Ryobi 20 Inch Cordless Self Propelled Mower Review
Ryobi Smart Trek xx″ Lawn Mower Highlighted by Value and Quiet Functioning
We tested 24 mowers for a head-to-head comparison recently, looking at both gas-powered and battery-powered models. We even considered commercial mowers and mowers geared more toward homeowners. Ryobi sent 2 versions of their latest mower. Today'south muse if the Ryobi Smart Trek 20″ self-propelled lawn mower. There's besides a 21″ version that you can read about here.
Pros
- Single-point superlative adjustment
- Quiet operation at 80 dB(A)
- Efficient battery use
- High value score ($449 kit with 6.0Ah battery)
Cons
- Cocky-propelled drive takes time to conform to
- Competent to cut, but less power than some of its contest
Shootout Results
The Ryobi Smart Trek 20″ cocky-propelled backyard mower does its best piece of work if you by and large continue up with your grass height consistently and place a heavy priority on blindside for your cadet and low noise. If that'due south you and your firm sits on a lot upward to 1/3 of an acre, pull the trigger. Grab an extra battery to confidently cover 1/ii an acre.
We're curious to see more feedback on the Smart Expedition organization and if Ryobi decides to make any adjustments to it moving forward. As the highlight feature for two of their bombardment-powered lawn mowers, it's a big change from traditional bulldoze systems that takes fourth dimension to arrange to.
Bombardment-Powered Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Ranking: 9th Place
Performance
We employ a circuitous variety of testing methods and data analysis to come up upwardly with our mower rankings, simply we don't necessarily desire to bore y'all with the ins and outs of all that hither. However, if that's the sort of thing that gets you up in the morning, feel gratis to check out our cordless mower shootout!
Cut Speed
Maintaining a fast blade tip speed is important for a mower since it ensures that it will provide the suction to pull the grass up into the deck and the ability to actually cut.
We offset measured the no-load speed of each mower to get a good baseline reading of what each one was capable of. This Ryobi Smart Trek 20″ cocky-propelled lawn mower clocked in at 2574 RPM with the bract tips hitting 145.iv MPH. This was the slowest no-load speed that we saw from our self-propelled battery-powered mowers.
With brushless motors, we expect an increment in speed as the mower encounters resistance. Equally the job gets tougher, a brushless motor's electronics volition direct more power to the blades to keep upwards with the work.
And then, nosotros hooked each mower up to our calorie-free-duty simulation – a examination designed to replicate the atmospheric condition of a weekly maintenance cut. The Ryobi Smart Trek xx″ lawn mower actually dropped a bit of speed here. It but cranked out 2521 RPM with 142.iv MPH on the bract tips. That keeps it in last place at this point.
We and then put our mowers through our heavy-duty testing, increasing the load we put on the bract. While we did run across an increment of nineteen.5 MPH, this Ryobi model still finished in the final position with 2867 RPM and 162 MPH blade tip speed.
Takeaway
3000 RPM is the kind of rotation speed we like to run into when nosotros're cutting to become the all-time mulching and bagging characteristics. Even so, that'southward roughly 160 – 190 MPH a the blade tips depending on the blade diameter and Ryobi does hit the bottom of that range.
The trade-off here is that the lower speeds give you more efficient use of your battery while leaving a cut that isn't as clean every bit models with higher speed and lift.
Cut Area
Another important attribute of a battery-powered mower revolves around its runtime and ability direction. With a gas mower, you can just driblet some more fuel into the tank and go. But with battery power, you get a nice long break if you run out of juice and don't have a back-up battery charged up. Getting the nigh cutting surface area out of your battery is a big deal.
Under maintenance-cut conditions, nosotros got 48 minutes worth of runtime from the Ryobi Smart Trek twenty″ self-propelled lawn mower's half-dozen.0Ah battery. With its xix″ bract (aye, this "20-inch" mower uses a 19″ blade) and 48 minutes of runtime while walking at a constant 2.5 MPH, you can clear up to xvi,720 foursquare feet on a charge. To put in terms that are a little more concrete, that's about 0.38 acres.
From a runtime perspective, it's not bad at all. Nosotros like to encounter around 45 minutes at a minimum unless you're maintaining a small city lot. Ryobi gives you plenty of maintenance cutting time for lawns up to 1/3 acre or so. You lot tin easily do one/ii an acre by adding a 2d battery.
Battery Efficiency
How efficient is Ryobi's battery use? With its 40V, half-dozen.0Ah bombardment, nosotros're looking at a thousand total of 216 watt-hours. Under no-load, the Ryobi runs for 56 minutes, while nether a low-cal load, it runs for 48. This is 85.vii% of the no-load speed, which is really the highest pct we saw.
Keeping in listen that its blade speeds were also the slowest on a maintenance cut, it's clearly prioritizing efficiency.
