A few weeks ago during my visit to the local Home Depot, I came across the Ryobi RM480E, an all-battery powered electric riding lawn mower. Ryobi claims that you’ll get up to 2 hours of run time or cut up to 2 acres on a single charge. This quiet, smooth battery powered riding mower houses three high-torque brushless motors to support the mower’s blades and drivetrain. The RM480E’s uses four 12V lead acid batteries instead of lithium-ion which given the choice and given the size of the mower so they’re not lithium).
The mower itself has a 38 in. cutting width with a 12-position deck height adjustment. Cutting height ranges from a minimum measured at 1.5 inches to a maximum of 4.5 inches. The mower is capable of cutting in three modes: side-discharge, mulching, and bagging.
I have not reviewed the Ryobi RM480E myself, but overall the mower has received favorable reviews. However, most reviewers recommend that if you have around 2 acres or more you should stick with a gas mower. After 2 acres of mowing, the RM480E will likely require an overnight charge before you can continue cutting the rest of your acreage. The best Ryobi RM480E reviews I’ve read so far are written by Pro Tool Reviews as well as Paul Sikkema over at Today’s Mowers. For the best video review, check out the review by Tools In Actions (embedded below).
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SxtYbCB2TI]
Our troy-built 382cc has been consuming spark plugs faster than any other gas-engine equipment at home and especially during winter. The carbon build-up is really fast but the mower is still working great. What do you think is the problem? I haven’t had time bringing it to mechanic yet. The mower is 6 year old. Thank you
I apologize for not seeing your comment sooner. For my 20 year old MTD snowblower, I think I only replaced the spark plug twice. However, I’ve seen some sites recommend replacing the spark plugs once a year. I’ve also seen others suggest removing the spark plug when you’re storing the snowblower during the non-Winter months.
Honestly though, the only three things I did for my gas snow blower was 1) never used gasoline with ethanol, 2) always shut-off the gas line, and 3) start the snowblower once or twice during the summer.