Customer Reviews for RYOBI 40V HP Brushless Whisper Series 21. in Walk Behind Self-Propelled All Wheel Drive Mower - (2) 6.0 Ah Batteries & Charger

There are some really nice features on this mower, and I'll start with that. First, the dual battery feature is pretty neat. This allows you to fully charge both included batteries, and simply switch to the fresh one when the first battery runs out. This is done with a jumper key and is very simple to do. If you have a larger property and running back to get a 2nd battery would be a drag, then this is a nice touch. I'd prefer it if the batteries just lasted longer though. Aside from that it has all the normal features you'd expect on a mower. It comes set up for mulching and does a great job both cutting and mulching. You can switch from mulching mode to rear bag mode using a lever on the back of the deck. The lever on mine was pretty difficult to fully engage in either position, and even if it worked well, I don't see the benefit to having a lever for this. It can also be set up for side discharge if for some reason you wanted to use that. One nice feature it has is the ability to use just the back wheels for self-propelling, or you can switch to using all four wheels with the touch of a button. Again, this is only going to be useful if your property has lots of hills. For 90% of lawns you wouldn't need 4wd. The handle folds and unfolds easily so you can store it in a smaller place, or stand it on it's nose. Now for the things I didn't like about it. It's pretty heavy so it becomes a bit awkward to maneuver. Additionally, the self-propel gears are always engaged, so if you just try to push it without using the self-propel option, you get all the resistance from the gears and it is very difficult to push. This means moving it into your garage or shed can become a struggle, and if there are small parts you want to delicately mow, you're going to have to work out a bit. The lever to engage the self-propel motor is adjustable, but it's not the most comfortable system. I think it would be better if it used buttons on the handle rather than the lever it does. For these reasons I would suggest that unless you already have RYOBI cordless lawn tools that you look for a different system. There are much better mowers on the market in this price range.

If you though battery operated lawn mowers wouldn't cut it, think again. This is every bit as powerful as a corded or gas mower. The two 40V batteries provide power without messy gasoline or tens of feet of cords and extension leads. The mower compliments my Ryobi battery operated 54" zero turn mower. finally, no more gasoline storage and mixing. I've provided a comprehensive walkthrough of all the features.

This is one of if not the best self propelled lawn mowers on the market. The mower has 2 huge 40v 6ah batteries that has a charging system that incorporates a cooling fan so the charging is much quicker especially when the batteries are warm. The mower has a dual blade system that allows bagging, mulching or side discharge. One lever will either open or close the door to operate the 3 function. The easy to fold and store the lawn mower system works with ease. The speed is variable and can be done from the operators station. When 2 batteries are installed and one runs out the red key with the arrow needs to point towards the charged battery. The mower is made in the USA and also has 2 bright led lights on the front for safety and at dusk. The lever for forward motion can be adjusted for your comfort plus the are 2 height setting for the push bar.

Forget about everything you know about electric lawn mowers because this Ryobi is a grass eating beast. No longer will you have to be the "good neighbor" and have to wait until 9am to start your loud gas lawn mower, this one is whisper quiet! I have never even heard of an all wheel drive lawn mower! The powerful 40v battery system mows great and all you have to do is stear. It's heavy too, obviously built to last. I don't have a huge amount to mow, probably 20 minutes combined for the front and back. The capacity of the battery will last me several weekends.

This is a very impressive lawnmower. It’s very well-designed and really intuitive to use. The motor is powerful and the mower does a nice job of bagging lawn clippings and chopping them pretty finely. The bag sits nicely in its holder, too. There’s no effort needed for aligning and fiddling with it. I’m also spoiled by the one-handle height adjustment. My old mower had individual adjustments at each wheel. The self-propelled feature offers two-wheel or four-wheel drive options, and a simple slider allows quick adjustment of the speed. I also like the LED headlights. I won’t need them very often, but there are times when my yard work runs into dusk and the lights will be helpful. Comparing this mower with my old gas model, I’ll really appreciate not having to refill my gas cans. Moreover, I probably won’t need to charge the batteries very often. I have a pretty good size yard, and the battery was down only one bar (out of four) when I finished. With two batteries (one in reserve), I’ll get a lot of mowing before having to recharge. One feature I really like is a small battery power gauge at the back of the mower that is in clear view for the operator. Each battery has the same gauge built in, but this gauge indicates the power level without having to open the battery bay. The folding handle is really nice, too. One pull of a latch and it folds down neatly. The mower stands on-end for compact storage, too. Finally, the batteries included with the Ryobi mower can power other Ryobi yard products, so I have the option to buy additional clean-running tools. This is a wonderful product and I highly-highly recommend it.

