EGO Power+ LM2135SP Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Review: The Gas-Killer We’ve Been Waiting For?

For years, my weekend lawn care ritual was a noisy, smelly affair. It started with the frantic search for the gas can, followed by the messy process of pouring fuel and oil, and culminated in the dreaded pull-start sequence—a frustrating dance of yanking a cord until my shoulder ached and the neighborhood dogs started barking in protest. The roar of the engine, the choking fumes, the constant vibration… it was a chore I dreaded. I always dreamed of a mower that had the raw power to tackle my thick, often-neglected lawn but without the pollution and maintenance headaches of a traditional gas engine. The idea of a battery-powered mower seemed promising, but early models I’d seen felt more like toys, incapable of handling anything more than a perfectly manicured, postage-stamp-sized yard. I needed a real workhorse, something that could prove electric was not just a compromise, but an upgrade. That’s what started my search, and it’s what led me to put the EGO Power+ LM2135SP Self-Propelled Lawn Mower to the ultimate test.

What to Consider Before Buying a Walk-Behind Lawn Mower

A Walk-Behind Lawn Mower is more than just an item; it’s a key solution for maintaining a healthy, beautiful lawn, which in turn boosts your home’s curb appeal and creates a more enjoyable outdoor space. The primary benefit is control. Unlike ride-on mowers, a walk-behind offers precision for navigating flower beds, tight corners, and intricate landscaping. For homeowners with small to medium-sized yards (typically up to half an acre), it’s the most practical and efficient tool for the job. Choosing the right one means transforming a weekly chore from a source of dread into a satisfying, almost therapeutic, activity. It’s about achieving that perfect, clean cut without the excessive cost, storage demands, or maneuverability challenges of larger equipment.

The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing the weekly challenge of maintaining a suburban lot, a property with moderate slopes, or a yard dotted with obstacles like trees and garden beds. If you value low maintenance, reduced noise, and a cleaner environmental footprint, a battery-powered model like the EGO is particularly appealing. However, it might not be suitable for those with extremely large properties (over an acre) where a riding mower would be more efficient, or for those on a very tight budget who might consider a basic corded or manual reel mower for a tiny patch of grass. If your needs are very minimal, a simpler push mower might suffice, but if you have any inclines or a larger area to cover, the self-propelled feature becomes a near necessity to save your back and energy.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Space: Consider the mower’s cutting width, or “deck size.” A 21-inch deck, like the one on the EGO, is a sweet spot for efficiency on medium lawns, reducing the number of passes you need to make. Also, think about storage. One of the biggest advantages of modern electric mowers is their ability to fold up and store vertically, a game-changer for anyone with a crowded garage.
• Capacity/Performance: For battery mowers, this comes down to voltage (V) and amp-hours (Ah). Voltage is like the engine’s horsepower, while amp-hours are the gas tank’s size. The EGO’s 56V system with a 7.5Ah battery is a formidable combination, designed to provide long runtimes and power comparable to gas engines. Also, consider the cutting height range; a wide range allows you to adapt to different grass types and seasonal growth.
• Materials & Durability: Mower decks are typically made of steel or a high-impact polymer/plastic. Steel is heavier and more durable against direct impacts but can rust. Modern polymer decks, while lighter, are engineered to be incredibly tough and will never rust. Look at user feedback regarding the durability of wheels, handles, and adjustment levers, as these are frequent points of wear.
• Ease of Use & Maintenance: This is where battery mowers shine. Look for features like push-button start, single-lever height adjustment, and intuitive controls. The absence of gas, oil, spark plugs, and filters eliminates nearly all traditional engine maintenance. The only long-term care involves charging the battery, sharpening the blades, and keeping the underside of the deck clean.

Ultimately, choosing the right walk-behind mower is about matching the machine’s capabilities to your lawn’s specific demands and your personal preferences for convenience and power.

While the EGO Power+ LM2135SP Self-Propelled Lawn Mower is an excellent choice, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:

First Impressions: Unboxing a Modern Mowing Machine

The EGO Power+ LM2135SP Self-Propelled Lawn Mower arrived in a large, sturdy box, and from the moment we opened it, the experience felt premium. Unlike the frustrating assembly required by some mowers, the EGO was practically ready to go. We simply had to unfold the handle, lock it into place with the intuitive green levers, and slide the massive 7.5Ah ARC Lithium battery into its compartment. The battery itself has a substantial, high-quality feel and features a built-in power gauge, which is a fantastic touch. The mower’s design is sleek and almost futuristic, with a combination of tough polymer, gray metal bars, and EGO’s signature green accents. It looks less like a clunky yard tool and more like a piece of high-performance equipment. The single lever for adjusting the deck height through its 7 positions moves with a satisfying, solid click. Even the bright LED headlights give it a modern, functional aesthetic that you won’t find on your old gas mower. Right out of the box, it’s clear that this machine is designed for ease of use and aims to deliver on its promise of making lawn care simpler. To get the full picture, we wanted to see its full feature set and user reviews before our first mow.

