Sun Joe 24V-X2-17LM-CT Mulching Lawn Mower w/Grass Catcher, Tool Only

This is the third Sun Joe mower that I have owned and the first of this model Sun Joe 24V-X2-17LM Mulching Lawn Mower w/Grass Catcher, Kit (w/ 2X 4.0-Ah Battery and Charger). The two previous Sun Joe lawnmowers were the same model (Sun Joe iON16LM 40-Volt 16-Inch Brushless Cordless Lawn Mower). In this review, I will frequently compare the two.

All around this model (Sun Joe 24V-X2-17LM) is a better mower.

— It comes with two batteries and a dual charger (as opposed to 1 battery and single charger for the iON16LM model).

— Both batteries are inserted at the same time, so you have pretty good power (for an electric mower). For me, this allows about an hour of mowing time. For my small suburban yard (2800 square feet) this is enough if I mow weekly.

— The safety key that comes with the mower is better designed. (In addition to age, the safety key and the slot it plugged into both broke on the first mower, which caused me to purchase a second one).

— The flap at the back of the mover is made of a heavy-grade rubber-like material.

In addition, these Pros apply to the Sun Joe mowers I have owned:

— It is relatively light.

— The handle can be folded down.

— Like my previous Sun Joe push lawn mowers, this model took longer to roll out into the yard than it did to put it together. “Put it together” might be overstating the effort, as all you need to do is rotate the base of the handle assembly up and tighten the knobs on the lawnmower body. Then you put two screws (included) into the middle of the handle frame and add two plastic cable clips to hold close the cable running up one side of the handle.

— It includes the mulching plug. When I got this model, the mulching plug was already in place but is easy to remove if you wish to use the grass collection bag to the lawnmower. (I use the mulching plug, which I had to buy separately for the other model that I had.)

Cons:

To me, there are two cons about this mower (and the previous two Sun Joe mowers that I had):

— The cutting width is smaller than even a basic gas mower.

— If you use the grass collection bag, it is small and will need to be emptied a few times for each yard mowing.

— An additional con is that the approximately 5-year lifetime cost of the mower is probably a bit more than the lifetime cost of a well-taken care of cheap gas mower, even if you include the cost of gas over that time. However, across four or five years that difference will be small.

Personally, I can live with these cons as I do not use the clipping collection bag and I do not have to buy gas for a mower and remember to drain the gas in the fall to protect a gas mower’s engine. This product is mostly plastic as another reviewer pointed out, but based on my experience with Sun Joes’ lawnmowers, I expect that if the lawnmower and its batteries are treated properly, the batteries will be ok for four of five seasons and the mower itself will last longer than that if taken care of.