Ryobi 40 Volts Mowers Review
This Ryobi 40 Volt Mower review was done to help you decide if this mower is going to give you your money’s worth or if you have better options out there.
Initially, I thought this would have been an awful purchase for someone looking for a good cordless electric mower but after considering recent customer experiences, the price drops, and the 5-year warranty, there might be hope for this mower.
Also, the self-propelled model is also available which we reviewed here at C-ELMR. Read the review Here
So, these are the areas we always look at when reviewing cordless electric mowers here at C-ELMR:
Design 
Power
Performance
Efficiency and Ease of Use
Durability
Ease of locating replacement parts
Customer service from the company
Full Review
Products: Ryobi 40-Volt Brushless Lithium-Ion Cordless Battery Push Mower (20 inches and 16 inches)
Company: Ryobi
General Market Price: USD 450 – $500 with battery and charger
Warranty: 5 years
Where to buy online: Amazon
This Ryobi 40 Volt Mower review is purely based on the assessment of customer reports. I ignored all Website reviews with affiliate links. Let me show you why I did not fancy the Ryobi 40 V mowers…
We will be looking at each of the areas rated above in detail so that you can see why I rated each the way I did.
Design
The design of this Ryobi mower is good but I do not like that it has plastic decking.
The Good
Start option
Ryobi 40V walk-behind mowers have a push-button option on the handle of the mower. You press the button and press the starter on the handle.
Weight and size
The weight and size of both the 16 inches and the 20 inches are well distributed so that it is easy to maneuver the mower over your lawn without much trouble.
Noise Level
This is a huge plus for Ryobi on this factor. These mowers run very silently.
Cutting options
Both bagging and mulching are available and the bags are easily removed and easily placed back in the mower. There is a mulching plug also.
Height of grass cut
The 16in Ryobi cuts between 3/4 to 2 3/4 inches of grass off the top each time while the 20 in Ryobi cuts between 1 1/2 and 3 3/4 inches. This height is okay for well-kept lawns but if you have fast-growing grass then you might have to go over your lawn twice.
Handle
The handles can be adjusted at two heights as seen in the picture above. They can be folded for easy storage. This is a good feature.
Wheels
The height of the wheels on the 20 inch 40V Ryobi mower is 8 inches for the two front and 10 inches for the two at the back. The wheels on the 16-inch mower are 5.75 inches at the front and 7 inches on the back. Both mowers are very easy to push with these wheels so no complaints there.
The bad
- Plastic material
Power
The good
- These Ryobi mowers have a massive power of 800 hp on both the 20 inches and the 16 inches with their 40 V battery.
- It revs up whenever it comes in contact with rough patches to get the job done.
This is good compared to other brands.
Performance
If you have a small lawn, the 20-inch Ryobi 40 V mower would do a good job of cutting it but if you have a 16-inch Ryobi 40 V mower then it will take you quite some time and battery recharges to get the job done. Buying an extra battery would be a good idea.
The good
- Great mulching
- Great bagging
- Great grass cut quality
- The mower cuts tall grass well and does not get stuck while cutting.
The bad
- Charging time runs into two hours even though 1 1/2 hours are advertised and it usually lasts approximately 30 minutes even though 45 minutes were advertised. This might vary with the thickness of grass being cut
- Both the Ryobi 20 inch and the Ryobi 16 inch mowers do not handle wet grass well.
- It does not handle thick grass very well.
Here is a video from a satisfied customer showing the 40V mower cutting grass
Efficiency and Ease of Use
The Good
- Starting the mowers is as easy as a push of a button as long as the starter is working properly
- Pushing the mower is easy since the mower is light. A self-propelled 40V Ryobi mower is also available.
- Assembling is also pretty simple but blades must be sharpened before use because they arrive very dull (safety precaution).
- Removing the bag, emptying it, and replacing it in the mower is also no hassle
- The grass does not block up the mower while mowing.
- Charging is simple if the battery is actually working. You just need to plug the charger into a power outlet and place the battery in the charging slot.
- The blades can be easily removed to be sharpened by simply loosening the nut holding it in place
The bad
- Great placement of the button and the starter but what would be better is if the mower actually worked on the first, second, or third press of the starter for all customers. Some customers complained that on average it takes up to 10 presses before this thing can startup. Some people do not have this problem so maybe it was a defect in one batch. I Will update with more information (if not, ask in the comment section below).
Durability
The good
Wheels, motor, blades, handle and other small do not have any complaints from customers.
The blades are okay compared to other brands. As usual, if you avoid rocks, blades last longer. The blades are very thin but this helps with the efficiency of the mower.
The bad
Material
“The material used to make the mowers are plastic” lamented one customer. The material starts to wear after about a year of use.