Deep Dive: Performance Under Pressure

A mower can look great and have an impressive spec sheet, but the real test is how it performs on an actual lawn—with its bumps, thick patches, and challenging corners. We put the EGO Power+ LM2135SP Self-Propelled Lawn Mower through its paces on a quarter-acre lot with a mix of thick St. Augustine grass and a few pesky inclines to see if its performance truly lives up to the hype.

The Heart of the Beast: 56V ARC Lithium Power and Runtime

The core of any cordless tool is its battery, and the 7.5Ah ARC Lithium battery included with this kit is an absolute powerhouse. EGO claims over 60 minutes of runtime, and in our testing, this proved to be an accurate, even conservative, estimate under normal conditions. We started with a full charge and tackled our lawn at a medium height setting (level 4), utilizing the self-propel feature about 70% of the time. After mowing both the front and back yards, a process that took about 45 minutes, the battery indicator still showed two out of five bars of charge remaining. This confirmed what many users have found: for lawns up to half an acre, a single charge is typically more than enough.

One user with a large, roughly 9,000 sq ft yard noted they couldn’t finish on a single charge. This is an important data point. Runtime is heavily influenced by grass thickness, height, and how much you rely on the self-propel drive. In our experience, when we hit a particularly dense and overgrown patch of St. Augustine, we could audibly hear the brushless motor ramp up its power to avoid bogging down—a fantastic feature that demonstrates its “gas-like power,” but one that also draws more energy. This mower is genuinely capable of heavy-duty work, as one reviewer stated, noting it “outperforms my gas mower in deep grass.” The included rapid charger is another huge plus. It took the partially depleted battery back to a full charge in under an hour, meaning that even if you do run out of juice, you won’t be waiting half the day to finish the job. This robust power system is what truly allows the EGO Power+ LM2135SP Self-Propelled Lawn Mower to compete with and often surpass its gas-guzzling counterparts.

A Cut Above: The Select Cut Multi-Blade System in Action

Perhaps the most innovative feature of the EGO Power+ LM2135SP Self-Propelled Lawn Mower is its Select Cut multi-blade system. This isn’t just a marketing gimmick; it’s a genuine leap forward in cut quality for electric mowers. The system uses two stacked blades: a lower blade for the main cut and an upper blade that slices the clippings into much finer pieces. The kit comes with two interchangeable lower blades: a high-lift bagging blade and an extended runtime/mulching blade. We tested both extensively.

With the mulching blade installed, the results were exceptional. As one user with a mango tree happily reported, the mower pulverized fallen leaves into a “fine powder” that disappeared back into the lawn. We observed the same effect. There were no clumps or trails of grass left behind, even in taller sections, which is a common failure point for lesser mulching mowers. The cut was clean, even, and professional-looking. Switching to the high-lift bagging blade, we found the suction to be incredibly powerful. It pulled grass blades upright for a precise cut and packed the 2-bushel collection bag tightly from back to front. The lawn looked manicured and pristine. This dual-blade system provides the kind of lift and cutting efficiency that many users, including us, feel gives a “neat cut” that’s a clear improvement over single-blade designs. While one user mentioned seeing streaks, we didn’t experience this, suggesting it might be related to mowing speed or ensuring a slight overlap on each pass—a standard practice for achieving a flawless finish. The versatility to switch between optimized mulching and bagging is a feature that really sets it apart.

Effortless Mowing? A Closer Look at Touch Drive Self-Propel

The Touch Drive Self-Propelled Technology is designed for ultimate convenience. Instead of a clunky bail bar, you simply press one of two palm paddles located on the handle to engage the wheels, and a dial in the center lets you set your maximum walking speed (from a slow 0.9 MPH crawl to a brisk 3.1 MPH walk). In open, straight lines, the system is a joy to use. It allows you to operate the mower with one hand and adjust your pace on the fly.

However, this is also the feature that generates the most mixed feedback, and we can understand why. Several users described the engagement as “jerky” or “unsettling,” noting that it’s easy to accidentally hit the paddles when maneuvering in tight spots, causing the mower to lurch forward. We found this to be true during our first few minutes of use. There is a slight learning curve to modulating the pressure for a smooth start. Furthermore, like many self-propelled mowers, disengaging the drive can cause the rear wheels to momentarily lock if you try to pull the mower backward immediately. This can be frustrating when navigating around trees or garden beds. We found the best technique was to give it a slight push forward before pulling back, which releases the gear mechanism. While the system could be more refined, once we got used to its sensitivity, the benefits of the variable speed and effortless propulsion on hills far outweighed the initial quirks. It’s a powerful and valuable feature, but one that requires a bit of finesse from the operator.

