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Summary
There are many benefits to having a cordless mower, but when you consider one with the ability to mulch your grass cuttings, it gets even better. Cordless mulching mowers are becoming a popular environmentally friendly option resulting in a healthier, thicker, greener and disease resistant lawn.
Cordless mulching mowers can accommodate up to 4 varying cutting options including “cut & collect”, “mulching”, “side discharge” and “rear discharge”. While cut & collect and mulching are the most popular features, rear discharge is the least common.
What Is Mulching – Why Is It So Beneficial For Lawns?
Mulching is an easy and efficient way of delivering finely cut grass clippings back to your lawn, providing essential moisture and nutrients to encourage healthy and strong growth of your lawn. Not only will your lawn look lush and thick, it will reduce, if not eliminate the growth of weeds and prevent lawn disease.
What’s more it will save you lots of money, as you will no longer need to use expensive chemical fertilizers, that are definitely not as long-lasting and effective compared to the mulching process. Unlike using chemical fertilizers, mulching cannot cause damage to your lawn.
I am sure you are thinking that this is too good to be true, well you would be mistaken. You do, however, need to be aware that not all cordless mowers have the ability to mulch. To choose the perfect cordless mulching mower for you and your yard there are a few other things you need to consider. To help you out, I have included in this guide what you should look out for when buying a cordless mulching mower to ensure you make an informed decision.
Best Cordless Mulching Lawn Mower List
What Is A Cordless Mulching Mower?
Talking about mulching there are two types of mower you can purchase. You can either have a dedicated mulching mower or you can choose to purchase a mower with multiple cutting methods including mulching.
Furthermore, some cordless mowers are supplied with a mulching plug that has to be inserted at the back of the mower; with some models, you have to purchase it as an optional extra, if required.
On a non-mulching mower the grass clippings are cut and collected into the grass catcher bag. Naturally, depending on the size of this bag, you will need to stop on a regular basis and empty it. Of course, the grass clippings will have to be disposed of too. If you have a compost bin then it will be easier compared to disposing of them elsewhere.
With mulching mowers, as already mentioned above, the grass cuttings are chopped into tiny pieces by the blade and then delivered back to the ground. Many homeowners believe that your lawn will be covered with loose grass that can be picked up on your shoes and brought back to your house. This is a general misconception. These powerful mowers chop the grass so fine and send it back down towards the ground. You may be aware that grass is made up of over 80% water. The mulching process not only provides essential nutrients but also moisture to your lawn that is especially important during the drier months. It will help prevent your grass from drying out and turning yellow, as I am sure you have seen previously.
What Is Important To Consider When Choosing The Perfect Cordless Mulching Mower?
I know that it may sound a little scary when you are trying to choose the right cordless mulching mower for you and your yard. There are so many things to consider…
To help you out below I have included the main tips to take into account.
Batteries And Run Time
As battery technology has advanced significantly in the last couple of years, the run time and power has also increased substantially. As a result, charge times have also reduced when compared to the older NiCad batteries.
One of the great benefits of a battery powered lawn mower is the ability to share batteries across the range of tools from the same manufacturer. Just bear in mind, that batteries are probably the most expensive component of your lawn mower and they will have a limited lifespan. If you are using your cordless mower for domestic use then you will not need to worry about this too much, as it will provide several years of use before you need to consider replacing the battery.
Dedicated or Multi-Functional Mulching Mower
As already mentioned above you need to decide what mulching mower is best suited for you and your yard. The dedicated mower will provide better mulching performance, however the multi-functional mower (up to 4-in-1) will provide lots of options that can be used based on the changing seasons and conditions.
Cutting Width / Size of Lawn
The blade size will need to relate to the size of your lawn. The larger the lawn, the larger the blade will need to be, as it will cut more grass on a single pass. For large lawns the blade will need to be around 20 inches, for smaller lawns around 14 inches. Of course, larger mowers will be heavier to maneuver especially when the grass catcher bag is full.
Cutting Height
Cordless mulching mowers are supplied with a varying number of cutting heights, normally from 3 to 7. The more cutting heights available, the more options you will have in terms of length. Depending on your grass type, how often you mow your lawn and your preference this is another area that should be considered. Remember, that you should not cut more than 1/3 of the total length of your grass to keep it healthy, moist and stress free.