With 16,720 square feet of cut on a charge, we come across that this mower gets 77 foursquare anxiety mowed per watt-60 minutes.
The terminate result? The Ryobi Smart Trek 20″ lawn mower finished our efficiency testing as the second-identify finisher behind the Greenworks Commercial model and most tied with Kobalt's 80V.
Noise Level
With gas ability, we just presume every mower will exist loud (which is almost universally true, salve for the Honda HRC216 mower we tested). Battery-powered mowers have the do good of existence a whole lot quieter to run, so nosotros think it's worth the comparison.
This Ryobi self-propelled lawn mower cranked out just 80 dB(A), which was good plenty for a 5th-place end in our shootout and just ii decibels out of get-go place. In whatever example, your neighbors will capeesh your choice to go with the Ryobi if y'all're getting to piece of work early Sat morn.
Feature Set up
Smart-Trek Drive
We like the thought of Ryobi's Smart Expedition drive, but information technology is a change that takes time to become used to. It works like this: as yous walk forward, you sort of naturally press in on the leap-loaded handle. This is your throttle – the faster you walk, the more you're pressing in on the handle and the faster the mower drives frontwards.
The struggle is that the drive kind of jumps forward or brakes hard. In that location's no existent easy transition from slow to fast or fast to wearisome, and the movement feels jerky. Past bending your elbows, you learn to kind of roll with the changes the same fashion a mountain biker or skier tackles a grade. In that location's definitely an adjustment period, though.
Deck Material
We understand why some teams employ plastic poly for the mower deck – more often than not, it drops some weight from the mower and makes it easier to push around. But we prefer steel for its immovability. The Ryobi twenty″ Smart Expedition self-propelled backyard mower opts goes the plastic road.
Elevation Adjustment and Range
We really like the height adjustment design on this Ryobi Smart Trek backyard mower. It's a unmarried-point aligning, but where other unmarried-point adjustments can nevertheless require you to lift up while you arrange, this one actually can be ready one-handed without having to wrestle with it.
It has 7 available positions ranging from 1.75″ to 4.5″. There are some instances where you might like to go a scrap lower on the lesser end of the range, but this mower will tackle the vast majority of grass types you'll come up across.
Handle Positions
Rather than having two or three set up positions to set your handle, yous tin actually slide the handle to a position that feels about comfortable for you. #win.
Discharge Options
Out of the box, y'all can bag or mulch with the Ryobi 20″ Smart Trek self-propelled lawn mower, suiting the majority of situations. If y'all prefer the side discharge choice, Ryobi offers the accessory separately.
Boosted Features
- Easy lift release and lock bagging arrangement
- Additional battery storage (inactive)
Value
With a 6.0Ah battery and charger, the Ryobi RY40LM30 kit runs $449 at Dwelling house Depot. It comes with a 5-year warranty on the mower as well. It scores well for value, thanks to a budget-friendly price to go with its adequate performance.
1 of the reasons we like Ryobi tools so much is just because of the incredibly deep line they have. The 40V line doesn't have the same depth as their I+ 18V line, merely at that place's still a lot to choose from. Ryobi has string trimmers, blowers, leaf vacs, snowblowers, cultivators, mowers, chainsaws, sprayers, hedge trimmers, pole saws, and a multi-head ability system available on the 40V platform.
The Lesser Line
The Ryobi Smart Trek 20″1000 self-propelled backyard mower does its best piece of work if you lot generally continue up with your grass height consistently and place a heavy priority on bang for your buck and low noise. If that'south yous and your house sits on a lot up to 1/3 of an acre, pull the trigger. Catch an extra bombardment to confidently cover 1/two an acre.
Nosotros're curious to see more than feedback on the Smart Trek system and if Ryobi decides to make any adjustments to it moving forward. Every bit the highlight feature for ii of their battery-powered lawn mowers, it'due south a big alter from traditional drive systems that takes fourth dimension to adjust to.
Ryobi Smart Trek xx″ Cocky-Propelled Lawn Mower Specs
- Model Number: Ryobi RY40LM30
- Bombardment: 40V 6.0Ah
- Drive Type: Smart-Trek rear-wheel self-propelled
- Drive Speed: Variable, upward to 2.9 MPH
- Deck Size: twenty″
- Cutting Superlative: i.5″ – 4″
- Deck Height: 7-point
- Start Blazon: Push button
- Cut Options: Mulching, bagging, and side-discharge
- Recommended One thousand Size: Up to 1/2 acre (i/3 acre PTR recommendation)
- Weight: 45 lbs
- Warranty: 5-year limited
- Price: $449
For more than data about Ryobi's 40V lineup, bank check information technology out by clicking here.
Source: https://www.protoolreviews.com/tools/outdoor-equipment/ryobi-smart-trek-20-inch-self-propelled-lawn-mower/49176/