1. One of the key features for me is storage. I'm a recreational cyclist so my garage is full of bikes leaving little room for lawn equipment. The Greenworks equipment stores vertically against the wall in a area of the garage not normally occupied leaving the area where I keep my road bikes free while not interfering with vehicle parking. This also may be appealing to those that like me have a standard garage but full size trucks, SUV to fit inside.
2. As this equipment has no gasoline in it, you are able to transport it inside your vehicle without the danger of exposure to explosive and toxic fumes. This combined with the mowers already compact size mean you have many options for transportation.
3. Of all 3 items only the trimmer requires servicing to replace the trimmer string and in this way it is exactly the same as gas powered unit and the trimmer string is a generic standard string I purchased at Wal*Mart.
4. I use the second battery for the mower to power the trimmer. I could and sometimes do use the lower amp/hour battery that came with the combo and do when the yard is particularly thick or tall.
5. The trimmer operates like a traditional gas unit and dispenses additional string each time the trimmer is activated by the user.
6. All 3 devices have safe start buttons to insure deliberate activation and reduce the possibility of accidental activation of the device.
7. Speaking of reduced, another key plus in my book is the substantially quieter operation. The mower is not much louder than a household vacuum cleaner. Allowing me to mow much earlier in the day while it's cooler without disturbing my neighbors.
8. The mower make a reasonably effective cut but does require 2 passes to accomplish this. I think this may be a limitation of the blade speed. The mower does increase RMP when it hits a certain resistance threshold. The higher speed will help you get through a more dense patch of lawn and will maintain that speed until the resistance drops below the threshold.
9. I bag my clippings but attachments were included with the mower that would allow for either ejecting the clippings out of the side or mulching.
My front yard is a mixture of fescue, and buffalo grass and grows quite densely and the mower does have to work to cut this area. The sides and back are mostly buffalo and are fertilized but not watered
10. The combination of all areas including the ally is 2,600 sf. and used to require approximately a 1 gallon of gasoline a month to maintain with a gas powered edger and mower, and fuel oil mixture for the string trimmer and blower and the inconvenience annually of servicing the motor oil and spark plugs. Comparatively it cost pennies a month to charge the batteries with a substantially reduced mechanical footprint and no physical exposure to fuel or oil. Additionally fumes escaping from gas equipment and containers no longer contaminate the living environment of the house through the garage.
11. Now lets consider durability. I have been using this group of Greenworks equipment for over 1 year now with the same batteries that came originally with the equipment. I have experienced no failures or defects. After 2 mowing seasons the battery life has met my expectations of reliability. This was the most important aspect to me because if the batteries died prematurely it would completely negate any operational cost savings.
12. Aesthetically the mower has been style to have to outward appearance of a traditional gas mower and while this may not be of particular importance to me personally, some may feel that it is a selling point.
13. Now let's talk initial cost. In 2006 I bought a full set of Yardman gas equipment totaling $1,300 and it would cost even more to buy that equipment today. The Greenworks equipment totaled $550 making its up front cost a considerable value if reliable.
14. Care for this equipment is not totally without effort. Once a month I routinely wash out the bottom of the mowing deck to insure clippings flow effectively to the bag. The lack of heat from a combustion engine seems to preserve the painted finish allowing the deck to be completely cleaned to a almost new state and I have not seen any indication of chipping or rust.
15. Despite regular use the cutting blade has remained sharp and has not required sharpening.
16. The blower works every bit as effectively as a gas powered blower but is perhaps the loudest of the 3 pieces of equipment.
I have always been able to mow my entire yard on a single charge of all 3 batteries but a yard larger than maybe 3,200 sf. would likely require additional batteries which can be purchased separately at a cost of $119.99 each.
In conclusion for my size and type of yard, the Greenworks equipment has been a very good solution for my lawn care, and I highly recommend this gear.
Who wouldn't I recommend this gear for? I wouldn't recommend this for someone who has a lot if tall brush or rough cut obstacles that have to be routinely traversed. This is not a heavy or brush cut solution.