Ego LM2130E review: cordless mowing hits the mark

The Ego LM2130E is one of the bigger cordless push mowers in Ego’s range and has been designed for medium to large gardens. It offers 21 inch / 52cm ‘’Select Cut’ dual blades, self-propulsion and a high torque 56V brushless motor. It also features collapsible handles for easy storage and a 70L grass collector.

The main advantages of the Ego LM2130E are how much cleaner, quieter and more convenient it is when compared to as gas (petrol) mower. While electricity has been available for small mowers for a long time it is still a relatively new alternative for a machine of this size.  

We have been gardening, teaching and writing about horticulture for many years so we are in a position to really put product like this through its paces. We examined it at every stage, from unboxing through to long term use, and maintenance. Most importantly, we have focused on how well it actually cuts and our tests took place in real gardens, not a simulated lawn in a test centre.

Product Specifications

Unboxing the EGO LM2130E

Unboxing the Ego is very easy. In fact the only challenging part about the entire set-up was lifting the box into position and getting the mower out of it. At 55 pounds (25 kg), it is really quite heavy so I recommend that if you are on the smaller side, you get a friend to help. 

The mower itself was well packed, primarily in recyclable cardboard which is always good to see. While there were some plastic packets protecting the battery, charger and instruction manuals, there were no packing peanuts or excessive plastic.

A slight disappointment was the fact that the green bar on the handle had scuffed against the body of the mower in transit, taking some green paint of it and leaving it on the gray plastic. It's not worth returning the mower over this, but this could have prevented with a piece of card or foam.

However, the first impression of this mower is that it is a solid piece of equipment. Admittedly, we did find that some of the plastic looks a bit ‘scratchy' and we expect that it will mark up with use, but there is certainly nothing that feels like it will snap and or break the first time you use it.

What's it like to use?

The cutting performance of this mower is very good and Ego’s ‘Select Cut’ dual blade makes cutting even longer grass very easy. 

Cutting 6 inch (150mm) grass down to 1 inch (25mm) proved very easy and there was no need to re-mow. There were no issues of ‘chewing’ rather than cutting - it was a clean, thorough, uniform cut. I also found that the grass collector was relatively effective, although not the best I've have seen. 

Taking 3 inch (75mm grass down) down to 1 inch (25mm) was even easier and with the assistance of the self-propulsion, impressively quick. It gave a neat and even finish with very good grass pick-up. I think its a shame that there is not a roller on the back to give the option of stripes on the lawn as this is something many gardeners still like to see.

Emptying the glass collector takes seconds; it simply unclips from the back of the machine. However, I find that it spills quite a bit a of grass of the floor even when only half-full. If you don’t want to collect grass, special mulching accessories are available, but this is an extra cost.

The self-propulsion feature of this mower is both its best and worst feature. The positive is that it is powerful, variable and makes pushing the mower a lot easier, especially through longer grass or on an incline. This takes a lot of the back (or shoulder) ache out of mowing and the speed can even be adjusted to suit the situation.

However, the touch controls on the handle bars are very sensitive and even leaning on the handle to access the grass collector can cause accidental activation, which can be startling. We also found that the top speed was very quick (1.4 meters per second, about 3 mph) and sometimes the machine feels like it's getting away from you. We also found that due to the rear wheel drive, there was a risk of the machine rearing up if you put too much pressure on the handlebars.

The machine is relatively quiet considering its size, certainly when compared to a gas mower. We tested the machine several times and found that the noise level was around 75dB, including self-propulsion) which is about equivalent to a vacuum cleaner.

Cleaning

Cleaning the mower is very easy thanks to its ability to stand on its end. This provides easy access to the blades and cutting area so they can be brushed clean. Not only is this more ergonomic but it also means that you don’t run the risk of damaging the top of the mower by turning it over. 

The canvas grass collector was also easy enough to clean and its wide opening means that the vast majority of the grass simply falls out with a couple of shakes. It felt sturdy enough that you would have no concerns about cleaning it with a stiff brush if the grass was slightly damp. 

Storage and maintenance

A great feature of this mower is the way that it packs away. The handles are telescopic and reduce in length by releasing two clips on either side. Once shortened, a handle on the side allows them to be released so that they fold down flat onto the body of the mower. The mower can then either be left on its wheels horizontally or stood vertically to take up even less room. The only downside is that it was not possible to clip the grass collector to the mower while it is stood vertically. This is a shame as it is something we have seen from manufacturers such as Ryobi and it would have been a very useful feature.   

How does it rate online?

The user feedback of the Ego was very good, with a rating of 4.3 out 5 stars on Amazon from over 400 reviews and 4.5 out 5 stars from nearly 1500 reviews on acehardware.com. 

