Sun Joe iON16LM 40 Volt mower was reviewed and compared to other 40V electric mowers. We developed a “love-hate” relationship with this Sun Joe cordless lawn mower because it is super cheap but upon closer observation, we saw some flaws. Sun Joe created this 16″ 40V lithium-ion lawn mower for people who want a cordless electric mower alternative to their gas mower but did they achieve this goal? To find out how well this mower will cut your lawn, here is what we did.
These are the areas of major importance to you when purchasing a mower from Sun Joe or any other brand, so these are what we focused on:
- Design
- Power and Performance
- Efficiency and ease of use
- Durability
- Ease of locating replacement parts
- Customer service from the company
- Value
Read Full Review – C-ELMR Product Review 100021
Product: Sun Joe iON16LM 16-inch 40 Volt mower
General Market Price: USD 300
Warranty: 2-year full warranty
Best Deal Online: Amazon
Best Current Prices on Amazon:
What’s inside the box?
(Click on each image below the video to view individual prices on Amazon)
1. Sun Joe iON16LM 40 Volt mower
2. Snow Joe + Sun Joe iBAT40 iON EcoSharp 40 V 4.0 Ah Lithium-Ion Battery
3. Snow Joe + Sun Joe iCHRG40 iON 40 V EcoSharp Lithium-Ion Charger
After taking a good look at this mower, we found some very good and some very bad qualities. We really wanted to like this Sun Joe mower because we love low priced mowers! But as you will see, there were some drawbacks.
To explain them better, we will start by explaining the pros and the cons of the design of the mower and then move from there to performance, power, efficiency, and ease of use then durability and overall value.
Design – Where the “love-hate” relationship began
The boring details about the specs of the mower, what do they actually mean to you?
Take a look at this video ēxplaining the specs of the mower and how they work for you. It also shows you how to install the mower.
[NB. The serial number of the Sun Joe iON16LM is located directly above the rear left wheel (from an operating perspective). It appears as a white sticker with black text on the gray plastic deck.]
The good:
- Very, very light (so this Sun Joe mower is easy to maneuver around the lawn
- No annoying cord
- A lot less noisy (96dB) than a gas mower
- Has a safety key
- Easy press button start option
- One handle height adjustment option
- The collapsible handle allows for more storage space
The Bad:
- Plastic material
- Flimsy looking wheels
- No mulching or sideways discharge option
- Takes 2hrs to charge
- Handles do not fold over the top of the mower for increased storage space
How powerful is the 40 volt Sun Joe ion16LM mower?
The best measure of a mower’s power is through the battery. This mower has a 40V, 4Ah battery which means it has a theoretical capacity of 160 W-h. T
This is averaged power when compared to other mowers on the market.
Greenworks for example, has a Pro 80V, 4Ah lawn mower that was reviewed here recently.
Check out the price for Greenworks Pro 80V, 4Ah mower on Amazon here.
How well does the mower perform?
This part was where the love really began. Performance on small lawns was excellent
The good:
- Grass cut quality was excellent.
- Bagging was good. Nothing fell out.
- 6-position height adjustment lever allows for grass cutting height from 1.18 to 3.15 inches
- Handles tall grass well without stalling if the mower is adjusted to its highest height adjustment.
- The battery allows you to cut 4000 sq ft for 30 minutes at a moderate pace with moderately grown grass (less than 5 inches growth)
The bad:
- Bogs down when the bag is almost full.
- Battery dies fast in thick, overgrown grass.
Efficiency and ease of use? Is it hard to mow with Sun Joe?
It comes almost fully pre-assembled. The only thing you need to do is attach the handle, charge the battery for 5 hrs initially then you are ready to mow.
The Good
- Removing and replacing the battery is made simple – you just push the batteries in and it snaps in place.
- Charging it is simple, just plug the charger to a power outlet and place the battery in the allotted slot.
- Ergonomics are great. You will have no problem maneuvering this light mower around your lawn.
- Fitting and removing the bag is no trouble at all.
- Adjusting the handle height is made simple by the adjusters on the handle.
The bad:
- Uncomfortable to take to and from the garage with the unfoldable handles so to make.
- It takes too long for the battery to charge. Nobody really wants to take a two-hour break from mowing. If you run through a battery in a mow, hang up your gloves because these guys will be charging for the next 2 hours. Or, buy an additional battery.
(….But, EcoSharp 40 V 4.0 Ah battery pack (model iBAT40) and the EcoSharp PRO 40 V 5.0 Ah battery pack (model iBAT40XR) can be used interchangeably with all iON tools if you have other 40V Sun Joe tools, that’s awesome news for you.)
Durability. How long will your Sun Joe last?
I am a bit skeptical about the plastic built of this Sun Joe mower. Steel deck mowers tend to last longer. People have had their Sun Joe plastic mower for 2 years are still counting so I guess it depends on how well you take care of your mower.
Ease of locating replacement parts
This is pretty easy. Like the mower, the parts can be ordered on Amazon and delivered to your front door.
Replacement batteries, chargers, wheels and assembling parts, blades, etc are found separately on Amazon.
Customer service from the company
Averaged because even though your questions are answered, it seems as if the answers are copied and pasted in the emails sent to you. So you basically need to pick out the section that is relevant to you. This might annoy a lot of people.
Different people may have different experiences so fingers crossed.
Value – Is this Sun Joe iON16LM cordless mower a worthy Purchase?
This mower is very cheap (current prices are shown below). To get an electric mower with a 40V, 4Ah battery that performs well at this price is rare so a big thumbs up here.
2 FAQs about Sun Joe iON16LM
Will this unit come with a charger and battery?
Yes, it does.
If you already own compatible charger and battery units, you can buy the lawn mower unit on Amazon called the Sun Joe iON16LM-CT, without the battery and charger.
Can the EcoSharp 40 V 4.0 Ah battery pack (model iBAT40) and the EcoSharp PRO 40 V 5.0 Ah battery pack (model iBAT40XR) be used interchangeably with all iON tools?
Yes
Any other questions? Drop it in the comment section below
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Value
Summary
Good quality cut, height adjustments and overall performance but the product itself is made from plastic. This Sun Joe iON16LM cordless electric mower is suitable for small lawns and it is very cheap so if you have a small lawn, it is not a bad purchase.