This is a great mower. They managed to improve on something that was already pretty impressive to start with. The mower can switch between RWD and AWD with the push of a button, which will come in handy when I get to some of the swampy parts of my lawn. It includes two batteries, a charger, a bag, and a side discharge. The previous versions of this mower needed a "mulcher" plug but this one does not appear to require one, you just leave the discharge door closed and flip the lever to mulching. I did find the mulching/bagging/discharge lever pretty difficult to move, so I'm going to flip it over this weekend and see if I can find anything to lubricate under there. That's probably my only complaint with the mower though. It was easy to push without the drive engaged, and even easier when the self drive was activated. The cut was clean and it didn't bog down at all. I love how easy it is to fold and unfold - it makes storing the mower in between cuts really easy and convenient. This particular model does have a unique "two blade" design (I think they call it cross cut). I'm not sure of the specifics of how it works but they claim it cuts the grass cleaner and makes the mulch clippings finer. I don't mulch, so I can't speak to that, but I can tell you that the side discharge clippings were much smaller than I was accustomed to and it was a welcome surprise. They claim the dual battery setup will last at least an hour. I only ran one side to empty and I was able to get about 35 minutes out of it, although I have some areas with tight turns so I shut off the self drive and manually push those areas (so that might help it squeeze a few extra minutes out). One complaint is that some of the stickers were either hastily applied, or did not bond well, because they were peeling off the plastic body right out of the box. At the end of the day, that's not a big deal because most of the stickers burned, faded, or washed off my old steel deck mowers but it's not something you expect on a brand new one.

The RYOBI 40V HP 21" Whisper Series All Wheel Drive Multi Blade Lawn Mower was delivered by FedEx. The box is very heavy and will require two people to remove it from the box and assemble the self-propelled mower. My gas mower finally bit the dust and I was excited to see a battery operated self-propelled 21 inch mower to replace my old dinosaur. I have multiple area that my riding mower cannot be operated safely and this mower will be able to mow those areas plus eliminate raking since it is equipped with a grass bag that is easily emptied. You can choose the mowing height and speed which is excellent.

This RYOBI 40V HP Brushless Whisper Series 21. in Walk Behind Self-Propelled All Wheel Drive Mower - (2) 6.0 Ah Batteries & Charger is just plain awesome! It comes in a huge box, and really requires at least two people to move and unbox, because this beastie is heavy! It has four-wheel drive, and is well-built, so that accounts for the weight. It also has dual cutting blades. I haven't had a chance to test it outside for mowing yet, due to all the rain and snow we have been getting, but I have no doubt that it will do just fine. A lot of thought went into designing and building this mower! This is not one of those flimsy electric mowers from years past, but a serious mower. With four-wheel drive, all you need do is steer. It comes with a grass catcher bag and a side discharge chute, for whatever you prefer. I like the fact that the wheels freely move, and don't need to be powered to spin, so maneuvering in tight places is easier. I especially like that it is Made In The USA! Thanks Ryobi, and Home Depot!

