Sun Joe 24V-X2-17LM Review
The Best Cordless Mower for Small Yards
The Sun Joe 24V-X2-17LM is a 42.6 lb 17 inch cordless mower built for lawns under 5,000 sq ft. Amazon lists 25 minutes of runtime, but owners who timed it report 45 to 60 minutes, making it the rare mower that beats its own spec sheet.
The verdict
Finding a cordless mower where owners report double the published runtime is unusual. The Sun Joe 24V-X2-17LM manages it, and the gap is so wide it is worth leading with.
Amazon lists up to 25 minutes. At $299.99 with two 24V 4.0Ah batteries and a 4.4 star rating from 2,119 reviews, the mower would still look reasonable at 25 minutes. Owners who timed it got a lot more.
What owners actually measured
James and Becky E timed theirs with a stopwatch. Fifty to fifty two minutes non stop with almost no power loss at the end, cutting thick grass around 6 inches tall. Two hundred and fifty four people found that review helpful. A year later they updated it to say the batteries still held charge and still gave over an hour.
Matthew N reports a little over an hour, enough for his quarter to third of an acre. Cassie N.Ahwazi measured 45 minutes to an hour on just under an acre. Binda T reports more than an hour. Aka329 ran it flat once at about 35 minutes on hills and rough terrain.
One owner landed near the official figure. Pat Daddy got 25 minutes through tall grass and nearly finished a whole back yard. Reading the reports together, 25 minutes looks like a worst case figure for thick or tall grass, and normal conditions land closer to 45 to 60 minutes.
Check it before you use it
Two owners found assembly faults serious enough to flag here.
R. Stone received a unit with the height adjustment linkage assembled wrongly, the control arm fitted on the wrong side of the axle, plastic broken from being forced, and the cotter pin legs snipped off to hide it. He noted reviews had reported the same fault for roughly a year before his arrived. Fifty three people found his review helpful.
Brian Rickert found the rear wheels installed backwards out of the box, waited over 20 minutes on hold, was told to call back later, and fixed it himself.
Check the height linkage and the rear wheel orientation before the first cut. Both faults are visible and both are fixable, and catching them early avoids damage.
The tall grass problem
No side discharge chute comes on this mower, so in tall grass the deck packs up when mulching. James and Becky E worked out a fix: mow the first pass with the front wheels lifted, which takes the top off, then go over it again normally.
The 11 gallon bag has a fill indicator window, which helps, but Cassie N.Ahwazi finds it small and needing frequent emptying. She also had the blade bolt work loose and had to hand tighten it, which is worth checking at the start of each season on any mower.
Durability
One review stands out. ivars upatnieks has had his four years in the Florida Keys, where salt air and heat normally destroy equipment in about a year. Still going.
Depanneur offers the counterweight, describing the all plastic structure as feeling a little fragile and fine on even ground. Both can be true. Keep it on reasonable ground and store it indoors, which at 42.6 lbs is easy.
The warranty is better than the price suggests. Two years covering both batteries, extendable up to three more years on registration. Only EGO beats that in our lineup.
Who should buy it
Lawns under about 5,000 sq ft. A 17 inch deck means more passes than a 21 inch mower, but on a small lot the lighter weight and lower price are worth more than width.
Gabriel Hayes uses a third of the battery per mow across three small lawns, which gives you a sense of the scale it suits. Aka329 confirms the obvious: at this weight, self-propel is unnecessary and the charger being slow matters less when one charge covers several cuts.
A 15 inch version sells for $259.99 if your lot is smaller still.
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What stands out
- Owners repeatedly time 45 to 60 minutes against a 25 minute published spec
- 42.6 lbs, so self-propel is unnecessary
- Warranty covers both batteries for 2 years and extends to 5 on registration
- 2,119 reviews with 71 percent at five star
- One owner is four years in, in Florida Keys salt air and heat
What to watch
- No side discharge, so the deck packs up in tall grass
- Repeated reports of assembly faults out of the box, with the height linkage and rear wheels fitted wrong
- Sold by a third party rather than Amazon, with 30 day returns
- Charge takes about 2 hours and the charger is not rapid
- The 11 gallon bag needs emptying often
Full specification
| Cutting width, inches | 17 |
|---|---|
| Voltage | 48V from two 24V batteries |
| Battery included | Two 24V 4.0Ah, dual port charger |
| Runtime, minutes | 45 to 60 |
| Charge time | About 2 hours, not a rapid charger |
| Cutting heights | 1 to 3 inches, 6 positions |
| Drive | Push |
| Grass bag capacity | 11 gallon with a fill indicator window |
| Mulching | Yes. No side discharge |
| Weight, lbs | 42.6 |
| Suits lawns up to | Up to 1/3 acre |
| Warranty | 2 years including both batteries, extendable up to 3 more years on registration |
Buy it if
Your lawn is under about 5,000 sq ft, you want something light, and $299.99 is the right budget.
Skip it if
Your grass gets tall between cuts. With no side discharge and a 17 inch deck, you will be clearing the housing.
Questions people ask
How long does the Sun Joe 24V-X2-17LM really run?
Far longer than the 25 minute figure on Amazon. Two owners timed 50 to 52 minutes non stop in roughly 6 inch grass. Another reports a little over an hour, and a fourth measured 45 minutes to an hour on just under an acre. The 25 minute figure looks like a worst case for tall thick grass.
Is the Sun Joe powerful enough without self-propel?
Yes, at 42.6 lbs. One owner says plainly that it is light enough that self-propel is unnecessary, and others describe pushing it one handed.
What should I check when the Sun Joe arrives?
The height adjustment linkage and the rear wheel orientation. One owner received a unit with the control arm fitted on the wrong side of the axle and plastic broken from being forced. Another found the rear wheels installed backwards out of the box.
Can the Sun Joe handle tall grass?
Not well, because there is no side discharge chute and the deck packs up when mulching. One owner mows the first pass with the front wheels lifted, then goes over it again normally.
How long do the Sun Joe batteries last before replacement?
One owner in the Florida Keys is four years in and still mowing, in salt air and heat that normally destroys equipment within a year. Another reported after a year that the batteries still held charge and he still got over an hour.