Battery
40V, 5Ah is great. If the great power of this mower could be delivered all the time that would be perfect. There would be no grass left uncut but this is not the case. After a 1 and a half-hour charging time, the batteries run out faster than the 45 minutes promised by Ryobi. Not only do they run down quickly but after a few months of use, the batteries have to be replaced because they are rendered useless. Each battery costs up to $99 so after your 5-year warranty runs out, by the end of the year, your maintenance costs would lead to a dismal overall experience.
A customer uploaded this short video on YouTube showing what it will look like when you have a defective battery.
Ease of locating replacements for wearable parts
Batteries, blades, etc, can be bought online easily but if the mower needs to be sent back to the company for repair it usually takes at least a month to get it back.
Value
The fact that the batteries die so easily and must be replaced so often reduces the value of the Ryobi 40 Volts mowers being reviewed here.
If you factor in new blades also, you could buy this mower more than three times in a year with the money spent to maintain it. The batteries are readily available for purchase online but they have to be replaced too often.
Unless the battery quality has improved, this would be an absolute waste of money when you consider that there are brands with more durable batteries for a similar price or a bit more expensive.
View more recent customer reviews here.
Customer Service Support
Overview
Pros and praises from customer
- Cuts tall grass well
- Easy to maneuver around the lawn
- Bagging does not clog the mower
- Two-handle adjustments available
- Easy to change blades
- The carrying handles on the mower are conveniently placed on the sides of the Ryobi mowers for easy lifting.
- Replacement parts are readily available online
Cons and complaints from buyers
- Battery defects common
- Charging time is longer than advertised
- Performance time is shorter than advertised
- Material is plastic
- The blade is dull out of the box
- Does not perform well on wet grass
- Maximum height adjustments are too limited
- Repair takes too long
- Not waterproof
Final thoughts
Was………
After price drops……….
This mower would work very well on small lawns. The batteries die on average 30 minutes which should be enough to mow a small lawn but the batteries are not durable.
For medium-sized lawns, I would either buy an extra battery or save my money and buy another cordless electric mower with fewer problems.
You have better options out there but if you already have this mower or other Ryobi 40V tools, here is a helpful video
If you already have a Ryobi 40V mower and you are singing praises, please feel free to comment and let me know below.
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Ryobi 20-Inch 40V Self Propelled Lawn Mower Review
Kobalt 80-Volt KM2180B-06 Cordless Electric Mower Review – Kobalt Cordless Mowers
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Ryobi 40 Volts Mower Reviews
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Design
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Performance
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Power
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Efficiency and ease of use
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Durability
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Ease of locating replacements for wearable parts
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Customer service support from company
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Warranty
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Value
Summary
Great idea for your design Ryobi. This would have been a great mower if it was more durable. They are too expensive for the batteries to be giving customers such hell when it is time to perform. Update will be provided if there are any improvements.
Update: Prices were dropped.
I saw the empty box in the recycle bin my next door neighbor bought. Before he moved in i was doing this brutal hardly a yard 1.6 acres 1000 foot up a mountain with endless booby traps of thistles rocks poison oak roots branches ect ect with a husky brushcutter equipped with a metal brush blade. Half hour in i whooomped a hidden rock and chopped a tooth off the blade. This goomer is going to kill this mower after 1 use i predict.
Sad to say but I think you’re right. I hope he gets some time out of it before it gives up the ghost.
Hi I just purchased the 40 volt 16in Ryobi lawnmower. Is there another 40 volt battery/charger cheaper that is compatible for this mower? Thank you
Hi there Cody. It is not advised that you use different brands interchangeably as this can damage your mower. Also, I do not know of any that works with Ryobi except that which the company provides. If you do discover one and you do decide to try it, let us know how that works out for you. I would not try it though.
Ryobi Push 40v lawn mowers come with 5 year warranty including battery. So if the supplied battery dies, you get a new one under warranty i believe which eliminates its maintenance costs. isnt it?
Yes it does and the prices were dropped since this review was written
I’ve owned the 16″ model for two years. It came with two batteries, a special package deal at the time. During the spring, I use it to cut tall, thick stem, wet weeds – attacking with the top of the mower at an angle. It gets the job done. The rest of the mowing season, it doesn’t have to work so hard. Without two batteries, I couldn’t do the front and back lawns all at once. Approximately 1/4 acre. I love this mower! It’s not perfect in every way, perhaps, but for an electric mower – I have no complaints. I store it out of the sun in a shed, clean it every few mowings and the design is great for use and storage. I’ve changed the blade once. Don’t expect the results a gas mower would give, or any of the many problems a gas mower provides.