Having owned multiple gas powered lawn mowers in my life, i was understandably skeptical of these fancy new all-electric mowers. Sure, they would be quieter, but would they perform? Could they take down a quazi-forest of weeds and live to tell the tale? I had my doubts. However, those doubts were immediately put to rest as soon as i took this beast out of the box. The build quality of this machine is quite impressive. Plastic and metal combined to give the best of multiple worlds - strength, durability, resilience and longevity. I've never had a mower whose main body wasn't completely rusted out. This can't happen here as the undercarriage is mostly plastic, preventing wet grass from rusting the interior. The design of the mower is quite intuitive. The safety bar is were it usually is, and the powered wheels trigger is easily accessible via your thumbs. The mower push bar folds continently down onto the body of the mower for easy storage. The batteries are MASSIVE. They are quite heavy, yet the integration of these is simply brilliant. They charge in about an hour with the provided charger, and they last quite a long time. The mower can hold both batteries (2 included) inside, and they can be switched with a simply key that doubles as a safely plug. My property has about about 2,000sqft of grass, and i was almost able to mow the entire thing with just one fully charged battery. I had to change it about 90% of the way through. However, there was a massive amount of excess growth (see pictures) that no doubt drained the battery excessively. So with standard size vegetation growth of a few weeks, i have no doubt this beast could easily cut through it on just one battery. The adjustable self-propelled mower drive is a great feature that makes pushing the mower effortless, especially up hills. I've never used something like this before, and now that i've tasted a bit of heaven, i don't think i can ever go back! The only complaint i have about the mower is with the blade radius. My last gas mower had a radius that went beyond the wheel base. This allowed for very close cuts outside of the wheels. This Ryobi chassis is a bit smaller wheel base, and the blade doesn't get close enough to outside of the wheels for my liking. But this is a very minor nit pick. Additionally this mower has headlights. HEADLIGHTS! Totally unnecessary and impractical, but no harm no foul. SUMMARY: Excellent build and design, from the lime green and grey color scheme to the battery compartment to the all-wheel drive feature. The mower's performance is top notch as well, and i have no problem replacing my gas powered mower with this beauty from Ryobi. Recommended!

In less than a decade, I have owned 2 Ryobi, an ECHO, a LawnMaster, and I’m on my second EGO cordless lawnmower, so I have a good deal of experience with cordless lawnmowers. Once I made the switch to electric, I never looked back at gas mowers. Electric mowers require no gas, no air filters, spark plugs or expensive maintenance, and are extremely quiet (as compared to gas) and easy to operate. This latest offering from Ryobi incorporates the best features of each mower I have owned, all in one. It’s quiet, self-propelled, features LED headlamps and a very comfortable rubber grip handlebar, twin cutting blades, 11-inch rear wheels for rolling over defects, depressions and tackling uphill terrain, includes 2 (6.0 Ah) high capacity batteries, a rapid charger and an (optional use) side chute. There’s even a button to toggle the drive mode from rear-wheel-drive to all-wheel drive. The variable speed is controlled by a switch in the center of the handlebar. The twin cutting blades feature a flat blade and a very aggressive mulching blade for shredding grass into tiny clippings. If you want a slow and comfortable pace, all the way to the left is the setting for you, but if you like a spirited mower and want to get some exercise, set the switch all the way to the right for max speed, or somewhere in between. This mower also accept other Ryobi 40-Volt Lithium batteries, and you can use the included batteries in other Ryobi electric tools. The included collection bag requires assembly of the metal frame prior to use, and is on the larger size which saves time by reducing the number of times the bag needs to be emptied. The large wheels don’t affect the cutting height, which remains adjustable, between 1.5 and 4-inches. Although the mower accepts 2 batteries, only one battery is required for operation. The rapid charger is only capable of charging one battery at a time, so if you don’t need 70 minutes of continuous run time, one battery can be in the mower while the other is in the charger. The LED headlamps are bright and illuminate the path ahead as soon as the handle is depressed. A series of green lights on the top of the hood is clearly visible from the walk position indicates the amount of power remaining in the batteries. Under the hood is impressive with the two 40-Volt batteries seated side by side, and a bright red safety key that needs to be inserted into the plug in order to operate the mower. The key is not tethered to the mower, and there’s no place for its storage, so it could easily get lost if removed from the plug. Since the batteries require a charge after use, and should probably not be stored in the mower for an extended period of time, I recommending removing the batteries after each use and leaving the key in the plug. This mower is backed by a 5 year limited warranty (lifetime on the deck), which is the longest warranty among the four brands of mowers I have owned. This is currently Ryobi’s top-of-the-line self-propelled mower, but there are several walk-behind models available at The Home Depot. At 21-inches wide and weighing in at 80 pounds, this mower is too wide and heavy to store on a shelf, but the aluminum handle flips forward with the depression of a lever to allow the mower to stand upright for storage with the collection bag removed. There are many plastic parts, and a large visible spring under tension on the side of the mower that makes me a little nervous that it’ll someday snap and go flying, but overall, the quality and performance of this mower is very good, and I especially like the way it looks. It’s a great mower, packed with every option and all the features one would ever want or need in a mower, and is a joy to own and operate.

