Kobalt 80v Self Propelled Mower Review [Kobalt vs Greenworks, DeWalt, and EGO Lawn Mowers]

If you are the type of person who doesn’t like to get stuck in messy situations handling gas or fuel and you like battery-powered garden tools, the Kobalt 80V self propelled mower is something you should consider.

When dealing with a battery-powered lawn mower you want to make sure that it will keep a charge and will give you sufficient time to complete a mowing session. We will pit the Kobalt 80V mower against similar mowers in this Kobalt 80V 80V self propelled mower review to give you an idea of what this guy is capable of doing.

Kobalt 80V Self Propelled Mower Review

Kobalt 80V Self Propelled Mower Review Comparison Table

Kobalt 80V Self Propelled Mower Battery Power

Let’s start with the battery itself.

The Kobalt mower in this Kobalt 80V self propelled mower review comes with one 80-Volt Lithium-Ion battery which gives the mower up to 60 minutes of runtime. A charger is also included.

When it comes to Amp hours (Ah), you can use either a 2.5, 5, or 6Ah battery for this mower. Runtime will vary depending on the height of your grass during the mowing session.

The minimum amount of time it takes to fully charge the battery is 30 minutes, so you will be out in your yard soon enough!

Kobalt 80V Self Propelled Mower Adjustable Height Levels

The brushless motor of the Kobalt mower in this Kobalt 80V self propelled mower review is powerful and able to adjust to the various height levels you set the mower to.

You have 7 different heights to choose from when you make an adjustment. These levels will range from 1.25 inches to 4.375 inches.

These height adjustments are single-point, which means you only have to grab one lever and set it to the height level of your choice.

Self-Propelling

This is a feature that defines many lawn mowers, and for good reason. A self-propelled mower that has variable speed levels is a plus, and this mower has enough variety in that department.

The transitioning between speed levels is smooth, and all you have to do is turn a switch that either goes slow (tortoise icon) or fast (hare icon).

Located above this speed level switch is a large engagement pad that says “Self Propelled”, and you will have to press your thumb down on that pad to get the mower moving. It is different than a conventional drive bar, which honestly can give your hands better positioning.

Want to read more lawn mower reviews besides this Kobalt 80V self propelled mower review? Check out the best electric and gas lawnmowers under 300 and the 13 best zero turn mowers under 3000!

Kobalt 80V Self Propelled Mower Handle Positions

There are three positions that you can set the handle to.

This basically means that the Kobalt 80V in this Kobalt 80V self propelled mower review encourages customization of comfort, whether a short or tall person is operating the mower.

If you are of average height (like 5’ 8” tall, which I am), this may not be a big deal to you, but there are other people shorter or taller that need the option of adjusting the handle positions of their mowers.

Kobalt 80V Mower Auto-Sensing Technology

This technology makes automatic adjustments when it comes to motor performance for higher power or longer runtime.

Depending on the condition of your grass, which is always changing, this auto-sensing technology will make the appropriate changes.

Whenever the lawn mower hits something heavy enough that can’t be ignored, it will force itself to power through that hard object. It will drop back down to normal afterward. (Just make sure that hard object isn’t something like a golf ball. That will harm any mower!)

Kobalt 80V Mower Discharge Options

Though it won’t directly say it in its description, the Kobalt 80V is basically a 3-in-1 type of lawn mower.

All three standard discharge options are present here as you can either mulch, bag, or side discharge your excess clippings. It is always a good thing when a mower gives you more than one discharge option.

Battery-Powered Mower Maintenance

One huge benefit of owning a battery-powered mower is that you don’t have to deal with gas and oil at all. Knowing this, there is very little you have to do in terms of maintenance.

Sharpening a lawn mower blade is an inevitable task no matter what kind of mower you have, but for mowers like this one in our Kobalt 80V self propelled mower review, it is critical to keep the blade sharp. Otherwise, dull blades can negatively impact battery life.

Noise? (What Noise?)

If you prefer to have a quiet experience mowing a lawn, you will grow to appreciate the Kobalt in this Kobalt 80V self propelled mower review.

Because it has a brushless motor, this mower gives you the option of mowing your lawn either during the day or at night. Many other mowers don’t have this kind of flexibility. The Kobalt 80V measures in at a quiet 81 decibels under no load, which will give your ears some comfort.

