I bought my EGO LM2100 lawn mower after rigorous research into the best electric mowers. Four years on, I still love it. Here’s why.
Ego sits at the top of some of our Garden lists, for electric snow blowers, lawn mowers, and even chainsaws.
Let’s break down why we rate these products so highly based on my first-hand experience.
EGO Mower LM2130 56V
Highlights: Powerful, durable, easy to use electric cordless mower. Versatile, lightweight, compact, and easy to maneuver and store. Fantastic update to the LM2100 I’ve been using for four years!
- More torque (5.3 ft./lbs.) than a similar size gas powered mower
- 21-inch deck size with 3000 RPM
- 6 cutting heights – 1.5-4 inches
- Easy to adjust deck height with a single lever
- 3-in-1 mulching, bagging, side discharge options
- Huge collector bag – but doesn’t lose traction even when full!
- Very quiet while mowing – approx. 75 dBA
- Easy to store – folds upright, with folding handle
- Can mow the lawn at night!
- Weather-resistant construction
- Handles slopes and slants quite well
- 45 min cut time (I get almost 60 mins!)
- 50 min charge time
- Cheaper options are available
- Huge collector bag, when full, makes the machine heavy to operate
- Battery lifespan is just 3-5 years
- Replacement EGO batteries are very expensive
- EGO manual and online info isn’t helpful for decoding all the flashing lights and indicators
- Mowers are made in China, with EGO HQ in the US.
I got my EGO LM2100 in 2020 with the recommended 56V 5.0 Ah ARC Lithium™ battery, which was a good chunk of money upfront but well worth it for easy, smog-free, quiet lawn maintenance. EGO also now offers longer run times with higher Ah batteries:
- 7.5Ah – approximately 70 mins run-time
- 10.0Ah – approx. 90 mins run-time
- 12.0Ah – approx. 105 mins run-time.
If I were in need of a new mower today, I’d go for the upgraded version of the LM2100, i.e., the LM2130. This boasts all the same great features of the LM2100 plus EGO’s SelectCut multiblade design. The upgrade means that instead of a single blade, you get greater versatility thanks to interchangeable blades you can mix and match to meet your cutting needs:
- Mulching Blade
- High Lift Bagging Blade
- Extended Runtime Blade
- Upper Blade.
There’s still a lot to love about the EGO LM2100, though, and one big downside (which also applies to the LM2130).
Things I love about the EGO LM2100
I’ve put this mower through the ringer these last four years and it continues to impress me.
Here are a few of my favorite things about the EGO LM2100.
One-handed operation
This thing is so nippy and light that I can easily move it around awkward spots in the yard (such as under low hanging branches) with just one hand. This is also great when you’re mowing and picking up branches, kids toys, dog toys, etc., as you go.
I also easily used this mower while very pregnant (which I’d never do with a noisy, smoggy gas mower). And my wife even mowed the lawn with our sleeping baby in a back carrier once or twice that first summer!
One-handed operation also extends to changing the deck height. This is so simple to do. There’s just a single lever, much like changing the gear in a manual car, which you pop out and in to choose your cutting height.
I highly recommend using 3 or higher for your first cut of the season, especially for dense grass. This will save battery life and prevent frustration! After my first mow of the season, I try to mow every 10 days or so on level 2 to keep things trim.
It’s super compact
The LM2100 has an extendable handle that slides back in once you’re done. It has locking clamps to ensure safety, with a cutout if you unclip these while the motor is active.
The entire handle adjusts and also folds up easily with a single lever pull. This means the mower handle folds up over the mower body to make for easy storage upright in small spaces.
And at around 53.3 lbs., without the battery, this mower is light enough that I can carry it up and down the basement stairs without too much trouble.
Easy to clean
Because it’s an electric mower, it’s best not to hose down the EGO.
That doesn’t mean it’s hard to clean though.
In fact, it’s a breeze!
After every mowing session, I take a damp cloth and wipe out the bottom of the mower and the chute to the collector bag. I also give the body of the mower a very quick wipe or brush, though it rarely needs it. The smart design makes for fast and efficient clean-up.
If you have an EGO leaf blower, you could switch out the battery and give the mower a quick blast for even faster maintenance!
Quiet, low vibration at the handle, and smog-free
This mower is so quiet that even my noise averse toddler likes it. I can even mow in the evenings after my kid’s asleep and while my neighbor’s baby is napping close by.
The highest praise, though, comes from my dog, who hates the vacuum and gas mowers. This old, crotchety, anxious border collie will happily tolerate the EGO LM2100 and even follow it around to snaffle grass clippings.
And, while powerful, the LM2100 produces very little vibration at the handle, so even if I mow for an hour or more, I have no worries about carpal tunnel or other issues.
As with all electric mowers, the EGO is smog-free, with no tailpipe emissions. That means happy neighbors, happy kids, and a healthier planet.
