Greenworks G24X2LM36 Cordless Lawn Mower review

Greenworks might not be as well-known for lawnmowers as a brand such as Flymo or Bosch, but they do offer quite a large range when it comes to the best lawn mowers. They come in 24V, 40V, 48V (which actually uses two 24V batteries) and 60V. Greenworks, unlike other manufacturers started out making battery-powered tools, rather than moving into the technology from other areas. 

The Greenworks G24X2LM36 Cordless Lawn Mower fits into the middle of the Greenworks range and at 48v is powerful while allowing you to stay on Greenworks’ 24V battery system. With a 36cm cutting diameter, this mower is designed for medium-sized gardens and people who need a bit more ‘grunt’ than they could get with a smaller mower. 

We tested it on a few different lawns to find out how well it performed and we were quite pleased with the results. It did a good job with just a single cut and left a tidy result that was only marred by its tyre tracks. We also like how easy battery power makes mowing the lawn and doubt that there will be very many people who lament the loss of an electrical cable trailing around behind them. However, there are a few build quality issues that we think you need to factor in before you commit. 

Greenworks G24X2LM36 Cordless Lawn Mower Specifications 

• Voltage: 48V (2 x 24V) 
• Motor: Brushed 
• Weight: 18 kg 
• Cutting width: 36 cm 
• Variable speed: No 
• Deck material: Plastic 
• Cutting actions: Mulching, rear collection 
• Height adjustment: Central 
• Cutting height: 20-70 mm 
• No. of cutting heights: 5 
• Foldable handlebar: Yes 
• Collector bag: 40 litres
• Runtime (2Ah): Up to 14 min 
• Runtime (4Ah): Up to 28 min

Who tested this lawn mower?

Steve Bradley

Steve has written (or co-written) over 40 practical gardening books, and along with his wife Val (also a qualified horticulturist) was commissioned to update some of the world’s best-selling gardening books, The Expert series, originally written by Dr David Hessayon.

Steve and Val have worked for the Sun newspaper since 2002, writing the Gardening page with the late Peter Seabrook and answering hundreds of readers’ letters every year. Over the years, Steve has also written for most of the popular UK gardening magazines. He has a vast knowledge of gardening and enjoys sharing it with listeners on BBC local radio. 

Unboxing the Greenworks G24X2LM36 and first impressions

When you open the box of the Greenworks G24X2LM36 Cordless Lawn Mower you are greeted with the body of the mower, the handle bar in two sections, two batteries and two chargers. The grass box, although it’s probably more accurate to call it a bag (more on that later) was laid on top. There is also the standard documentation covering the mower, batteries and chargers. 

We thought everything was well packed and protected without there being too much excess packaging.  We were slightly disappointed to see a lot of plastic packaging, especially around the smaller items. Companies such as Ryobi supply their batteries in card boxes (that can be recycled) and we would have preferred to see that rather than plastic bags and bubble wrap. 

We thought the build quality was adequate, although the mower does not really feel like a premium product. Most parts felt fairly solid, but we did feel that the quality of the plastic let the mower down. It was very scratchy and soft and will mark up quickly. We also noticed that the finish on areas such as the battery cover were not as good as they could have been. 

One thing that we did think was quite interesting about the Greenworks G24X2LM36 Cordless Lawn Mower was the fact that the mower came with two chargers. The mower runs on two batteries which both have to be used at the same time, unlike other mowers where you can use one or both. So two chargers allow you to charge the batteries simultaneously. 

Getting started with the Greenworks G24X2LM36 lawn mower 

The great thing about the Greenworks G24X2LM36 Cordless Lawn Mower is that it needs very little assembly. Big sigh of relief! The body of the machine is complete and the only other thing required is to connect the two parts of the handle together and then lock it in place. Unlike other mowers we have tried such as the ****, there were no tools required and the entire process only took us about five minutes. 

We were slightly disappointed at the screws and plastic nuts that held the upper section of the handle bar to the lower section. These felt and bit small and fiddly and one of them took a bit of messing about with to get it in place. In this case, bigger might have been better. 

Once the handlebar had been assembled and locked in place, all that was left was to attach the grass box/bag. While many mowers have rigid plastic boxes (Stihl and Flymo) or a combination of rigid plastic and canvas (Ryobi and Cobra), this was entirely canvas (lined with flexible plastic) wrapped around a square frame. So it's probably best described as a box-shaped bag and it hooks on very easily with the flap at the rear of the mower resting on the top, which is pretty standard across all the main manufacturers.

