EGO lawn mower review: Great except for this one issue

Mowing the lawn has become almost enjoyable since our family bought an EGO lawn mower (model LM2100SP) in May 2020. Gone are the days of messing with gasoline and oil. It runs much quieter than gas-powered mowers, and there’s no yanking a cord to start it. I picked an EGO, in part, because of all the great online reviews, including from Consumer Reports. However, this EGO lawn mower review isn’t entirely positive. I did have a problem with the battery, and I’ll talk about that later. 

First, I want to touch on the benefits of the EGO lawn mower and battery-powered mowers, in general. It’s hard to overstate just how much easier mowing is when gasoline is eliminated from the equation. Not only do I no longer need to fill up a gas tank, I also don’t have to store a can of gasoline at our home. That’s a big benefit because we don’t have a storage shed, and I’ve never felt comfortable with storing gasoline in the garage. Plus, you don’t have to inhale exhaust fumes while mowing. For me, mowing is less stressful when there’s no combustion. 

Before buying, consider your EGO servicing options

There are a couple downsides with owning an EGO (and, for that matter, other brands of battery-powered mowers). Your servicing options will be limited to EGO’s list of service providers, which I didn’t realize until after our mower had a problem. Unlike with many gas-powered mowers, you can’t take your EGO to just any small-engine mechanic.

My battery problem popped up in 2021, a little more than a year after I bought the mower. The mower’s warning light started turning yellow and shutting off the mower. After waiting a few minutes, the mower would run again. Then after about 20 minutes, it would shut off again. I kept hoping the problem would go away, but of course it did not. By the end of last summer (2022), the warning light started flashing red, and it stopped functioning altogether. 

Ugh. 

Calling EGO customer service

It was time to make that dreaded call to customer service. Fortunately, my EGO mower came with a generous warranty: 5 years on the tool and 3 years on the battery/charger (for residential use). Ultimately, I didn’t have to pay for the fix. 

It took some proverbial jumping through hoops to get that new battery, though. Fortunately, EGO customer service representatives were friendly and worked to solve my problem. 

I made a mistake in assuming that I could take my EGO to the Ace Hardware where I had bought it. While this Ace sells EGO tools, it apparently doesn’t service them. An EGO representative provided the name of another place in town for servicing. However, when I called, the owner told me he no longer repaired EGO tools. 

So, I had to ask EGO for the name of another service location. But I hit a wall… again. This shop owner told me that he, too, no longer serviced EGOs.

Finally, on my third try, I found a place that fixes EGO mowers: It was about a 30-minute drive from our home and happened to be another Ace Hardware. 

Read: Is a push reel mower right for you? Pros & cons

Waiting for the fix

One thing I discovered about having your lawn mower repaired: Your grass doesn’t seem to care. Our grass kept growing while our mower sat in the shop. So, I had to bring out of storage our backup mower, a Fiskars-brand manual reel mower. It doesn’t cut as cleanly as the EGO does. On the plus side, using it gave me several great workouts.  

In about a week, Ace contacted me to explain my EGO mower had a battery problem. They ordered a new battery from EGO. Oddly, EGO shipped the battery to our home, instead of Ace. I delivered the new battery to Ace, and they placed it into the mower and turned it on. Ta-da, the mower worked like new again. 

(AUGUST 2024 UPDATE: I’m happy to report the new battery is still going strong. There have been no problems since the initial battery malfunction. It’s now been about two years with the new battery, and I’m hoping this one lasts much longer than the first one.)

Why I would still buy an EGO

Despite this battery-induced headache, I would purchase an EGO mower again. Here’s why:   

EGO did honor its warranty. While it took a few calls to find a repair shop, EGO never gave up on me.

Read: 4 great lawn tools that can give you a workout

Most important, the mower runs like a champ, battery ordeal not withstanding.  

Here are a few additional EGO lawn mower benefits: 

• The mower has plenty of power to cut long grass.   
• It features an LED headlight that makes it possible to mow at the end of the day or early morning when it’s darker (and also cooler) outside. 
• The mower weighs less than 65 pounds. Ours has a self-propelled option, but for the most part, I push it under my own power. 
• It occupies minimal storage space. The handle folds up nicely, and you can stand it up to minimize its storage footprint.  
• Deck height adjustments are easily made with a lever. Many mowers require you to adjust each wheel to set your deck height, which can be a pain.

Maximize your EGO experience

To get the most out of EGO, I have a few recommendations: 

• Make sure to read the owner’s manual and register your mower, as you might any appliance. By registering my mower, I had an easier time starting the process to service it.
• Consider buying your EGO from a store that also services EGO tools. 
• Sharpen the mower’s blade a couple times a year (see the owner’s manual). This is true for any mower. I’m always impressed with the improved performance after sharpening my blades. A good time is at the end of the mowing season, so the mower is ready to go next spring. 
• Store your battery at room temperature. I store mine indoors during the winter, so it’s not exposed to cold temperatures. 

EGO lawnmower review: A final word

Regular Frugalmatic readers know I’m a huge fan of yard work for its physical activity benefits. Mowing is a great way to add steps to your day and develop the physically active mindset. I love that battery-powered mowers make mowing accessible to more people. To turn on an EGO mower, you merely press a button (and hold down the control lever at the same time). There’s no filling up a tank and pulling a cord (sometimes multiple times) to start it. 

Read: The big reason to avoid buying a robotic mower

While not quite pleasurable, mowing with an EGO is about as close as you can get. Regardless of what brand of mower you pick, I highly recommend choosing some type of battery-powered mower. The technology continues to improve and, unlike the first generation of these mowers, many battery-powered mowers today are powerful enough to cut an average-sized lawn on a single charge.