Great run-time
I have two fairly large lawns to mow, both with awkward borders and shrubbery. For the first three years of operation, the EGO LM2100 has managed each lawn on a single charge. In the fourth year, I’ve needed to charge the battery a little more for the bigger back lawn, suggesting it’s time to replace that battery. (More on that below.)
In general, the 5 Ah will get you about 45 minutes of run-time. I’ve found the battery could do closer to 60 mins when the grass is already fairly short and it’s not too hot out. For me, that could mean mowing both lawns on a single charge!
On hot days, when the grass is a little taller or slightly damp, the 5 Ah battery only gets me about 30 minutes of mowing. After that, it’ll need to cool down and recharge, as do I. Lemonade break!
A very robust mower
The EGO LM2100 is an absolute workhorse, offering 5.3 ft/lbs of torque. I’m not delicate with my mowing, but the LM2100 doesn’t complain, much.
Our yard isn’t made for easy mowing. My mower has to get through (and handles with aplomb):
- Fallen branches, twigs , and fir cones
- Rough terrain with slopes and surprise dips
- Exposed tree roots
- Errant dog toys, kids’ toys, and rocks
- Patchy grass of all kinds and densities.
The EGO handles it all like a champ. After four years of serious mowing and very minimal maintenance, my LM2100 still works great and I’ve only just reached a point where I’m considering a new blade. A new steel blade is around $32, FYI (view on Ace Hardware).
Downsides
There are very few downsides to the EGO LM2100 mower.
Minor gripes include:
- Unclear flashing light indicators – battery, mower, and charger have a range of LED lights that flash or hold steady, but EGO provides little guidance on their meaning, so it’s hard to know the best course of action in response.
- Suction issues – thick grass can quickly clog the blades or remain on your lawn if you mow with a very full collector bag or low battery power.
Now for the biggest issue with the EGO mower.
The EGO battery and charger warranty is just 3 years, which seems spot on for EGO avoiding having to replace most batteries. It’s weird to me that the charger also has a 3-year warranty. That suggests the charger’s own lifespan is quite short, which makes little sense given its design. The short warranty also makes me suspicious that battery problems may actually be charger problems, or a combination of the two.
Given the batteries and charger are almost as expensive as the bare tool, this means a significant ongoing cost, especially if you’re unlucky with a battery or don’t use best practices for battery life extension.
To try to keep the cost low, I’ve ordered a more affordable, well-regarded, third-party replacement battery that is compatible with EGO tools. I’ll report back when I’ve given this battery a summer of use.
EGO mower models
The LM2100 is just one of EGO’s mower models. It’s been around for nearly five years, and while I love it, there may be a model out there better suited to your needs.
For instance, the company now offers electric mowers with the EGO Touch Drive and Select Cut systems, as well as models with extra power/torque for serious grass cutting. There are even ride-on mowers!
If I were buying a new EGO today, I’d consider the Select Cut option. This is a multiblade mower where you can choose which blades to use depending on your mowing style (mulching, bagging, and blade life extension).
Here’s a quick overview of the EGO lawn mower family. Those product codes can get confusing!
- LM2100 – walk-behind mower with a 21-inch cutting deck
- LM2101 – same mower but includes battery and charger
- LM2102SP – self-propelled version of the LM2100 with the charger and battery
- LM2206SP – 22-inch mower with battery and charger and self-propelled
- LM2156SP – Power+ 21-inch Select Cut self-propelled mower with Touch Drive tech.
EGO’s standard coding system means that any model ending in a 0 is the bare tool only, with no battery or charger included. And any model with SP at the end of the number code is a Self-Propelled machine.
| Model example 1: LM2100 | LM | 21 | 00 | (no SP suffix) |
| Lawn Mower | Deck width of 21 inches | Bare tool | Not Self-Propelled | |
| Model example 2: LM2206SP | LM | 22 | 06 | SP |
| Lawn Mower | Deck width of 22 inches | Battery and charger included | Self-propelled |
Final thoughts
I love my EGO mower and weed whacker, but recognize that it’s not super sustainable or budget-friendly to have to replace batteries every few years or ditch a machine entirely because battery costs are too high.
However, because the EGO tools are simply so much better than more affordable competitors, the EGO LM2100 is still my top choice for an electric mower.
My advice: treat the battery with great care. If it shows any signs of failing before the 3 year mark, contact EGO before the warranty expires. Otherwise, look into third-party battery replacements.
See also: My top picks for electric lawn mowers.
EGO Mower LM2130 56V
Highlights: Powerful, durable, easy to use electric cordless mower. Versatile, lightweight, compact, and easy to maneuver and store. Upgrade to my LM2100 mower, now with greater blade choice and cutting options!
I’ve had my Ego mower for 3 years. Right away I noticed it lacks the power to lift the grass. The wheels mat down the grass and the mower is too week to lift and cut it. I find that I overlap my cut much more than I ever did with gas mowers.
I also am annoyed when the yellow light comes on causing the mower to stop. Waiting 3-5min is enough to begin again.
Egos best product is the leaf blower. Variable speed, constant speed or extra power is very good for moving lots of debris.