Are Ryobi Lawn Mowers Worth The Hefty Price Tag? Here's What Buyers Are Saying

More homeowners than ever are choosing to ditch classic gas mowers for electric alternatives, according to a 2024 study by Fact MR. One company leading this growth in personal lawn care is Ryobi, with an extensive catalog of electric mowers. While professionals might steer clear of Ryobi tools for commercial landscaping projects, the brand's mowers have been well-received by owners taming home lawns. If you're considering going electric, it's worth knowing these mowers are sometimes twice the price of their gas counterparts. This poses the question of whether they are worth the hefty price and what buyers are saying about Ryobi's lawn mower options.

Ryobi mowers are definitely an investment: Push and self-propelled mowers range from about $200 to $700. Given these price points, customers expect a lot from the products, but for the most part, they love their mowers, with many product customer ratings well above 4.5 stars. One reviewer, with the handle BLK06STi, wrote this about the $200 11-amp 13-inch electric mower, on Ryobi's website: "Great little mower! Zero maintenance, zero gas/oil, no extra trips out for all that. Just plug in and Mow!" While they appreciated the convenience of not charging batteries, Ryobi offers plenty of rechargeable options for those who would rather not deal with a long cord.

The company's self-propelled mowers are considered ideal for those who struggle pushing a heavy gas mower or navigate smaller spaces. Reviewer Eill gave the 40V Hp Brushless Self-Propelled Mower five stars on Ryobi's website, saying: "Getting older and have a bad leg. My old heavy gas lawn mower was very difficult for me to use. I love this Ryobi mower so much lighter, lasts the entire yard much easier to handle."

One aspect Ryobi's mowers seem to struggle with is their multi-function capabilities. This is the case for Charlie8712, reviewing the same 40V brushless mower. They wrote, "While the overall performance of the mower is good, the discharge options for the grass are terrible. If you ever use it as a bagger, the slot for the baffle that allows you to use it as a mulcher fills with grass, and you cannot move the baffle back to the bagger position again without turning it upside-down and cleaning it out." 

The battery life on Ryobi mowers is dependent on size and spec. Some users don't realize this before buying lower-powered One+ push mowers, with LillyBell writing, "purchased over a month ago, used it 5-6 times. Not happy about the battery life, it lasts less than 35 minutes, after being fully charged." In fact, the specific model this reviewer purchased — 18V One+ 13-inch mower — was advertised with a 35-minute battery life. 

While Ryobi's tools are popular, the value of each mower varies depending on your lawn size and space. One draw to the Ryobi mower lineup are the self-propelled mowers, which use batteries to propel the push mower. Even the more traditional walk-behind mowers are complemented by a lightweight design. 

Many of Ryobi's battery mowers are powered by its 40V AH lithium batteries or its One+ battery system, which can be used with many of their other products. This flexibility sold reviewer Epp333, who wrote on the company's website, "Main factor was the abilities to use the batteries from the mower with my weed eater." Ryobi's One+ battery system allows for a seamless integration across a wide portfolio of tools sharing a single 18V battery, compatible with many of Ryobi's line-up of Expand-It tools.

All mowers come with at least a 3-year limited warranty, allowing customers to purchase worry-free. Those using the 40V AH battery get a 5-year limited battery warranty, and those using the 80V AH battery have a 5-year limited tool warranty. 

So are Ryobi mowers worth the price tag? Battery voltage and deck size are important factors in choosing, and paying for, a mower. Those with a small backyard have less to mow, but may need to work harder to transform their narrow backyard into a useful space. For those with small yards, the 18V One+ 13” push mower for $199 is highly rated (4.9 out of 5 stars with almost 30 reviews on the company site), and advertised with a limited battery life. Larger yards and bigger budgets may opt for the 80V HP Brushless 30” self-propelled multi-blade mower for $1,999, for the most coverage and battery life (4.3 out of 5 stars with over 60 reviews).