Solaris SP21HB 21-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Self-Propelled FWD Bag/Mulch/Side Discharge Cordless Lawn Mower
by Solaris
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Category: Lawn & Patio See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Solaris SP21HB 21-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Self-Propelled FWD Bag/Mulch/Side Discharge Cordless Lawn Mower
Customer Review: Solaris SP21HB 21 inch cordless self propelled mower
Summary: 4 Stars
I have a bad back and can't use a riding mower. Exhaust from a standard walk behind makes me sick. As a result I've been stuck with either paying a service to take care of my 1 1/3 acre or using a 15" corded electric. It took close to 5 hours for me to mow my property with the standard mower.
My wife found the Solaris cordless mower so we thought we'd give it a shot. Based on prior reviews we knew one set of battery's wouldn't get the job done so we purchased on spare set. We got the spare set of battery's before we got the mower so I had them charged and ready when the mower arrived. i couldn't be happier with its performance. It easily cuts through grass as tall as my gas powered mower will and its easier to push than my corded 15" mower, even without the self propelled option engaged. One set of battery's gets me through a little more than 1/3 of the yard so I decided to get a third set. Now I can do the entire yard, including trimming and blowing the trimmings off the paved areas, in less than 2 1/2 hours.
When my mower arrived, one of the battery's that was included was lying loose under the mower deck and seemed to have shorted out. It wouldn't take a charge. I called the warranty line and a new battery was shipped out the same day without question. I couldn't ask for better service.
I strongly recommend this product and wouldn't hesitate to buy again.
Gary Van Dyke
Alvin, Texas
Customer Review: Great mower
Summary: 5 Stars
After reading over the reviews of this product, I purchased this mower in April. I have been very happy with it and am impressed with the quality mowing.
Some of the features that I have found most impressive:
1) It is easy to assemble
2) Easy to adjust the cutting height, but as noted in a few other reviews, the wheels are plastic and I wonder how they would hold up over time
3) The bagging option works well, although mostly I use it as a mulcher.
4) Self-propel is quite strong- I have several fairly steep grades and it has no problem with them
5) The battery holds its charge pretty well, better than I thought it would. My lawn is on the small side, but I can mow the whole thing using self-propel and it still has some battery power left.
6) Very easy to charge the batteries in the mower itself.
A few slightly negative comments
1) the external battery charger that came with mine never worked (but see # 6 above)
2) The contacts on the mower that clip around the battery are pretty weak and one of these on my mower periodically spreads and causes the battery to lose contact. Its easy enough to squeeze it tighter and reinsert battery, but it can be annoying.
All in all, I love this mower and waiting a few months to post a review to be sure my opinion didn't change. I would recommend this mower to friends without any reservation.
Customer Review: Good idea, bad product
Summary: 1 Stars
I actually purchased this at Home Depot, but they don't post negative reviews...I tried there first.
I was excited to get another cordless electric mower. My last one was a Ryobi and lasted seven years when the motor brushes finally wore down. I chose this one since it was self-propelled and had a brushless motor.
When I opened it, I realized that it was nothing but a modified gas mower with a steel body. The only difference is the motor. It's extremely heavy and difficult to handle. There is no "picking it up to store against a wall". The back wheels became wobbly after about a month.
According to the literature, my yard should be cut on one charge, I quickly discovered that I needed a second set of batteries.($100)
After about 12 weeks (about 10 cuts), the performance tanked and it took the span of two days to cut a 100x160 foot yard. The batteries lasted about 15 minutes.
After several calls, Linimar did send another motor assembly at no cost, but the cut time never improved. They have had since last September to resolve, but they stopped responding. I can only assume that both sets of batteries are bad.
While I was excited about the motor technology, I was disappointed that any innovation stopped there and the batteries ($100/set) are inadequate. I'm in the process of trying to get some sort of refund and looking for another cordless mower.
Customer Review: Cheap parts and SAFETY issue!
Summary: 2 Stars
I agree with the other review that the chassis and axles feel cheap due to plastic. Wheels feel like they are going to fly off.
First problem I had was the batteries would not charge more than 1 hr (supposed to be 24hr first time) so only got 5 minutes of use. Tried several times, left it overnight, etc but still no better. Not a huge deal, I understand things break and I would have just asked for a new battery or charger. BUT there is a major problem with the safety of this product. The blade engage lever that you squeeze and can release to kill the motor DOES NOT KILL the motor. The design of the lever string is in-line with the hinge so when you release the handle, it stays in position - does not flip up to turn off the motor. I wasn't willing to compromise safety just for a battery operated mower. A real shame, because I wanted to give this product a fair chance and move away from gas. Amazon support was FANTASTIC when I returned the product.
Customer Review: I Love it!
Summary: 5 Stars
I did a lot of research before choosing this mower. I have a medium to small lawn and thought it was just the ticket. When it arrived, I popped up the handles, inserted the batteries, checked the charge, and they appeared ready to go. I mowed my lawn with no problems. I have had it a couple of months, and just love it. The only thing I did not care for was the lack of suction to pick up leaves etc. They do not use a real high lift blade in order to save batteries.
I changed the blade to a high lift, mulching blade, and it performs perfectly. still plenty of battery, good suction, and although not as quiet with the new blade, still way more quiet that a gas job.
I have the optional solar panel and love the idea that my mower contributes zero impact.
I have had no problems, it does a great job, batteries last well.
I would buy it again in a heartbeat.