Over in the UK, Bosch came out with a new cordless lawn mower that’s powered off of one or two 36V Li-ion battery packs. While it can be powered off of just one battery, equipping it with two will yield greater runtime (up to ~60 minutes).
Bosch boasts the following benefits over gas-engine mowers:
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- Half the noise
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Low running costs
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Low vibration
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Low emissions
Funny, they don’t mention “less hassle,” although some could argue that filling a gas tank and maintaining the engine at the end of a season is less of a hassle than having to recharge and swap around a cordless mower’s battery packs.
They’re also claiming gas engine-like performance. We’ve heard this before, and for some reason I believe it more when Bosch says it.
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Bosch actually came out with two new cordless mowers – the GRA 48 Professional, with a 48 cm cutting width (~19″), and the GRA 53 Professional, with a 53 cm cutting width (~20.1″). There’s not much different between the two mowers, except for the wider cutting with and slightly larger grass box capacity (collection bin) on the GRA 53 vs the 48. The GRA 48 is said to have a digital display, but maybe it’s only absent from the GRA 53 product description and not the actual mower.
| Power | Two Li batteries 36 V (6.0 Ah) |
| Battery power | 2 x 216 Wh |
| Cutting width | 48 cm |
| Height-of-cut range | 20 – 70 mm |
| Land drive speed | 2,6 – 5,0 km/h |
| Collection bag size | 69 l (GRA 48), 72 l (GRA 53) |
| Weight | 47,5 kg (GRA 48) 47,5 kg (GRA 53) |
| Wheel diameter (F/R) | 225/225 mm |
| Estimated runtime | 45-60 minutes (depending on operating conditions) |
Features include a cast aluminum deck, self-driving wheels powered by a separate motor, a land driving wheel mode which eases movement across paved or ungrassed areas without blade rotation, variable speed wheel drive, optional mulching blade and collection bin attachment, and an adjustable grip height. From the product video, it looks like the controls are built into the handle.
Reach is said to be ~1500 m^2 per hour, depending on mowing conditions, which is about 16,145 ft^2. Maybe my math is wrong here, but if you consider that you can mow with a cutting width of ~1.6 feet, that would mean a lane 10,423 feet long, or nearly 2 miles. Square acreage will probably make more sense – 1500 square meters is ~0.37 acres. Or, if it helps, 1500 m^2 is about the size of 6 tennis courts or 2 professional baseball diamonds (just between the bases), or a little more than 1/4 of a football field.
Runtime is ~45 to 60 minutes, depending on operating conditions.
The new Bosch 36V battery packs are weatherproof, built with 6.0Ah of charge capacity, and they fully recharge in just 42 minutes. You can get an 80% charge in 30 minutes.
I thought that maybe the new rapid charger discussed in context of their 18V 6.0Ah battery pack is involved here, but it’s not – there’s a new monster of a feature-packed charger that’s designed to work with these new batteries:
The charger has an active locking mechanism that holds the battery in place to prevent damage during transport.
One thing to note is that these batteries ARE compatible with other Bosch 36V cordless tools, although Bosch says that their power, weight, and waterproof capacity are in excess of normal power tool requirements. Additionally, the new charger will charge “any Bosch Blue 36V battery.”
Here’s a quick promo video:
There’s also a new duo of 36V string trimmers, or “brushcutters” as it seems they’re called in England.
A leaf blower and hedge cutters are also coming soon.
Looking for a cordless lawn mower and cannot wait for the Bosch 36V cordless mower to reach the states? Check out Clayton’s Ego cordless mower review here on ToolGuyd. He loved it, and gave it a 24/25 rating. He also reviewed Craftsman’s 40V mower, and we also previewed Ryobi’s cordless mower last year.
If you want more power, GreenWorks’ 80V Max lawn and garden tools will soon be available via Amazon. Kobalt is also offering what looks to be rebranded GreenWorks 80V Max tools over at Lowes.
Price: ~GBP 1000 for the GRA 48 Professional, GPB 1100 for the GRA 53 Professional. Given the current exchange rate (4/9/15), that’s $1486 and $1635 USD.
More Info(via Bosch)
First Thoughts
Not only do I now want to run out with one of these looking for a lawn to mow, I find myself wishing that Bosch would come out with a weatherproof 18V battery charger as well. Not that I really need one, but it could be cool. Maybe their Power Box 360 radio counts? I also wish they built a similar dual 18V Li-ion mower, but there are reasons they went with a 36V battery form factor – mainly power and runtime.
I like how the mower can be powered by one or two battery packs, and it seems to run off the two battery packs in sequence and not at the same time. While running off of two battery packs at the same, similar to what Makita has done with their X2 tools, would provide a way to power heavier duty tools with smaller sized battery packs, issues could potentially arise when you use mismatched battery packs, or pair an older battery with a new one.
Sticking with the 36V form factor and doubling up for greater runtime seems to be a smart move. Craftsman has done something similar with their mower, and so the idea is not unique to Bosch.
As a reminder, these mowers were announced in the UK and Europe. There’s no indication as to if or when they’ll be available in the USA.
mike aka Fazzman
Nice looking mower,id love to have one of these. I remember seeing a release notice for these before I thought last year.
