Greenworks 48V 17 Inch Review

Every cordless mower comes with a proprietary charger that does one job and takes up a shelf. Greenworks did something about it on this 17 inch model, fitting a 65W dual port USB-C charger with two 3 ft cables. Nothing else in the cordless category charges from a standard USB-C cable.

Good idea. The problem is which listing you are buying from.

The older version is the better buy

Two Greenworks 17 inch variants sit on the same page. The new model, reviewed here, sells for $382.16 and carries 110 ratings at 4.0 stars. The older 17 inch variant sells for $239.99 against a $379.99 list price, carries 2,512 reviews and holds the Amazon Choice badge.

Paying $142.17 more for a far smaller review base is a hard sell. USB-C charging is the only clear reason to pick the new one, and for most buyers that will not be worth $142.17.

The folding problem

Kyle King reports that the new model does not fold. His unit has no levers and no fold, with plastic nuts holding the handles instead.

What makes his review worth flagging is everything that told him otherwise. The listing photos show folded handles. The printed manual shows them. The box shows them. The quick start guide instructs you to fold back the handle. He bought the mower specifically for folding storage and cannot fit it in his garage.

Three people found that review helpful, which is a small number, so treat it as one owner experience rather than a confirmed pattern. Check the handles when yours arrives and return it inside the window if folding matters to you.

Power is the real limit

Owner reports split cleanly on power, which fits a 17 inch deck running on two 4.0Ah batteries.

On the positive side, Barb in Michigan finished her corner lot with plenty of battery left and finds it mulches well, reckoning it pays for itself in under one season against her old lawn service. Rock uses it as a trim mower for spots his lawn tractor cannot reach and was impressed by its power in tall grass, with both batteries recharging within an hour. K. Lowe reports good battery life, quiet but powerful, and fine on slightly wet grass.

On the other side, j giorgi is blunt. For two batteries he thinks it should be more powerful than it is, and says that if the grass is longer than normal the mower will die many times. Bob does not think the batteries last very long. Eva, mowing in Germany, gets enough runtime for 500 m² provided the grass is not too high.

The pattern is consistent. Keep on top of the grass and it does the job. Let it get away from you and it will stall.

Know what you are buying

Tommy Reidy assumed the twin handle bars meant self-propel. They do not. Both handles work together to keep the blade running, and the mower is a push model. At 36.4 lbs that is no hardship, and it is among the lightest here.

Highlander notes the blade is a bit flimsy. A 3 year limited warranty covers both the tool and the battery, which is good at this price, and the batteries work with over 200 Greenworks 24V tools.

Who should buy it

Trim mowing is the honest use case. If you run a tractor or a bigger mower for the main lawn and need something light for the awkward corners, Rock proves the point.

Small flat lawns work too, provided you cut weekly. And if the idea of charging a lawn mower from the same cable as your laptop appeals, this is currently the only way to do it.

For everyone else, the older 17 inch Greenworks at $239.99 does the same job with 2,512 reviews behind it, and the Sun Joe at $299.99 gives you a longer runtime and a warranty that covers both batteries.

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