last few years, and he was a great source of information. His input and experience helped my decision to shift to a battery-powered lawnmower. Nonetheless, I did a considerable amount of research and finally settled on the Snapper XD 21 inch, 82-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Battery StepSense self-propelled model. This model was considerably pricier than competing models. However, I chose the Snapper StepSense for several key reasons: It has an all-metal body. The motor and battery housing is plastic but rugged. The mower is designed with an adjustable height mechanism that is easily adjustable on the fly. The mower can use a single battery (while the included second battery is charging), or both batteries can be used at the same time for extended operation. Changing the grass discharge from mulching to bagging to free-discharge (all included), is fast and easy. The brand name vs. lesser-known brands on the market gave me a sense of confidence. Also, the batteries and the charger are made by Briggs & Stratton. I'm hoping that should I have any problems, Snapper's customer service will step up to the plate. That is also why I purchased the mower through Home Depot. Now, after two months of use, I can confidently say that I am extremely satisfied with the Snapper mower and its performance. The mower is well built, rugged, and super simple to operate. Not having to deal with a gas engine and its accessories is a huge convenience. Plus, the mower's handle has two quick-release knobs that allow the mower to be easily stored upright, which is very convenient. Another excellent feature of this model is that the self-propelled mechanism can be put in a locked-off position when that function is not needed, making it easy to operate as a push mower in tight places. There are two negatives to the mower. 1. While the self-propelled mechanism is engaged, the drive will not allow the back wheels to disengage when you need to pull the mower backward, e.g., mowing around a tree or bush. This design (or maybe a safety feature) is a nuisance, but I have learned that if I disengage the self-propelled drive a few steps before I need to pull the mower backward, the back wheels do disengage. 2. The other negative, which I haven't found a solution for, is the mower's auto-off/ safety mechanism. To run the mower blade, the safety bar must be pulled back & held in place. When the bar is released, the mower turns off; convenient, simple, and no problem. However, for no apparent reason, the safety randomly releases by itself, causing the motor to turn off while mowing. While this is not a problem (because the blade motor turns back on with a simple push of the starter) it is an annoyance. I should note here that there is one important function of the mower that can seem counter-intuitive. Unlike a gas-powered mower where the self-propelled mechanisms works off the engine, this mower's self-propelled mechanism works independently from the motor that turns the blade. This means that the lawnmower will move forward when the self-propelled mechanism is engaged, rather or not the motor that turns the mower blade is not running. All-in-all, this is a great mower that matches the performance of similar sized motor lawnmowers. I'm happy with the purchase, and I do recommend this Snapper model if you are considering a full-featured, battery-operated lawnmower.

This battery powered mower holds its own and I enjoy using it more than my gas-powered mower. To name a few things I really like: It’s not as loud (my neighbors like this too!); Maintenance is simple; and There’s nothing like the smell of fresh cut grass without the exhaust fumes. The 21” metal deck and single-lever height adjustment, which has 7 settings between 1 ⅜” and 3 ¾”, are also nice touches. Our yard is small (2/10 of an acre), so it only takes 15-20 minutes to mow. Using two 2.0 Ah batteries, I get 3-4 mows before the batteries need recharging. Given I can be forgetful, it’s lucky for me that the mower can run on one battery if I forget to charge both. That means if I forget to charge both batteries, I can put the partially charged battery in the mower while the other fully charges in approximately 30 minutes using a Rapid Charger. That’s just enough time to use the string trimmer on the flower beds. The mower mulches and bags grass really well, and depending on the deck height, mulches and bags leaves pretty well too. The lower the deck height the better it works with leaves. If the deck height is above 3” though and the leaves are packed into the grass, some will be left behind. The mower has Step Sense (self-propel feature), which matches my pace well when moving forward. Having said that, I could do without it in our small yard. I do a lot of technical mowing (wavy flower beds, fences), which requires pushing AND pulling the mower a lot. When using Step Sense, a quick tug backwards causes the rear wheels to lock up. To pull backwards when Step Sense is on, I have to stop, release the upper handle, push the fixed bar under the Step Sense handle to move the mower forward, and then pull backwards to prevent wheel lock. To save my energy, I turn off Step Sense most of the time. If we had a large yard with lots of straight-aways, I’d use this feature a lot more. The mower is well balanced and easy to push without Step Sense. It doesn’t take much energy to push even though it weighs ~71.7 lbs (without the batteries). The weight of the mower is great and keeps it grounded on our slope, which is greater than 15 degrees. The only time weight is a problem for me is when I have to lift the mower to carry it down to the basement at the end of the season or up our front stairs to avoid having to walk around the fence. The mower spins at 2800 RPM and has load sensing technology. I can hear the motor pick up when I hit really tall grass. The mower had no problem cutting grass that was 5” tall. Overall, Snapper has made a solid mower. It's so nice to have minimal maintenance, less engine noise, and no exhaust fumes. It's a very nice mower!

JUNK! Stalled 9 times the first time I used it. Took it back to Home Depot for a full refund. The EGO I purchased (for $75.00 less mind you) works WONDERFUL!

Self-propelled mower did not actually propel itself. At least returning it to the store was painless.

Easy setup, cuts good. The safety bar is a bit finicky to start the motor. Also, they say not to spray mower off with hose, not very convenient.

I have only used the mower once and loved the way it cut my lawn. I did run into an issue with the engine turning off when the StepSense was engaged or disengaged. I would hear a click and the power would turn off. Had to restart the mower several times. Not sure if I was doing something wrong or the mower has an issue. Really concerned that the technical/customer support seems to be not too good. I will give a call on a business day and see how good or bad customer support really is. Looking for any information on line has not helped

Followed the directions on assembly and cut a little grass. Not much growing here in Texas.

Yes took less than ten minutes

Rating provided by a verified purchaser

First electric mower I've purchased. Plenty of power for 1/2 acre. Love the single level to adjust all four wheels to set the cutting height. Only used it twice so far but I am very pleased.