Ive looked at the EGO but this Bosch just looks killer and I love Bosch stuff.
Farid
Pretty expensive, if you ask me. I do like the idea of cordless mowers simply due to the noise factor and oil changes. I am in the market now for cordless trimmer (any recommendations, anyone? Anyone tried the new Echo yet??) But I doubt it would have gas like performance, at least for me.
We (my wife and I) mow a grass area around 16000 sq ft . That usually takes about 1.3 to 1.5 hours by the time we go around landscaping and obstacles, but most at full speed. During the height of growing season in late spring, sometimes the grass has to be mowed twice a week . Where the grass is tall, we have to run the mower at a much slower pace as well, so it can take 2-2.5 hours to complete. That’s all done with a 6.5HP mower. I imagine it would take at least 4+ batteries to complete the job in those conditions. The cost would be just too high.
I do applaud the effort put into these mowers and the continual development. My view is that you have to try and put product out there; which can only lead to better products in the future. But for now, I’ll stick with my 10-year old Honda mower, which still starts on the first pull, even the first time out in the spring.
Pete
Sounds like you need a riding mower!
Farid
Yeah, but as my better half would say, were is the exercise in that!
Daily
Well it uses/drains 1 battery at a time, the other can be recharging. Recharge time is 40 min. So you should be able to keep rotating batteries. Might I suggest a miniature horse or other grass eating animal to help keep grass down, seems like a ridiculous waste of your time as well as energy to mow such a large area.
Mizzourob
Time for a Dealt 40 volt mower? I just wish Ryobi would bring their One+ mower to the US.
Robert
I’m always game to the idea of battery powered if they’re truly up to the task. This one really does look intriguing. With the better batteries in recent years, it’s probably time to start take these things more seriously.
That said, an average of 1,500 bucks is a lot of money for the added convenience. While these are more affordable than many commercial walk behinds, you could buy 3 higher quality gas mowers for the cost of one. For not much more and even less in some cases, you could acquire a professional gas walk behind that would probably be superior.
I understand the savings in fuel and other maintenance. At the same time, batteries ain’t cheap, and these wouldn’t be void of their own maintenance issues. While they’re intriguing, I don’t want one bad enough to fork over the expected funds.
John
Maybe in two more years I will switch. Not ready to be the early adopter for these systems. Plus not ready to be the early spotter for the apple watch. Lol
Now that we have seen bosch and dewalt i this space, wonder if milwaukee is going to join with a fuel brand? Any ideas stu?
Seb
Those have been announced for France as well but i havent seen them yet, Blue Bosch is only available in professional shops and the two i have been this week that carry bosch havent go them yet but i ll ask aroundmainly for pricing and availabilty.
The GRA48 is apparently available in Germany for 1426€ (1518$) and the GRA56 for 1605€ (1709$), pretty pricey.
Tyler
I may sound like an old curmudgeon but I’m still skeptical of battery powered mowers. This one definitely looks more convincing that many others though.
I’m just not sure it would match performance of a higher-end consumer gas mower that is half the price (Honda HRX217HYA). Even in the context of their video, I wonder if you could finish that rural property without a re-charge cycle. A few years ago I agonized over spending the money on the Honda HRX217HYA. It turned out to be money well spent. I use quality ethanol-free gas with a stabilizer mixed in and it starts on the first pull. At the end of the season I run it dry. Next season I change the oil and put a new spark plug in (out of habit). It literally starts on the first pull after sitting all winter. Yes, there is more maintenance with gas but it’s really not that much. It would only cost $50-$100 to hire someone to do maintenance each season. I wonder how much replacement batteries are after a few years for the Bosch?
In all, I think this one is a viable option for those that don’t want the hassle of gas and have a smaller and well maintained yard. The stubborn, change refusing, side of me will stick to my gas mower for now.
But it's me!
I agree. I love Bosch, but that is quite a bit of coin for a mower with limited range. I have the step down HRR216 mower that Home Depot carries (with the blade brake, but metal deck) and love it. Very little maintenance as you note. Yes, gas fumes and all the mess it entails, but you can buy two, maybe three Hondas for the price of one Bosch battery model.
Brian
thats a whole lot of cheddar for a mower. You cant ussually make an easy leap from GBP to USD, but I think we could safely say it would be atleast $1000.
Id be “slightly” more inclined to buy a mower that aligned with my cordless tools. Like… I have dewalt 20v max. you want to sell a mower that takes 4 of those batteries or something? atleast I can start to justify some of the expense… probably not.
RX9
This is one way of addressing a major conundrum withing the Cordless outdoor power equipment market. The conundrum of course, is that some pieces of common outdoor power equipment require considerably more power than others. Gasoline power can be scaled up or down by minute increments to provide the precise optimum balance between power and weight/size for a given application. We see the results of that optimization in the common engine sizes used for certain applications:
-String trimmers, hedge trimmers, small cultivators, and handheld leaf blowers are best equipped with motors in the 20-35cc range.
-Chainsaws, earth augers, and backpack blowers find their sweet spot in the 35-70cc range.