Ease of Use

The good news about this Kobalt 80V self propelled mower review is that the Kobalt is generally easy to use.

It has good maneuverability, it only needs 30 minutes for each battery to charge, and the process of changing the blades on this mower is simple.

The one real knock against this mower?

It does not offer vertical storage space whatsoever. This means that if you prefer storing items in vertical positions, the Kobalt 80V self propelled mower won’t be your friend.

Thinking positively again, the initial setup of assembling this mower is very easy. You can take this thing right out of the box, adjust the handle, check the battery, put it to the mulching, bagging, or throwing configuration, and you are good to take on the yard.

The Competition in Our Kobalt 80V Self Propelled Mower Review

So how does the Kobalt 80V self-propelled mower stack up against similar lawn mowers that are battling for your attention?

For starters, three of the competing mowers on this list are in the Kobalt family, so there will be bragging rights among siblings at stake here. (This is all in good fun, though!)

It is easy to break down what the similarities and differences are between all of these mowers. It is up to you, the buyer, to decide which factors are most important to you.

Kobalt 80-Volt 21-in Push Cordless Electric Lawn Mower

Almost like a twin brother of sorts, the key difference between this mower and the main Kobalt in this Kobalt 80V self-propelled mower review lies in their names.

This is a mower that you have to push as it has no self-propelling functions whatsoever. For those of you who don’t mind pushing your lawn mower around during the hot summer season, this won’t be a problem.

However, what both the push and self-propelled models have in common is that they are around the same weight of 85 pounds, so if you easily get tired pushing a lawn mower, it would help to have a self-propelled function.

One interesting difference to note is the battery runtime.

• The Kobalt 80V Push Mower uses a fully charged 5.0 Ah battery that offers a maximum 80 minutes of runtime.
• The Self-propelled mower uses a fully charged 6.0 Ah battery that offers a maximum 60 minutes of runtime.

Pay attention to little details like these!

Kobalt 80-Volt Electric Lawn Mower with Mulching Capability

Here is the close cousin of the main mower in this Kobalt 80V self propelled mower review, which has more noticeable differences.

It is lighter in weight than the self-propelled model, and we are talking about a 25-pound difference here. However, this mower requires the use of two batteries instead of one. It runs on a pair of 2.0 Ah batteries to deliver its maximum power.

The charger that is included with this mower can fully charge the batteries within 30 minutes, so no time will be wasted. This mower is noted for its ability to cut through grass that is as tall as 30 to 36 inches, which is very impressive by electric lawn mower standards.

So what’s the kicker in differences?

This mower has an easy handle-folding system for either vertical storage or compact transportation. The self-propelled model doesn’t offer this.

What this mower has in common with the self-propelled model is that it also has a self-propelling feature.

It is a learning process when you release the self-propelled lever several inches before you wish to go in reverse, but this mower works the same as the self-propelled model.

Kobalt 40-Volt 20-in Cordless Electric Lawn Mower

And here’s the more distant cousin with more noticeable differences!

Though heavier than the close cousin, this mower is still 15 pounds lighter than the self-propelled model, weighing in at 70 pounds.

It runs on a 5.0 Ah battery with 80 minutes of runtime when fully charged, and it can cut up to 1/4 of an acre in a mowing session.

There is only 1″ width of difference when comparing the steel decks of this mower and the self-propelled mower in this Kobalt 80V self propelled mower review.

The key difference in these mowers traces back to the number of volts they have.

This 40-volt model will perform just as well as any 80-volt model but be prepared for its battery to get real hot after a certain amount of time.

One user review suggested that you put the battery in the freezer for as much as 15 minutes to cool it off before charging.

Then there is also the fact that it has a self-propelling feature, but using that feature will cause the battery the drain faster.

Greenworks 80V 21-in Cordless Push Lawn Mower

Now let’s go outside the Kobalt family and evaluate the other mowers in this Kobalt 80V self propelled mower review.

This mower made by Greenworks should rank at the top of your list for non-Kobalt mowers. The reasons for this are many.

It has 3-in-1 discharge capabilities with rear bag, side, and mulch. It has a runtime of 60 minutes when using 2 fully charged 2.0 Ah batteries.

