The electric vs gas lawn mower question used to have an easy answer: gas for anything bigger than a postage stamp, corded electric for tiny lawns. That changed once 56V and 80V battery platforms arrived. A modern battery push mower runs about an hour, has a full-size 21-inch steel deck, and drives itself forward like a gas mower does.
This guide compares the two on the things that decide the purchase: what it costs to run, how much lawn one charge covers, maintenance, noise, and where gas still wins. We have not run these mowers ourselves. The numbers come from manufacturer specs and retailer listings, and we say where something is a rule of thumb rather than a spec.
The short answer
- Lawn under half an acre, mowed every week or two: buy a battery mower. It costs less to run, needs almost no maintenance, and starts with a button.
- Half an acre to an acre: a battery mower still works, but budget for a second battery.
- Over an acre, or rough, overgrown ground: gas (or a riding or robotic mower) is still the practical choice.
Electric vs gas lawn mower at a glance
| Battery push mower | Gas push mower | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting | Push button | Pull cord, choke, primer |
| Running cost | Under 10 cents per charge | Gasoline plus oil, plugs, filters |
| Runtime | About 60 minutes per charge (our two picks) | As long as you have fuel |
| Maintenance | Sharpen blade, clean deck | Oil changes, spark plug, air filter, fuel stabilizer, carburetor issues |
| Noise | Noticeably quieter | Loud enough that ear protection is often recommended |
| Tall or wet grass | Slows down, drains battery faster | Handles it better |
| Weight | 62 to 70 lb for our picks | Similar for a self-propelled 21-inch mower |
| Biggest long-term cost | Replacement battery | Repairs and fuel |
Running cost: battery wins easily
The EGO Power+ 21-inch mower ships with a 56V 7.5 Ah battery. Multiply volts by amp-hours and that is about 420 Wh, or 0.42 kWh. At around 17 to 18 cents per kWh, roughly the US residential average, a full charge costs about 7 to 8 cents. Allow for charger losses and call it under 10 cents to mow the whole lawn.
A gas push mower typically burns somewhere between a quarter and half a gallon of fuel per hour, depending on the engine and the grass. That is still only a dollar or two per mow. Fuel is not where gas really costs you, though. Upkeep is: an annual oil change, a spark plug, an air filter, fuel stabilizer over winter, and the carburetor cleaning that old gas eventually forces on you.
Battery mowers have one big cost hidden down the line: the battery. Lithium-ion packs lose capacity over the years, and a replacement is one of the most expensive parts of the mower. Check the price of a spare before you buy. If you already own tools on the same battery platform, though, the battery pays for itself across all of them.
Runtime: how much lawn one charge covers
Both mowers we track are rated for about 60 minutes per charge:
As a rule of thumb, an hour of self-propelled mowing covers about a third to half an acre of regularly cut grass. Several things shorten that:
- Long or wet grass makes the motor work harder and drains the battery faster.
- Bagging uses more power than mulching or side discharge.
- Self-propel at full speed uses battery too. Slowing it down stretches runtime.
- Hills cost runtime on both the blade and the drive.
On paper the Greenworks has the higher voltage (80V), but its included battery is 4 Ah, about 320 Wh, against the EGO's 420 Wh. Runtime depends on watt-hours (volts times amp-hours), not on voltage alone. That is why the two end up with similar rated runtimes despite the 80V label.
Maintenance: where gas loses most
A battery mower has no oil, no spark plug, no air filter, no fuel to go stale, and no carburetor. Your maintenance list comes down to:
- Keep the blade sharp (true for any mower).
- Scrape grass off the underside of the deck.
- Store the battery indoors over winter, partly charged, not in a freezing shed.
That last point matters. Lithium batteries don't like being stored hot, frozen, or completely empty for months. Bringing the pack inside for winter is the single best thing you can do for its lifespan.
Noise and fumes
Battery mowers are much quieter. You can mow early in the morning without upsetting the neighbours, and you can hold a conversation over one. There are no exhaust fumes either, which you'll notice most when bagging or mowing near open windows.
Rules are also moving in electric's favour. California stopped allowing sales of most new small gas engines, including those in lawn mowers, from the 2024 model year. Some towns restrict gas-powered yard equipment too. If you live somewhere with these rules, a battery mower is the future-proof purchase.
Where gas still wins
Battery mowers are not the answer for everyone. Gas is still the better pick if:
- You have more than about an acre and don't want to swap batteries mid-mow.
- You cut overgrown or rough ground, like a field cut a few times a year or a lot left to grow tall between mows.
- You mow wet grass often, where battery mowers slow down noticeably.
- You already own a reliable gas mower. Running it until it dies is often cheaper than replacing it early.
Which battery mower to pick
If you already own EGO 56V or Greenworks 80V tools, buy the mower on your existing platform. Sharing batteries is the biggest money saver in battery yard tools.
If you're starting fresh, the EGO has the larger included battery and the lighter body (62.6 lb vs 70 lb), and EGO's 56V line covers more tools. The Greenworks usually costs less upfront. See both, side by side with current prices, on our best battery lawn mowers page.
The bottom line
For most suburban lawns, the electric vs gas lawn mower question now goes electric. A battery mower costs pennies to run, needs almost no upkeep, and covers a typical yard on one charge. Choose gas only when the lawn is big, rough, or regularly wet, or when the gas mower you already own still runs fine.
Looking at the rest of the yard? Our battery leaf blower and chainsaw and trimmer picks run on the same battery platforms.