What Other Users Are Saying

After our own extensive testing, we dug into a wide range of user feedback to see how our experience compared to the broader community of owners. The consensus is overwhelmingly positive, with many, like us, calling the machine a “beast” that “exceeded my expectations.” One owner, who switched to electric to easily transport a mower to their vacation home, praised its power and convenience. Another who was tired of being unable to start their old gas mower called the EGO “honestly the best lawnmower ever” because of its simple push-button start and maintenance-free operation.

The praise isn’t universal, however, and the criticisms we found mirror some of the minor issues we encountered. The most common complaint centers on the jerky or overly sensitive nature of the Touch Drive self-propel system, with one reviewer stating it “tends to lock up the wheels so you cannot roll the mower backward.” Another point of contention is the build quality. While the motor and battery are lauded for their power, some users feel the extensive use of plastic makes the mower feel “flimsy” or “fragile,” with one experiencing a crack in the deck housing. A user also pointed out that the hand grips showed significant wear after only a month and a half. These critiques are valid and highlight a trade-off: the lightweight polymer construction makes the mower maneuverable and rust-proof, but it may not feel as rugged as an old-school steel-deck gas mower.

How Does the EGO Power+ LM2135SP Compare to the Alternatives?

The EGO Power+ LM2135SP Self-Propelled Lawn Mower is a premium machine, but it’s important to know what other options exist. We’ve looked at three popular alternatives to see how they stack up and who might be a better fit for each.

1. BLACK+DECKER 3-in-1 Mower, Trimmer & Edger

The BLACK+DECKER 3-in-1 is in a completely different category, and it’s essential to understand its purpose. This is an ultra-compact, corded unit designed for very small yards, townhouses, or patches of grass where a full-size mower would be overkill. Its key selling point is versatility; it functions as a 12-inch push mower, but the main body detaches to become a string trimmer and edger. This is not a competitor to the EGO in terms of power, cutting width, or battery freedom. However, for a user with minimal storage space, a tiny lawn, and a tight budget who also needs a trimmer, this all-in-one solution offers incredible value. If your “lawn” is more of a small grassy area, this is a much more practical choice.

2. Greenworks 40V 16″ Brushless Push Lawn Mower 4.0Ah

The Greenworks 40V model is a step up from the BLACK+DECKER and a direct, albeit smaller, competitor in the cordless space. As a 16-inch push mower (not self-propelled), it’s aimed at homeowners with small to medium-sized, relatively flat lawns. The 40V system is less powerful than EGO’s 56V platform, and the 16-inch deck means you’ll be making more passes to cover the same area. The primary reason to choose this mower over the EGO would be cost and existing tool compatibility. It’s a significantly more affordable entry into cordless mowing, and if you already own other Greenworks 40V tools, sharing batteries is a major convenience. It’s a solid, budget-friendly battery option for those who don’t need the self-propelled power or wide cutting path of the EGO.

3. Greenworks 80V 21″ Self-Propelled Lawn Mower

This Greenworks 80V model is the most direct competitor to the EGO Power+ LM2135SP Self-Propelled Lawn Mower. It matches the 21-inch deck size and includes the crucial self-propelled feature. The 80V battery platform delivers immense power, rivaling EGO’s 56V system, and many users report excellent performance and runtime. The choice between the Greenworks 80V and the EGO often comes down to brand ecosystem, specific features, and price. The EGO’s Select Cut multi-blade system is a unique advantage for superior mulching and bagging, and its Touch Drive controls are arguably more advanced, if a bit sensitive. Conversely, some users might prefer the traditional bail bar system on the Greenworks. This is a top-tier alternative for someone looking for gas-level power and who might already be invested in the Greenworks 80V line of tools.

Our Final Verdict: Is the EGO LM2135SP Worth It?

After weeks of testing and careful consideration, our conclusion is clear: the EGO Power+ LM2135SP Self-Propelled Lawn Mower is a phenomenal piece of lawn care technology that successfully bridges the gap between the convenience of electric and the raw power of gas. Its Select Cut multi-blade system delivers one of the finest cuts we’ve ever seen from a battery mower, producing a healthy, professionally manicured lawn whether you choose to mulch or bag. The 7.5Ah battery provides more than enough runtime for the vast majority of suburban lawns, and the quiet, emission-free operation is a welcome change from its noisy, gas-powered ancestors.

It’s not without its minor flaws; the self-propel system has a learning curve, and the polymer construction, while lightweight and durable, might not satisfy those who prefer the heft of a steel deck. However, these are small trade-offs for the immense power, convenience, and outstanding results this mower delivers. We recommend it without hesitation to any homeowner with a lawn up to half an acre who is ready to ditch the hassle of gas and invest in a premium, high-performance mowing experience. If you’re ready to make your lawn the envy of the neighborhood with less noise and no fumes, we highly encourage you to check the latest price and availability for the EGO LM2135SP and upgrade your weekend routine for good.