The battle for battery-powered electric lawnmower dominance has been waging. Ever since lithium-powered batteries became powerful enough to tackle the job of cutting the grass, all-electric brands such as Ego, Greenworks, and Ryobi have boomed, forcing traditional gas-powered brands such as Toro, Honda, and others to compete with electric models of their own.
That’s why we took two similar mowers from Honda and Ego Power+ that we reviewed separately and compared them here to see how a long-standing brand name stands up against a younger upstart. The irony is that Ego, as the newer brand, has been in the electric mower game for years longer than Honda.
We looked at the things most people care about: cut quality, ease of use, and battery runtime. Both examples are priced the same, selling for around $1,300 (though Ego tends to have deals that add a second battery). To be clear, both brands have models that are hundreds of dollars less expensive than the examples tested here.
Not surprisingly, overall design played a large role in our evaluation because how something is built ultimately determines how well it meets those other criteria.
Ego has several years of experience building cordless lawnmowers. This model (LM2206) takes a slight departure from the brand’s usual fare, using an aluminum cutting deck in place of the composite plastic that’s typically used.
Test editor Paul Smith, who has years of experience testing and using a wide range of outdoor equipment, noted in his test that while the aluminum deck made the Ego a bit heavy, he appreciated the sturdiness of the frame and found that it wasn’t too hard to lift in and out of his truck. Also, in this comparison, the LM2206 is lighter than the Honda HRX mower by 8 pounds.
Smith was most notably impressed by the self-propel system. “Ego’s Touch Drive system is more comfortable to use than some other self-propelled mowers,” he wrote. “You move the mower forward simply by resting your palms against the large pads embedded in the control handle, as opposed to squeezing a bar from below, as many self-propelled electric mowers do.”
The self-propelled drive can be comfortably activated with pads built into the hand, and the speed adjusted with a thumb dial.
In terms of cut quality, this mower uses a dual-blade system that Smith found to be clean and precise, especially when mowing in mulching mode—there was little clumping left behind.
It’s plenty powerful, too. In fact, Smith noted the Ego LM2206 has more motor torque (at 11 foot-pounds) than many comparable gas walk-behind mowers. Plus, because all that power goes directly from the motor to the blades, there are no belts or pulleys to worry about replacing.
This model uses a dual-blade system that helps cut grass into smaller-sized clippings, which is ideal for mulching mode.
Meanwhile, the included 10-amp-hour battery provides decent runtime. Smith was able to cut his lawn in 45 minutes with power to spare. Another big advantage of using Ego batteries is that they can power any of Ego’s line of 56-volt cordless tools for the yard, such as string trimmers and leaf blowers.
In the end, the Ego Power+ LM2206 56-volt cordless lawnmower is fast, powerful, and thoughtfully designed with elements to add convenience. One example is the handle that folds forward and locks into place, and a secondary handle on the deck that makes it easy to lift and stand it on end to minimize the mower’s footprint in storage. It’s a truly competitive alternative to a gas-powered lawnmower.
Honda stopped selling gas-powered mowers toward the end of 2024, but the company is now getting back into the game with a new line of battery-powered lawnmowers. Deputy Editor and reviewer Colin Aylesworth got a chance to put the HRX-BE model to the test and had mixed feelings in the end.
He found that the cut quality of the mower (this also uses a dual-blade system) was excellent even in the face of an overgrown lawn. He also liked the built-in mulch mode door that eliminates the need for a plug that could get lost, as well as a rear-discharge mode that avoids the side-discharge problem of spraying grass clippings into your garden beds. Ego’s mower (and several others) offer side discharge instead.
Like the Ego mower, the Honda uses a dual-blade system to aid mulching mode. Unlike the Ego, the Honda can’t safely stand upright on its own to gain access to the underside of the deck.
Where things fell short was in the design. Though the plastic-composite deck is solidly put together and seems sturdier than that of other brands we’ve looked at, the dual-battery bay and motor housing on the top are among the largest he’d seen. Plus, the door does not stay open on its own, making insertion of the batteries awkward.
The main housing on top of the deck is rather large and bulbous, but it does have a dual battery bay, whereas the Ego mower only has one.
Meanwhile, Aylesworth found some other, more functional shortcomings in the design. “This mower lacks the ability to stand on end, as many other battery-powered mowers do,” he wrote. “While the handles do fold forward easily, they do not lock in that position like other mowers. Additionally, the rear discharge door stands out a bit from the back of the mower body, further preventing you from standing the mower vertically.” In contrast, the Ego’s handle folds forward, locks into place, and the entire mower can be set standing up, making it easy to store.
The mower we tested ships with a 12-amp-hour battery (though Honda provided us with two), which is one of the largest capacities you’ll see shipping with any cordless mower. One battery was enough to conquer a half-acre of grass, but buying an extra battery doesn’t come cheap. They cost $599 on their own. Honda also does not have an expansive line of cordless power tools that use its battery, so that’s a limitation in terms of battery versatility.
Overall, the Honda HRX-BE is great at the job of mowing the lawn, but could use some design improvements to make it an overall excellent user experience.
It might depend on what you care about the most. Though both mowers offer good cut quality, we felt the Honda left behind the better-looking lawn, though to be fair, the untrained eye might not notice the difference. When it comes to design and functionality, the Ego Power+ LM2206 is the winner here. It can be stored easily by standing vertically and is easy to lift using exterior handles. Meanwhile, it matches the runtime performance of Honda, even though the included battery is smaller, plus there are more options for Ego’s batteries across an ecosystem of cordless power tools.
Best Value
Easy to Use
Cleanest Cut
David is a Reviews Editor for Hearst’s Enthusiast Group, contributing to Popular Mechanics, Runner’s World, Bicycling, Best Products, and Biography. He has over 25 years of experience writing about and reviewing consumer electronics, kitchen appliances, DIY products, outdoor gear, and more. He also spent years covering the ever-changing world of online retail. To relax, he loves experimenting with new recipes, tweaking his smart home setup, and spending time outdoors on his bike or camping.
Colin Aylesworth attended Binghamton University and is a Deputy Editor with the Gear team at Popular Mechanics and Runner’s World, where he has been since 2022. Prior to joining Hearst Magazines, he worked for 11 years at U.S. News and World Report on the autos team.
His personal pursuits fit in well with the work he does for PM and RW. Aylesworth was on his college’s club rowing team and has maintained a routine running habit through most of his adult life as a means of getting exercise and spending time outdoors. Running creates a hearty appetite, which brings us to Popular Mechanics. That publication's expertise in the area of grilling is relatable to Aylesworth, who is an adherent to charcoal grilling. In fact, he’s been primarily using the same Weber charcoal kettle he bought on Craigslist in 2012.
Aylesworth also has experience in the lawn mower industry. Not only has he been mowing his and neighbor’s lawns during adolescence, one of his more recent endeavors is a side gig of repairing and restoring gas lawn mowers given up by their previous owners. Since joining PM, he has gotten more involved with the publication’s mower testing efforts and especially enjoys testing out new electric and zero turn mowers.
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