Cutting Height Adjustment
Some cordless mulching mowers come with 1 lever to adjust all 4 wheels, with others you have to adjust each wheel separately. This is not an issue but depending on your preference and time available, you may want to consider what option works best for you.
Mulching Blades
Blades are very important on mulching mowers as they have to cut the grass in its deck multiple times, similar action to a kitchen blender. As with any mower the steel blades will have to be sharpened or replaced periodically. You have to ensure that the blade is sharp and in good condition to prevent splitting the grass – seen by brown and dry ends.
It is always a good idea before you purchase any mower to ensure that replacement blades are readily available for your particular model. Of course, the steel blades can always be sharpened too.
Cutting Features
As mentioned above multi-functional cordless mulching mowers are normally supplied with a cut & collect feature too. This allows you to decide if you want to mulch or collect the cuttings in the grass catcher bag. Sometimes mulching mowers are provided with a side discharge and rear discharge methods too. Again, consider what cutting options you want / require in your yard.
Just remember, that it is not a good idea to mulch the grass cuttings when the grass is damp or wet, so having the ability to switch to cut & collect ensures your mower can adapt to the changing conditions.
Safety Key
In general, cordless mowers are very safe, but to make them even safer the majority of them are supplied with a safety key. Without this safety key the mower cannot be started even if the battery is inserted correctly in the mower. This prevents children from accidentally starting the machine.
It is human nature that these keys get lost easily, so it may be a good idea that your mower comes with at least 2 keys and that spares can be purchased separately.
Storage
If storage is an issue you will be pleased to learn that all cordless mowers come with a folding handle for compact storage, but some can also be stored vertically, saving even more space for example the Snapper XD 82V.
Larger Rear Wheels
Many cordless mulching mowers have larger rear wheels. This provides them with more stability, grip and makes maneuvering of your mower easier. As the majority of cordless mowers are lightweight compared to their gas counterparts, so this is not an area you need to be concerned about.
Conclusion
You can see that there are many advantages why buying a cordless mulching mower should be given a serious consideration.
In terms of mulching, of course, there are gas, electric corded, robotic and manual push mowers with this feature too, however the cordless mower is undoubtedly more environmentally friendly, less noisy, require less maintenance compared to gas mowers. Cordless mowers are not only easy to operate you will not be restricted by cords compared to electric corded models.
The recent advancement in Lithium-ion battery technology will ensure that your mower charges fast and provide sufficient run time. Many batteries come with a fast charge feature where you can charge the battery up to 80% in a short period of time. What’s more, you can always purchase an additional battery or power share batteries from the same manufacturer.
In summary, mulching cordless mowers will not only reduce your carbon footprint, save you time and money, but they will also provide you with a lush, healthy and professional-looking lawn.
If you have any questions you would like to ask, feel free to use the comment’s box below – I will be happy to respond. Alternatively, you can head over to my easy-to-use lawn mower selection tool to quickly and easily shortlist your perfect cordless mulching mower, by clicking the image link below.
Dear Mr. Haley,
Thank you for such comprehensive information regarding ‘green’ mowers. If you have time, may I present what need in considering a mower.
– whatever is best for our precious environment
– cordless, battery powered
– mulching
– no bag
– easy start
– dedicated
– self propelled, walk behind
– I have a rustic lawn, not manicured or pampered, more for wildlife than your typical ‘show place’ , with that being said, I will often receive compliments because of the property’s natural look.
However, right now it is a bit too ratty looking around the front of house. I am retired with a fixed income so probably the lower priced with what features I should like. There are so many from which to choose can you hello me?
I live in Michigan so wasn’t sure if local stores would have what you suggest or ordering through Amazon Prime.
Thank you again for such a nice presentation.
Kindly, Mary
Hi Mary
Thanks for your message. I would go for one of the Greenworks cordless mowers as they are such good value for money and perform well.
Whilst they are not designed for very unkept lawns like the EGO mowers, on a higher height setting it should be fine.
Take a look at the Greenworks 14″ cordless mower below.
https://www.easylawnmowing.com/greenworks-40v-cordless-lawn-mower/
Many thanks
Mark