Earthwise 50120 20-Inch 12 Amp Electric Side Discharge, Mulching, Bagging Lawn Mower with Grass Bag
|
 |
Earthwise 50120 It’s a great all around mower for smaller yards. Yes, it’s electric, so don’t expect to easily do yards with lots of trees or acreage. But for smaller yards like mine with easy access to outlets, it’s perfect. The mulching, blowing, and bagging are very sufficient for the job I ask it to do. No more running to the gas station when you discover you never refilled the can. No more exhaust, overly loud noise, priming, sore shoulders, or troubleshooting why it won’t start. If it doesn’t start, it’s either not plugged in or broken. And, with careful cord discipline, I have not encountered either yet.
The easy height adjuster makes it very simple to adjust height, and surprisingly had a greater range than my previous gas mower. No more looking back at your first 5-6 passes and realizing one side was higher than the other, and having to do them again. The single lever adjust all 4 wheels. The grass chute easily and simply switches modes. The plugs keep the grass from clogging in the dead spaces created by mowers that don’t have plugs (have not encountered issues that other reviewers have mentioned). The bag is a little tricky to attach, but becomes easy with practice.
This is not an industrial size or strength mower. It won’t harvest the annual crop. It won’t let you start a lawn care business. It would even be very impractical to do the neighborhood lawns for allowance money. The bag is small as bagging mowers go, but it holds plenty for what I need. If you have a simple yard, this is a great mower.
let’s talk about the cord. Things like this pull some pretty serious power I would imagine, so I bought a real heavy duty cord. The 12ga is a very thick cord and doesn’t really fit well in the cord retainer hook, but it still works. Just fold the cord in half and stuff it into the retainer and don’t worry about the hooks. It stays put just fine. Now, as far as mowing with the cord, it’s not a big deal as long as you pay attention. Know where it is at all times and you’ll be fine. Quite frankly, if you buy a corded mower and then complain about the cord, well, I can’t help you. Know what it means to have a corded mower: You need to deal with the cord. I’ve never used an electric mower before, and I was mildly concerned about dealing with the cord, but a little thought ahead of time is all it takes. The best way to cut is to start near the outlet and work your way out. Make sure the cord is always laying on parts you’ve already done. Also, using a cord that’s NOT GREEN is a good idea too. Mine is yellow, very easy to spot. If you get tangled or run out of slack, just turn the mower off, get it set, and fire it back up again. It’s as simple as pulling and releasing a handle. Be careful around shrubs and plants; again, just pay attention to where it is at all times.
Really, the only thing I don’t like about dealing with the cord is having to reel it up and unreel it. Mowing with the cord is not a problem. I think I’ll buy another shorter cord and keep one in the back yard and one up front so I don’t have to spool it up and carry it around to the back. If you’re pulling a long length of cord, like towards the back of the yard, just hold the cord between the handle and your hands and it’s no problem to pull it along.
As far as power, it is plenty strong for cutting long, somewhat damp grass. It plowed right through every blade, mulching it all with no issues. It bogged down a tiny bit on really long grass, but so did my gas one. Just go slow. I won’t comment on the side discharge or bagging because I don’t do either. Bagging is pointless and a total hassle. The mulching this mower does is MUCH better than my old Craftsman which left piles of grass all over. Not this one, the grass is buried down in there. It’s not self propelled, but it’s light and has nice wheels with bearings that roll very easily. No problems whatsoever. The height adjustment is awesome too, all four wheels with one spring loaded handle. Very easy.
Overall, I give it 4.75 /5 rating. The cord is not a major issue with me, only a couple trees in my yard. The bag is a touch small, and it could be bigger overall, but they do offer a 24in model for almost twice the price. And to top it off, it LOOKS like a real mower, not one of those weird brightly colored vacuum cleaner / concept car looking things.