Wonderful to hear. I am pro electric mowers so it is always good to hear when they give good results. Many people want to switch from gas mowers but are afraid to switch because they do not think the electeic mowers will get the job done. Happy to see another agreeing party who had a good experience.
Thanks for the revelation you have given on this Ryobi 40 volt mower. The saying that says: looks are always deceiving prove true accounting to your definition of this machine.
The way how it looks good complete with the grass collecting bag. Man! I would go for it had I not read your review.
You are saying; it is the worst on the market is that so?
Am I to understand that the price is higher than others? As also the maintenance cost?
According to my understanding; the cost for Battery replacement alone for the year could buy any one of the other better Brands that are selling at a lower price is that so?
Very true DorcasW,
It is not more expensive than all the other brands but it is right up there with the high priced mowers. What would really get the buyers to pluck money from their pockets is the maintenance costs. The batteries are awful and will have you spending so much money to replace them that you would wish you had saved all that money and bought a different mower.
So to avoid this mishap, I am advising my readers to go for a more durable brand like the GreenWorks equivalent to this mower. I don’t know if it is the worst battery the market but I am sure it falls somewhere in the top ten.
Thank you for your very honest review! I don’t know very much about lawn mowers so if I were to buy one I’d probably just buy the one that looked cool which this one does. But I’m glad you pointed out the flaws. I’d love to hear exactly what kind of push mower you would recommend because I am moving to a new house with a lawn and don’t want to be dissatisfied in what I get.
Hey ryan s.
We offer suggestions to our readers on the type of mower that is best for your lawn.
You can contact us by sending an email to mowers@cordlesselectricmowersreview.com with Mower Choices as the heading. In the body of the message, answer the following questions so we can help you:
1. The size of your lawn
2. The terrain ; slopes, flat, patches, garden locations etc.
3. Whether you need:
-Automatic/robotic lawn mower suggestions
-Riding mower suggestions
– Self propelled mower suggestions
– Push mower suggestions
– All of the above
4. Your preferred brands if any
5. Budget
Is there a way to make the 40v 20in cut a little closer? It leaves my bermuda grass about a half inch too long after mowing. No room for a washer under the blade.
The lowest option on the 20″ Roybi does leave your grass a bit high. The 40V 16″ is lower. There is no way that we are aware of that can get it any lower since the washer option is out the window on this one.
Sorry to hear you are having this problem man. Let us know if you figure something out.
Nice review. This looks like a great mower for a smaller lawn area and that’s the benefit for electric mowers. Quick start and go get it done. I notice the value and durability sections only received one star which is a concern. This may be due to trying to make this mower do more than it was designed to do. I would definitely look into this purchase if I was in the market for a mower.
Hey Warren,
You are very right. Electric mowers are very convenient when the work how they are supposed to. People generally love them more than their gas powered mowers.
Also, the stars were low because the company made claims about the mower that a lot of customers disagreed with. For example, the batteries are supposed to last for 45 minutes but go a maximum of 25 minutes for a lot of people. The appeal of electric mowers is that it is…well electric so if the batteries have many issues then people will be very disappointed. That was the case with the Roybi 40 Volt mowers. The batteries are awful and that messed up an otherwise good design.
Thanks for stopping by Warren. Take a look at the robotic mowers we reviewed here. Those usually make a good read for my viewers who are new to electric mowers.
– Crystal
Until reading your review I actually did not know that there was a market for cordless electric mowers. Now that I think of it though; these machines would come in handy to many many people. It looks like unfortunately the Ryobi 40 volt Mower has some kinks that need to be worked out, but I do love how compact the machine is. I guess my question would be, since I am a newcomer to this, what are the advantages of choosing and electric lawn mower over a conventional mower?
Thanks for the thorough review!
Hey Shelby.
You’re welcome and thanks for dropping by. There are many benefits in choosing electric mowers over the conventional gas powered mowers but I think these three are the most appreciated ones of all:
1. Electric mowers are eco-friendly because they have zero emissions unlike gas powered mowers.
2. Electric mowers leave you smelling like grass instead of being stained with a gas scent for two days when you use a gas mower
3. Electric mowers are made half the weight of the gas powered mowers to increase efficiency of the mower so it is way less work to push it around your lawn. Some are automatic so you do not even have to push it around the lawn, all you have to do is guide it. Some are robotic so all you have to do is….nothing. Just watch your lawn flourish. Here is a link for some robotic mower reviews that I did
Robotic Lawn Mower Reviews
4.Electric mowers are usually made with the capacity to cut your grass into finer pieces so that they fertilize your lawn and help with moisture retention. Your grass will end up looking healthier in the long run.
Hope that helped.
-Crystal