I've owned an Ego 56v mower since 2016 and it has been performing well for our 1 acre property. The original battery is starting to show some signs of reduced capacity, but a great run for such a tool, and especially for an early generation. That particular model was a single blade, and not self-propelled. I'm very happy with this Ryobi mower and can also make it highly recommended. There are some noticeable power differences between the 40v and 56v mowers when mowing thicker grass, but generally not an issue unless your lawn has been neglected. The self-propelled feature is nice going uphill (I wasn't sure I'd like it since I've never had that feature on a push mower). I love the dual blades, they definitely mulch grass and leaves better than a single blade. I don't mow during dusk, twilight, or early dawn, so I've never seen the point of headlights on a push mower. Hopefully they have negligible effect on run-time. The cut selection lever is simple to use, with enough leverage to make it easy to change heights for those that aren't in the best physical shape. This mower is noticeably heavier than others with the extra wheel mower since it can be put in 'all wheel drive'. I'm not sure there is enough weight on the front wheels to make this a useful feature, so it sounds a bit gimmicky. Thankfully rear-wheel drive is an option which will have a lesser impact on run time. One thing I would like to have seen was the option to power the mower with both batteries for extra power or extended run time using a selector switch instead of having to flip a key when one battery is depleted. Overall, Ryobi has a nice product in its 40v mower, and when used with their other 40v tools, you get a lot of value from their batteries.

Battery doesn't last nearly as long as advertised. Typically 15 minutes use per battery. User instructions suck. How and when to use the mulch or side discharge features and not discussed. Maintenance requirements and methods are not provided. Overall, it was not worth the price!

Love it! A really nice mower, used mainly in just rear wheel drive. Almost cut my just under half acre yard on one battery. Only had to switch to battery two for about the last five minutes. Glad I bought it.

Nice machine wish you would mulch better

Awesome mower… on sale and 12 payments no interest! Quiet 4 wheel drive with multiple speeds… plenty of battery to do my hill

The mower comes fully assembled in the shipping carton. It was easy to use for someone with a moderate knowledge of power tools. The one suggestion is make the instructions larger in size to be readable. The mower does have individual tags at the appropriate locations on how to use the mower. On line registration is easy.

Much quieter than a gas mower. Mower is a bit heavy to maneuver (e.g. turning) without using battery drive. Batteries do not last as long as advertised but adequate for abpit 2 applications to 1/4 acre lawn. Recharging is fast and easy with supplied charger.

Great product. Just very heavy and not as quiet as advertised. I would still buy it again.

It said it would do 1/2 acre, I can't even finish 1/3 on a charge with two batteries. Great cut though, easy to use.

I have an acre of grass on the side of a mountain, and I need a self-propelled mower with AWD to keep from sliding down the hill while mowing. Not only did this mower stay put, but in self-propelled mode, it kept me from sliding downhill, too! It does a great job of cutting the grass, and when set to "mulch," it discreetly deposits the grass as if the clippings simply disappeared. In one mowing period, I went through 4 fully-charged batteries 3 times. But I have amassed three chargers and four 40V batteries, which lets me mow with a fresh battery while the other 3 are charging.

I've had this mower for a year. My issues are with the batteries. The batteries take 2 hours to charge and sometimes overheat after charging. Last year, the entire lawn (front and back) could be mowed with the two fully charged batteries. This spring, the batteries haven't held their charges - only half of the yard can be mowed before having to recharge both batteries to finish the other half. One of the batteries no longer charges. Replacements cost $200. One year - not worth the money.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I bought this mower because I have had good experiences with all of my Ryobi battery powered tolls. It works and is easier to handle than any gas powered mower I've used.