The convincing feature of this mower is its Smart Cut Load Sensing technology. This technology will automatically adjust the mower’s power based on the height of the grass, which means you will get the ideal performance that you need.

Love the idea of vertical storage in your garage?

The Greenworks 80V Mower allows for that with a folding handle. The Kobalt 80V self propelled mower doesn’t.

When it comes to what type of batteries it takes, the Greenworks 80V Mower is more flexible as it accepts 2.0, 4.0, or 5.0 Ah batteries. You are restricted to only 6.0 Ah batteries with the Kobalt self-propelled mower.

There are many positives about the Greenworks 80V mower, including its push-button starting mechanism.

However, you may have issues with its mulching discharge if your grass is wet or damp. Plus, in the warranty department, Kobalt has Greenworks beat. A 5-year warranty on Kobalt mowers and 3-year warranty on its batteries, versus a 4-year warranty on Greenworks mowers and 1-year warranty on its batteries tell the story.

EGO Power+ 21-in 56-Volt Cordless Electric Mower

In the mood for something different in style and presentation?

EGO Power+ will give you variable speeds to work with in its self-propelling feature, which is a range of 0.9 to 3.1 miles per hour.

This mower runs on a pair of 56-Volt 5.0 Ah batteries and has the same 3-in-1 discharge capabilities as the Kobalt self-propelled model in this Kobalt 80V self propelled mower review.

On a single charge of the batteries, this mower has a respectable runtime of 80 minutes.

The one clear difference that sets this mower apart from the Kobalt 80V is the number of height adjustments that are available. The Kobalt 80V has 7 different positions to choose from, whereas this mower only has 6 different positions.

In these positions, you have a range from 1.5 inches to 4 inches in cutting height.

Would you like an electric lawn mower that can combine the power of any 2 lithium batteries?

The EGO power+ 56V mower can do just that by way of PeakPower technology. You can also breathe a sigh of relief when it comes to the weather because this mower’s rugged design of plastic and aluminum materials makes it weather resistant.

Lastly, the warranty offers are identical between EGO Power+ and Kobalt. Both mowers have a 5-year tool and 3-year battery warranty.

It can come down to pricing between these two. The Kobalt 80V self propelled mower is approx $100 cheaper than the EGO Power+ 56V Mower.

DEWALT 2x20V Lawn Mower

Once again, you can’t count out how valuable any lawn mower is if it has 3-in-1 discharge capabilities. This mower made by DeWalt has those capabilities too.

What is important to note about this mower, though, is that it only operates on a pair of 20-Volt MAX Lithium ion batteries, which is still good enough to cut 1/4 of an acre. If you have a small yard of under an acre, this mower will work well for you.

DeWalt’s mower has a single lever height adjustment that features a range from 1.5 to 3.4 inches. Its metal deck is 20 inches wide, but as we have seen before on this list, don’t let the 1-inch difference between this mower and the Kobalt 80V self propelled mower turn you away.

Unlike the Kobalt 80V, the DeWalt 2x20V has a folding handle and lift handles that will allow you to freely transport this mower. If you prefer compact storage of garden tools in your garage, DeWalt’s mower will lend you a hand there.

What may convince you to buy the DeWalt 2x20V over the Kobalt 80V is the price.

DeWalt’s mower costs about $600, and the Kobalt 80V costs about $650. That difference is minimal, but it could matter if you care about saving money.

Kobalt 80V Self Propelled Mower Review: Final Verdict

What is the final verdict in this Kobalt 80V self propelled mower review?

The short answer is that it is worth the investment if you have a small yard and you don’t have time to mess around with gas.

When stacked against the competition, the Kobalt 80V self propelled mower fares well when it comes to features an electric mower needs.

This is a mower that won’t give you any problems in maintenance, and its 7 different height adjustment levels give you the freedom to customize your mowing experience. When you have that freedom, the mowing session just flows and that is what you should be asking for in a lawn mower.

What are your thoughts on this Kobalt 80V self propelled mower review? Do you own a Kobalt mower? Do you own any of the other competing mowers? Leave us a comment down below and share your mowing experiences!

Last update on 2021-03-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API