What its like to use 

Using the Greenworks G24X2LM36 Cordless Lawn Mower is very straightforward, just pop in a couple of batteries and you’re off. The experience is very comparable to any other battery-powered mower on the market. 

One thing we noticed immediately was the deep grooves left by the wheels in the lawn, which where still visible 24 hours later. While this did not cause any damage, it does give an indication of the weight of the mower. This is an issue that would be made even worse if you opted for the heavier batteries. We actually think if a mower weighs this much then it might as well use it to its advantage and have a roller on the back to put stripes on the lawn. 

One thing we had very mixed feelings about was the foam-covered handle bar. We like this as an idea and think that it will make mowing more comfortable. However, the quality of the foam covering is not particularly impressive and we do not think it will last for much of the life of the mower.  We were also not overly impressed by the trigger handle to operate the mower. It felt flimsy and poor quality and has quite a ‘waggle’ on it.  

An area that also proved slightly difficult to use was the grass box. It has a full width opening without any kind of lip at the bottom which means that, when it’s full and you come to unclip it, grass immediately spills out. We found that it was impossible not to spill clippings each time we removed it.

Ease of use

Overall, the Greenworks G24X2LM36 Cordless Lawn Mower is very easy to use and it takes no effort to get an even cut first time. It is operated using a green handle with a safety lock on the right of the handle bar and, while it was a bit flimsier than we would have liked, it was perfectly acceptable. 

One feature we were very pleased to see was the blade height adjuster. A small lever by the front wheel allows the cut height to be raised or lowered in a few seconds. This is both far easier and far safer than having to take the blade off and add or remove spacers.

On balance, we don’t like the handlebars. There is nothing wrong with them per se, in fact they are made from thicker steel than the Flymo Easiglide Plus 330V and their height and angle can also be adjusted quite easily. However having to undo two fiddly bolts to fold them down is annoying and we vastly prefer the handle bars on the Ryobi 40cm Cordless Brushless Lawn Mower which feature a folding telescopic design that can be adjusted using two plastic clips. We think this sort of design is more user-friendly and should be adopted by other manufacturers. 

In terms of storage, we don’t feel Greenworks G24X2LM36 Cordless Lawn Mower was the best mower we’ve seen. Models such as the Flymo Easistore 340R (the clue is in the name) can be folded down and stored vertically. The Greenworks doesn’t offer this and, while the handles do fold down to reduce the overall size, it still has a large footprint compared to other models. If you have limited space in your shed or garage, we think this is something you should consider.

 Additional accessories 

We think the most important accessory you will need with this mower, if you don’t already have them, is the larger-sized batteries. We think that, over time, they will work out to be a lot more convenient than the smaller ones.  

How does it rate online?

The online reviews for the Greenworks G24X2LM36 Cordless Lawn Mower were largely very positive. On Amazon, the mower received an average rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars across 692 reviews at the time of writing. Many people praised the convenience of battery power over mains electric or petrol.

There were a few comments about the weight. Some people were concerned about the tracks left on the lawn while others thought it made the mower feel ‘reassuringly solid’, so it really does depend on your priorities.

The main criticism (aside from the few people who had problems with orders) were down to the short life of the batteries. There were also a number of comments regarding the build quality, including one person who had managed to snap off the plastic flap on the back of the mower. 

Final verdict: Should you buy the Greenworks G24X2LM36 lawn mower?

We actually thought the user ratings for this lawn mower were higher than we expected. Not that we thought it deserved only 1 or 2 stars, far from it, but we did think it was quite an average product overall. We are only prepared to give it 3.5 out 5. 

We tested it on several different grass types and felt that it performed satisfactorily. It gave a clean cut the first time and did not feel overly taxed. Its grass collection was quite good and certainly a lot better than you would expect to see from a comparatively-sized hover mower. 

We have concerns about the quality of the plastics used and the durability of areas such as the foam on the handlebars. We just can’t see these areas lasting well over prolonged use. We have also seen mowers of a comparable size that store better with better-designed handlebars. 

If you are already on the Greenworks battery system then, while it does have its issues, there is nothing particularly serious and certainly not enough to warrant committing to a new battery system. It will give you a good cut and, so long as you are aware of the limitations of battery life, it will serve most people with small to medium sized gardens well. 

However, if you are not on the Greenworks battery system then it may be worth continuing to look around, unless you are offered a very good deal. There are other mowers on the market that feel better made and have better features. There are also other battery systems which power more tools and give you more choice than Greenworks currently offer.  

About this review, and this reviewer

In line with how we test at Ideal Home, this Greenworks mower was tested at home by gardening expert Steve Bradley before he came to the conclusions in this review.