Most people who bought the mower were pleased with it. However, a minority of users complained that they felt they had to go over a couple of times for the best finish and the most efficient grass pickup. 

A lot of the feedback of the Ego was from users who were replacing their gas powered machines. People commented on the reduced noise output compared to an an engine: ’It’s so quiet. I can listen to music now while I mow’. They were also largely impressed with how much easier it was to use battery power. 

Most negative comments focus on the battery. One customer complained that his ‘battery only lasted two years in normal residential use’ and another mentioned the high replacement cost, with ‘a new battery costing over $300.’ Of the people who gave the mower a poor rating several did say that they were disappointed by the battery as they otherwise liked the mower.

The quality of the aftercare from Ego also came in for some criticism. One customer noted that they had ‘been on hold for over an hour’ when trying to contact the Ego helpline. 

There was also some feedback about confusion when purchasing the mower. Quotes of “I was uninformed it didn’t come with a battery” were not hard to find. Unfortunately, this is a very common complaint about cordless tools as most are sold as either ‘bare tools’ or with a battery included. I strongly recommend checking thoroughly the details before you buy this mower (or any other cordless item) and if you see something that looks a lot cheaper than the competition - this is usually why.

How does it compare to similar models and precessors?

There are a number of different competitors to this lawn mower, as most manufacturers are eager to compete for a share of the lucrative cordless battery market. 

Another close competitor to the Ego is the Greenworks 21-inch 60V MO60L410. It offers a longer run-time and the blade is around the same size, while also being less expensive. Like the Ego it is capable of both bagging and mulching grass. However, it doesn;t store as compactly as the Ego, and Greenworks products have been reported to suffer from quality issues.

Also available is the Ryobi 40V 21-inch Brushless Smart Trek. This mower is similar to the EGO and priced slightly cheaper. It offers a metal cutting deck and dual battery option. Unfortunately, it lacks fast-charging, only has one blade, as opposed to the two on the EGO.

The current EGO LM2130E has seen a number of improvements compared to previous generation. The clips to extend the handlebars have been improved as the previous ones were liable to break and need replacing. The handlebar can also now be positioned in three different angles rather than the previous two. The motor has been upgraded to a brushless design, which increases both reliability and efficiency. Finally, the headlights have been upgraded to give a brighter beam.  There have also been upgrades in the battery design. It now gives a better readout so you have a better idea of how much charge you have remaining.

Should I buy it?

Yes, but with a caveat. I think anyone with a large area of lawn will be satisfied with this machine. It’s easy to set up and use, feels quite solidly put together, makes a nice job of the lawn and stores away well when you are finished. In fact I would go as far as to say that although some aspects aren’t prefect, there is no single feature that will make you dislike this machine. In short, it does the job. We also think that anyone who buys this mower to replace a gas / petrol mower will be pleasantly surprised at how capable it is. 

However, if you want something that will put beautiful stripes into your lawn to give it that ‘wow’ factor, you will need to look for something with a roller on the back. 

The Ego LM2130E is one of the bigger cordless push mowers in Ego’s range and has been designed for medium to large gardens. It offers 21 inch / 52cm ‘’Select Cut’ dual blades, self-propulsion and a high torque 56V brushless motor. It also features collapsible handles for easy storage and a 70L grass collector.

The main advantages of the Ego LM2130E are how much cleaner, quieter and more convenient it is when compared to as gas (petrol) mower. While electricity has been available for small mowers for a long time it is still a relatively new alternative for a machine of this size.  

We have been gardening, teaching and writing about horticulture for many years so we are in a position to really put product like this through its paces. We examined it at every stage, from unboxing through to long term use, and maintenance. Most importantly, we have focused on how well it actually cuts and our tests took place in real gardens, not a simulated lawn in a test centre.

The Ego LM2130E is one of the bigger cordless push mowers in Ego’s range and has been designed for medium to large gardens. It offers 21 inch / 52cm ‘’Select Cut’ dual blades, self-propulsion and a high torque 56V brushless motor. It also features collapsible handles for easy storage and a 70L grass collector.

The main advantages of the Ego LM2130E are how much cleaner, quieter and more convenient it is when compared to as gas (petrol) mower. While electricity has been available for small mowers for a long time it is still a relatively new alternative for a machine of this size.  

We have been gardening, teaching and writing about horticulture for many years so we are in a position to really put product like this through its paces. We examined it at every stage, from unboxing through to long term use, and maintenance. Most importantly, we have focused on how well it actually cuts and our tests took place in real gardens, not a simulated lawn in a test centre.