-Lawn mowers, snow throwers, air compressors, and pressure washers usually require 150-300cc’s worth of power.
Unlike gas power, cordless power is necessarily modular and portioned in discrete voltages, due to the economy of scale that standardized battery systems create.
This means that trying to fit a whole range of applications into a single battery system may leave some of the larger tools starved for power and run time, as is the case with most cordless mowers.
By doubling (and perhaps even tripling) up on batteries for these applications, a tool company can roughly mimic the scalability of gasoline power.
I feel that a single 36/40V battery is appropriate for applications that need 20-35cc powered gas engines, 72/80v is good for chainsaw sized applications, and 108/120v or higher would provide adequate power for push mower class applications.
Hopefully, companies will start producing more multi-battery models like this Bosch mower.
Drew M
I’m slightly curious why they didn’t wire the two packs for series instead of sequential operation. Sure it would take two packs to make the mower go but I bet the performance would be fantastic.
FWIW, I think these sorts of products only make sense if you have a ‘postage stamp’ sized yard. I have an ‘extra large’ postage stamp yard. It takes me about 15-20min to mow with my 22″ Toro SuperRecycler at an efficient but fairly lazy walking pace.
My neighbor has an electric mower AND a gas mower. He seems to usually precut with the gas and then finish cut with the electric but I’ve seen his electric run out of juice before he finishes his yard several times.
If the price was closer to that of my ‘premium’ Toro and Bosch didn’t skimp on the quality, I would seriously consider recommending this mower to my friends and neighbors.
Brian
it would get half the runtime in series. depends if it needs more power though…
I spent 150 bucks for my mower, its disposable, and I realize that if I skip 2 weeks, I might be screwed because it wont have the mustard to do the job.
For this much money, I assume they tested it to have sufficient oomph that more power would be a waste.
derpson
if we’re talking pure ohm’s law it would get 1/2 the runtime in series, with active electronics that’s not necessarily the case.
Stuart
My thoughts are that it can complicate things. Let’s say you use a string trimmer for a year and then buy the mower and mix up your batteries. If you don’t have two matched batteries on the mower, you might suffer from issues or inconsistent performance.
Additionally, if you power the mower with 2 batteries in series, you’ll need a bigger motor.
A motor designed to run at 36V or thereabouts is going to have a different power output and current draw than one designed to run at 72V. It’s not smart design to take the same motor and double the voltage. There will be greater inefficiencies and energy losses, especially given the amperage involved here.
Derpson – we can’t apply ohm’s law here at all. To be honest, I don’t see how you could apply ohm’s law to roughly figure runtime either. It’s not just about active electronics, but the whole design would change.
Think of it this way. 18V (and 20V Max) and 12V Max tools don’t often share common components. A motor that’s best powered with a 12V Max battery pack won’t be suitable for an 18V battery pack. It can be done, but if it works it means that the motor was underpowered with the 12V battery, overpowered with the 18V battery, which would be worse, or there would be great losses from the 18V battery if stepped down to around 12V to feed the motor.
Lawn Mower Wizard
This looks like it means business, gonna have to give it a try. A dual battery pack definitely improves the appeal, but it’s a heavy old beast.
Colin
So the guy in the photo is wearing ear plugs with…pause…an electric mower?!
Stuart
That’s the way to do it. Even if it’s not as loud as a gas engine mower, might still be loud enough to warrant hearing protection. It’s often better to show a model with more personal protection gear than less.
Colin
At ~80 SPL, I’m more worried the hum might put me to sleep! 😉
Alex
Hey Stuart, I know it’s a bit off topic but do you know if Milwaukee has any intention of entering the cordless lawn tool segment? As a new homeowner and a die hard Milwaukee fan with a lot of their 18V equipment already it would be very appealing to me.
Jonathan
Doing Landscape maintenance is my livelihood. I’ve demo a variety of different cordless equipment.
Some pro’s: quietter, great for early morning starts without alienating or irritating current or potential clients.
Rapid grab and go ~ great for clean up and blowing.
Also a great feature when doing tree work with chainsaws as well as no / less Fire restrictions in dry area’s ( some area 2 hour waiting /watching period when you’ve used gas powered equipment.
Savings on fuel cost ( I spend an extra $1.50-2.00 gallon on Ethanol free fuel) critical with 2 stroke equipment as 2-stroke oil is alot like oil/vinegar it doesnt mix like oil/gas does so when you prime a 2-stroke you can suck pure ethanol into the carb and run the first few seconds on Ethanol only).
Cons: Equipment usage heats up battery and ambient air temp does as well. So charge time a dramatically longer than “cold battery in a cold room 45-90min recharge times
Philip
With dewalt I do use my flexvolt batteries with my 20 v tools. I think it’s not good to have another tool platform and charger.
Vincent
I have the 48cm Bosch for a few months now and I am loving it. It is extremely quiet and nimble for the size. I have about 1000m2 of bumpy grass and it does it with ease. Between 50 an 20% battery left when I am done depending on the highs of the grass. It is a lot of money but worth every penny. I am going to buy the bush cutter for sure.